NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are hoping to be the party poopers tonight when play-off chasers Ulster arrive for a tense final day of the normal Magners League season.

Munster are way out ahead at the top of the table and Leinster are through to the play-offs with them, but Ulster could either displace them in second position or they could drop out of the running altogether.

As things stand four teams – Ulster, Cardiff Blues, the Ospreys and the Scarlets – are chasing two remaining places in the end of season shake-up.

All the Northern Ireland outfit require against the Dragons is one losing bonus point and they are assured of a place in the play-offs, but if they win and Leinster lose against Glasgow (all the remaining matches are tonight and they all kick-off at 7.05pm) they will finish second and gain a home game in the play-offs.

But if the Dragons spike Ulster’s guns and beat them without a losing bonus point they will do their Welsh rivals a big favour.

For if the Blues beat the Scarlets in Llanelli and the Ospreys beat Aironi, as expected, with a bonus point the Cardiff and Swansea-based rivals will both make the play-offs.

For the Scarlets to get there they’ve got to beat the Blues and rely on the Ospreys losing against Aironi.

So it’s all to play for and Edwards is in no doubt about Ulster’s intentions tonight.

“They don’t want a dead rubber and they’ll come here with all guns blazing,” he said. “But we don’t want it to be a dead rubber either so it’s just what we want after our wins here against the Ospreys and the Blues.”

And flanker Gavin Thomas added: “It’s important for us to win against Ulster, so they will have to play a different strategy. We need to keep things going into next year so we need to win and not think about them.”

The Dragons were denied at the death when they visited Ravenhill in March, losing to the last kick of the game by Springbok ace Ruan Pienaar who is in the side tonight at scrum half.

One player who won’t be overawed by Pienaar or anyone else is Dragons’ latest discovery Steffan Jones who made such a remarkable first start last week against the Blues.

Jones, who went to the same school as Wales and Arsenal football star Aaron Ramsey, admitted: “It’s nice to come into this environment, but I just took it as it came last week, I just had the opportunity and took it.

“It couldn’t have gone much better, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. The last game is going to be a massive challenge but I’m loving it.”

Jones says his hero was Wales and Lions outside half Neil Jenkins, though he’s happy with his switch from his normal ten position to 15.

“It opened up everything for me, I’m happy wherever I play,” he said. “I’m just hoping for another good performance tonight. I’m keeping my feet firmly on the floor but I hope to take the chance with two hands.”

Ulster props Tom Court and Declan Fitzpatrick are both fit again, but Willie Faloon is out with a shoulder injury and is replaced by Robbie Diack, South African Pedrei Wannenburg moving to blindside.

Ulster: A D’Arcy, C Gilroy, D Cave, N Spence, S Danielli, I Humphreys, R Pienaar, T Court, R Best (captain), D Fitzpatrick, J Muller, D Tuohy, P Wannenburg, R Diack, C Henry. Replacements: A Kyriacou, P McAllister, J Cronin, T Barker, T Anderson, P Marshall, I Whitten, C Gaston.