TITLE-CHASING Ulster could call on Ireland stars Iain Henderson, Jared Payne and Paddy Jackson for Friday's Guinness PRO12 clash with Newport Gwent Dragons, writes Chris Kirwan.

The trio are up for selection for the fixture at Rodney Parade after helping deny England a Grand Slam in the bruising Six Nations finale in Dublin last Saturday.

Ireland captain Rory Best will be rested for the trip to Newport but lock Henderson, full-back/centre Payne and fly-half Jackson are in the mix for what is a vital game for the play-off hopefuls.

Ulster have gone on a late-season charge with 24 points from their last 25 moving them into fourth spot, the last play-off berth, ahead of the Scarlets.

The Irish province have fixtures remaining against the top three of Munster, the Ospreys and Leinster so know they can ill afford to come a cropper against the 10th-placed Dragons.

However, director of rugby Les Kiss knows that it won't be a routine task at a ground where they have often struggled.

Ulster withstood a late charge to win 19-12 last season – with Dragons lock Rynard Landman held up over the line at the death – for their fifth win in 13 league visits.

"We know our record there hasn't been good and it's been a struggle at times," Kiss told the Belfast Telegraph.

"We have to embrace that challenge, the fact that we haven't done well there. We have to get on top of why we haven't been able to do well there.

"We can lament what hasn't been or approach it that this is a chance to change that.

"Last year, it was my first game actually, we got over the line just from defending for the last seven or eight minutes and Rory Best got the final turnover to get us the money.

"It's not an easy place to play. They're a team that have a lot of pride there.

"It's Rodney Parade, it's Friday night and we've got to be excited about that.

"It won't be easy because they're a tough team. They're a team that just hang in and if you're not clinical, they'll come back at you.

"They can really cause you trouble and we have to be on top of our game. It could be just the challenge we need.

"It won't be an ideal place to be, a boisterous crowd who'll certainly let the ref know what they think is right."

Ulster triumphed 29-8 when the sides met at Ravenhill on the opening day of the season with wing Pat Howard scoring a try on debut for the Dragons.