South African Rynard Landman has been handed the captain’s armband for Friday’s encounter with Ulster and the second row is desperate to ensure history does not repeat itself.

The Dragons made it seven wins from nine games at Rodney Parade this season when they beat GUINNESS PRO12 title hopefuls Leinster last Friday, but it was a defeat against Ulster back in November that still haunts Landman.

The South African ignored men outside him during the 19-12 loss against Ulster only to be held up over the line at the death in a performance that deserved a Dragons victory.

The Dragons, who have not been victorious in Belfast since September 2008, have not won away from home in the competition since a trip to Treviso last March, while Ulster have lost only one of their last four Guinness PRO12 encounters with Dragons.

"That's one that we should have won and I should have passed at the end," said Landman. "The boys outside me got flashes of that game when I took it up against Leinster but luckily I got it away!

"We need to correct what happened against Ulster because we threw it away. We are chasing an 80-minute performance on Friday.

"What a difference a week makes. We played in the right areas in the first half then in the second half the boys showed a lot of guts when Leinster were hammering away at our try line. We didn't give a score away and the belief went up.”

Fly-half Angus O’Brien will make his first start for Newport Gwent Dragons in almost a year. The 21-year-old, whose last start was against London Welsh in the LV= Cup in February 2015, wears ten in Belfast after Jason Tovey was ruled out with a back problem.

Charlie Davies gets the nod at scrum-half while loosehead Phil Price and hooker Elliot Dee come in up front. Ben White, on a three-week loan from Exeter, starts at blindside while Ed Jackson returns at No.8.

Ulster will start as red-hot favourites and field a strong side featuring South Africa ace Ruan Pienaar at scrum-half and Ireland internationals Stuart Olding, Darren Cave and Craig Gilroy among their backs.

This game was postponed from its original date in early January to accommodate the rearranged European Champions Cup game between Ulster and Oyonnax.

Ulster's only defeat in their last four fixtures was 17-33 at Saracens in the Champions Cup on 16 January, while they slipped up in their most recent Guinness PRO12 home game to Munster.

And Peter Browne is eager for Ulster to kickstart an important run on the front foot.

"The focus is against the Dragons but the next weekend we've got Glasgow and then the Scarlets on the Sunday after that," he said.

"These three home games are really big for us and we're looking forward to the challenge and, hopefully, we'll get the wins."

At Kingspan Stadium, 7.35pm. Live on BBC Sport NI
Referee: Nigel Owens (WRU, 131st competition game)
Assistant Referees: Nigel Correll, Shane Kierans (both IRFU)
Citing Commissioner: Wayne Sheriden (IRFU)
TMO: Kevin Beggs (IRFU)