Peter Nelson returns to the side at fullback and is joined in the back three by Sammy Arnold and Rory Scholes, who replaces an injured Andrew Trimble. Paul Marshall and Stuart McCloskey are retained at scrumhalf and inside centre respectively.
Up front Kyle McCall comes into the team to replace Andrew Warwick at loosehead prop, joining acting captain Rob Herring and Wiehahn Herbst in the front row. Dan Tuohy joins Franco van der Merwe in the second row, with Stephen Mulholland, who makes his first start for Ulster, named alongside Chris Henry and Robbie Diack in the back row. Diack returns to the starting line up having recovered from a muscle tear in his thigh sustained against Treviso on October 2nd.
Ulster skipper, Best, will play his first game for the province since May when he comes off the bench. He is named alongside front row cover Ricky Lutton and Bronson Ross. Lewis Stevenson and Sean Reidy are named as forward replacements and World Cup semi-finalist Pienaar is named with Ian Humphreys and Craig Gilroy as backline cover.
Ulster enter the game in fifth place in the Guinness PRO12 league with 18 points - three places ahead of Sunday's opponents.
Ulster team & replacements to face Newport Gwent Dragons, Guinness PRO12, Rodney Parade, Sunday 8th November (2.30pm kick off):
(15-9): Peter Nelson, Rory Scholes, Darren Cave, Stuart McCloskey, Sammy Arnold, Paddy Jackson, Paul Marshall; (1-8) Kyle McCall, Rob Herring (captain), Wiehahn Herbst, Dan Tuohy, Franco van der Merwe, Robbie Diack, Chris Henry, Stephen Mulholland.
Replacements (16-23): Rory Best, Ricky Lutton, Bronson Ross, Lewis Stevenson, Sean Reidy, Ruan Pienaar, Ian Humphreys, Craig Gilroy.
