Leinster coach Matt Williams tonight issued a chilling warning to his team's Heineken Cup rivals by declaring: "We are a long way off our best."

The crack Irish provincial outfit have emerged as serious title contenders after brushing aside pool six rivals Toulouse and Newcastle, scoring eight tries and 68 points.

Unbeaten challengers Newport make the daunting trip to Dublin tomorrow night, where they will face a Leinster side containing six players - Girvan Dempsey, Denis Hickie, Brian O'Driscoll, Shane Horgan, Malcolm O'Kelly and Eric Miller - in Ireland's starting XV that destroyed England's Lloyds TSB Six Nations Grand Slam dream at Lansdowne Road last Saturday.

But despite Leinster's impressive opening, their Australian supremo Williams believes there is a lot more to come.

"The great thing is that we are a long way off our best," he said, as he prepared for a game which will attract a capacity 8,000 crowd to Donnybrook including 1,500 travelling Newport fans.

"We are defending well and have come a long way in that area - but we are not doing as well as we can. While we've been winning with reasonable scores, we are not operating at our full attacking ability."

Williams, formerly of New South Wales, and Newport's South African coach Ian McIntosh, ex-Natal, are old rivals in the southern hemisphere's Super 12 competition.

"You must have total respect for any team coached by Ian," Williams added.

"When he was with Natal and I was the New South Wales coach we had three years of opposition in the Super 12 - and at the moment it stands 1-1, with one draw.

"Ian is one of the world's greatest coaches, which is why there is no great surprise that Newport have come on so well under his guidance. They seem to get better every week."

Newport make two changes from the side that pipped Toulouse 21-20 three weeks ago, calling up prop Chris Anthony for Adrian Garvey and flanker Joe Powell instead of Jason Forster who has just shaken off a groin strain.

Pool four leaders Munster visit Bridgend tomorrow night, knowing that a third successive group victory would put them within touching distance of the quarter-finals.

Coach Declan Kidney retains the team on duty against Harlequins last time out - so the likes of Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer, Peter Clohessy, Mick Galwey and David Wallace all return from Six Nations duty.

Bridgend, beaten by Harlequins and Castres in their opening two games, will be without Lions wing Dafydd James because of a shoulder injury that threatens his Wales place for the November 10 autumn Test series opener against Argentina.

There is one game in the Parker Pen European Shield tomorrow night when pool one leaders Montauban travel to Ebbw Vale.