NEWPORT Gwent Dragons are hoping to avoid a damaging club v country row over star player Percy Montgomery.

Not because of this Sunday's Heineken Cup-tie against Edinburgh at Murrayfield because Montgomery is definitely available for that, but because of a real clash in December.

The date in question is December 4 when both South Africa and the Dragons are playing. Monty has been called up for the five-match Springbok tour after he made a successful return to international rugby this summer when he made seven more international appearances and helped his country to the Tri Nations title.

The Springboks open up against Wales at the Millennium Stadium on November 6 and then face Ireland on the 13th, England on the 20th, Scotland on the 27th and Argentina on December 4.

The Dragons play the Ospreys at Rodney Parade on November 5, the day before the Wales v South Africa game, and both regional sides face the prospect of being without their star players.

The last game of the Springboks' tour in Buenos Aires is on the same day as the Dragons face French aces Perpignan at Rodney Parade in their third Heineken Cup pool game.

International Board regulations state that a player must be released for international rugby provided the game has been agreed well in advance.

But on this occasion the Dragons hope it won't be a major problem and that the Springboks will not insist that Montgomery is made available to them.

They argue that the player has signed a two-year extension to his contract, but despite that they still released him to play for South Africa through the summer and have allowed him to return home this week.

That is a for a pre-tour camp, though Monty will be back on Thursday to travel to Scotland for Sunday's cup-tie in Edinburgh.

On that basis they are hoping Montgomery will be released for the Perpignan match on December 4, especially as it is the final match of South Africa's tour on their way back home.

"There has been dialogue between Andy Marinos and the South Africa management team and we are hopeful Percy will be available," said Dragons team manager Jim McCreedy.

Marinos, the Dragons chief executive, has also returned to South Africa on a family break. Edinburgh, meanwhile, continue to be without some key players for the visit of the Dragons.

Experienced international pair lock Scott Murray and number eight Simon Taylor are both still out, as is centre Tom Phillip.

Taylor and Phillip are both suffering from knee ligament damage and are out for some time, though it is hoped Murray will be back in a couple of weeks.

It is a 'must win' game for both teams after the Dragons lost to Newcastle in dreadful conditions and Edinburgh were beaten by Perpignan, losing 23-0 in an exceedingly one sided contest.