NEWPORT Gwent Dragons lock Ian Gough is ready for one of the games of the season when they take on Irish aces Leinster at Rodney Parade tonight, and he is relishing the challenge.

Gough remembers the final game of last season against Leinster which was played at Lansdowne Road with the Dragons going for the Celtic League title and the Irish at full strength, as they virtually are again tonight.

The Dragons scored some brilliant first half tries as they took Leinster by storm, they even led at half-time and were on course for the title only to lose Percy Montgomery with a broken hand and then hooker Steve Jones to a yellow card.

The tide turned after that and Leinster ran out comfortable winners in the final quarter as their pack got on top, but it was a cracker of a game.

Gough expects more of the same tonight. "It was one of the best games of the season at Lansdowne Road and it was quite a long weekend in Dublin!" he said.

"We just went out and played and we had a bonus point in 20 minutes, it was unreal. Then they cranked it up in the second half and we had Steve Jones sinbinned. They started their driving line-outs and it was on a knife edge.

"It was a fantastic contest. They play a different style, they go through a lot of phases.

"They are a great side and we've had some epic games against them like the time when the lights went out when they came here."

Gough comes up against old foe Malcolm O'Kelly, the vastly experienced Irish and British Lions lock. "We're a pair of war dogs," was how Gough described their rivalry.

"He's got 50-odd caps and is a British Lion, you don't get that just by doing the basics.

"These games are even more important now that they've abolished Wales A games which is a great shame, and it's when you can judge if you can step up to international rugby."

Gough says no-one bears Leinster coach Declan Kidney any grudges for leaving the Dragons so soon after he was appointed coach in May.

"He's a good guy and all the boys appreciated it when he came to speak to all of us and we appreciated the reasons he had to go back. It was for family reasons and there are no hard feelings.

"It was very good of Tony Brown and the club, they realised where his heart was and they let him go. He was a genuine guy.

"Now I'm looking forward to big crowds returning here and if we get 7,000-8,000 tonight it would be fantastic."