WE don't want to get into Europe via the back door of a play-off, insists Newport Gwent Dragons lock Ian Gough going into tonight's must-win Celtic League battle against biggest rivals Cardiff Blues at Rodney Parade.
The Dragons currently lie in fourth place among the Welsh regions which would mean them having to qualify for the final Heineken Cup place via a play-off against the third ranked Italian side, assuming the Dragons stay ahead of Connacht and Glasgow and don't squander their games in hand.
But Gough says he and his teammates don't want it to come to that, they want to qualify by right through finishing at least third Welsh team in the final table.
"There is so much riding on the season tonight," he admitted. "We want to win these games and don't want to rely on a play-off, we don't want to be bottom of the Welsh pile.
"There's a lot of pride here, we're a very proud team and a very proud region and we want to be back in Europe on merit."
Gough has an extra reason for not wanting to be involved in a play-off. The date agreed for that game is June 2 - the day the Wales squad fly out to Argentina for their two-Test visit.
It would mean Gough, a certainty for the tour, and other Dragons players delaying their departure, just as Cardiff Blues players did for Wales' North American tour last year when they were involved in a play-off.
"I don't want to be involved in that situation, I'd rather finish the season and then concentrate on the build-up to the tour," he said.
"We hope to have a few players involved and we'd want to concentrate on that. We don't want to be playing another club game in June."
Victory, and avoiding a double, against the Blues tonight is vital if Gough and the team are to avoid that play-off.
And they've got vivid memories of the first encounter at Christmas when according to Gough, "There was a lot of sledging going on from them, and we remember that.
"But we're a very proud bunch and when we play at home we want to make it tough for any visiting team. We want to make them fight tooth and nail to get anything out of us."
Why, therefore, did the Dragons go from the heights of beating Heineken Cup semi-finalists Munster at home to the depths of defeat at bottom-placed Connacht a week later?
"It is strange," agreed Gough. "But I remember playing for Newport at Sale when they had Simon Raiwalui and Shane Howarth and they put 70 points on us when we beat them the week before.
"Then Ebbw Vale went to Toulouse and conceded 100 points but beat them in the return game. It just shows if the attitude is wrong and you don't do the basics right you won't win.
"But we've beaten Munster, one of the biggest names in Europe, and Perpignan, Stade Francais and Leicester at home so we know we can do it."
Gough wants to nip in the bud a worrying trend which has appeared among one section of the fans.
He said: "The bulk of them are fantastic but I've been disappointed with some of our crowds and the heckling a few of them have been doing in the Argus terrace. It's disgusting and isn't the kind of support we want."
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