NEWPORT Gwent Dragons may be huge underdogs, but they've got a great deal to play for collectively and individually tonight when they take on the Ospreys at the Liberty Stadium in a crucial Magners League derby.

At stake is third place among the Welsh teams and the guarantee of an automatic place in the Heineken Cup next season.

The Ospreys may have provided as many as 13 players at a time in Wales' Grand Slam team as well as winning the EDF Energy Cup and reaching the quarter-finals of the Heineken, but they haven't performed well in the league.

They are behind Cardiff Blues and Llanelli Scarlets among the Welsh teams and stand only six points ahead of the Dragons, but they realise victory tonight will realistically put them back into the major European competition, which they have designs on actually winning.

The Dragons could throw a real spanner in the works if they upset the odds and at the same time give their own chances of automatic entry into the Heineken Cup a major lift. Defeat, on the other hand, will almost certainly mean another play-off, assuming they can sit ahead of Ulster or Connacht.

It's a tall order especially as the Ospreys have included all their Grand Slam stars in their squad as well as formidable New Zealand trio Justin Marshall, Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia.

But on their previous visits to the Liberty, the Dragons have kept it tight and haven't lost by much, 12-6 in a rain ruined match last year and 15-9 the year before.

The Dragons may be going in on the back of an abysmal run of six games without success (five defeats and a draw), but they know they've got nothing to lose and if Adam Black's comments are anything to go by they are not going to roll over.

And individually there is the incentive of a place on Wales' two-Test visit to world champions South Africa in June.

Prop Rhys Thomas was their only member of the 28-strong Six Nations squad and it's vital he has a decent game against a vaunted pack while others under consideration will be scrum half Andy Williams, lock Luke Charteris and back row pair Michael Owen and Colin Charvis.

"If we win our last four games (the others being the Ospreys return and two against champions-elect Leinster) we can overhaul the Ospreys. We don't go on the field to lose, but we're well aware of the challenge," said Dragons coach Paul Turner.

"They've got a big squad and though they were dismayed at the Heineken Cup quarter-final defeat they have recovered from that and they pose a huge threat.

"We're a small but talented squad and Lyn Jones (Ospreys coach) has paid us a few compliments this week. People forget we've got a few good players and places on Wales' tour are up for grabs, it's up to the players to perform."