THERE is still no decision on whether Percy Montgomery will be able to play for Newport Gwent Dragons in their crucial Heineken Cup tie against Perpignan at Rodney Parade a week on Saturday.

Montgomery is a vital member of the Dragons team and is crucial to their chances of not only recapturing their form when the internationals return next week, but also of keeping the side in the hunt for a quarter-final place in Europe.

But he is also a member of the current South African touring squad and has played in all three games on their Northern Hemisphere trip so far, against Wales, Ireland and England.

The Springboks play Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday and then comes the big clash because the week after they face Argentina in Buenos Aires on the way home - the same day the Dragons play Perpignan.

No decision is expected until after the Scotland game, but if coach Jake White wants Montgomery in his side to face Argentina the Dragons will have to give way because international commitments come first provided the fixture in question has been properly ratified with the International Board.

The fact that Montgomery has recently concluded a two-and-half-year extension to his contract with the Dragons will be irrelevant, and they will have to manage without him.

The French clubs are apparently unhappy that their domestic championship programme clashes with the Buenos Aires international because most of the Argentina team are based in France, but they will have to play for their country.

Wales have allowed Gareth Thomas, Stephen Jones and Gareth Llewellyn to return to their French clubs after securing their release for the South Africa game at the beginning of the month.

They did not wish to risk stirring up future problems when maybe they didn't really require them for the Japan game on Friday anyway.

Before the Perpignan double header the Dragons travel to the West coast of Ireland on Saturday to take on Connacht in the Celtic League on Sunday, the game kicking off at 1pm and televised live on S4C.

They have huge problems, possibly being without as many as nine players for a game they need to win to get back on track after successive defeats.

Kevin Morgan has been drafted into the Wales squad to add to Hal Luscombe, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Cooper, Steve Jones, Michael Owen and Luke Charteris. Montgomery is with the Springboks and Richard Bryan is suffering from a knee injury.

Enquiries are being made to see whether Wales coach Mike Ruddock needs all the Dragons players in the squad for the Japan match or whether he will be able to release any of them to go to Ireland for the Connacht game.