NEWPORT Gwent Dragons may not be involved in a Heineken Cup play-off after all - because there is a strong chance it won't take place.

There are still four teams who could be involved in the play-off against the third placed Italian team if it goes ahead as scheduled - the Ospreys, the Dragons, Ulster and Connacht.

But the Ospreys are virtually guaranteed an automatic Heineken Cup place after their victory over the Dragons last Friday while the Dragons remain five points clear of Connacht, the last placed Irish team, with a game in hand.

So if the status quo remains at the end of the season in 11 days the Dragons, as fourth Welsh team and above the lowest placed Irish side, will be in the qualifier for a third year running.

But there is a big problem. The European governing body, the ERC, have ruled that the game must be played on May 31 which is the date for the second play-off in the Italian Championship, so they won't even know who their third placed team is by that date.

They say they can't bring it forward to midweek because of sponsorship and television arrangements, so there is an impasse.

The Dragons, assuming they are involved, don't want it on the June 6 date suggested by the Italians anyway because they will have as many as ten players out of contract on top of remaining injury problems.

It would also mean their players hanging around for a month after the season's end to take part in the play-off.

If no resolution can be found the Italians will have to forfeit the game which would result in Wales having all four teams in the Heineken Cup next season.

Dragons coach Paul Turner has got to juggle his limited resources for the matches against Leinster in Dublin on Saturday and the Ospreys return at Rodney Parade next Tuesday.

Leinster need just one point to clinch the Magners League title while the Ospreys will be way below strength if Wales coach Warren Gatland pulls the plug on his players next week because he wants them for training ahead of the South African tour.

On that basis Turner is likely to rest key players for the Leinster game and pour all the resources he can into the Ospreys fixture.

Lock Andrew Hall will become the second player in Celtic League history to reach 100 appearances if he is involved against Leinster following on quickly from team-mate Adam Black who arrived at the landmark last Friday.

Full back Martyn Thomas had an operation yesterday on the broken jaw he suffered against Connacht and could be available for the play-off if it happens.

Meanwhile, a Press conference is due at the Memorial Stadium later this week when it will be officially announced that Bristol will ground share with Newport and the Dragons at Rodney Parade for the next two seasons while their ground is being redeveloped.

They are tenants at the Memorial Stadium which is owned by Bristol Rovers, and they have to vacate it when their ground is being redeveloped, unlike Newport and the Dragons at Rodney Parade while work proceeds in stages there.

Declan Kidney, the coach who took charge of the Dragons but never saw a game, is set to be installed as Ireland's new coach today in succession to Eddie O'Sullivan.

Kidney was appointed close season by Tony Brown, backer at the time, after Mike Ruddock took over at the Wales helm, but within weeks a vacancy arose with Leinster and Brown agreed to release him almost before he took charge.

Kidney soon transferred back to Munster and has taken them to another Heineken Cup final.

South African rugby is in turmoil ahead of Wales' tour there. Three players - Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha and Wynand Claasens - are in dispute with the governing body over Botha's proposed move to Toulon. And flanker Schalk Burger is recovering from a knee operation which could keep him out for six weeks.