THE knockout stages start early for Newport Gwent Dragons in the European Rugby Challenge Cup this year – win well on Saturday and they will earn a likely quarter-final reunion with Taulupe Faletau, Luke Charteris and Aled Brew in Bath.

It’s time for them to try and relish that familiar if unwanted underdog tag by winning for the first time away from Rodney Parade this season.

Hopefully they can add Brive to the list that includes Stade Francais, Pau, Newcastle, Gloucester and Cardiff Blues by recording an upset to set up that likely tie at the Rec.

It’s not quite a last-16 tie at the Stade Amedee-Domenech as their French hosts have earned themselves a little wiggle room.

Brive can lose as long as they deny the Dragons a bonus and claim a consolation themselves.

That’s a situation that Kingsley Jones’s side would no doubt have taken when it Enisei-STM were proving to be stubborn opponents with an hour gone at Rodney Parade last Friday.

The Russians had to be beaten with a bonus point to set up a likely ‘mission improbable’ of a 5-0 match point success in Brive.

Instead it looked like the Dragons could potentially be eliminated before round six with Enisei showing both defensive appetite and attacking enterprise.

As such it was relief when tries by Rhys Buckley and Harri Keddie (2) meant that at least the Dragons would be heading to France with their fate in their own hands.

From that relief to frustration.

The following evening it took a last-gasp Brive penalty to steal the spoils against Worcester and prevent it being an absolute shoot-out on Saturday with the winners taking Pool Three top spot.

Nonetheless, the Warriors have opened the door by being awkward.

Had the Dragons needed a 5-0 victory in France then they would have been left channelling the spirit of Lloyd Christmas in ‘Dumb and Dumber’ when told his chances of ending up with Mary Swanson were one in a million: “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?”

Instead they travel knowing that as long as they win and deny their hosts a bonus then they will be fifth seeds with an away quarter.

Given that they haven’t won away from Newport this season and haven’t triumphed on their travels since April, that appears to be a daunting task.

However, that last success on the road was at Kingsolm in the quarters last year when they added to notable recent Euro away upsets that include bonus-point wins in Paris and Pau.

The Dragons have made life hard for themselves through abject displays in Russia and Worcester, while their failure to bag a fourth try against the 14-man Warriors in Newport could prove costly.

But they have given themselves a shot at glory in a tournament that has provided so much cheer for long-suffering supporters at Rodney Parade.

The Challenge Cup has allowed the Dragons to stick two fingers up at their critics and tap into that believe to do the same in Brive on Saturday afternoon, with hands the other way round to toast another famous 'victoire'.

South Wales Argus:

"Let's be honest, it's very rare you bring a young back into the team and say, 'you know what, lads. His defence is brilliant, but his attack is terrible'."

Shaun Edwards' words on the day of Wales' announcement of their squad for the Six Nations came as a relief after the fear that one high-profile missed tackle might count against Newport Gwent Dragons wing Ashton Hewitt.

Those of us who have seen enough of the 22-year-old know that while he might not be a defensive rock like Leigh Halfpenny, he is certainly no weak touch.

His mistake when slipping off Cardiff Blues' Steve Shingler for the opening try in the Boxing Day derby was rare. It was followed by a series of lively breaks and thankfully he has got the nod for what he can do rather than what he didn't.

There is plenty of evidence of Hewitt's fast feet but he has also made great strides in the aerial game this season and, with 51 Dragons games under his belt, is becoming more accurate with his positioning and better at decision-making.

There is plenty more growth in his game and a taste of the Wales squad should do him the power of the good, even if he has to wait until the summer encounters with Samoa and Tonga for a first cap.

Hewitt and fellow exciting winger Steffan Evans should keep Halfpenny, Liam Williams, George North and Alex Cuthbert on their toes.