FORMER Gloucester captain Kingsley Jones has warned his old club not to underestimate European Challenge Cup quarter-final underdogs Newport Gwent Dragons when the two sides meet in April.

And the current Dragons head coach reckons the match will need a strong referee, who will not get intimidated by the partisan Kingsholm crowd, to handle what could be a cracker of a match.

An awful final group defeat for the Dragons at Sale Sharks last Thursday, where they lost 38-5, has set-up a massive Anglo-Welsh derby with the Cherry and Whites, who are defending champions and will be hot favourites to defeat the Welsh region at home.

The Dragons are also bottom but one of the Guinness Pro12 League, with just three victories in 11 matches .

But they have shone in the European Challenge Cup, as they did last year when reaching the semi-finals before going out to Edinburgh, beaten by Gloucester in the final showdown.

Jones, who had three season with Gloucester between 1998 and 2001 and was captain during that period, reckons Kingsholm's famous fans are such an asset to them that they are worth a couple of points start to the Cherry and Whites.

He said: “I can say it because I played there. The crowd is worth a good six points and that’s why we need a referee who won’t be intimidated.”

Gloucester, who qualified for a home draw by winning their Pool Four with victory over French outfit La Rochelle, completed the group stage of the tournament on Saturday with a 14-11 win at Italians Zebre.

It means that they end the group with an unbeaten record of six wins and 25 points and will play either French Top 14 unit Grenoble or Irish region Connacht, whom they beat 14-7 in the quarter-finals last season, in the semis.

But Jones said the Dragons will turn up to play this time instead of not doing so as they did against Sale.

“Gloucester have the right to be confident and to be favourites,” said the former flanker who also captained Wales in 1998. “They are reigning champions but I think our players will rise to it.

“There is a determination from us to draw a line under the Sale game and I don’t see a performance like that happening again in the coming weeks.

“I don’t think Gloucester will read too much into that result. At the end of the day, it’s about being right in the top two inches (mentally).

“Gloucester are not going as well as they would like in the league (Aviva Premiership) but they are a really strong side. However, we went to Newcastle last year and played some great rugby to win 40-29 and that’s what we have to do again this time.

“Gloucester will be a massive challenge for us but, at the end of the day, anything can happen.”

Jones also reckons an official who can withstand the intimidating atmosphere of a packed Kingsholm is essential.

“My memories of the place are very fond and I know it’s a tough place to go so we need a really strong referee for the game because we just want fair play.”

The Dragons are capable of an upset as they proved last year when beating crack French side Stade Francais 38-22 in Paris, arguably the greatest victory in the region's history.

And if the motivation of beating his old side is not enough for Jones, the fact that the Dragons are the only Welsh region left in either the European Champions Cup or European Challenge Cup is enough to fire up his passions.

A firm date for the match has yet to be decided but it will be on a day between Thursday April 7 and Sunday April 10.He also hopes that the injury-ridden region will have a number of returning stars, including Welsh internationals Hallam Amos and Andrew Coombs among them, for the clash of the titans.

“We should have these players back and, if we do, that will be a massive boost for us,” added the ex-Gloucester skipper.

He laughed: "On a personal level, it's (Kingsholm) the nearest top league club to my house! It's 35 minutes from my front door so after the game, I should be back home for supper!"

The match will be played on Saturday April 9 with a 12.45pm kick-off.