RYNARD Landman is confident that Newport Gwent Dragons can make history by qualifying for the European Rugby Challenge Cup final thanks to their never-say-die spirit.

The Rodney Parade region travel to Edinburgh on Friday (kick-off 7.45pm) looking to go one better than the class of 2007, whose spirited display at the Stade Marcel Michelin wasn't enough to get past Clermont Auvergne in the last four.

Landman will be a frustrated onlooker at Murrayfield as it is the final match of a six-week ban but the South African lock is convinced that his teammates can book him a place at the Twickenham Stoop final against either Gloucester or Exeter.

The 28-year-old, who had been captaining the side before his suspension for a stray elbow, believes victories against Ulster, Treviso, Cardiff Blues and Leinster are proof that the Dragons have the quality in their ranks to make a first final in their 12-year history.

"We have got good momentum," said Landman. "We have four wins on the spin and that counts for a lot.

"The boys will just give it their all. The vibe has been great in the camp – everyone knows what is expected of them and they will leave everything out on the field in Edinburgh.

"We have showed great character in recent games. We were down 14-3 against Cardiff Blues and 22-8 down against Leinster and I believe in the past the Dragons would have fallen away in those games but now we are coming back. That shows our spirit.

"If the game is tight then we can pull through and that's a big pat on the back for the conditioners because we can play for 80 minutes and finish strongly."

The Dragons squad fly north on Thursday but Landman will be among the Rodney Parade contingent heading to Murrayfield by bus on Friday morning.

The former Cheetahs forward has been one of the stars of the season but has paid the price of a moment of madness against Connacht in February when he caught Jack Carty on the head with his elbow when attempting a charge down.

"It's been frustrating training every week, leaving home at 7am and getting back at 5pm, and you want to be out there with the guys on the field because it's not the same celebrating in the stands in big games," said Landman.

The irritation of being sidelined has been exacerbated by the Dragons' winning streak but the South African is thrilled to be playing his part in building a brighter future for a region traditionally known as Wales' whipping boys.

He said: "When Lyn (Jones, director of rugby) called me he told me that he had big plans for the region going forward and I said that I wanted to be on board.

"The season started off slowly but if you get one player to believe every week then you will soon have 95 per cent of the squad believing.

"Training has picked up every week and attitudes and spirits lift with victories. Everybody is gelling and taking a step in the right direction for the Dragons.

"We've got four or five games left this season and we want to end on a high then hit the ground running next year."