A MEETING with a rampant Clermont Auvergne may not be top of many players' bucket list but flanker Nic Cudd insists Saturday's trip to Stade Marcel Michelin is one that no Dragons want to miss.

The Rodney Parade region head to France (kick-off 1pm) on the back of heavy defeats to Leinster in the Guinness PRO14 and Northampton in the European Challenge Cup, shipping 15 tries in the process.

The loss to the Saints has left them with only a mathematical chance of making the knockout stages and most Dragons fans will see avoiding humiliation as a good result this weekend.

Clermont, a Champions Cup team playing in the Challenge Cup after an usually poor 2017/18, are leading the Top14 and have scored 42 tries in 11 league games.

They smashed Northampton 41-20 in October and have doubled Pool One whipping boys Timisoara Saracens 70-12 and 47-14, crossing six times in the East Midlands and 17 times against the Romanians.

The French side are in blistering form and boasted a formidable side in Timisoara last Saturday even in the absence of the likes of Wesley Fofana, Sébastien Vahaamahina, Benjamin Kayser, Rabah Slimani, Fritz Lee and Camille Lopez.

Clermont haven't lost on home soil since Racing 92 triumphed in April and their notoriously vocal 'yellow army' will expect that eight-game streak to be extended this weekend.

The Dragons will be under siege on Saturday, racking up tackles against giant units, but openside Cudd wants to be in the thick of it.

He said: "It would be great to experience that atmosphere in Clermont and hopefully the boys' performance will rise and we can put in a good showing.

"I've never played there but I've seen it on TV and it looks like a great place to play, you want to play in places like that and I'll be really looking forward to it if I'm chosen.

"We know that Clermont is going to be a really tough game but we are going to go out there and be positive. Hopefully we can improve our performance and go into the derby games firing.

"Everybody wants to play in that game against Clermont out there, it will be great to experience the atmosphere and play against some of the best players in the world."

Head coach Bernard Jackman said after the Saints loss that he will bring back his five fit Wales players from the autumn internationals – lock and captain Cory Hill, hooker Elliot Dee, back row forwards Ross Moriarty and Aaron Wainwright and centre Tyler Morgan – after resting them last weekend.

Cudd is arguably the Dragons' best defender but faces competition for a place in the back row because of the returns of Moriarty and Wainwright, although the loss of Ollie Griffiths (knee) and Harri Keddie (concussion) in Northampton look set to help his chances of a place in the 23.

The west Walian is battling with bulkier players for a spot in the matchday squad to face Clermont's imposing pack

"What is going to drive us forward is competition, especially in the back row," he said. "That's what the best teams have got in all positions.

"If we keep building that depth then it will take us forward. We know where we are at the moment and just have to keep building performances."

And Cudd insists there was some reason for optimism after the 48-14 loss in Northampton, which was on the back of the nine-try drubbing against the PRO14 champions.

"It was disappointing to lose by that margin but I think there were improvements from the Leinster game," said Cudd, who scored a consolation try in the closing minutes from a driving lineout.

"In patches of play we did well, especially in that first half when we had a bit of territory and were in the 22 but it was disappointing that we didn't come away with points.

"Northampton are a strong team and were far more clinical. We just have to take the positives, which there were, into Clermont. It will be a tough game but we can give it a good go."