James Hook made a man-of-the-match Challenge Cup debut for Perpignan in their battling win over Exeter Chiefs – and now the Wales star can give his new teammates the lowdown on their next opponents when they go to Rodney Parade to take on Newport Gwent Dragons.

Perpignan stalwart Maxime Mermoz, a World Cup finalist in New Zealand last month, is hoping that Hook will be able to reproduce his scintillating form when he returns to the land of his birth for the crunch encounter on Thursday.

"James made his debut for us and really shone against Exeter," said the French centre. "He had better give us a few tips about our Welsh opponents now that he wears our jersey and I have no concerns whatsoever about his commitment towards the team.

"During the first week of training with him it was brilliant. Whether it is in attack or in defence he is fully committed and I am sure he will be eager to do well for his new club against a Welsh team," he said.

Mermoz is wary of the threat that the Dragons will pose on their home turf as they have a number of players in their ranks who shone at the World Cup for Wales.

He commented: "The Dragons are a very good club with a number of Welsh internationals and for the away game against them on Thursday night we will have to show plenty of aggression because they are a very physical side.

"But we must also be fully disciplined because the Welsh offer a superb attacking game and we will have to be sound in defence. With players like Toby Faletau and Lloyd Burns they are loaded with power and experience, because those guys came back from the World Cup in which they performed brilliantly," added Mermoz.

The powerful centre explained that his team is currently full of confidence after getting their international stars back and pointed out that things would be much the same for the Dragons.

"We take heart at Perpignan at how the return of our internationals rekindled the dynamics within the group so I imagine that it is the same with the Dragons and it must have given them a massive boost to have them back.

"They bring more confidence and with their high standards they will pull their teammates to the top. Playing in the Amlin Challenge Cup at first might not sound as exciting as the Heineken Cup but then when you realise the level of the teams involved, including big French clubs, it is definitely an exciting and challenging tournament," he said.

Mermoz said that Perpignan have targeted success in the Challenge Cup as the best way to break back into the European Cup next season, with silverware very much on the French club's agenda this season.

"Part of our objectives are to be successful in the Amlin Challenge Cup and to go through to the Heineken Cup next season. We have two ways to achieve that, through our domestic championship or by winning this tournament and the best scenario for us would be to lift the trophy which is always good for your club record.

"Our first Amlin Challenge Cup win was a relief because we had to get back in touch with a sense of victory. We struggled in the first half and we made a lot of errors but in the second half we showed more control and it went well for us," he added.