Prop Lloyd Fairbrother has called on Dragons to produce a ‘collective’ performance when they travel to Cardiff Arms Park on Boxing Day.
The Men of Gwent finish up 2023 with a BKT United Rugby Championship derby against bitter rivals Cardiff Rugby (kick=off 3pm).
Dai Flanagan’s men have not won in the capital since a 23-17 success nine years ago.
And Fairbrother is aware of the magnitude of the clash as Dragons look to fire momentum into the club’s league campaign.
“It’s a massive game. It's always the bragging rights for the season,” he stated. “We just missed out when we played them at home, missed out on a couple of key areas.
“This game means everything,” he added. “It's Christmas time, there are a lot of support there, I’ve heard it is packed out, and I'm sure it will be really good.
“It's always a bit fiery. It's a fast track and it's the little moments, which are big moments, that count really.
“The best thing is trying to quieten the crowd down a little bit, by playing good rugby, smashing them. It can quieten them down a little.
“It's a brilliant place to go and play and it's a fall house. The main thing is we put a good show on for the fans.
“We've got our set piece battles, around the pitch getting through some good hard work, and it's always a bit niggly - but I love it.”
Dragons go into the game in bottom spot in the league after a campaign of near misses – including the loss to Cardiff at Rodney Parade at the end of October.
“We’ve got some boys that are in the Welsh squad, and we need individual performances, but that comes from being collective,” said Fairbrother.
“That's been a big thing over the last couple weeks, especially this week.
“Not to be too worried about Cardiff and what they're going to bring, we know what they're about.
“Can we bring that collective performance, in defence, attack and set piece, and nobody going off script. To try and get the full 80 minutes.
“When we played them at home, we didn’t play an 80-minute game. Some big moments passed us by and just slipped away.
“That's our main thing, that we bring that collective game and really turn the screw.
“You can't get away from the recent record,” he concluded.
“They have beaten us for a long time, and we can't get away from that, that's what it is.
“We’ve got a got a strap up and make sure that's at the forefront of our minds going into the game. But it's got to come from a collective.
“I don't think it weighs heavy on us, but it is something we can't hide away from, that’s not one to 15, that is us as a club.
“We’ve put some good performances in against Ospreys and Scarlets over the years, but Cardiff seems to be that one team that we just can't finish the game off so we need to be better.”
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We've got our set piece battles, around the pitch getting through some good hard work, and it's always a bit niggly - but I love it...
