NEWPORT Gwent Dragons have little choice but to approach the much-maligned LV= Cup with gusto as they bid to snap out of a humiliating losing sequence.

The Dragons were hammered 37-6 at Glasgow in the RaboDirect Pro12 on Friday night, shipping five tries a week after conceding six in a 46-19 home thrashing at the hands of Ulster.

They have now lost five games in a row and another reverse would equal the region’s worst streak of six on the spin, something that has occurred twice in their history.

With just Zebre beneath them in the Pro12 table, it wouldn’t be putting it too strongly to say the Dragons are in crisis and the only positive from a shocking start to the season is that Cardiff Blues have failed to stretch away from them.

The Blues are six points ahead of them in the scrap to finish as the third-placed region, thereby securing Heineken Cup rugby.

Climbing the Pro12 table is the priority but the Dragons’ woeful form means that they can ill afford to write off the LV= Cup.

It is a development tournament that sides usually use to take a break, both mentally and physically, from the gruelling league and European schedule.

But the Dragons’ current plight means that head coach Darren Edwards won’t be calling on a raft of Principality Premiership players and raw academy starlets for Saturday’s opening clash at Bath.

"The league is where it is at for us and the LV= Cup presents the opportunity to get back on track for some big Pro12 games in November and December that will decide our destiny," he said.

"Hopefully a change of tournament will provide us with a fresh mindset because our defeats and performances are ramping up the pressure on us.

"It’s all self-inflicted and pressure is not a good thing in sport. Every loss builds it up it’s how we deal with it as a team now.

"We got to work through (the slump) and improve dramatically because we can’t just write off the LV= Cup – we need to learn how to win games again and there is a lot riding on the games against Bath and Northampton before we take on Connacht."

The Dragons are hopeful that Andrew Coombs will be in contention return from injury at the Rec. The back row forward has been out of action since injuring his knee against Zebre on opening day.

Wing Mike Poole is also set for a comeback, though it is likely to be in the Premiership given that he will not last 80 minutes, while scrum-half Joe Bedford is back in training following shoulder problems.

The region hope that they will have a bigger pool of players to pick from when they return to Pro12 action against Connacht at Rodney Parade on November 23 – but ensuring they are not on a seven-game losing streak when the Irish province arrive in Newport is their priority.