NEWPORT Gwent Dragons head to the Twickenham Stoop this evening with the aim of building up a head of steam for the return of the Guinness Pro12, writes Chris Kirwan.

The Dragons kick off their LV= Cup campaign with a trip to London to face Harlequins.

The tournament is used to blood the next generation but it also presents the Rodney Parade region with a chance to lay the foundations for a climb up from 10th in the league table.

They have won just two games this season – against Treviso in the league and Stade Francais in Europe – and could do with a morale boost ahead of a key clash with Munster on November 22.

"A different competition spices things up a bit and it would be nice to get a couple of wins in the LV= to take back to the league," said lock/back row James Thomas.

"We have shown glimpses of what we can do this season but it was frustrating that we didn't back up a good win in France when we should have beaten Newcastle the following week.

"But there has been a buzz in training this week because a lot of boys are excited about getting the chance to play and the side has a nice mix.

"There are few experienced boys to bring some patience and keep everyone calm so that we can use the enthusiasm in the right places."

Thomas only has seven regional appearances to his name but the 24-year-old, who is in the final year of a biomedical sciences degree at Cardiff University, is seen as a seasoned campaigner by a number of teammates after earning his shot by impressing at Bedwas.

"Some of the boys have only been playing senior rugby for two or three years so look up to you a bit, even if you've not played too many regional games," said Thomas, who made his debut off the bench against Sale in the Anglo-Welsh tournament in 2009.

"It's exciting to see the youth coming through and plenty who have played in the LV= Cup in the past few years have gone on to become first team players.

"There are a lot of boys with potential in our squad and this gives them their chance."

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