HOOKER Elliot Dee hopes to thrive "back in the trenches" after enduring a season of injury torment with Newport Gwent Dragons.

The 22-year-old from Newbridge has played just nine times in 2016/17 after rupturing ankle ligaments in the pre-season game against Cardiff Blues in August.

He made his return last autumn only suffer a shattered nose after being caught by a stray knee in training in January.

Dee made a second comeback of the campaign as a try-scoring replacement at Munster a fortnight ago and then played all 80 minutes in last weekend's 14-9 loss to Connacht in Galway.

Now the front-rower wants to help the Dragons avoid an unwanted Irish hat-trick when Leinster visit Rodney Parade on Friday.

"It's been a hell of a frustrating season for me," said Dee. "To go through such a hard pre-season and then rupture all the ligaments in my ankle 30 minutes into the first friendly was tough, then I came back and picked up another injury.

"It's tough because when results are not going our way you want to be out there in the trenches with the boys.

"I've only played nine games but I guess everyone has a season like this at some stage and fingers crossed I can do my bit now. I've used up all my tokens and need to do my bit for the team now."

Dee's return from his latest setback was swifter than the three-month lay-off initially feared – "you can't play in the front row and let a broken nose keep you out, boys would laugh at me!" – and he hopes to reap the rewards of his Galway efforts.

"The full 80 was just what I needed after not playing so much," he said. "I'm looking to build and hit a bit of form now.

"I loved being out there, although it was bittersweet with the result. We felt that we could come away with the win but made life difficult for ourselves by letting them get two scores ahead early on.

"But we showed great spirit – we are a tight-knit group. We might not have 10 internationals in the team like others but we have a lot of dog.

"Now we just need the bounce of the ball and to get over the line after a tough few weeks. We have belief in ourselves and now we have a big home game against Leinster so need to get a win and finish the season strongly."

The Dragons are chasing a third successive Rodney Parade victory against the Irish province, who currently sit second in the table.

They upset Leinster 25-22 in April 2015, scoring four tries for a bonus-point win, and triumphed 23-13 in January last year thanks to tries by wing Ashton Hewitt and fly-half Jason Tovey, who scored a 'full house' with two conversions, a pair of penalties and a drop goal.