Dragons look to end 15-game losing streak against Cardiff in URC

The Rodney Parade club have lost 15 straight games, 10 of them narrow losses, since the European Challenge Cup quarter-final triumph in 2015.

Dai Flanagan’s men have two shots at ending the unwanted derby streak in 2023 with Sunday’s home encounter followed by a Boxing Day trip to the Arms Park.

Last season they closed in on Cardiff's lead in the capital with the conditions in their favour only for their discipline to let them down.

They led in Newport in the closing stages but decision-making and execution let them down in the build-up to Corey Domachowski’s winner.

That gives credence to the notion that it’s a mental block for the Dragons, especially for those who have been at the club long enough to experience plenty of doses of double defeat.

POWERFUL: Jack Dixon on the charge in the Dragons' win against Cardiff, and Sam Warburton, in 2015 (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

The team that won the Challenge Cup knockout tie at Rodney Parade featured James Benjamin, at flanker before his conversion to hooker, and centre Jack Dixon.

That was the closest that prop Lloyd Fairbrother, who is in the top five of the Dragons’ all-time appearances chart, has come to being on the winning side after he was an unused replacement.

The last league win was on Boxing Day 2014 when hooker Elliot Dee scored a double and Dixon was in midfield.

Dan Lydiate is yet to take to the field on his second spell with the Dragons after enjoying a solitary success against Cardiff first time round, the 2011 triumph in front of a reduced crowd when the Bisley Stand was being built.

The rest will try and break their duck on Sunday in the game that matters most to the Dragons supporters, who have had to endure too many Cardiff cheers.

"As players we are always aware of how important this game is to everyone at the club," said captain Steff Hughes.

"We will lick our wounds and learn lessons after losing to Edinburgh and be ready to go, without a doubt.

"There have been plenty of boys who have been here a long time and have been on the wrong end of results, so they will be firing everyone up."

JOY: Elliot Dee scored in the Dragons' 2014 win at Cardiff Arms Park (Image: Huw Evans Agency)

SQUAD RECORDS v CARDIFF

THOSE WITH WINS...

JACK DIXON: P14, W2, L12.

JAMES BENJAMIN: P4, W1, L3.

ELLIOT DEE: P13, W1, L12.

DAN LYDIATE: P8, W1, L7.

ALL LOSSES...

LLOYD FAIRBROTHER: P11, L11 (unused sub in 2015 win).

MATTHEW SCREECH: P11, L11.

HARRI KEDDIE: P9, L9.

AARON WAINWRIGHT: P9, L9.

JOE DAVIES: P7, L7.

OLLIE GRIFFITHS: P7, L7.

ASHTON HEWITT: P7, L7.

ANGUS O'BRIEN: P7, L7.

JARED ROSSER: P7, L7.

RHODRI WILLIAMS: P6, L6.

TAINE BASHAM: P5, L5.

LEON BROWN: P5, L5.

RIO DYER: P5, L5.

JORDAN WILLIAMS: P5, L5.

GONZALO BERTRANOU: P4, L4.

BEN CARTER: P4, L4.

CHRIS COLEMAN:P4, L4.

AKI SEIULI: P4, L4.

ANEURIN OWEN: P3, L3.

STEFF HUGHES: P2, L2.

RHODRI JONES: P2, L2.

SEAN LONSDALE: P2, L2.

BRADLEY ROBERTS: P2, L2.

ELLIS SHIPP: P2, L2.

SIO TOMKINSON: P2, L2.

BRODIE COGHLAN: P1, L1.

LEWIS JONES: P1, L1.

GEORGE NOTT: P1, L1.

WILL REED: P1, L1.

JOSH REYNOLDS: P1, L1.

Yet to face Cardiff with Dragons: Corey Baldwin, Dane Blacker, Max Clark, Cai Evans, Rodrigo Martinez, David Richards, Luke Yendle, George Young, Ryan Woodman.