BOSS Ceri Jones hopes the Dragons will prosper from the Welsh Guards taking them out of a "rugby bubble" when they return to Guinness PRO14 action.

The Rodney Parade region are on a two-week break from the league because of the start of the Six Nations with their next encounter at Edinburgh on Friday, February 15.

The conditioning team took the opportunity to mix up their training by inviting the Regimental Support Team (South) for the Welsh Guards to their Ystrad Mynach base.

The Dragons worked up a sweat with military exercises - including an 'army strongman' competition led by giant former Newport lock Gavin Bilton - and were also given an insight into army life and discipline.

"To have the Welsh Guards up here, a very proud regiment, is a real privilege for us and all the boys," said Jones.

"I've sat in some of the talks where the players have heard about experiences in Afghanistan, the times the regiment have been under fire and how they deal with those difficult circumstances.

"It has been a real eye-opener to the players. Rugby can be a bubble, you are in a squad environment and you can't always see outside of that.

"The players have been taken through some of the military exercises that the regiment do and had different types of stimulus to start this training week.

"With a two-week prep (before Edinburgh) it is important for the boys to not get into the habit of just getting into a normal training week.

"It's good to do something different and speaking to the Welsh Guards and doing these military style sessions has been fantastic."

The Dragons will attempt to end a 39-game losing streak on the road in the PRO14 when they travel to Murrayfield before heading to face Benetton in Treviso, the scene of their last away win in March, 2015.