HOOKER Rhys Thomas is hopeful that a game just 11 miles to the west of Rodney Parade can help Newport Gwent Dragons cure their travel sickness.

The Dragons head to BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park on Boxing Day looking to end a streak of 19 Guinness Pro12 losses on the spin away from Newport.

They haven't won on their travels in the league since beating Treviso in March, 2015 while last season they won just two games away from home in all competitions, against Pau and Gloucester in the Challenge Cup.

The Dragons have flourished at home with a run of five wins on the spin – against Brive, Connacht, the Scarlets, Edinburgh and Worcester – and former Wales hooker Thomas hopes they can prosper by using similar routines to playing on Parade.

"We can't hide away from our away form and we need to address the issues," said the front rower, one of six former Blues in the Dragons' 23-man squad.

"We are lucky in that it's not 'away, away' and the preparation is pretty much the same as if we were playing at home. Our timings and routines are the same."

"There are a few factors (for the losing streak). Maybe confidence, maybe a young squad, maybe our preparation when we do go away," he continued.

"Our conditioners and (elite performance manager) Huw Bevan have been looking at things we do when we are at home that we wouldn't do when away.

"Some of the boys go for a swim in the day when away, for example, while there are little differences and it's a long day when away.

"It's a hard one because I'm from the school of it just being a pitch, the same as our pitch. When you are in this lull the only way to get out of it is with a big win, so there is a big incentive for us on Monday.

"We did it two years ago and we need the same again."

The Dragons may be having a torrid time away but the seventh-placed Blues haven't won at the Arms Park in the league since turning over Glasgow in September, albeit they have enjoyed fine Euro successes against Pau and Bath in the Challenge Cup.

"Our away form is so bad that we can't comment on anyone else's home form! People in glass houses and all that," said Thomas.

"We are fully aware of where they are at, but hugely aware of where we are at. The main thing for us is a performance and if we can perform anywhere near like we have at home then it will be a lot closer than a lot of people think."

The familiar underdog tag is one that Thomas is happy to adopt: "All the pressure on them this year; if you look at our away form then everyone is going to assume that they are going to win and put a heavy score on us."

Thomas is joined in the Dragons’ 23 by five fellow former Blues – scrum-half Tavis Knoyle, looseheads Sam Hobbs and Thomas Davies and locks Cory Hill and Matthew Screech.

“There are quite a few of us who have played there but that’s common now within the regions,” said the hooker, who is backed up by Elliot Dee.

“It’s going to be a huge game. We don’t want to let the emotions get in the way and there’s a balance that you need to strike.”