WALES lock Cory Hill is determined to help Newport Gwent Dragons "get the monkey off their back" in Italy on Saturday with a victory to end their Guinness PRO12 hoodoo away from Rodney Parade.

The 25-year-old is set to feature for the first time since mid-February when he lines up against Zebre at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi (kick-off 1.30pm).

The lock will be to the fore as the Dragons attempt to succeed where champions Connacht failed last weekend by winning in Parma.

If Kingsley Jones' men do take the spoils then it will be a first away win of the season in all competitions and a first success outside of Newport since Treviso in March, 2015.

Zebre may be bottom of the table with just two PRO12 wins to their name all season but Hill knows the Dragons must be at their best.

"We know what we are up against and Zebre had a good result against Connacht," he said. "We are not taking this lightly at all and know it's going to be hard going to Italy and winning.

"We have a big challenge ahead but the boys are focussed on getting what would be a big away win and the monkey off our back.

"We are not going to hide from our away record but there is a positive vibe in the camp and we are looking forward to a big end to the season.

"We have four games left and they are all important with two derbies (against the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues) and two against teams around us in the league (Zebre and Edinburgh). We have to dig deep and get a few victories."

The date with the Scarlets is a week on Saturday and Hill was among the players involved at a Judgement Day press call on Tuesday.

The lock has stressed that producing the goods in Parma is essential to earn an appearance at a packed Principality Stadium.

"We haven't looked at Judgement Day, we go week by week and Zebre is just as big a game as the Scarlets," he said.

"We are concentrating on getting our first away win in the league for a while but everyone also knows that you have to perform well to keep your place.

"The boys have to put in a big performance this weekend and if we get the win then it's hard for the coaches to change the side for Judgement Day."

Hill will also be keen to finish the season strongly to ensure that his summer break is delayed thanks to a call-up for Wales' June dates with Samoa and Tonga.

After taking his Test tally to five by featuring against Italy and England in the Six Nations, he knows that the chance to win caps goes hand-in-hand with Dragons success.

"You get rewarded for playing well for your club," said Hill. "I am back with the Dragons until the end of the season and hopefully can put in a few good performances to help us get some wins."

The Dragons sit 10th in the table, two points behind Edinburgh and ahead of Treviso and Zebre by five and seven points respectively.