NIC Cudd is relishing the chance to resume his double act with breakdown partner in crime Ollie Griffiths in Newport Gwent Dragons’ Guinness PRO12 clash with Connacht.

The Dragons return to Ireland to face the champions in Galway after being beaten 45-17 by leaders Munster last weekend.

It was a chastening evening in Cork but the performances of the two flankers provided some solace with both Griffiths and Cudd showing oodles of resilience and determination in defence.

Cudd is a specialist openside, and one of the best scavengers in the PRO12, while Griffiths can play across the back row but has a preference for having 7 on his back and is third in the league turnover stats.

And the flankers will be to the fore at the Sportsground this evening given that referee Nigel Owens is known for encouraging free-flowing rugby.

“We are similar players in that we enjoy our breakdown work and it went quite well at Munster,” said Cudd.

“We help each other out and Ollie is all-action with ball in hand and in defence. He is an openside but also a strong ball carrier and is quick and powerful, so it’s good to have him getting over the gain line.

“There are conventional sixes and eights but everybody has to do a bit of everything these days and Ollie can do that.”

The combination will be important given that the Dragons expect their hosts to play with a lot of width, as they did in defeat at Rodney Parade when the sides met in November.

“Connacht like to spread the ball and there is a lot of running to do as a back row player,” said Cudd.

“They are a tough team who like to play with quick ball at the rucks, so if we can affect that in some way it’ll be good. They like to offload, do short passes and keep the momentum so it is up to us to stop that.

“Last season Connacht were great, they are not going as well this season but when they do score tries they are usually great tries. They still have that threat and some good ball players.”

The Dragons headed into round 15 in tenth place but just a point back on Edinburgh, six behind Connacht and nine back on Cardiff Blues.

Kingsley Jones’ men haven’t won away from home in 2016/17 and their last PRO12 success outside of Newport was 21 games ago at Treviso in March 2015.

With games to come at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Zebre, along with moving the derbies with Scarlets and Cardiff Blues from Rodney Parade, curing that travel sickness is essential if they are to avoid being cut adrift with the Italians.

“This is a big game for us,” said Cudd. “Connacht had a good win at Cardiff Blues last week to move a bit away from us but they are still pretty close.

“If we win then we are only a couple of points away so it’s a big one for us to target. We haven’t gone well away from home this season but hopefully we can end that this weekend.”

Griffiths is third in the official PRO12 stats for turnovers after 14 rounds with 13, two behind Leinster’s Dan Leavy and three back on the Scarlets’ James Davies.

Lewis Evans, who has played most of the season at blindside flanker but is filling in for injured number eight Ed Jackson, has made more tackles than anyone else with 165.