Cardiff go top of URC while Dragons' wait for first league win over neighbours since 2014 goes on
Dragons have also gone 21 games without a league win
Dragons made 10 changes from the side thrashed by Glasgow last weekend but come up short again
Taulupe Faletau plays first match of 2025-26 with the watching Steve Tandy set to name Wales squad next Tuesday
Alex Mann crosses for game's first try in opening minute but Brodie Coghlan quickly responds for Dragons
Faletau scores Cardiff's second try before Dan Thomas crosses in entertaining opening quarter to give visitors 17-7 half-time lead
Danny Southworth scores bonus-point try for Cardiff in scrappy second half before Ben Carter crosses for Dragons and Angus O'Brien's late penalty gives hosts a losing bonus point
Faletau try, Sheedy con
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyFirst game back... and it takes Taulupe Faletau just 13 minutes to score!
Cardiff turn down an easy three points in front of the posts and they're rewarded with seven.
I'm not sure if anyone could have stopped the big number eight from a few yards out then. Class.
Dragons 7-5 Cardiff
Callum Sheedy tries another chip kick to the corner but that's a wonderful take by scrum-half Rhodri Williams who out-jumps Josh Adams.
But it's still a penalty for Cardiff.
Dragons 7-5 Cardiff
Well that was a lively opening 10 minutes!
We're just having a breather while a Cardiff player has treatment.
But it's game on.
Dragons 7-5 Cardiff
Ken Owens
Former Wales hooker on S4C
That's the Dragons right back in the game.
They used the maul so well to put the pressure back on Cardiff after conceding in the same way earlier.
Dragons 7-5 Cardiff
Seb Davies absolutely nails his former team-mate Josh Adams as he gathers the kick-off.
And it is right in front of the noisy Dragons fans in the Hazel stand. They love that!
Coghlan try, De Beer con
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyThat's exactly what the Dragons needed.
Rob Hunt carries hard a couple of times in the build-up to that try.
It looked as though Cardiff had stopped the initial drive but hooker Brodie Coghlan barges over and Tinus de Beer converts from out wide.
Dragons ahead and the crowd are delighted.
Dragons 0-5 Cardiff
Absolutely Ken.
If Dragons are planning on ending this terrible run of losses against Cardiff, then they need to shake off that start.
Now they're on the attack.
Dragons 0-5 Cardiff
Ken Owens
Former Wales hooker on S4C
That's the worst possible start for the Dragons tonight.
That was a pointless penalty to give away. I know it's a derby and it's going to be more physical, but you can't be giving Cardiff chances like that.
Alex Mann
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyWow, what a start!
Only 58 seconds on the clock and Cardiff's pack issue a major statement of intent.
Cardiff are ambitious, kicking a penalty to the corner and the pack rumble over from close range.
Sheedy's conversion is well wide.
Dragons 0-0 Cardiff
Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales at Rodney Parade
It is a perfect night here for running rugby at Rodney Parade.
The first Welsh derby of the season. With all the turmoil going on in Welsh rugby off the field, let's hope this occasion in Newport can some provide some positivity.
Dragons 0-0 Cardiff
We're off.
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Dyer, Owen, Ackerman, Inisi; de Beer, R Williams; W Jones, Coghlan, Hunt, S Davies, Carter (co-capt), Lewis-Hughes, Beddall, Wainwright.
Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Beetham, B Thomas, Bowen; Sheedy, A Davies; Domachowski, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, D Thomas, Faletau.
Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR)
Assistant Referees: Craig Evans (WRU), Adam Jones (WRU)
TMO: Stefano Roscini (FIR).
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Cardiff have started the season with two wins in three games and lie fourth in the URC table.
Dragons have gone 20 games without winning a league match since defeating Ospreys in September 2024 but Corniel van Zyl is wary of their local rivals.
"It's a Welsh derby, which are always tight affairs and Rodney Parade is a tough place to go," said van Zyl.
"The Dragons rotated their team a bit last week, so they will be fresh and hugely motivated to take us on.
"They will throw everything at us, but we are excited by the challenge."
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia has been asked about Lyn Jones' comments.
"I don't have a comment on what my old coach has spoken about," he said.
Image source, XDragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencySo former Dragons head coach Lyn Jones has certainly ruffled some feathers today.
Jones was head coach at Rodney Parade between 2013 and 2016 and is the last Dragons boss to beat Cardiff.
But he believes the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) would be justified in cutting the region if the governing body reduces the number of professional teams in Wales.
The WRU wants to halve the number of regions, from four to two, after two dire years for Welsh rugby at domestic and international level.
Jones said Dragons have been Welsh rugby's weakest team during the regional era - that began in 2003 - and are the obvious choice to be discarded.
"What have the Dragons done for the game in Wales over the last 20 years? Almost nothing," the ex-Wales flanker told BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Frecwast.
"Everything in rugby is business so you have to be worried for them."
He added: "If the union go ahead with their plans [and] there's one team to go, of course it'll be the Dragons because they haven't been successful over the last 20 years."
Ouch!
I hope for his sake he's not planning on coming here tonight.
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
OK so let's address the elephant in the room.
Dragons are looking to end Cardiff's decade of dominance in the east Wales derby.
Dragons have lost the past 20 league matches between the two sides.
Cardiff's most recent league defeat in this fixture came in December 2014, while Dragons' most recent win was a Challenge Cup quarter-final success in April 2015.
"We have spoken about what this fixture means to us," said Dragons number eight Aaron Wainwright.
"It's not something to be proud of. I've been at Dragons all my career and haven't beaten Cardiff, so that's definitely an achievement I want to get this weekend."
Wainwright was part of the Wales team that ended an 18-match losing streak by defeating Japan in July.
"In my head, going through the period we've gone through with Wales, being able to put that to bed, that's sort of a similar mindset going into this weekend," said Wainwright, who added beating Cardiff "would be a nice double".
"Cardiff will have that edge about them and think they can just turn up and roll over over us.
"It's our home patch, hopefully we'll have a massive crowd behind us and we can get the job done."
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyDragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Gareth Griffiths
BBC Sport Wales at Rodney Parade
There are a number of players in action here tonight who used to play for the opposite team.
Dragons have lock Seb Davies and fly-half Tinus de Beer in their starting side, while Cardiff have included flanker Taine Basham and lock George Nott, who were both at Rodney Parade last season.
Basham just received some good-natured banter from the Dragons faithful as he ran out in his Cardiff top. Just reminding him where his roots are.
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyCardiff number eight Taulupe Faletau has given Wales a boost before the autumn internationals by returning to face Dragons tonight.
The 34-year-old plays his first game of the season after recovering from a calf injury and faces Wales rival Aaron Wainwright. What a duel that's going to be!
Faletau is one of five returning internationals for Cardiff alongside wing Josh Adams, centre Ben Thomas, prop Corey Domachowski and flanker Alex Mann.
Jacob Beetham switches to outside centre where he partners Thomas, who returns from suspension.
Injured lock Teddy Williams is replaced by George Nott, who faces his former Dragons side.
Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Beetham, B Thomas, Bowen; Sheedy, A Davies; Domachowski, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, D Thomas, Faletau.
Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, Sebastian, Thornton, Lawrence, Basham, Mulder, I Lloyd.
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyDragons head coach Filo Tiatia appears to have always had this derby in the back of his mind.
He has made 10 personnel changes from the side that lost 49-0 to Glasgow last week.
In fact it's easier to tell you the few names who are still in the team.
The only survivors are centres Harri Ackerman and Aneurin Owen, wing Fine Inisi and former Cardiff forwards Shane Lewis-Hughes and Seb Davies.
Promising Wales Under-20s flanker Harry Beddall makes his first Dragons start.
It will be interesting to see how he gets on today with his first taste of a Welsh derby.
Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Dyer, Owen, Ackerman, Inisi; de Beer, R Williams; W Jones, Coghlan, Hunt, S Davies, Carter (co-capt), Lewis-Hughes, Beddall, Wainwright.
Replacements: Burrows, Martinez, D Lewis, Screech, Woodman, N Armstrong, C Evans, Anderson.
Dragons v Cardiff (19:45 BST)
Image source, Huw Evans Picture AgencyWelcome to Newport for the first Welsh derby of the season.
Dragons welcome local rivals Cardiff to Rodney Parade to renew a rivalry that dates back more than 100 years in one form or another.
Will there be more derbies like this in the future?
That's something in the back of the mind of all Welsh fans right now.
But for tonight, let's enjoy the latest chapter between the Black & Ambers and the Blue & Blacks.
There are bragging rights to be gained, scores to be settled, political points to be made and match points to be won.
So let's get on with the teams for tonight.
