Richard Hibbard has revealed his excitement ahead of returning from a rib injury and potentially playing back at the Liberty Stadium against Ospreys in the Guinness PRO14 on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 3pm).
The hooker was a late withdrawal ahead of the Ulster clash last time out.
But he could feature at his former home for the first time since leaving for Gloucester in 2014.
“For both teams it’s a huge, huge game and it’s a derby at the end of the day, but it’s super important that we get that away win,” said Hibbard.
“It’s something that we’ve targeted all year and it’s about turning up and doing the business and I’m really confident that we can do it.
“This league is tough, but we’ve got more depth with the Welsh boys back now, which will be important when it comes to closing out matches.
“It’ll be my first time back there since leaving and I’m sure a flood of old memories will come back, so it should be a good occasion,” he added. “I’ve had lots of highs and not too many lows there.
“I was maybe a bit ambitious (playing) before the Ulster game, but my ribs weren’t right and I hate pulling out because I want to be out there helping the boys in any sort of way. I thought the boys put in a decent shift again.”
The sides last met in the Dragons’ final Guinness PRO14 fixture of 2018 at Rodney Parade and the hosts won 23-22 courtesy of tries from Jared Rosser and Elliot Dee.
“Our physicality was good and we seemed to close that match out very well against Ospreys and it’s more of the same really,” added the 35-year-old.
“We know exactly what threats they’ve got, so we just need to deal with them and see out the full 80 minutes again.”
“There is huge potential in this squad with some of the younger boys and it’s about nurturing and helping them grow, which is really important,” he added.
“It’s great to be part of something with lots of potential and I can see what could happen here. The small wins that people don’t see behind closed doors is important for this team going forward.
“We’re blessed with depth and young talent with the likes of Aaron Wainwright and Taine Basham coming through and Leon Brown is a hell of a specimen. It’s just about helping them grow in the right way and in the right environment.”
Hibbard could also face Wales captain and former Ospreys teammate Alun-Wyn Jones in Saturday’s derby.
And he admits he was delighted to see his former team-mate and the rest of the Wales team storm to Grand Slam glory.
“To get a Grand Slam is amazing and the way they did it was just outstanding,” he continued.
“He’s (Alun-Wyn Jones) been that impressive for years: I was speaking to Martyn Williams and I agree with him that Alun-Wyn is Wales’ all-time best player.
“He’s never lower than a nine out of ten in every game he plays and he’s a phenomenal leader, who leads by example, which is easy to follow for a player.
“You’re willing to jump on that sword with him, you want to perform with him and emulate everything he does.”
For both teams it’s a huge, huge game and it’s a derby at the end of the day, but it’s super important that we get that away win
