FLANKER Nic Cudd knows that Newport Gwent Dragons need to maintain their upward trend if they are to get their Guinness Pro12 season back on track.

The Dragons won back-to-back games for the first time in 2014 when they beat Bucharest in their European Rugby Challenge Cup double-header.

The 37-10 win in Romania and 69-17 triumph at Rodney Parade came on the back of a spirited display against Pro12 title hopefuls Glasgow that ensured they left Scotland with the consolation of a bonus point following a 19-15 defeat.

The Dragons now head into a key period of their league campaign that pits them against fellow strugglers Zebre and Cardiff Blues, facing their regional rivals in the capital on Boxing Day before the return fixture on New Year’s Day.

They currently sit 11th in the table with just one win to their name but are targeting a trio of wins that would see them closing in on Edinburgh and the Scarlets.

“It’s a really big month for us and the league can change massively if we get the wins,” said openside Cudd, the Dragons’ star performer of a challenging season.

“Zebre have improved again this season and Italian sides are always strong up front. They will have a big pack and are usually good at the set piece.

“They will be stronger opposition than Bucharest and we will need to up our game again.”

The Dragons ran in 12 tries against Bucharest last Friday but Cudd believes the one-sided encounter was still useful preparation for the Pro12.

“We did what we had to do and it was a professional job,” said Cudd, who scored the Dragons’ first try.

“It was a good performance, we ran well with the ball, went through lots of phases and scored some very good tries.

“Bucharest started well, like they did in the first game, and had some big ball carriers that made yards while they scrummaged well, so it was a good work out ahead of a big few weeks.”

The Dragons have already lost to the Ospreys, Glasgow, Munster and Newcastle at Rodney Parade this season but Zebre haven’t won away in the Pro12 since beating Cardiff Blues in September, 2013.