The Welsh region head to Castres Olympique this week top of Pool 2 in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. A handsome bonus-point victory over Sale Sharks was their eighth success in their last ten games in this tournament.

And that includes a shock win in Paris last season over a Stade Francais Paris side on their way to winning the Top 14 Championship. Before that, Dragons had returned home defeated from their previous seven trips across the Channel but victory in the French capital has brought a new-found confidence.

Director of rugby Lyn Jones said: “When you consider the money French teams spend the size of their players, it is phenomenal. It is a massive challenge for any side to go there and register a victory, or even get anything from the game.

“But we won at Stade last season and that experience gave us so much confidence and proved to the players that things can happen if you believe.

“You have nothing to lose when you go to France. They will want to play a power game but we have to play to our strengths and drag them into an open game of rugby.

“Nothing changes in our domestic league because we face the same teams every week. But in Europe, you face different teams, different players and different referees. I have found that if you are positive, you usually get rewards –  we scored four tries at Stade and I think we’re a better team than 12 months ago.”

Castres have had an extra week to prepare after the tie against Pau was postponed. Last time out they ended a three-match losing run with a thoroughly impressive 34-8 triumph over Racing-Metro, having also defeated European champions RC Toulon at Stade Pierre Antoine.

Match Facts

• Though these teams have never faced each other directly in this competition, Castres go into the match undefeated from seven previous matches against Welsh opposition in the Challenge Cup.
• The two sides have met in the Champions Cup however with both sides winning their home fixtures in two pool meetings in the 2005/06 campaign.
• Castres Olympique have won only one of their last three home matches but have won 19 of their total 24 home matches in the Challenge Cup.
• This will be Castres’ 50^th game in this competition, their current record stands at won 33, lost 16.
• Newport Gwent Dragons have won four of their last five matches away from home, the same amount of wins as they earned in their 12 away matches prior to that.