Dragons keep it among the forwards, despite the wingers screaming for it out wide.

But the chance comes to nothing with Aaron Wainwright pulled up for an accidental offside.

Cardiff have the put in at the scrum.

A bright start by Dragons.

Angus O'Brien turns down a kickable penalty and he goes straight for the corner.

The driving maul makes good ground and Dragons are already knocking on the door of the try line.

Alex Cuthbert
2013 British and Irish Lion on BBC Radio Wales

I think the back row on both sides are looking great, we're up for some great battles here.

The fans on the North Terrace are enjoying the last of the sun here at a freezing Arms Park.

The atmosphere is building nicely and the Dragons supporters who have made the short trip will hope to be singing as loudly as their Scarlets friends were here at full-time before Christmas.

Filo Tiatia will be challenging his players to stay in the game and build some Cardiff nerves, something they spectacularly failed to do here in 2023 when hammered 55-21.

It's an all-Welsh set of officials today and the man in the middle, Adam Jones, blows his whistle to get us under way.

Cardiff are currently third in the United Rugby Championship (URC) table having won five from seven games.

Dragons are 14th, with their first win coming last weekend against Connacht.

Kick-off is coming up very shortly, so how do you see this one going?

Are you backing the form guide or do you fancy an upset?

Thumbs up for Cardiff to win, thumbs down for Dragons to win.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff coach Corniel Van Zyl said their winning streak over Dragons was "not something they really focussed on, especially after last week".

"It's just making the crowd and the supporters proud of the performance that we put out, which I do believe we did get right [against Scarlets], but unfortunately it was a frustrating night for all," he said.

"It's just getting back to what we do instead of going down that lane of looking at previous results, it is big, but it's actually irrelevant."

Speaking on Dragons, Van Zyl added: "That comeback against Lyon was massive for them, it gave them a lot of confidence going into the Connacht game which obviously they played well."

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Dragons head coach Filo Tiatia said: "We are under no illusion of the challenge in front of us. We understand we haven't beaten Cardiff in a little while, but going to a special place like Arms Park is a great opportunity for us to put our game in place.

"They're tough there, don't get me wrong. They've got the crowd, we're not at home, and that makes it a real challenge.

"Boxing Day derbies are very special. The players who get picked will be representing everyone at the club and our supporters as well.

"The boys are still a little bit banged up from Connacht, but we're being really clear on how we want to play and just building on what we've started."

It is safe to say Cardiff have dominated this fixture in recent years.

They have enjoyed 21 straight league wins over their east Wales rivals - their previous defeat in this competition coming on 26 December 2014.

But I hear you shouting Dragons fans, you did taste victory over Cardiff in a Challenge Cup quarter-final in April 2015.

History firmly backs Cardiff today, but a resurgent Dragons head to the capital with two wins on the bounce.

It is a tough one to call.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

There are mouth-watering match-ups across the field today, but the one that catches the eye is the battle of the Wales eights.

It will be interesting to see who comes out on top today, Taulupe Faletau or Aaron Wainwright?

I am sure Wales head coach Steve Tandy will have a watchful eye on both ahead of the 2026 Six Nations.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Dragons have made four starting changes to the starting line-up that thrashed Connacht last time out.

Back-row duo Aaron Wainwright and Thomas Young come into the XV along with hooker George Roberts and wing Huw Anderson.

Dragons: O'Brien (co-capt); Anderson, Inisi, Owen, Dyer; de Beer, Hope; Martinez, Roberts, Hunt, Douglas, Carter (co-capt), Woodman, Young, Wainwright.

Replacements: Scarfe, W Jones, Dlamini, Screech, Keddie, Lewis-Hughes, R Williams, Richards.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Cardiff have named the same match-day 23 that were defeated by Scarlets last weekend, but there are four starting changes.

Number eight Taulupe Faletau, prop Rhys Barratt, lock Rory Thornton and flanker Alex Mann are all promoted from the replacements bench.

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, A Davies; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Sebastian, McNally, Thornton, Mann, D Thomas, Faletau.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Southworth, S Wainwright, Nott, Lawrence, Botham, Mulder, Beetham.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Eaten too much? Fed up of the in-laws? Need an excuse to sit down?

Don't worry, we have got you covered for the next few hours with a double dose of Welsh United Rugby Championship (URC) derbies.

Kicking off the festive action is Cardiff against Dragons at the Arms Park (15:00 GMT) and then we head down west for Scarlets against Ospreys (17:30 GMT).

With all the uncertainty surrounding Welsh rugby right now, there is so much more than just bragging rights on the line this afternoon.

Players are fighting for contracts, and for some, the very survival of their club.

More discussion on that to come, but first, let's take a look at the line-ups for the opening game.