But as the two sides prepare to meet again at the Arms Park on Boxing Day (3.00pm), that long-standing dominance feels far less secure.
The Dragons arrive in the capital with growing belief after recording consecutive victories for the first time in years, a run that has transformed the mood at Rodney Parade.
Their recent successes have raised hopes of a rare derby breakthrough and sparked optimism that another unwanted record could soon fall.
Victories over Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup and Connacht in the BKT United Rugby Championship were significant milestones for the Gwent region.
The narrow 23-21 win against Lyon ended a 364-day wait for success in any competition and marked their first victory of 2025, while the emphatic 48-28 triumph over Connacht brought an end to a 15-month drought in the URC.
READ MORE: Cardiff Urged to Keep on Keeping on as Scarlets Come to Arms Park
Now, the Dragons are chasing a hat-trick of wins for the first time since late 2015, when they beat Munster and then defeated Pau twice in European competition under Lyn Jones.
They are also targeting a first URC away victory since April 2023, when they overcame Scarlets at Judgement Day, and a first league success against Cardiff since 2015.
Head coach Filo Tiatia has welcomed the renewed confidence within his squad but remains cautious about the challenge that awaits.
“We’re under no illusions over the challenge in front of us and I understand we haven’t beaten Cardiff in a little while,” said Tiatia.
“The Arms Park is a special place at which to play and it’s an opportunity for us to put our game in place.
“It’s a big occasion, we’re clear on how we want to play and now we need to build on what has started these last few weeks.
“Cardiff are a good side and it will be tough away from home. I watched their game with Scarlets where they had a lot of set piece launches but they didn’t quite execute.
“I’m sure they will be focussed to respond to that and look to exploit any shortcomings they feel we have. We’ll look to do the same.
“Derbies are a different beast. They are not quite like Test matches but they are special games and pressure does funny things.
“It’s the team that stays calm in those moments that will win, while Cardiff will be disappointed after losing at home to the Scarlets.”
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The Dragons will be boosted by the return of Wales back-row forward Aaron Wainwright, who is fit again after missing the Connacht match.
However, Wales Under-20 hooker Oli Burrows remains unavailable as he continues to complete return-to-play protocols, while Jared Rosser is also sidelined following an injury picked up last weekend.
Cardiff, meanwhile, are looking to respond after a difficult festive opening.
Their defeat to Scarlets not only dented confidence but also brought an end to their unbeaten home record for the season, a setback that saw them slip to third place in the URC standings.
The Blue and Blacks have not lost to the Dragons since a Challenge Cup quarter-final defeat in 2015, also at Rodney Parade, while the visitors’ last win at the Arms Park dates back even further.
Despite that history, Cardiff lock Josh McNally is well aware of the threat posed by an improving Dragons side.
“The Dragons have been building nicely and they’re starting to click and get outcomes. For us, it’s about what we want to do and putting that on the park,” said McNally.
“We want to right the wrongs from last weekend, which was very frustrating. Straight after the game it felt like we hadn’t converted opportunities, but you don’t quite realise how many chances you’ve had until you review it properly.
“It’s pleasing that we’re creating them, but we were nowhere near good enough to not get those over the line.”
Cardiff: Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Mason Grady; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Rhys Barratt, Liam Belcher (captan), Javan Sebastian, Josh McNally, Rory Thornton, Alex Mann, Dan Thomas, Taulupe Faletau
Reps: Evan Lloyd, Danny Southworth, Sam Wainwright, George Nott, Alun Lawrence, James Botham, Johan Mulder, Jacob Beetham
Dragons: Angus O’Brien (co-captain); Huw Anderson, Fine Inisi, Aneurin Owen, Rio Dyer; Tinus de Beer, Che Hope; Rodrigo Martinez, George Roberts, Robert Hunt, Levi Douglas, Ben Carter (co-captain), Ryan Woodman, Thomas Young, Aaron Wainwright
Reps: Sam Scarfe, Wyn Jones, Cebo Dlamini, Matthew Screech, Harri Keddie, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Rhodri Williams, David Richards
