Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh - Build-up, teams, banter & live match day thread

[George Carlin]

First topic message reminder :

At the Parade of the Dave, 7pm.
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 23rd competition game)
Assistant Referees: James Jones, Simon Rees (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)

Teams:

Dragons:

Dan Evans
Adam Hughes
Pat Leach
Andy Tuilagi
Tom Prydie
Steffan Jones
Jonathan Evans

Toby Faletau
Lewis Evans (c)
Dan Lydiate
Adam Jones
Ian Nimmo
Dan Way
Steve Jones
Phil Price.

Substitutes:
Sam Parry
Aaron Coundley
Nathan Buck
Jevon Groves
Tom Brown
Liam Davies (Bedwas)
Ashley Smith
Will Harries

Players not selected through injury:
Joe Bedford (Shoulder)
Tonderai Chavhanga (Knee)
Jamie Smith (Ankle)
Dan Watchurst (Leg break)
Darren Waters (Knee)
Rob Sidoli (Calf)
Andrew Coombes (Knee)
Mike Poole (Knee)
Wayne Evans (Back).

Edinburgh

15 Greig Tonks

14 Tom Brown
13 Nick De Luca
12 Ben Atiga
11 Tim Visser

10 Harry Leonard
9 Richie Rees

1 Allan Jacobsen
2 Andy Titterrell
3 Geoff Cross
4 Robert McAlpine
5 Sean Cox CAPTAIN
6 Stuart McInally
7 Ross Rennie
8 Netani Talei

Substitutes
16 Alun Walker
17 John Yapp
18 Lewis Niven
19 Dimitri Basilaia
20 Roddy Grant
21 Chris Leck
22 John Houston
23 Dougie Fife

Unavailable though injury:
Ben Cairns (knee)
David Denton (thigh)
Gregor Hunter (pectoral strain)
Steven Lawrie (knee)
Perry Parker (ankle)
Steven Turnbull (knee)

Form:

Dragons have won just one of their last eight matches in the RaboDirect PRO12 (37-6 at home to new franchise Zebre on 31 August) but are unbeaten in their last three games against Scottish opponents.

Edinburgh made a bit of an @rse of it at Leinster on Saturday evening to end a two game winning run. Edinburgh's single away victory in the competition since last November was 21-19 at Cardiff Blues on 7 September.

The Dragons achieved the double over Edinburgh last season, whilst Edinburgh's only victory over them since May 2009 came in April 2011.
Edinburgh's most recent victory at Rodney Parade was way back in May 2006.

Last Five Meetings:

23/03/2012 Edinburgh Rugby 15 29 Newport Gwent Dragons
18/02/2012 Newport Gwent Dragons 21 10 Edinburgh Rugby
22/04/2011 Edinburgh Rugby 27 15 Newport Gwent Dragons
12/02/2011 Newport Gwent Dragons 30 22 Edinburgh Rugby
18/04/2010 Newport Gwent Dragons 49 28 Edinburgh Rugby

[munkian]

Glad we mean something to someone

I'll try and post scores....if I'm not to busy cursing a blue streak

[RDW]

Top man. Us Edinburggers will be looking for some info on how our players are doing too!

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Obviously I want a Dragons win more than anything, but I'm hoping it'll be a good game to watch. The rain's meant to have stopped by lunchtime, so the pitch should be decent.

[youngguns6]

Totally agree luckless, after the blues game I just want to see some decent rugby! Managed to convince a few mates to give us a second chance so I hope we don't disappoint.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

It was such a shame with the Blues match, the Hazell terrace was jam-packed and some of those people would have been coming to their first match. It was gutting to lose to them, they didn't even have to play that well and we gifted them their try.

[Guest]

They had better front up tonight. I'm fed up of hearing buzz phrases like man up from our players and then they play like a bunch of idiots. If I wasn't such a professional acting rugby player now I've hit 30, I'd be needing a beer now to settle my nerves.

They owe us big time after that Blues debacle. No excuses.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I was speaking to someone about this yesterday: you want to start the game well, expecially as you're at home, but you have to be sensible too. Play a bit of territory, take the points on offer. You don't have to win the game in the first half, if you keep the scoreboard ticking over, that builds pressure on the opposition and tries are more likely to come. That's not to say we shouldn't look to score tries from the off, but we don't need to be frantic about it.

[youngguns6]

I think we look abit panicky due to the poor ball we've been getting from the back. If the defence is on the front foot it's very hard to play your patterns.
Toby needs a big game but the front 5 need to give him the freedom to carry ball out wide.

Who do you play for Risca and what position?
Anyone else play as well as follow rugby?

[Guest]

I think we often try to force things too much. There'll be a lot of nerves about tonight. I am not bothered if we don't score a try tonight, but I do want us to come away with points whenever we get near their 22. Steff has a bit of pressure on him tonight. We have three good kickers out of hand in Dan Evs, Prydie and Steff so we need to utilise them, especially if there's a bit of zip to the surface.

I play for my RAF station and for Risca Athletic (2's) as I don't get home for training. Play in the engine room.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Some people at the Blues game were saying that Toby's gone backwards this season, but I don't think it's his form as much as it is teams knowing what a threat he is and making sure they have two or three defenders on him.

I played left wing at school, but that's it.

[BOO]

LP, I agree about Toby. All the teams know that he is a threat and make sure that they are waiting for him with 2 men. Dragons need to provide better support at the breakdown, much too slow against the Blues allowing multiple turnovers.
Two evenly matched teams tonight, kickers could be even more important and on recent form Tom Prydie doesn't fill me with confidence.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I don't know much about Edinburgh's outside half for tonight's match - I assume he'll be taking their kicks?

[RDW]

Young very promising player - decent goal kicker too

[Luckless Pedestrian]

Damn it!

[youngguns6]

In the engine room.. I don't envy you! I play 6 but il play lock if need be, my heads always pounding after ever scrum!

I think Steffans a good player, hes dropped a few goals, he can kick goals from over half way and does get us in the right areas. The front 5 need to step up and provide him a good platform. Jonny E has looked good at 9 so it's great to have young exciting halfbacks.

[tigertattie]

BP win for Embra, thats my prediction!

[TJ1]

Is this on telly anywhere?

[Guest]

Danny Lydiate has limped off after one minute. Frak. Bad news for us and Wales.

[Guest]

Danny Lydiate has limped off after one minute. Frak. Bad news for us and Wales.

[Guest]

Try Tom Brown. 7-0. Good kick from right touchline

[TJ1]

[justified sinner]

Thanks for the updates Risca.

[Guest]

Up 17-7 at HT. Phil Price threw a lineout (Jabba in bin) and got it back off Nimmo and ran it in. Ref is dire. Doesn't a tackler have to release before jackalling?

[Guest]

An Edinburgh player in the bin for taking Nimmo out in the air (the pen that led to the try). Dirty buzzard.

[RDW]

Looks like Edinburgh are setting a new record for number of penalties in a game!

[allyt2k]

where getting killed by drop goals and penalties here

[GLove39]

Dragons 29-12 up.
Bad shift for Edinburgh sounds like discipline letting us down, our terrible record against the dragons continues...

[RDW]

6 penalties and 2 drops goals - 24 points from kicks. That's shocking!

Sounds like Leonard has missed a number of kicks too - wonder how difficult they were

[RDW]

Christ a 3rd drop goal

[GLove39]

That's rather unsporting by the Dragons!

[RDW]

I know - thought kicking was cheating??

[allyt2k]

Has Dan parks moved to Dragons and change his name to Steffan Jones

[Guest]

have we honestly found a Welsh ten that can kick drop goals?! I must be dreaming.....

[GLove39]

Yes 32-12 sounds bad but in reality in terms of tries we win 2-1..!

[Guest]

have we honestly found a Welsh ten that can kick drop goals?! I must be dreaming.....

They looked all long rangish too. Great game management by him whole game.

I tried not to bite to the Edinburgh BP chat and Embra should win at RP chat, but it annoyed me a bit. No matter what side you face, you should respect them at home. I'm not bothered as such, but it's worth saying. I did think EDI would win, but BP chat away and should win annoys me. Their record here is pish.

We really muscled up tonight and for once the pre-match chat of manning up was justified. So happy right now. Not quite over the Blues debacle, but it was a start.

[Guest]

Great win for you guys Rev

[Morgannwg]

I'm quite disgusted if I'm honest. Last I heard Edinburgh were down to 13 men and I see the final result is a big scoreline, only to turn to the score page and find out it was penalty kick/drop goal fest. Is there any way Gats can stamp these drop-goals out of Welsh rugby as it seems to have infected the Ospreys and Rhys Priestland.

[TJ1]

[justified sinner]

Didn't see the game obviously, but have never been impressed with any game ref'd by John Lacey.

Well done Dragons, hope you kick on.

[bsando]

have we honestly found a Welsh ten that can kick drop goals?! I must be dreaming.....

They looked all long rangish too. Great game management by him whole game.

I tried not to bite to the Edinburgh BP chat and Embra should win at RP chat, but it annoyed me a bit. No matter what side you face, you should respect them at home. I'm not bothered as such, but it's worth saying. I did think EDI would win, but BP chat away and should win annoys me. Their record here is pish.

We really muscled up tonight and for once the pre-match chat of manning up was justified. So happy right now. Not quite over the Blues debacle, but it was a start.

That must have been a small minority who do not know the Dragons or their record against Edinburgh. I was not in the least surprised to hear we Lost tonight. Congrats on the win!

[Guest]

I'm quite disgusted if I'm honest. Last I heard Edinburgh were down to 13 men and I see the final result is a big scoreline, only to turn to the score page and find out it was penalty kick/drop goal fest. Is there any way Gats can stamp these drop-goals out of Welsh rugby as it seems to have infected the Ospreys and Rhys Priestland.

That's quite harsh. On the Dragons site I said I want Steff to take the points and we just build the score. Very mature performance by us. They were DG's with nothing on by the way. I wanted a win no matter what and you wouldn't know that we were absolutely pinged off the park for 40 mins. Lacey is dump.

[Guest]

Lydiate broken ankle. Knew it was bad. Gutted.

[youngguns6]

Firstly - really gutted for Dan Lydaite and I hope his recovery goes well.
I stopped playing rugby at 12 years of age but took it back up at the start of last season (I'm now 23). Lydaite was my inspiration. Nothing flash, pure honest graft.

On the game, very pleasing. Our pack really contested the breakdown and looked hungry for work. Steffans drop goals were superb. One from halfway and the other 2 weren't easy. Dan Evans's kicking out of hand is very accurate and Jonny Evans looks like a real prospect.

I do fear our scrum and linout need a lot of work and Edin' made a few line breakes.

Also.. Toby Faletau made soo many hard yards it was unreal. Always got over the gain line dragging 2/3 down with him. Huge work rate. He hasn't made the huge breaks yet this season but he's playing well. Brown then came on like a man possessed.

[RDW]

Were Edinburgh harshly treated with the number of penalties we conceded?

2 yellow cards 2 weeks in a row - pretty shocking discipline

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I didn't see what Ross Rennie's yellow was for.

Dan Evans had a couple of kicks to the corner in the first half that were just perfectly judged. He's such a talented footballer.

Terrible news on Dan Lydiate.

[RDW]

What was Cox binned for? He's said on Twitter it was mistaken identity but don't know if he was joking!

[Luckless Pedestrian]

He (or someone) took out Ian Nimmo in the air. Allan Jacobsen had quite a bit to say to James Jones (the assistant referee) so maybe that's what he was telling him.

[RDW]

Ah well, sounds like even if you take away all the penalties dragons thoroughly deserved to win and Edinburgh were crap, so well done dragons! Again!!!!

[youngguns6]

Tbh I think the card for taking out Ian from the KO was fair enough. Ok he milked it but it's a dangerous tackle. The other was hard to see. We were also penalised a fair bit and had a yellow so it wasn't all one way.


Luckless, he really is a cracking footballer isn't he. If he performs like this all season he's got to be called up (yea I've said it).

I wonder if Scrum V will mention Steffans 3 drop goals? Doubt it.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

They'll mention it, but no more than that.

I didn't know what to make of us signing Dan Evans - I'd seen him play well for the Scarlets but also have a few howlers. But then he was in and out of the side down there, and maybe all he needs is to know he's first choice. He's good with ball in hand too.

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