NG Dragons vs Edinburgh Rugby POSTPONED - Waterlogged pitch (Rodney Parade)

Edinburgh Rugby

15 Jack Cuthbert
14 Dougie Fife
13 Nick De Luca
12 Andries Strauss
11 Tom Brown
10 Carl Bezuidenhout
9 Grayson Hart
1 Wicus Blaauw
2 James Hilterbrand
3 Willem Nel
4 Grant Gilchrist
5 Izak van der Westhuizen
6 Mike Coman CAPTAIN
7 Roddy Grant
8 Cornell Du Preez

Substitutes

16 George Turner
17 Alex Allan
18 Ewan McQuillin
19 Ollie Atkins
20 Tomas Leonardi
21 Sam Hidalgo-Clyne
22 Sam Beard
23 Harry Leonard

NG Dragons

Hallam Amos, Matthew Pewtner, Pat Leach, Ashley Smith, Will Harries, Jason Tovey, Richie Rees; Owen Evans, T. Rhys Thomas, Dan Way, Cory Hill, Rob Sidoli (c), Lewis Evans, Nic Cudd, Netani Talei.

Replacements
Sam Parry, Aaron Coundley, Nathan Buck, Matthew Screech, Jevon Groves, Wayne Evans, Steffan Jones, Ross Wardle.


**

Edinburgh Rugby stand-off/full-back Greig Tonks [pictured] will miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury.

He will require surgery to repair the damage, with the recovery expected to take around four to six months.

Head coach Alan Solomons, said: “This is really disappointing news for Greig [Tonks].

"He's had a good season for the club and had performed well as injury cover in a new position.

LIVE ON BBC ALBA

Wouldn't be overly surprised if this game was off. Newport County have been postponed tonight. We desperately need to get this game on though, as it's clearly a better time to play Edinburgh.

Not much to say about our team. Glad to see Richie Rees is starting at 9. Nice to see Amos back again.

How's the shallow end?
Lot of rain forecast over the weekend.

Risca Rev wrote:Wouldn't be overly surprised if this game was off. Newport County have been postponed tonight. We desperately need to get this game on though, as it's clearly a better time to play Edinburgh.

Not much to say about our team. Glad to see Richie Rees is starting at 9. Nice to see Amos back again.

You beat me to it. Rain all day Saturday I believe.

I do hope it's not called off - we've already got a re-scheduled game against Glasgow to fit in somewhere!

Strong Edinburgh team for this time of year but the Dragons have always done well against us, and are having a pretty decent season.

I expect a pretty horrific game given the expected conditions, but hopefully Edinburgh's big pack can grind out a win.

Intersting that Coman is captain given he's barely played for us!

RDW_Scotland wrote:
Intersting that Coman is captain given he's barely played for us!

Esp with Grant in the team. Also Coman plays 8 normally and Du Preez 6 so I'm confused by the positional switch

BTW in case any of you don't know the RABOPRO12 YouTube channel has highlights of just about all games recently.

Pitch inspection tomorrow at 9, so may well be off.

Why not shift the game to The Arms Park?

Cardiff Dave wrote:Why not shift the game to The Arms Park?

Would make a lot of sense, not sure the Dragons want to lose home advantage though.


Will Alba show Glasgow-Connacht instead if the game is called off?

If it is called off can it not be done during the HC 1/4s.

Big game for both in a push for 6th.

Brendan wrote:If it is called off can it not be done during the HC 1/4s.

Big game for both in a push for 6th.

Problem with that is Embra also have to rearrange a game with Glasgow and that weekend is favourite for that.

Not a bad side for edinburgh actually, probably better than the glasgow side vs connacht its just a shame a few of these players have not been given the chance before now.
Great weekend of rugby, starts tonight with the under 20s can be watched on this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9qB4wsBwDY I dont think we will do very well but it will be good to see Jamie Farndale getting a run out.

* BBC Alba won't show the Glasgow game I think as they won't have their kit, or more importnatly that legend of a commentator who should replace Moore & co, at that match.

Game has been called off. Baws!

A lot of our new players could really have done with some gametime.

Jeez - these postponed fixtures are really coiling up for Glasgow and Edinburgh.

And that was going to be shown on Alba too Could they not have moved it to the Millenium with the roof? Or saying there'd be hardly and Wales supporters given Wales/Ireland, moved to another pitch in Wales?

Very frustrating. Say what you like about Murrayfield and Edinburgh, but we've always managed to find a pitch to play rugby on.

Real shame for the players, they needed this game and the lineup looked strong.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Very frustrating. Say what you like about Murrayfield and Edinburgh, but we've always managed to find a pitch to play rugby on.

Real shame for the players, they needed this game and the lineup looked strong.

Not really comparable. We can hardly predict flash flooding etc, nor realistically play a game two games after a football one has been cancelled.

If only life was as simple as to move the game to the MS or whatever. That incurs costs to rent the stadium, on top of supporters who won't then visit the other ground for various reasons (thus demanding refunds) and loss of earnings (beer etc).

Newport County should find a suitable ground for their future having 6 home games to date called off will wreck any promotion chances.

If the Dragons can't play rugby then there is no chance playing football. Rodney Parade is not fit for purpose for professional sport, what is the point of spending on a stand when the drainage and the playing surface is not level. If this ground has a future the best way forward is to follow the Blues but not sure of the football on such a pitch.

glamorganalun wrote:Newport County should find a suitable ground for their future having 6 home games to date called off will wreck any promotion chances.

If the Dragons can't play rugby then there is no chance playing football. Rodney Parade is not fit for purpose for professional sport, what is the point of spending on a stand when the drainage and the playing surface is not level.  If this ground has a future the best way forward is to follow the Blues but not sure of the football on such a pitch.

The future [which I am still undecided on] at least in the UK is artificial pitches like Saracens & Cardiff.

RP can't have 3G pitch because the football league wont allow it - The drainage issue will be sorted in the summer but the amount of rainfall in the area has been exeptional.Contys desision to put a frost cover down has only compounded the problem

Risca Rev wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:Very frustrating. Say what you like about Murrayfield and Edinburgh, but we've always managed to find a pitch to play rugby on.

Real shame for the players, they needed this game and the lineup looked strong.

Not really comparable. We can hardly predict flash flooding etc, nor realistically play a game two games after a football one has been cancelled.

Not much Dragons can do with the football league in the way of 3G. To be fair to Murrayfield, I was there for this game;

http://www.rabodirectpro12.com/matchcentre/2596.php

I think it was the only game of rugby in Britain or Ireland that didn't get called off due to the weather that weekend! Certainly the only professional game, if your clubs minis or someone else played then fair enough.

dragon999 wrote:RP can't have 3G pitch because the football league wont allow it - The drainage issue will be sorted in the summer but the amount of rainfall in the area has been exeptional.Contys desision to put a frost cover down has only compounded the problem

Shame. I'll miss the surfing and wave after wave of Drags attacking play.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

dragon999 wrote:RP can't have 3G pitch because the football league wont allow it - The drainage issue will be sorted in the summer but the amount of rainfall in the area has been exeptional.Contys desision to put a frost cover down has only compounded the problem

Shame. I'll miss the surfing and wave after wave of Drags attacking play.

Nice one Dave.   

Give them a plastic pitch for half a season and they think they're the bees knees. But actually you're a poorer team than the Dragons, according to the leagues, and we're a steaming pile of gash. What does that say about the Blues and their 'rugby paradise' pitch?

You suck!

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

dragon999 wrote:RP can't have 3G pitch because the football league wont allow it - The drainage issue will be sorted in the summer but the amount of rainfall in the area has been exeptional.Contys desision to put a frost cover down has only compounded the problem

Shame. I'll miss the surfing and wave after wave of Drags attacking play.

Nice one Dave.    

Give them a plastic pitch for half a season and they think they're the bees knees.  But actually you're a poorer team than the Dragons, according to the leagues, and we're a steaming pile of gash.  What does that say about the Blues and their 'rugby paradise' pitch?  

You suck!

Oops!