New Season ahead - Dragons 14/15

So with the new season ahead I cant help but feel really optimistic. I know a lot has been made of us being the 4th best region in wales but I cant help but think we have made some great signings for this coming season:-

In:

Aled Brew from France Biarritz Olympique
Lee Byrne from France Clermont Auvergne
Rhys Buckley from England Moseley
Boris Stankovich from England Leicester Tigers
Ian Gough from England London Irish
Dave Young from England Jersey
Rynard Landman from South Africa Cheetahs
Lloyd Fairbrother from England Exeter Chiefs
Andy Powell from England Wigan Warriors

Out:

Ieuan Jones to Wales Cardiff Blues
Will Harries released
Sam Parry to Wales Ospreys
Dan Evans to Wales Ospreys
Steffan Jones loan to England Bedford Blues
Robert Sidoli retired
Jevon Groves released
Darren Waters to England London Welsh

Not to many major departures and looking at some of the players coming in they wont lack experience of the highest level (granted some of their best days may be behind them). Byrne and Brew (back again) really will add some ability to our backline which at times while exciting has probably lacked natural leaders. For me a backline that probably will look like this Bryne, Prydie, Wardle, Dixon, Brew, Tovey & Rees will certainly score tries if the forwards can get them ball.

Gough, Stankovich & Powell should add some serious bulk and experience the side as well. Granted of those only Powell will probably play a major part throughout the season but it certainly should help our pack with leadership. For me I'm keen to see how both Landeman and Fairbrother get on.

I also think we have a really good set of youngsters in the squad and am looking forward to seeing more of the likes of Tyler Morgan and co.

Could it be we could be shedding our 4th best welsh team this season for good? I know the others have also recruited well but I just think our starting 15 wont be disrupted much through internationals and now had enough experience and quality to give the league a real go.... Ok lets face it we wont challenge the likes of Glasgow and Leinster but I don't see sides looking forward to trips to Rodney this year. What are your thoughts and who & why are you looking forward to seeing in a dragons shirt next year?

Also is that it for recruitment for the year or are they still in the market for players?

Brok Harris is practically confirmed just waiting for WRU clearence, good prop with lots of experience

A backrow of Powell Faletau and Evans will match most with Cudd and Talei there as well its not an area we lack in.

Very positive about the coming season, with the signings made and the new training facilities. Getting a bit fed up of waiting for fixtures now, particularly Europe where I am dying to book up for Stade away.

Hopefully we will see a pack with parity at least in a few more games and if we are more dynamic in the forwards (as Lyn wants), we could be pretty handy if our backs get front foot ball.

If we can get parity up front them in the backs we have the likes:

Rees/Evans
Tovey/Burton (doe we have anyone else?)

Smith/Leach/Dixon/Morgan

Brew/Pewtner/Prydie/Wardle/Amos
Byrne/Amos

With that lot we should be able to score plenty of pints/tries but as I said we need parity at least.

Should score plenty of pints now Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew is back. Brew, Brew we want more beer. Brewy get the beers in, Brewy get the beers in.

bedfordwelsh wrote:If we can get parity up front them in the backs we have the likes:

Rees/Evans
Tovey/Burton (doe we have anyone else?)

Smith/Leach/Dixon/Morgan

Brew/Pewtner/Prydie/Wardle/Amos
Byrne/Amos

With that lot we should be able to score plenty of pints/tries but as I said we need parity at least.

Angus O'brien, Wales u20 fly half signed 4 year deal recently

Risca Rev wrote:Should score plenty of pints now Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew is back. Brew, Brew we want more beer. Brewy get the beers in, Brewy get the beers in.

Was to much of that last night which is why I was bleary eyed when tying

I still think the Ospreys are the best team in Wales at the moment, we are getting weaker each year but we do have a fantastic academy which helps mitigate the losses we sustain. The Ospreys also have a knack of signing unknown players and quite often they do turn out to be good once a bit of work has gone into them.

I've read elsewhere people saying the Blues have recruited well, but against the players they have lost I think they are much weaker than last season. The only name they have signed is Craig Mitchell, but even then Scott Andrews is a decent enough player so it's arguable if it's really that much of an upgrade.

Personally I think with the new Dragons training ground and the signing of 4 former Welsh internationals who add much needed experience to a young squad they might over take the Blues, and finish 6th or 7th next season.

Well I've just seen Coundley has gone to Neath, Wayne Evans is off to Coventry and Nathan Williams has been released.  

I'm a little gutted to have lost Wayne as he had a good season the year before last.  The Props were useless though so no real loss there.  

Shifty, I don't think we can compete with the Blues.  They have made some smart forward signings and are still far to strong for us in that area.  I would match our backs for next season against anything in the league but given the forwards set the tone, I cant see us being better than the Blues.  Turnbull, Hoeata & Voswai are quality additions and will add some bulk to that Blues pack.  I also think the best signing by a mile the Blues have made is Hammett as head coach.  

That said I'm optimistic we can have a good season as our pack should be together for a lot of matches with only Falatau really missing from the team.  Powell hopefully will pick up the slack and might offer us a bit more directness to boot (as he can always go route 1 with a golf buggy)  

I'm just excited to see Brew back.  Cant wait for the BREW chants!!!!

Wayne Evans slipped down the pecking order behind J Evans and Rees but was a good player.

WM,

We have a strong backrow with Coombs, Evans, Faletau, Powell, Cudd and Talei all competing for places just hope our front 5 can really front up this year.

Hi Bedford,

Yep I realize he slipped back a bit but I enjoyed watching him play at his peak. We are well stocked in SH and he probably wouldn't have had much gametime given Rees has been so successful since joining. Still kind of sad to see him go though.

Our backrow is competitive but I am probably the only one around who doesn't rate Cudd. We have great blindside and 8 options next year but part of me would have loved to see us recruit a potentially quality openside understudy. What happened to Scarlets young openside they cut loose? Daniel Thomas I think it was? He really impressed me at U20 level and surely the Dragons could have offered him a understudy role. Strange one given that probably only Elis Jenkins was giving him a run and we've all seen what he's achieved for the Blues towards the end of the season.

Our front five however is what will determine our competitiveness next season. I hope Gough can roll back the years and our new South African lock turns out be a gem. However the major question marks as always will be our current set of props. I just worry that Young, Fairbrother & Stankovich are not up to the task. If by some miracle Jones can get a good set piece out of his forwards (lineout and scrum) we wont be challenging top sides often. Fingers crossed though.

Mushroom, Dan Thomas is meant to be headed to Glaws. Cudd I'd never going to be an international level open side, but he will never let you down.

All in all the Dragons seem to have improved their squad, whilst I'm not expecting them to suddenly become a playoff team over night, I will back them to get knock out rugby in Europe, and to be knocking on the door for top six in the pro12.

I said that last year and thought a 6/7 finish would be on the cards.  Granted we didn't have as good squad as we do now and we did unravel at the tale end of the season but I clearly had home fan blinkers on.  I'm playing it safer this year.  I reckon we should probably finish above Treviso, Zebre, Edinburgh so 8th would be a expected league finish.  I'd love it though if we could oust some others sides in the process.

Looking at the teams squads though for me Leinster & Glasgow are clearly ahead.  Behind them Ulster, Munster & Ospreys still look remarkably good.  Then you look at Scarlets and the Blues teams and I think realistically the top 7 are almost nailed on.  The only 2 teams going into this season I'm confident of predicting a top 4 finish for is Leinster and Glasgow.  That just goes to show how tough this league is becoming.

Gutted to hear we haven't been able to retain Thomas in Wales though.

Yeah as ever props will be where we may struggle, it was a sad state last season that we performed better with 95 yr old Bell playing for us.

We need the Brok Harris signing really that could make or break our season

And regarding openside I would like to see Scott Matthew and Benjamin get more game time. They are both 7s but Benjamin been playing 8 for Wales u20 probably because hes to good not to have in the team. Both could prove good players. Also I noticed player like Ashton Hewitt and other u20 players have all signed 3 or 4 year deals good keeping hold of young talent.

Gough found guilty of assault will probably need another second row then

dragon4life wrote:Gough found guilty of assault will probably need another second row then

Handbags.
Whiplash, oh dear. Kerching!!!
At least he didn't momentarily exceed the speed limit to criminalise himself.

I doubt Goughie will do bird, given his good character and probable charity work etc

Burton gone, finally

I can't see Gough being in too much stick, bar from opposition players trying to wind him up.

dragon4life wrote:Burton gone, finally

Thank god that was one signing which I never quite understood

Was an Edwards signing and was before Tovey came back, so it did make sense in a way. He is capable of controlling a game better than what we had at the time, it was just never going to work behind that pack last season.

Might be an interesting talking point for us coming up later, that is not a new signing related (per se)

That'll be the Lee Byrne skipper news i guess - liking that!

or the psf at ECP?

What do you guys think your strongest team is next season.
Walesonline seem to think the following but i cant but help disagree on a number of positions.

www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/byrne-amos-tovey-faletau-andpowell-7536692

Great question Jhamer. Ill take a punt at what I think Lyn will go with (although I don't think some of them would be my choices)

1. O.Evans
2. Thomas
3. Young - Hope we get Harris though
4. Gough
5. Landman
6. Coombs
7. L. Evans
8. Falatau

9. Rees
10. Tovey
11. Brew
12. Dixon
13. Wardle
14. Prydie
15. Byrne (C)

16. Stankovich
17. Fairbrother
18. Buckley
19. Hill
20. Powell
21. Evans
22. O'Brien
23. Leach

I think he will use Powell as a regular impact sub. I've no doubt he will try to get Gough out on the park as often just to keep his pack experienced. Think he will be tempted to move Lewis to 7.

I've no idea how Young will go because he wasn't any good prior to the scrum law changes but since it may have worked in his advantage. Its hard to say which tighthead props are actually any good under the new laws because so many have lost clear advantages. Think it may start becoming the day of the shorter props. Hopefully Harris will be approved and Fairbrother turns out to be a gem and we don't need to use Young.

I think Dixon and Wardle probably are Lyn's front runners for the new season at centre. Rest of the backline picks itself to be honest.

Either way I think Lyn will be tempted to make sure his pack has plenty of experience and bulk in it to make sure his side maintain possession. At the very least the youngsters will have to earn their starting spaces to oust the experience so should keep things competitive.

I honestly think we could be dangerous looking at our backline. Cant wait   

No Amos?

It was about Byrne. The friendly at EXP was pretty much a given anyway.

I kind of think Coombsey might struggle to feature that often for us, with our signings and the fact Lewis Evans is so highly rated by Lyn. I also think Powell will play a fair bit for a bit more of a ball carrying presence. So players like Coombs and Cudd who are pretty handy for us, might not get as many games as they'd hope (certainly not away from Dave when we will be wanting to front up, I'd imagine). I would have to start Boris and Fairbrother and I think Ash might be the preferred 12 due to his leadership and the fact he will probably be the most able to put Brewy, Byrne and others into space.

Boris
TRT
Fairbrother
Gough
Landman
Powell
Evans
Faletau
Rees
Tovey
Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew
Smith
Morgan
Amos
Byrne

Price
Dee
Young
Hill
Coombs
Evans
O'Brien
Wardle

There are players like Jack Dixon, Cudd, Prydie and Coombs who I want to fit in, but I would be excited by that backline and think the pack is possibly the most grunt we can provide.

RR,

Pretty much agree with that squad as you said Coombs could slot in and not affect balance of it at all but like you the Powell Faletau Evans back row is something I hope we see. Also for me Smith is the key in the centre with Morgan and Dixon sharing the roles.

dragon4life wrote:We need the Brok Harris signing really that could make or break our season

Signing confirmed this morning. Looks like we have a starting tighthead now. He wont be with us until October though so not sure how long he has off before we actually see him in a dragons shirt.

Fair choices I didn't agree with the walesonline one but the Brok Harris signing today has given the region great hope for next season. Deifnitley the one team to watch now next season.
Personally I think this team would be best suited:
1. Boris Stankovich = solid scrummager and an experienced old head
2. T Rhys Thomas = Would have been my captain choice
3. Brok Harris = Same as stankovich, solid and experienced
4. Ian Gough or Coombs = The Dragons have missed an enforcer all these years, if Gough is on form then he should be ahead of Coombs
5. Rynard Landman =  Big brute of a second row bit like George Earle for us
6. Netani Talei = I know the singing of Powell was positive news and he will probably start but I think people are forgetting what a good player Talei is.
7. Lewis Evans =  Should have been on the SA tour
8. Toby Falateu

Backs picks itself apart from center
9. Richie Rees
10. Jason Tovey
11. Aled brew
12. Taylor Morgan -  Dixon didn't impress me during the end of the last season or for the U20's, Morgan has looked great with time.
13. Pat Leach -  grew into his role last season, great defender and im hoping will imrpove again next season
14. Hallam Amos
15. Lee Byrne

Jhamer,

I would pick Powell at 6 but Talei not bad option, for me in the backs Ashley Smith has always been out lynchpin so he starts if can get full season fit.

If Gough can get off this assault conviction for shoving Dane Bowers' girlfriend then i think he'll take the Dragons pack to Another Level next season.

Excellent showing from the 7s boys up at the Stoop last night, lets hope this bodes well for the full season ahead