Edinburgh vs Dragons, ECC Semi Final

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Edinburgh Rugby v Newport Gwent Dragons
Friday 17 April 2015
KO 19:45
BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Referee: JP Doyle
AR1: Luke Pearce
AR2: Marius Mitrea

*****
Teams:

Edinburgh Rugby
15. Jack Cuthbert
14. Dougie Fife
13. Sam Beard
12. Andries Strauss
11. Tim Visser
10. Phil Burleigh
09. Sam Hidalgo-Clyne

01. Alasdair Dickinson
02. Ross Ford
03. WP Nel
04. Anton Bresler
05. Ben Toolis
06. Stuart McInally
07. Roddy Grant
08. Mike Coman (c)

16. Neil Cochrane
17. Rory Sutherland
18. John Andress
19. Fraser McKenzie
20. Cornell Du Preez
21. Nathan Fowles
22. Tom Heathcote
23. Tom Brown

Newport Gwent Dragons
15 Jason Tovey
14 Tom Prydie
13 Tyler Morgan
12 Jack Dixon
11 Hallam Amos
10 Dorian Jones
09 Jonathan Evans

01 Brok Harris
02 T. Rhys Thomas (c)
03 Dan Way
04 James Thomas
05 Cory Hill
06 Nick Crosswell
07 Nic Cudd
08 Taulupe Faletau.

16 Rhys Buckley
17 Phil Price
18 Lloyd Fairbrother
19 Matthew Screech
20 James Benjamin
21 Luc Jones
22 Ashton Hewitt
23 Geraint Rhys Jones

*****
Couldn't wait any longer to start this thread.

Absolutely bouncing for Friday. First semi final for 8 years and hoping we can go one better. Dragons have just announced a third coach of supporters booked for the trip which, given the short notice, is a great effort.

We are coming in off a bonus point win against pro12 champions Leinster (while being 22-8 down at one point), have won four on the bounce and have a great team spirit of young Welshmen from around the region with a sprinkling of gnarly pros.

Bouncing

Mcinally putting his hand up for the 6 shirt for Scotland?

Sam H C surely showing he should be our 9 at the World Cup

Couple of very good tries by Edinburgh. We just need to keep the heed now.

Its mad how quickly SHC has become the absolute heartbeat of this team!

3 cheap penalties for the Dragons - not had to do much for their points anyway

How could they have touched Clyne? No Dragons defenders were back 10?

Has the ref lost his cards

Edinburgh set piece winning them the game. If I was a supporter of theirs I would be annoyed they were not further ahead

Very good half Edinburgh - dominating up front, Burleigh and Hidalgo-Clyne superb.

Only criticism is we should be further ahead! Too many penalties at ruck time too.

God, Andy Nicol must a complete ball-ache to commentate with. Nick Mullins is just trying to be nice about a player and WHAM!! Douche Klaxon sounds:

Mullins: "And that scrum penalty was the result of brilliant work by Willem Nel."

Nicol: "Actually Nick, I think it was more of a collective effort!"

Leave the bloody players alone coming off the field.... 'oh almost got an interview there by a Dragons player but the player was pis-sed and didn't really feel up to giving it'

Oh you don't say?

It's becoming clearer with each match that SHC has surpassed Laidlaw in every facet of the game. He's faster, stronger, a better and more consistent passer, with a bigger and more accurate boot, and a better rugby brain.

SHC and Sir Henry Piecrust to compete for the 9 Jersey in September, with Laidlaw offering sage advice to them via videolink from Tahiti.

JP Doyle is the only man keeping Dragons in this, their last penalty was an absolute joke. Dragons player in from the wrong side, flops on the ruck off his feet and it turns out to be a Drags pen?

GavinDragon wrote:Edinburgh set piece winning them the game. If I was a supporter of theirs I would be annoyed they were not further ahead

You're right. I feel Dragons will put much more of themselves into the second half and get looser to try and stretch. Edinburgh needed a bit more on the scoreboard for the dominance they showed. If they tire, and Dragons punch back then they might regret they didn't get the gap bigger.

Small margins - Sam misses touch, dragons right back in it!

SecretFly wrote:Leave the bloody players alone coming off the field.... 'oh almost got an interview there by a Dragons player but the player was pis-sed and didn't really feel up to giving it'

Oh you don't say?

A few years ago there was a number of people injured in a serious car accident and many people were brought to the hospital where I was on A&E duty.  After about 8 straight hours in surgery with no break, I come out and there were some local news crews wanting to know the nature of the injuries, did anyone die (typical newsie question), and other stuff.  A mic and camera in my face, and all that.  Clearly wasn't ready for that, mumbled something about patient-doctor confidentiality and got out quickly.  I can only imagine the players coming off at halftime or full time must feel the same - tired, a bit annoyed, and hoping not to say anything too stupid.

You certainly see cards given for that!

He must have found them again. That was lucky

Really intelligent ball in hands thinking here from Edinburgh... nice stuff at times.

Deliberate knock on should also be a yellow!

Jeas Nicol is cringeworthy as a commentator.

If Laidlaw is still Scotlands first choice nine after this, Cotter will have a coup on his hands.

That Cline has lovely attitude.... 'Oh it's on!'  Hungry sniping 9s, love them.

PS - hate them too.

I see the Edinburgh pack is doing well with a few Saffers there, Nel, Strauss and Bresler

Sweet Jesus this is outstanding from Edinburgh!

Saffers?????

Where???

Notch wrote:If Laidlaw is still Scotlands first choice nine after this, Cotter will have a coup on his hands.

+1

Is Bresler not Namibian?

Nel is Scottish after the summer

Just wait one cotton-picken' minute.

Sam Beard can run??

Edinburgh on a roll. Did Dragons put too much into the Leinster game?

This has been pretty entertaining. Edinburgh look pretty good. Certainly dominating since that last Newport try.

What an horrendous evening for the Dragons. Edinburgh have looked several classes above tonight.

Outstanding from Edinburgh

Congratulations to Edinburgh getting to the final. It honestly really wasn't a contest but that was due to some lovely rugby by Edinburgh in the tight and out loose. Total dominance.

YAAAAAAASSS!!

Huge congrats guys!

Fantastic to see that scoreline. Thought it was going to be really close based on all the rhetoric on these boards ...

I was not expecting that. Well done Edinburgh.

congrats Edinburgh best of luck in the final!

That young Edinburgh scrum half played a nice game. Pretty controlled, certainly aggressive. First time I have watched him. Seems like a player.

SecretFly wrote:Edinburgh on a roll.  Did Dragons put too much into the Leinster game?  

no not really, I think that Edinburgh's performance was several notches up on what Leinster offered. Scrum was in complete control and SHC showed his class.

I think the pressure told on our boys but they will learn and Lyn will pick them up I am sure.

Still proud to be a man of Gwent tonight

Good solid win, and it could easily have been more. Looking forward to the final!

Some notable performances as well: Nel, Toolis, McInally and Sam H-C in particular.

Good result for Edinburgh against a Dragons team that never really get into the game and got their tactics wrong from the off. Tough luck Dragons fans.

SHC and Burleigh above everyone else in the backs, particularly Burleigh wherever you put him on the pitch he will deliver.

I wish McInally had played 8 for Scotland instead of hopeless Beattie, Nel was immense once again.

Very sporting comments on here from the Dragons fans tonight. You're a credit to your club guys.

I think in the final when Edinburgh come up against most probably Exeter who will at least match them up front and stop their power game they will have no plan B. But anyways we were oitclassed up front and weren't able to get any decent ball out wide.

Well Done Edinburgh.

Great win and great scoreline which I don't think even the most one eyed Edinburgh fan could of predicted.

I thought Hidalgo-Clyne ran the show great for you, I still wonder if our exertions of coming from behind against the Blues and Leinster combined with our short turn around was just too much.

All that said our set piece was poor and without that even getting parity then you will always struggle.

Again Well Done and good luck against I believe Exeter.

GavinDragon wrote:

SecretFly wrote:Edinburgh on a roll.  Did Dragons put too much into the Leinster game?  

no not really, I think that Edinburgh's performance was several notches up on what Leinster offered. Scrum was in complete control and SHC showed his class.

I think the pressure told on our boys but they will learn and Lyn will pick them up I am sure.

Still proud to be a man of Gwent tonight

I think it was a different planet in performances between Edinburgh and Leinster!  

That wasn't really what I was asking though.  I wasn't pondering on any game Leinster 'forced' Dragons to play, I was wondering instead did they themselves use up a lot of stored fire and adrenalin and nervous energy to make sure they got the job done against Leinster?  They needed the win to set them up for tonight but perhaps just injected too much emotion into getting that job done.  They looked flat tonight and were bullied, but also allowed themselves to be.

No they were beaten comfortably by a better side who exerted far more pressure on us and showed the age and inexperience of our young side.

I think last week had no bearing on this one

We still need to get our set piece sorted, its been better this year (hard not to be) but it was very very poor tonight.

didn't help having the tight head on the loose.