Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby, 8 May

                                 
Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh Rugby
Friday 8 May 2015
KO: 19:30
Parade of the Dave, Newport

Not on telly, I don't think

Referee: Gary Conway (IRFU, 11th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Rhys Thomas, Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Jeff Mark (WRU)
TMO: Gareth Simmonds (WRU)

A. Head to Head

23 Played 23
11 Wins 11
11 Losses 11
1 Draws 1
42 Tries 48
27 Conversions 39
52 Penalties 51
3 Drop Goals 0
429 Points 471
23 Avg. Age 25

B. Form

Fri 17 April 2015 - Edinburgh Rugby 45 - 16 Newport Gwent Dragons

Sat 11 Oct 2014 - Edinburgh Rugby 24 - 10 Newport Gwent Dragons

Thu 3 Apr 2014 - Newport Gwent Dragons 19 - 23 Edinburgh Rugby

Fri 13 Sep 2013 - Edinburgh Rugby 16 - 13 Newport Gwent Dragons

C. Teams

Newport Gwent Dragons

Tom Prydie, Ashton Hewitt, Tyler Morgan, Jack Dixon, Hallam Amos, Jason Tovey, Luc Jones; Phil Price, T. Rhys Thomas (c), Brok Harris, Cory Hill, Rynard Landman, Nick Crosswell, Nic Cudd, Taulupe Faletau.

Replacements: Hugh Gustafson, Lloyd Fairbrother, Dan Way, James Thomas, Ollie Griffiths, Richie Rees, Dorian Jones, Geraint Rhys Jones.

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 Fraser McKenzie
05 Ben Toolis
06 Stuart McInally (captain)
07 Hamish Watson
08 Cornell Du Preez

16 Neil Cochrane
17 Rory Sutherland
18 John Andress
19 Anton Bresler
20 Roddy Grant
21 Nathan Fowles
22 Tom Heathcote
23 Tom Brown

A must win game for the vintage sports car collectors.

This week's representatives are the lovely Josie d'Arby (born in Newport) and FES' mum*.

* Or it might be the actress Sara Stewart (born in Edinburgh).

Thanks for leaving the Challenge Cup quarter final out of the form guide.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Thanks for leaving the Challenge Cup quarter final out of the form guide.

OP updated>

Well I know I know it is a must win game, and we can't take the Dragons lightly, but surely he needs to do some rotation for this.

Our performance was flat and jaded against Gloucester and I think we need to freshen things up.

We've been saying that all season though...

McInally, McKenzie. Denton and Watson in.

Just noticed that the Dragons have scored 42 tries in this fixture but only kicked 27 of the conversions. I know it's windy down there but a 64% success rate is a bit surprising in the professional era.

Funny old gyme is rugby. At the weekend I was for Edinburgh but duty now calls and I have to hope Dragons trash 'em. Don't blame me! Blame Meritocracy.............

George Carlin wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Thanks for leaving the Challenge Cup quarter final out of the form guide.

OP updated>

Boo and hiss

George Carlin wrote:Just noticed that the Dragons have scored 42 tries in this fixture but only kicked 27 of the conversions. I know it's windy down there but a 64% success rate is a bit surprising in the professional era.

#blametovey

I would settle for an improved performance v these rotters, to not get man shamed in the scrum and to not let SHC have the freedom of the glorious Parade of the Dave, as he did Field fae Murray a few weeks ago.

It's pretty important that Dragons win to stop the rot of the past couple of weeks. Defensively we've not been at the races the past two games and it would be nice to at least toughen up a bit before Munster away. Hard to predict a Dragons win after the two Murrayfield results, but Dragons by 633.

Well I'm fairly sure we're going to see hardly any rotation from Solomons, but if I was him (what does he know eh):

1 Dickinson
2 McInally
3 Nel
4 Bresler
5 McKenzie
6 Du Preez
7 Watson
8 Denton

9 Hidalgo-Clyne
10 Tonks
11 Visser
12 Burleigh
13 Beard
14 Fife
15 Cuthbert/Brown

With the idea being that Dickinson and Nel are subbed with 20 minutes to go, not 2 minutes to go as usual!

That pack isn't overly weakened from our first choice pack and should be able to do similar levels of damage to the Dragons as the last time we met. We really need to freshen up, and I think Ford, Coman and Grant can easily be rested without damaging the team.

Like that team RDW, I'd go for pretty much the same, maybe starting Sutherland instead of Dickinson. Potentially 3 games after this so need to keep players fresh. Can't see Solomons doing it though.

Nel, Toolis, Bresler, Grant and Burleigh have now played 6 straight games in a row, with Dickinson and Ford played 5 in a row, and I think Toolis and Burleigh have played 80 minutes of every game.

The entire front row ideally needs rotated but I really can't see it happening.

RDW_Scotland wrote:Nel, Toolis, Bresler, Grant and Burleigh have now played 6 straight games in a row, with Dickinson and Ford played 5 in a row, and I think Toolis and Burleigh have played 80 minutes of every game.

The entire front row ideally needs rotated but I really can't see it happening.

Is there not a SRU protocol for resting international players? Which would meant that Dickinson and Ford should be rested this week. Toolis also. May have been an exemption for the Cup Final.

demosthenes wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Nel, Toolis, Bresler, Grant and Burleigh have now played 6 straight games in a row, with Dickinson and Ford played 5 in a row, and I think Toolis and Burleigh have played 80 minutes of every game.

The entire front row ideally needs rotated but I really can't see it happening.

Is there not a SRU protocol for resting international players?  Which would meant that Dickinson and Ford should be rested this week.  Toolis also.  May have been an exemption for the Cup Final.

There is, but Edinburgh seem to get round it quite a lot! I can't see the SRU being happy if they played every game up until the end of the season (if we make the playoff final) and they end up playing 9/10 games in a row.

Worth noting that we beat Scarlets away while resting Dickinson and Ford, so the backups can perform!

Risca Rev wrote:Hard to predict a Dragons win after the two Murrayfield results, but Dragons by 633.

Well I'd go for:

Sutherland, Cochrane, Andress
Mckenzie, Bresler
Grant, Watson, Du Preez
SHC, Tonks
Visser
Burleigh, Beard
Fife
Brown

Would be good to see Fife get more time at outside centre but now's not the time.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:Hard to predict a Dragons win after the two Murrayfield results, but Dragons by 63-3.

There, made it much more feasible.

That's almost the score Glasgow put on us a couple of seasons ago.

jimbopip wrote:

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:

Risca Rev wrote:Hard to predict a Dragons win after the two Murrayfield results, but Dragons by 63-3.

There, made it much more feasible.

I guess that is a bit more realistic yes

Dragons will probably be:
Stanko, TRT, Harris
Landman, Hill
Thomas, Faletau, Cudd
Evans, Jones
Dixon, Morgan
Prydie, Meyer, Amos

Stankovich is fit? i reckon the result of this game lies very much if he plays or not. Phil Price is an average scrummager and he wont get away with it against our Nelly!

Boris is still a doubt.

The below is off the match preview. Farcical that every game doesn't have one.

Note: As the outcome of this match may have a significant bearing on 2015/16 European qualification, it has been agreed by PRO12 that a TMO will be in place despite it not being a broadcast fixture.
Read more at http://www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/17240.php#y0By6JhpAsHQ67lQ.99

I've just noticed on the Pro 12 website that the final round of matches have no broadcasters assigned to them - surely that's not the case?

Oh and according to the Argus, the lesser spotted Richie Rees is apparently coming back in from the wilderness. Strange move by Lyn, if true. Great that he's in (if true), but not really in keeping with Lyn's keep your son in the squad policy.

From an Edinburgh pov would be pleased if Rees in. Seemed to spend much of his time playing for us getting kicks charged down leading to tries.

Probably means he'll have a game winning performance on Friday though. Decent player, just didn't do it at Edinburgh.

He's a good player, should have kept Jonny Evans out of the starting team for a good while. But then he just seemed to vanish and Lyn Jones' son was in the squad. Anyway, Jonny Evans has improved a great deal this season, and we're letting him go...

We're not 'letting him go', we tried to keep him but he wanted to go to Bath. Good luck to him.

What was the story LP? I don't think I read anything that said we had made a great effort to keep him. That and the squad selections says to me there's still a bit of poor player-management. If Rees is staying with us now, then I think he should have been starting more games over Evans lately. I know Bath are probably better than us, but outside of money and a decent Cathedral I don't see the attraction in playing for a team of chokers; if you wanted to do that you'd play for Clermont and catch a tan while you're at it.

Well I assume we tried to keep him, I don't know for certain. Surely we did try?

Yeah we tried.

Richie isn't really staying next season. Lyn has already said the three 9s are Pretorious, Davies and Mini Lyn

For Evans I suppose he will look better playing in front of a big back always getting front foot ball. He has only signed a 1 year deal he told me so he might come home if it doesn't work out

The big thing is if he plays over Matawalu. He might find it hard to get back to Dave Parade though, if Pretorious and Davies go well.

Agree with the Edinburgh fans on here, we need to rotate but Solomons won't have any of it.

GC - those earings are a bit High Street for Mummy fES....

Gary Conway ref. Congratulations Dragons.

justified sinner wrote:Gary Conway ref. Congratulations Dragons.

Yes, Glasgow too have somehow angered the rugby gods and have to contend with both the Ospreys and Clownshoes in the next fixture. Hopefully Kellock won't be captain or we can just give the Os a 12 point head start from the outset.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Agree with the Edinburgh fans on here, we need to rotate but Solomons won't have any of it.

GC - those earings are a bit High Street for Mummy fES....

Apologies for that. I couldn't find a picture of her 4 carat teardrops from Boodles.

I just hope he referees the scrum well - even if Edinburgh rotate the front row we're likely to have the upper hand, and I still have memories of the Connacht home game where we had the dominant scrum but were penalised off the park by the ref!

Edinburgh have shown that if the scrum stays up they are likely to have a dominant scrum. If the scrum goes down on the hit then it is a 50/50 call from the ref as to who gets the penalty, which is frustrating.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I just hope he referees the scrum well - even if Edinburgh rotate the front row we're likely to have the upper hand, and I still have memories of the Connacht home game where we had the dominant scrum but were penalised off the park by the ref!

Edinburgh have shown that if the scrum stays up they are likely to have a dominant scrum. If the scrum goes down on the hit then it is a 50/50 call from the ref as to who gets the penalty, which is frustrating.

Thanks for that, I'll pass it on to the Joneses.

Uncle Lyn wrote:"What Edinburgh and Connacht have done really well is that they have recruited heavily from the southern hemisphere and skipped their academy.

"We don't have that luxury. We have to develop our own and Mother Nature doesn't have shortcuts."

Yeah, you tell 'em Lyn.

Drags fans - is your scrum stronger than the cup tie. I remember you had horrendous injuries which led to something like a TH on the LH and an inexperienced TH.
What happened to Aled Brew? He was a fantastic player then did he not go to play in France and come back about 15 stones heavier.

Risca Rev wrote:

Uncle Lyn wrote:"What Edinburgh and Connacht have done really well is that they have recruited heavily from the southern hemisphere and skipped their academy.

"We don't have that luxury. We have to develop our own and Mother Nature doesn't have shortcuts."

Yeah, you tell 'em Lyn.

I can almost see where he is coming from but he had to bear in mind that we aren't ripping the guts out the ABs and letting them grace the Edinburgh jersey and we tend only to attract journeymen pro's or guys just starting out. He is right about the academy. In the front row, young Rory Sutherland is big enough to have his own postcode and looks like a real prospect but you really can't run off a list of guys who have graduated to the main team via the academy

Rory Sutherland, Stuart McInally, Grant Gilchrist, Roddy Grant, David Denton, Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, Matt Scott, Dougie fife and Tom Brown all come through at Edinburgh from a young age.

Jamie Ritchie, Magnus Bradbury, Damien Hoyland, Chris Dean, Chris Auld and Jamie Farndale all due to come through in the next couple of seasons.

So it's not as if we don't produce our own players too!

Probably pushing your luck with some of that first list of names as its not as if Edinburgh took them under their wing aged 15 and caringly nurtured them to be the players they are now. There just isn't a long enough history of an academy to be able to reel of a list of successful "graduates".
I do agree with your second list, though, as they have all been signed from, or with James Ritchie when they were at school. Fingers crossed that they push on

Their step up from amateur to pro came from Edinburgh - that's good enough for me!

Also worth remembering our young player base is significantly less than even Wales - we don't have many ti choose them and we haven't been great at bringing them through!

The newly setup academies should help that though.

Totally agree about the benefit that should come from the new academies as long as they don't end up being some egotist's regional toys

InjuredYetAgain wrote:Drags fans - is your scrum stronger than the cup tie. I remember you had horrendous injuries which led to something like a TH on the LH and an inexperienced TH.
What happened to Aled Brew? He was a fantastic player then did he not go to play in France and come back about 15 stones heavier.

Yes it's stronger. It did a bit better initially when Price came on and Harris went to tighthead. Then the wheels came off again. Also, Landman is back which might make a difference. I'm not expecting much joy, but more of a contest in the scrum would be lovely.

Brew has had back and groin problems for a while. I'll be honest, I'm expecting him to be like Lee Byrne and call it a day soon. If nothing else, at least we got to Breeeeeeewwww him once more when he scored against Northampton in pre-season. It was obvious then he'd lost his gas though. Wish he'd never gone to Biarritz though.

Interesting to see Crosswell say on twitter that he's 6 tomorrow. Wonder if that means the in form James Thomas is lock (which might lighten our pack a bit), or even on the bench?

Hope Lyn has the decency to put ten cover on the bench this week too. Guess we will know in an hour.

Team's up.



Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons, Guinness PRO12, Rodney Parade, Friday 8 May, kick-off 7.30pm

15 Jack Cuthbert

14 Dougie Fife

13 Sam Beard

12 Andries Strauss

11 Tim Visser

10 Phil Burleigh

9   Sam Hidalgo-Clyne



1 Alasdair Dickinson

2 Ross Ford

3 WP Nel

4 Fraser McKenzie

5 Ben Toolis

6 Stuart McInally (captain)

7 Hamish Watson

8 Cornell Du Preez



Substitutes

16 Neil Cochrane

17 Rory Sutherland

18 John Andress

19 Anton Bresler

20 Roddy Grant

21 Nathan Fowles

22 Tom Heathcote

23 Tom Brown



Hugh Blake is with Glasgow Warriors until the end of the season

Chris Dean, Grayson Hart and Damien Hoyland are currently with Scotland 7s



Not considered due to injury

Mike Coman (head), Allan Dell (ankle), David Denton (head), Grant Gilchrist (arm), Sean Kennedy (shoulder), Tomas Leonardi (head), Nick McLennan (groin), Matt Scott (shoulder), Greig Tonks (leg)

  

How bad was Denton's concussion if he is still not considered due to head injury?

I think this is either the 3rd or 4th week he's been out for. Really hope it's just a massive precaution rather than any other reason.