Gwent Dragons 2015/16 thread

[Luckless Pedestrian]

First topic message reminder :

With Warburton, I can only conclude that they like him as captain because of how he deals with referees. He's very respectful towards them.

[RiscaGame]

Yeah, that's the beauty of the league with no tv coverage

I guess that was mentioned when Ah You did his no arms tackle that sat Brok Harris down?

[GavinDragon]

I actually don't think we are fit enough. Yes the replacement props gave away the penalties which lead to their tries, but our kicking was due to the fact we were blowing out of our arses and having to work hard and commit numbers just to retain the ball, so when we did retain it we didn't have enough players on their feet in decent positions to attack. Also, from 60 minutes on we started losing our shape in defence and basic errors crept in.

Yes I am sure Connacht have  bigger budget than us and they do have some good players now in Aki and Ah you etc. But fitness is the one thing that any coach can instill in a professional team and it should not be a differentiator  between teams at this level. Sadly, from what I hear, we have a coach who is still delivering from a 90's playbook and tbh it shows!

Dee Hewitt and Warren were excellent again (How long until the first two are prised away from us?) and Phil Price won 3 penalties at the scrum Vince ;-)

Not sure I buy this. Our first choice players have an enormous workload for pro rugby players, in many cases there is simply no credible alternative. Many of them are kids/small for pro players, Nic Cudd is probably fit as a butcher's dog but collisions will inevitably be taxing for him as a smaller player who rarely gets adequate rest and rotation. Consider Carl Froch - an absolute machine - versus David Haye.... equally well conditioned but you would see the smaller man tire quickest. Not so sure elite 'fitness' is such a universally achievable target either, particularly in what is becoming a sport for genetic freaks at the top level.

A fair point, and if Connacht had bludgeoned us to death with a direct power game I would proabably agree. But they spread the ball wide at every opportunity and remained effective in the collisions which is testament to their fitness for they were the larger side. And for your point about elite fitness being about genetic freaks, I refer you to SA vs Japan in the recent world cup, and their subsequent spirited performance against Scotland with a 4 day turnaround. A smaller man will tire quicker when they try to emulate the same tactics of the larger man, the fact that we couldnt keep up with Connacht when they played tactics more suited to smaller, nimble men (namely a wide passing/running game) shows just how poor our conditioning is, and how tactically naieve L Jones is.

[GavinDragon]

So, I was on the level 1 coaching course at Risca RFC last night (excellent facilities btw!) and the WRU sign on the door said 'Gwent Dragons Coaching Course'. When I phoned Nigel Way who is the WRU dev officer for the region he also refers to it as the 'Gwent Dragons'. Is this just reflecting, as some argue, the pro team running the player development pathway? Or is it further evidence of things moving closer to 'Gwent'. Discuss.

[GavinDragon]

http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/News/Article/44000/dragons-sign-cardiff-blues-prop-sam-hobbs

[RiscaGame]

So, I was on the level 1 coaching course at Risca RFC last night (excellent facilities btw!) and the WRU sign on the door said 'Gwent Dragons Coaching Course'. When I phoned Nigel Way who is the WRU dev officer for the region he also refers to it as the 'Gwent Dragons'. Is this just reflecting, as some argue, the pro team running the player development pathway? Or is it further evidence of things moving closer to 'Gwent'. Discuss.

In my opinion, they want to go more Gwent but don't have the guts to do so. Personally I think most would just accept being called Dragons, despite idiots like Davey saying there would be confusion between Glamorgan cricket etc.

Risca isn't too bad in the sports centre for that kind of thing aye. Just a shame that they've given up on a decent gym facility for their team instead, but I suppose money talks.

[RiscaGame]

http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/News/Article/44000/dragons-sign-cardiff-blues-prop-sam-hobbs

Be interesting to see how this works out. Nice to have it confirmed anyway and that we have started recruiting. Plus he's Welsh too, so that'll make some people blow their bolt.

[GavinDragon]

http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/News/Article/44034/pewtner-forced-to-retire-from-professional-rugby

Sad to see. Wish him the best of luck. How many retirements have we had in the last 2-3 seasons now? Smith, Byrne, Pewtner - will Leach be added to the list?

[Stone Motif]

I actually don't think we are fit enough. Yes the replacement props gave away the penalties which lead to their tries, but our kicking was due to the fact we were blowing out of our arses and having to work hard and commit numbers just to retain the ball, so when we did retain it we didn't have enough players on their feet in decent positions to attack. Also, from 60 minutes on we started losing our shape in defence and basic errors crept in.

Yes I am sure Connacht have  bigger budget than us and they do have some good players now in Aki and Ah you etc. But fitness is the one thing that any coach can instill in a professional team and it should not be a differentiator  between teams at this level. Sadly, from what I hear, we have a coach who is still delivering from a 90's playbook and tbh it shows!

Dee Hewitt and Warren were excellent again (How long until the first two are prised away from us?) and Phil Price won 3 penalties at the scrum Vince ;-)

Not sure I buy this. Our first choice players have an enormous workload for pro rugby players, in many cases there is simply no credible alternative. Many of them are kids/small for pro players, Nic Cudd is probably fit as a butcher's dog but collisions will inevitably be taxing for him as a smaller player who rarely gets adequate rest and rotation. Consider Carl Froch - an absolute machine - versus David Haye.... equally well conditioned but you would see the smaller man tire quickest. Not so sure elite 'fitness' is such a universally achievable target either, particularly in what is becoming a sport for genetic freaks at the top level.

A fair point, and if Connacht had bludgeoned us to death with a direct power game I would proabably agree. But they spread the ball wide at every opportunity and remained effective in the collisions which is testament to their fitness for they were the larger side. And for your point about elite fitness being about genetic freaks, I refer you to SA vs Japan in the recent world cup, and their subsequent spirited performance against Scotland with a 4 day turnaround. A smaller man will tire quicker when they try to emulate the same tactics of the larger man, the fact that we couldnt keep up with Connacht when they played tactics more suited to smaller, nimble men (namely a wide passing/running game) shows just how poor our conditioning is, and how tactically naieve L Jones is.

Interesting example you've gone for there. Look, I knew the result before I'd watched the Japan/SA game and I was still screaming at the telly in the end. But it was pantomime stuff, all the more magical because it will only happen one time out of a hundred. Their 'spirited performance' vs Scotland - the one where despite their conditioning they visibly gassed and ended up getting humped by a far less physical and talented team than their previous opponents? You've completely eliminated the issue of recovery and to be honest, you'd argue that conditioning for the Jambo and conditioning for a slog through a NH season are two very different animals anyway.

[Stone Motif]

http://www.newportgwentdragons.com/News/Article/44034/pewtner-forced-to-retire-from-professional-rugby

Sad to see. Wish him the best of luck. How many retirements have we had in the last 2-3 seasons now? Smith, Byrne, Pewtner - will Leach be added to the list?

Well that's a cap bit of news. He was just finding his feet as a decent pro.

[Guest]

Sorry, only read this after posting my own thread about it. Sad news. On the increase, worryingly.

[PhilBB]

So, I was on the level 1 coaching course at Risca RFC last night (excellent facilities btw!) and the WRU sign on the door said 'Gwent Dragons Coaching Course'. When I phoned Nigel Way who is the WRU dev officer for the region he also refers to it as the 'Gwent Dragons'. Is this just reflecting, as some argue, the pro team running the player development pathway? Or is it further evidence of things moving closer to 'Gwent'. Discuss.

No, it's evidence only of the WRU being utterly clueless.

But not as clueless as the NGD.

[LordDowlais]

So, I was on the level 1 coaching course at Risca RFC last night (excellent facilities btw!) and the WRU sign on the door said 'Gwent Dragons Coaching Course'. When I phoned Nigel Way who is the WRU dev officer for the region he also refers to it as the 'Gwent Dragons'. Is this just reflecting, as some argue, the pro team running the player development pathway? Or is it further evidence of things moving closer to 'Gwent'. Discuss.

In my opinion, they want to go more Gwent but don't have the guts to do so. Personally I think most would just accept being called Dragons, despite idiots like Davey saying there would be confusion between Glamorgan cricket etc.

Risca isn't too bad in the sports centre for that kind of thing aye. Just a shame that they've given up on a decent gym facility for their team instead, but I suppose money talks.

The Risca football academy is top notch as well, a lot of kids from Merthyr in there. Although, now that Merthyr FC have cut ties with Cardiff and are now affiliating themselves with Swansea their academy is improving. It seems that there are a lot of sporting opportunities for the youngsters in Risca, both rugby and football orientated. 

One of the kids who lives by me is in the Welsh u16's football team and in the Risca academy, which is also run by a Merthyr Tyfilian.

[GavinDragon]

Matthew Pewtner also on the course. Good to see he is staying involved in the game.

[Cardiff Dave]

Is the Drags game against the giant killers Treviso on the telly this Friday? It should be.

[munkian]

Is the Drags game against the giant killers Treviso on the telly this Friday? It should be.

Its on RAI so can probably be streamed.

[Stone Motif]

Is the Drags game against the giant killers Treviso on the telly this Friday? It should be.

Its on RAI so can probably be streamed.

Pretty sure Steffan will take a break from his normal Internet fare to watch this

[VinceWLB]

Rai will not show the game live. However, like the Blues game last week it might appear on what they call RaiSport Web either channel 1, 2 or 3.

[munkian]

Rai will not show the game live. However, like the Blues game last week it might appear on what they call RaiSport Web either channel 1, 2 or 3.

Tidy, cheers Vince

[Cardiff Dave]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

[Stone Motif]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

[Cardiff Dave]

Rai will not show the game live. However, like the Blues game last week it might appear on what they call RaiSport Web either channel 1, 2 or 3.

Good show. Browsed that website for ages last week trying to find the game, to no avail. Wonder if the Drags game is live on Italian radio and accessible online?

[Cardiff Dave]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

And irked. And irked enough to volunteer to clean the CAP bogs for a week.

[Stone Motif]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

And irked. And irked enough to volunteer to clean the CAP bogs for a week.

Just be grateful they can be trusted with such a task. If I gave Lynn and Kingsley a mop and bucket and sent them into the Hazel bog it would look like some sort of dirty protest by the time they'd finished.

[Cardiff Dave]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

And irked. And irked enough to volunteer to clean the CAP bogs for a week.

Just be grateful they can be trusted with such a task. If I gave Lynn and Kingsley a mop and bucket and sent them into the Hazel bog it would look like some sort of dirty protest by the time they'd finished.

The Gruesome Twosome. Their mop and bucket sketch would be outstanding I reckon.

[RiscaGame]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

And irked. And irked enough to volunteer to clean the CAP bogs for a week.

Just be grateful they can be trusted with such a task. If I gave Lynn and Kingsley a mop and bucket and sent them into the Hazel bog it would look like some sort of dirty protest by the time they'd finished.

The Gruesome Twosome. Their mop and bucket sketch would be outstanding I reckon.

Stuart loves the drags now and seen our bogs. He's all about making it fan friendly apparently. He will clean up, the scruff.

[Luckless Pedestrian]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

I got it

https://youtu.be/F3SrtN6tMyg

[munkian]

Id keep Kingsley but Lyn can jog on.

[GavinDragon]

Agreed

[RiscaGame]

Yes Lyp should go. Though sadly, the way things are now with the mini rugby play your sons kind of thing, I think both have to go.

But then again, I don't know what I would do without my weekly updates from both. Last week it was bemoan our injuries, which was fair enough until you look at the fact that he moaned about missing Amos (which we should a lot) and Meyer but yet chose up ignore the fact that the two replacements were his signings.

[VinceWLB]

Stankovich lucky to get away with that imo.

[Cardiff Dave]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

Amazed?

And irked. And irked enough to volunteer to clean the CAP bogs for a week.

Just be grateful they can be trusted with such a task. If I gave Lynn and Kingsley a mop and bucket and sent them into the Hazel bog it would look like some sort of dirty protest by the time they'd finished.

The Gruesome Twosome. Their mop and bucket sketch would be outstanding I reckon.

Stuart loves the drags now and seen our bogs. He's all about making it fan friendly apparently.  He will clean up, the scruff.

Stu checks 'em every day doesn't he? What a guy.

[Cardiff Dave]

If the Drags beat a similar Treviso on Friday, I wonder how Danny and his juniors at Cardiff will feel?

I got it

https://youtu.be/F3SrtN6tMyg

Didn't know they did that. Good track.

[VinceWLB]

Amos cherged down, how did that Treviso player didn't score?

[Cardiff Dave]

Amos cherged down, how did that Treviso player didn't score?

Link?

[VinceWLB]

http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raiSport/dirette/ContentItem-98a62bed-e520-47f6-8511-ad4ef533eb51.html

Works like a charm

[Cardiff Dave]

http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raiSport/dirette/ContentItem-98a62bed-e520-47f6-8511-ad4ef533eb51.html

Works like a charm

Certainly does. Marvelous. Only a couple of minutes left though. B*gger.
Is the ref going to award a pen I wonder. Is he 'ard enough?

[Cardiff Dave]

Treveeeezzzzoooooo!!!

[VinceWLB]

Drop goal hits both posts, Amos driven into touch just short of the line and Treviso win.

[VinceWLB]

Treviso were too powerfull up front for the Dragons; that was terrible conditions out there.

[Cardiff Dave]

Drop goal hits both posts, Amos driven into touch just short of the line and Treviso win.

D'oh, I missed that excitement when I was replying to you on here.

[RiscaGame]

Both posts was it? Jebus.

I heard Amos could've put Charlie Davies in instead?

[VinceWLB]

I heard Amos could've put Charlie Davies in instead?

Not sure about that, Treviso defense was drifting quickly but they would have kept the ball in play instead of going into touch.

[RiscaGame]

Ah right ta.

Both flipping posts tho.

[mikey_dragon]

David Rennie and Todd Blackadder are supposedly looking at coaching overseas. Wonder if we could get them at the Dragons .

[munkian]

We've signed Sam Beard from Embra.

Turks have signed Johnny Evans from Bath.

Really think Tyler is off to the Gyppos now...

[RiscaGame]

Well, good that we are making signings. WQ too, so that'll please some. Seems to have not been well received on other forums, but personally I'm happy enough.

We do need more depth to our squad anyway, or that tombola will never get a good spin again.

[munkian]

Well, good that we are making signings. WQ too, so that'll please some. Seems to have not been well received on other forums, but personally I'm happy enough.

We do need more depth to our squad anyway, or that tombola will never get a good spin again.

Some Embra fans aren't happy about losing him so that's a good sign.

Hardly a marquee player and if we lose Tyler we'll have one NDC on our books... very poor

[Luckless Pedestrian]

I saw on Twitter that a few Edinburgh fans are disappointed he's going.

EDIT: You beat me to it!

[dragon999]

Don't believe Tyler is going, replacement for Pat Leach who will surely have to retire?

[RiscaGame]

I'm surprised Patch hasn't retired yet.

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