Dragons v Glasgow Warriors Saturday 26th October 2019

Dragons v Glasgow Warriors
Saturday 26th October
Rodney Parade
Newport

KO 15.00

Live on Premier Sports


So after a week off, the Pro 14 games get going again.

Glasgow finally got a win under their belt against the Blues, but made pretty hard work of it after a promising start. Dragons took a bit of a bashing against Connacht at home at the same time, so you would have to say that this is a game that Glasgow would fancy doing well in, even though we have not always performed at our best down in Newport.

Are we likely to see any players back from the WC squads for this one?

Unlikely to see any Scotland players, most of whom seem to be on holiday going from their Social Media accounts but we could see some of our players from other nations, Fiji, Tonga and Canada in particular making an earlier comeback, either way, our squad should start to pick up from here onwards in the seasona and we will very much be targetting these next three games to get us up the league and back into contention.


Maybe we might see a team something along the lines of:

1. Keeble - if fit
2, Stewart
3. Nicol - did well enough to merit another start
4. Harley
5. McDonald - may have been our best forward against Blues
6. Fagerson M
7. Gibbins
8. Ashe - if fit
9. Dobie - probably deserves a start and this might be the match for it
10. Thompson
11. Nairn
12. McDowell
13. Grigg
14. Steyn
15. Jones H - surely this is the match to give this a shot

Subs:

Thornton - worth another crack
Dolokoto
Nuke
Davidson
Fusaro
Niko
Jacko - Struggling for FH cover
DTH

And right on cue this morning, Glasgow release a picture of Niko and DTH training with the squad!

And right on cue, weather turns.

Glasgow just need to keep the ball and we'll eventually crumble, but score a nice consolation try at some point.

I see the Dragons are marketing the game as something like Gwent Steel v Irn Bru, via the email I just got.

Dragons at least have Brok Harris and Ollie Griffiths fit again, to probably start 1 and 6 for us. I am sure Glasgow will have seen the template from the Munster and Connacht defeats and beat us up. Hopefully we perform a little better than the Connacht game.

Gwen Steel v Ian Bru ???

My money's on the big Welsh girl. Bru couldn't fight sleep never mind one of Nessa's posse.

jimbopip wrote:Gwen Steel v Ian Bru ???

My money's on the big Welsh girl. Bru couldn't fight sleep never mind one of Nessa's posse.

She's a feisty one, right enough. Probably poison him with one of her omelettes.

Glasgow fans will have to forgive my lack of enthusiasm for this. It’s so hard getting up for any game as a Dragons fan. Pretty much every week I check the fixture and shrug my shoulders and mutter ‘ffs’. On Saturday I’d say there’s a very small chance of a Dragons win, a very good chance of a Dragons loss and a pretty good chance of Dragons being thumped! Rinse, repeat. It’s a never ending nightmare. It’s one of the negative sides of not having relegation in the league. At least with relegation the team going down gets to be the big fish in the little pool for a while! But without it we’re sort of held captive in a pool of sharks with everyone taking a nibble each week

Just praying for a close game this weekend. Actually, didn’t we draw this fixture last year? Yeah, maybe....... hmmmm.

Damn, that’s got me thinking now and my hopes are up!

We could win this! F*** yeah!

We’ll batter ‘em!

And then just like that my hopes will be dashed and we’ll turn in an abject performance in the rain and mud of a wet and gloomy Rodney Parade

It’s the hope that kills you

Oracle, when the 6 Nations comes around you should support Scotland...You have the script down to a T.
You have talked the talk now but a Jimmy wig and walk the walk.

I feel for Dragons fans, I’d love to see them emulate something similar to Connacht. The WRU should really give them a better chunk of funding for one or two seasons. Their fans always seem pretty fired up at Rodney Parade though and hopefully this season will be an improvement with Dean Ryan at the club.

Glasgow team

1. Oli Kebble (34)
2. Grant Stewart (27)
3. Adam Nicol (12)
4. Rob Harley (215)
5. Kiran McDonald (19)
6. Adam Ashe (71)
7. Callum Gibbins (C) (37)
8. Matt Fagerson (51)
9. Nick Frisby (16)
10. Brandon Thomson (23)
11. Niko Matawalu (115)
12. Stafford McDowall (15)
13. Nick Grigg (58)
14. Kyle Steyn (13)
15. Glenn Bryce (22)
Replacements
16. Johnny Matthews (2)
17. Alex Allan (93)
18. D’arcy Rae (64)
19. Andrew Davidson (3)
20. Chris Fusaro (167)
21. Jamie Dobie (3)
22. Huw Jones (23)
23. Ruaridh Jackson (154)

Not available due to injury: Siua Halanukonuka (calf), Lee Jones (Hamstring), Sean Kennedy (foot), Ali Price (foot), Tim Swinson (head) and Jale Vakaloloma (shoulder).

Glasgow side is put;


Kebble
Stewart
Nicol
Harley
McDonald
Ashe
Gibbins
Fagerson
Frisby Why?
Thomson
Matawalu
McDowall
Grigg
Steyn
Bryce

Allan
Matthews
Rae
Davidson
Fusaro
Dobie
Jones
Jackson

I've pulled this from the Glasgow supporters forum, not sure if that's the Selkirk Pixie or Not A Pony on the bench. probably the latter. Glen Bryce in ahead of Rhubarb   Glad to see Nicol get another start, he looks a real prospect. D'Arcy Rae was in great form towards the end of last season but didn't make the 23 for the final and seems to be taking his time to get up to speed this season; possibly he and DR not seeing eye to eye? Mind you that is a very tasty back row we have out.

as ever BigGee has done a better job of listing the team than I have.

Not a bad looking team. Good to see McDonald rewarded for his good form and to hold onto his place.

Nicol gets another crack as well, which suggests he might be edging ahead of Rae in the pecking order.

Still got Frisbee starting at SH and looks like they don't want to start Dobie just yet, which is probably understandable. Looks like we are stuck with him until Price and Horne get back.

Niko comes straight back in on the wing, which does not look like a great vote of confidence for any of the other squad wingers.

jimbopip wrote:Glasgow side is put;


Kebble
Stewart
Nicol
Harley
McDonald
Ashe
Gibbins
Fagerson
Frisby Why?
Thomson
Matawalu
McDowall
Grigg
Steyn
Bryce

Allan
Matthews
Rae
Davidson
Fusaro
Dobie
Jones
Jackson

I've pulled this from the Glasgow supporters forum, not sure if that's the Selkirk Pixie or Not A Pony on the bench. probably the latter. Glen Bryce in ahead of Rhubarb   Glad to see Nicol get another start, he looks a real prospect. D'Arcy Rae was in great form towards the end of last season but didn't make the 23 for the final and seems to be taking his time to get up to speed this season; possibly he and DR not seeing eye to eye? Mind you that is a very tasty back row we have out.

Huw Jones on the bench, Lee Jones still injured.

Kebble would be some player if he wasn’t always injured.

Huw Jones dropped for Nick Grigg again. Automatic 3 match ban for Jones for behaviour that is detrimental to the image of Scottish rugby. No right to appeal.

bsando wrote:I feel for Dragons fans, I’d love to see them emulate something similar to Connacht. The WRU should really give them a better chunk of funding for one or two seasons. Their fans always seem pretty fired up at Rodney Parade though and hopefully this season will be an improvement with Dean Ryan at the club.

Except the WRU really can't do that

Dregs-

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/17993521.brok-gets-clear-boost-dragons-scrum-glasgow/

Shocking weather here this weekend, quelle surprise. Gonna make the game look like water polo

Glasgow have only managed one dry game this season so far and that was in Bloemfontein which has its own issues!

Dies nothing to help our game unfortunately

Adam Ashe looks injured

Penalty Drags

3-0

Ashe off, not sure if it is blood or a HIA

Harley off as well for blood

Davidson and Fusaro on

This looks like about a 10 point wind, Dragons making huge ground every time they kick

Glasgow don't seem to rate Sam Davies tackling, 2 set plays straight at him and he does not seem to be doing much to turn them off that tactic

Yeah Sam Davies is a shocking defender, another reason why I wasn’t so enamoured with this signing.

Davies strokes one over from halfway

6-0 Dragons

Brandon Thompson having an absolute mare

He has been relieved of kicking duties and is passing into thin air now, Hastings can't get back quick enough

What an awful half of rugby by both teams

Can't complain about the Dragons lead but neither team look like they want to score a try. It is a long time since I have seen Glasgow play as badly as this though, Dragons should take their chance, we are very beatable today.

South Wales Argus wrote:Glasgow 10 Brandon Thomson is having the worst half of rugby I have seen for a long time!

Watch him shred us now, second half.

RiscaGame wrote:

South Wales Argus wrote:Glasgow 10 Brandon Thomson is having the worst half of rugby I have seen for a long time!

Watch him shred us now, second half.

the sooner Jackson comes on the better.

jimbopip wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:

South Wales Argus wrote:Glasgow 10 Brandon Thomson is having the worst half of rugby I have seen for a long time!

Watch him shred us now, second half.

the sooner Jackson comes on the better.

I wish I felt confident about bring Jacko on in his place, he was awful last time out as well!

I have had to open an early Peroni to calm my nerves. We Glasgow fans have been spoilt over the past few years, not only winning games but doing it in some style. Hard to believe it is the same team we are watching at the moment!

Try Dragons, all came from Thompson's inability to take a straightforward high ball

Why is he still on the pitch?

Glasgow turn down another very kickable penalty and go for the corner

and predictably, make a mess of the lineout again

and Brandon Thompson gets charged down and it is another possible try

Try Dragons

18-0 Dragons

I think I wioll be happy with a losing BP atm!

Jacko comes on to replace Thompson

20-0

Fair play to the Dragons but we are making too easy for them.

DR can go to the Criminal Element whenever he likes.

jimbopip wrote:20-0

Fair play to the Dragons but we are making too easy for them.

DR can go to the Criminal Element whenever he likes.

as long as he takes Thompson and Frisbee with him!

Could Glasgow's season be over before it gets started? If they lose this it's 1 win out of 4 and falling well behind the top teams in the pool.

Bet that Australia job is looking pretty appealing!

RDW wrote:Could Glasgow's season be over before it gets started? If they lose this it's 1 win out of 4 and falling well behind the top teams in the pool.

Bet that Australia job is looking pretty appealing!

I think you might be right, it is not that we are losing, but it is the way we are losing. With all respect to the Drags, who are definitely playing better than we are, we have gifted them everything they have got today.

Maybe we just have to reset our goals this year and think about euro qualification and that won't be easy from here!

Matt Fagerson makes a great break, makes 40 metres and then passes straight to a Dragon!

Sums up our match

Huw Jones has made a difference, which begs the question, why did he not start?

Well done Dragons, you and your very loyal fans have certainly deserved this. It was not a game any great skill on either side, but you certainly wanted it much more than we did.

and just to add insult to injury, our try gets chalked off.

We have looked better with Dobie and Jones on the pitch though, wonder why DR has not worked that one out yet?

BigGee wrote:Matt Fagerson makes a great break, makes 40 metres and then passes straight to a Dragon!

Sums up our match

Had Aldi Price of Hornito been on the pitch there would have been someone on his shoulder to take that off load: however it was Frisby who decided the best line was to sprint down the wing away from the defenders but also the ball.

Avery bad day at the office, for both half backs. Huw Jones looked very good when he came on, as did Fozzy. Otherwise a pretty poor showing.

Horne and Hastings return will make a huge difference on their own! That pack really needs a lot of work though.

What's happened to Gibbens btw? After a good first season he's been pretty meh since. Who was it that said he was better than Hamish Watson again?

and Huw Jones eventually gets a score.

Why won't DR pick him, it just seems to make no sense whatsoever!

Well done again Dragons, a very well deserved win

RDW wrote:Horne and Hastings return will make a huge difference on their own! That pack really needs a lot of work though.

What's happened to Gibbens btw? After a good first season he's been pretty meh since. Who was it that said he was better than Hamish Watson again?

Gibbins has been poor in every game this season and yet he keeps getting picked, why not try one of the young guns, Smith or Gordon. You do question DR selections, despite missing all these players, we can surely put out a much better performance than that. That is three howlers now and a narrow win and yet no-one seems to be paying the price for it!

All very strange!