Planet Rugby Forum

penguin wrote:

bessantj wrote:I am waiting for next season and the new arrivals to see the real state of the Dragons. They can't be any worse than the last few seasons at any rate.

They've certainly set a low water mark this season, but it has been a ridiculous season for injuries. I don't think it has been coincidental that things have got worse without Gav at 10 as well. A bit of experience in key positions goes a long way, and also things have got worse since Kirchner came back from injury (alright, I'm just being cruel now, but it does seem like we can't do right since about when he came back).

Yeah I'm sure he tries but Kirch seems to be poison in attack.

bessantj wrote:

penguin wrote:

bessantj wrote:I am waiting for next season and the new arrivals to see the real state of the Dragons. They can't be any worse than the last few seasons at any rate.

They've certainly set a low water mark this season, but it has been a ridiculous season for injuries. I don't think it has been coincidental that things have got worse without Gav at 10 as well. A bit of experience in key positions goes a long way, and also things have got worse since Kirchner came back from injury (alright, I'm just being cruel now, but it does seem like we can't do right since about when he came back).

Yeah I'm sure he tries but Kirch seems to be poison in attack.

He's certainly not impressed with his running, always seems to find contact, and for a guy his size doesn't seem to make yards with it. I know he won't be part of the summer clear out but I'd rather spend next year with Amos, Jordan Williams and youngsters like Talbot-Davies at 15 than him.

penguin wrote:

bessantj wrote:

penguin wrote:

bessantj wrote:I am waiting for next season and the new arrivals to see the real state of the Dragons. They can't be any worse than the last few seasons at any rate.

They've certainly set a low water mark this season, but it has been a ridiculous season for injuries. I don't think it has been coincidental that things have got worse without Gav at 10 as well. A bit of experience in key positions goes a long way, and also things have got worse since Kirchner came back from injury (alright, I'm just being cruel now, but it does seem like we can't do right since about when he came back).

Yeah I'm sure he tries but Kirch seems to be poison in attack.

He's certainly not impressed with his running, always seems to find contact, and for a guy his size doesn't seem to make yards with it. I know he won't be part of the summer clear out but I'd rather spend next year with Amos, Jordan Williams and youngsters like Talbot-Davies at 15 than him.

He must be on a fair wedge as well - what a waste of money, excactly the kind of NWQ player the regions don't need.

Jackman has been pretty cut-throat with other under-performing players - why can't he show Kirchner the door?

P in VG wrote: He must be on a fair wedge as well - what a waste of money, excactly the kind of NWQ player the regions don't need.

Jackman has been pretty cut-throat with other under-performing players - why can't he show Kirchner the door?

Sometimes coaches can take such a different view from fans it's hard to understand what they see. Kirchner didn't really impress for Leinster or SA, but got capped 31 times for South Africa when they were better than they are now, played 82 times for Leinster, and now seems to be picked whenever fit for the Dragons, despite some pretty bad performances.

He's 33, not playing that well, and next season the crunch will come if/when everyone is fit and he keeps out players like Jordan Williams or Tyler Morgan. I'm not sure in a first choice backline how he fits in...

Dorian Jones off to Worcester...

I've heard that Angus O'Brien is off to the Scarlets, so that leaves Gavin Henson, Josh Lewis, Arwel Robson. Could do with getting another 10.

(Edit: Turns out it's only on loan for the rest of the season)

penguin wrote:Dorian Jones off to Worcester...

I've heard that Angus O'Brien is off to the Scarlets, so that leaves Gavin Henson, Josh Lewis, Arwel Robson. Could do with getting another 10.

(Edit: Turns out it's only on loan for the rest of the season)

Which one - Dorian or Angus?

LandOTurk wrote:

penguin wrote:Dorian Jones off to Worcester...

I've heard that Angus O'Brien is off to the Scarlets, so that leaves Gavin Henson, Josh Lewis, Arwel Robson. Could do with getting another 10.

(Edit: Turns out it's only on loan for the rest of the season)

Which one - Dorian or Angus?

Dorian on loan, Angus sounds like it's going to be a permanent deal. Decent player, but doesn't seem to be Jackman's cup of tea.

I’ll have a bash at a summer development squad, because I can.

Smith, Wyn Jones, Melon
Dacey, Elias, Dee
Lee, Francis, Dillon Lewis
Bradley, Seb, Hill, Thornton
Navidi, Shings, Moriarty, Cubby, Boyde

Cawdor, Williams, Williams
Patchell, Anscombe, Sam Davies
Scott, Watkin, Owen Williams, Parkes
Adams, Steff, Lane, Halfpenny

I wonder if we won't see Rhodri Jones, a perennial favourite and actually getting some games at regional level now he is back at loosehead.

I'd also like to see Scott Otten in the mix at hooker. I don't think Dacey is going to kick on. Decent regional player but nothing more (although you're probably right that he will be included).

I think we're also likely to see some of these players - Beard, Young, Griffiths, Aled Davies (although I'd rather the 2 Williams), Jarrod Evans a possibility for that 3rd 10 spot if he keeps his current form up, and maybe Ashton Hewitt if he can stay fit for 2 games in a row.

This could get embarrassing if all a regions teams e.g. Ospreys. Bridgend Neath Aberavon and Swansea all end up in the bottom four when relegation starts.


The full details of today's radical shake up in Welsh rugby as Premiership clubs face funding cut
It's one of the biggest changes Welsh rugby has ever seen.
Regional U23 teams are be introduced from next season, with the Premiership to be cut from 16 to 12 teams from 2019-20.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... e-14462329

GWO2 wrote:This could get embarrassing if all a regions teams e.g. Ospreys. Bridgend Neath Aberavon and Swansea all end up in the bottom four when relegation starts.


The full details of today's radical shake up in Welsh rugby as Premiership clubs face funding cut
It's one of the biggest changes Welsh rugby has ever seen.
Regional U23 teams are be introduced from next season, with the Premiership to be cut from 16 to 12 teams from 2019-20.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... e-14462329

I still struggle with the strategy of the Premiership. It really has two somewhat opposing ideals - develop some players for the Pro14 AND as a competition in its own right. Depending on your relationship with one of the 4 regions it appears, will determine your way ahead. Ponty, Merthyr and Neath it seems to me have just focused on buying players and becoming the best in the Premiership. Swansea, Newport, Llanelli, Carmarthen Q and Cardiff are pretty much for development as players come in and out to support the Pro team - I am sure I am not wholly accuarate in this comment. The attempt at replacing these Premiership teams with a development team from the regions backfired when they were interjected into the Anglo-Welsh. Will the Regional U23 teams do any better? Playing their counterparts Ireland and Scotland will be 'easier' for them given the similar resources available, but the gap is still huge to pro level where we now see good quality SH players added. Could a West Wales and East Wales U23 be better as it would focus resource? Similarly a single Scottish team and two from Ireland (Leinster/Ulster and Munster/Connacht perhaps) could be appropriate. We could then play U23 teams from England - these may be team as opposd to region based i.e. Bath, Gloucester, Wuss, Exeter as opposed to West England which again would have too many resources possibly. Something like that could be a decent semi pro league and get sponsorship and be on terrestial TV. I'd watch it. That leaves the Premiership effectively as an amateur competition in its own right, where players who could never be pro grade can enjoy the game.

Edit: I may be mixing up the B&I with teh AW, but you get my drift.

Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Frodder wrote:Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Here, here

Pity Danny Wilson's Blues don't start the season as they seem to end them. He'd be staying on methinks

It was indeed a good weekend for Welsh domestic rugby...which may just be the first time I've typed such a sentence in about a decade.

Roger-nomics really did fuck us over, and this is essentially us slowly climbing out of the hole that was dug.

It's still going to be a massive hill to climb for the Scarlets. They had the element of surprise last year in the run-in to the Pro 14 win. Leinster aren't going to give them anywhere near as much time on the ball to play their pretty patterns. The one player I think they are missing the most at the moment is Jake Ball, and I've just had a look, and apparently he's close enough to action to have been added to the Scarlets Cup squad.

I feel if they are going to win, they are going to need to do a lot more grunt work than was required last year. To that end, I thought Rob Evans and Ken Owens really brought it...and the continued dynamism of the backrow will hopefully continue to be profitable.

With regards to Cardiff, they have always had a decent backline, just a soft front 5. However, they have looked a lot more solid in recent weeks, and that has given their backline the space to do its thing. Cardiff really ought to be targeting winning the entire thing now that they have a home semi, and a potential final against either Glaws or Newcastle (who are not bad teams by any stretch, but are definitely in the realms of 'beatable').

Frodder wrote:Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Yep, it was great to watch the Scarlets and the Blues beat their opponents. Not just slip by them with a lucky point but actually win and deserve to do so. Blues in particular with an impressive win over Edinburgh and Murrayfield.

bessantj wrote:

Frodder wrote:Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Yep, it was great to watch the Scarlets and the Blues beat their opponents. Not just slip by them with a lucky point but actually win and deserve to do so. Blues in particular with an impressive win over Edinburgh and Murrayfield.

<as Dragons fans, I feel we did our bit for the feel good factor in welsh rugby by not playing this weekend>.

Well done Scarlets and Blues. Can't wait for the semi finals.

I really enjoyed the Blues game, and am pleased to see them getting return for their endeavour, but I do think they are riding their luck at the moment.
To concede 14 penalties (for the second game on the trot), with a huge proportion being in their red-zone, and only have one YC to show for it could be considered quite lucky. Not many teams win games with such enormous disparity in penalty counts.

penguin wrote:

bessantj wrote:

Frodder wrote:Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Yep, it was great to watch the Scarlets and the Blues beat their opponents. Not just slip by them with a lucky point but actually win and deserve to do so. Blues in particular with an impressive win over Edinburgh and Murrayfield.

<as Dragons fans, I feel we did our bit for the feel good factor in welsh rugby by not playing this weekend>.

Well done Scarlets and Blues. Can't wait for the semi finals.

Ain't that the truth yeesh

c69 wrote:When is Jake Ball likely to be back?

He will be ready for the Euro semi.

We are also missing Jon Davies, Jonny McNichol and Prydie. The first two much bigger losses of course. Also Asquith looks out for most of the season with a hammy tear.

I am unsure what the hell North is doing right now. Why the long wait? Determining who will be in the Champions League between the Os and the Blues could be the only reason. We know he is a Wales first and foremost kind of player, but this is taking the piss a bit.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rug ... h-14485962

I'd love him to come to us, but think Clayton Blommetjies will serve us better during the season, but maybe not the playoffs.

Excuse the intrusion gents just popping in to say congratulations on your strong showing this weekend. Great to see Welsh 'clubs' coming back.... While a little worrying at the same time

nardol wrote:Excuse the intrusion gents just popping in to say congratulations on your strong showing this weekend. Great to see Welsh 'clubs' coming back.... While a little worrying at the same time

Good showing for the Pro14. The Munster game was riveting and I was surprised by how easily Leinster seemed to beat Sarries. If Connacht could have gotten past Gloucester it would have been perfect but Gloucester are a difficult team to beat.

nardol wrote:Excuse the intrusion gents just popping in to say congratulations on your strong showing this weekend. Great to see Welsh 'clubs' coming back.... While a little worrying at the same time

Thnx. Here's to a prosperous and dominant Pro 14

bessantj wrote:

nardol wrote:Excuse the intrusion gents just popping in to say congratulations on your strong showing this weekend. Great to see Welsh 'clubs' coming back.... While a little worrying at the same time

Good showing for the Pro14. The Munster game was riveting and I was surprised by how easily Leinster seemed to beat Sarries. If Connacht could have gotten past Gloucester it would have been perfect but Gloucester are a difficult team to beat.

With a couple of Dragons-bound welshmen in for Gloucester I sort of wanted them to progress, but I would have been so happy for Muldoon had he had a chance at a last piece of silverware before he retires.

The successor to Gats looks already to be decided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43626049

Frodder wrote:The successor to Gats looks already to be decided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43626049

F off, we're full!

LandOTurk wrote:

Frodder wrote:The successor to Gats looks already to be decided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43626049

F off, we're full!

Full of racists apparently

Scarlets: Welsh region to investigate allegations of racist chants

bessantj wrote:

LandOTurk wrote:

Frodder wrote:The successor to Gats looks already to be decided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43626049

F off, we're full!

Full of racists apparently

Scarlets: Welsh region to investigate allegations of racist chants

So I was chatting to my mate in Llanelli over the weekend. He told me, they now know it is 5-6 guys, in their late 20s/30s, almost certainly Welsh, who behaved badly the whole game. They were using a lot of bad langauage generally, got into a scuffle with some other people and then one of them started a monkey chant as a black LaR player came near, but his mate told him to shut up and that was the end of it. By that point, another supporter called Security who just had a word. They should have got the Cops in and chucked them out. He was unsure if they were the same people who ran onto the pitch at HT and/or FT. Chav twats, but the Wail loves to jump on shit and exaggerate it/make it up as they go!

It was a good weekend, last year in our game against glos, they made 12 pens in their 22 in the first half, most cynical and the ref let them off as he didnt want to make early game big calls, in the end that cost us, On the weekend, ref wrongly yc ellis, I can't see us being allowed to win tbh.

RE. the turks, good game given the injuries pre and mid game, I think they got a lucky draw, but they are nursing their own injury crisis and that mid game 6-2 fudge up as well. Following the final bath and toulon games, and when he came on against LaR, can everyone see jones at 10 and patch at 15 is the way forward for them, wish the boy would accept it.

Frodder wrote:Excellent results for the Scarlets and Blues this last weekend. Hopefully a sign of things to come for our regions

Indeed! Scarlets are definitely setting the standards at the moment fair play.

With my eye the Blues in particular the wave of younger players coming through are developing nicely, mixing them up with some of the older heads is starting to earn some results. Still got a long way to go and am creased that Danny's leaving, but he's leaving the playing side of the club in good order fair play.

Hopefully Mulverhill can work with that youth and bring a few more older heads in, then all we'll need is to sort all the off field bollocks!!

LandOTurk wrote:

Frodder wrote:The successor to Gats looks already to be decided

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43626049

F off, we're full!

It's going to happen LoT, you know it's true. The list of alternatives are Live fast and er......that's about it

Dragons team to face Benetton Rugby

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Owain Leonard; 1 Gerard Ellis, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Cory Hill ©, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harrison Keddie, 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.

Replacements; Liam Belcher, Luke Garrett, Dan Suter, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Charlie Davies, Adam Warren, Rio Dyer.

The pack looks better for having Dee, Hill, Landman in the front 5. Big test for Ellis starting at 1, but I've been impressed so far, and a little surprised at how quickly he has taken to playing loosehead.

Backs look pretty raw...just hope we can show a bit more in attack than in recent weeks.

Just seen the Benetton team - strong looking XV and the likes of Negri, and Banks on the bench. I don't look forward to this with any degree of optimism.

penguin wrote:

Dragons team to face Benetton Rugby

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Owain Leonard; 1 Gerard Ellis, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Cory Hill ©, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harrison Keddie, 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.

Replacements; Liam Belcher, Luke Garrett, Dan Suter, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Charlie Davies, Adam Warren, Rio Dyer.

The pack looks better for having Dee, Hill, Landman in the front 5. Big test for Ellis starting at 1, but I've been impressed so far, and a little surprised at how quickly he has taken to playing loosehead.

Backs look pretty raw...just hope we can show a bit more in attack than in recent weeks.

Is Henson injured or out of favour with Jackman?

Saturnine wrote:

penguin wrote:

Dragons team to face Benetton Rugby

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Owain Leonard; 1 Gerard Ellis, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Cory Hill ©, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harrison Keddie, 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.

Replacements; Liam Belcher, Luke Garrett, Dan Suter, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Charlie Davies, Adam Warren, Rio Dyer.

The pack looks better for having Dee, Hill, Landman in the front 5. Big test for Ellis starting at 1, but I've been impressed so far, and a little surprised at how quickly he has taken to playing loosehead.

Backs look pretty raw...just hope we can show a bit more in attack than in recent weeks.

Is Henson injured or out of favour with Jackman?

Injured...apparently. I'm sure that even if Jackman had any issues with Henson, if fit, he would still have been picking him over Zane Kirchner at 10.

penguin wrote:

Dragons team to face Benetton Rugby

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Owain Leonard; 1 Gerard Ellis, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Cory Hill ©, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harrison Keddie, 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.

Replacements; Liam Belcher, Luke Garrett, Dan Suter, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Charlie Davies, Adam Warren, Rio Dyer.

The pack looks better for having Dee, Hill, Landman in the front 5. Big test for Ellis starting at 1, but I've been impressed so far, and a little surprised at how quickly he has taken to playing loosehead.

Backs look pretty raw...just hope we can show a bit more in attack than in recent weeks.

Seems to be a typo Penguin. I still keeping Kirchner's names on the team. What's it supposed to say?

Frodder wrote:

penguin wrote:

Dragons team to face Benetton Rugby

15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Ashton Hewitt, 13 Sam Beard, 12 Connor Edwards, 11 Jared Rosser, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Owain Leonard; 1 Gerard Ellis, 2 Elliot Dee, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 4 Cory Hill ©, 5 Rynard Landman, 6 Harrison Keddie, 7 Aaron Wainwright, 8 Lewis Evans.

Replacements; Liam Belcher, Luke Garrett, Dan Suter, Joe Davies, Taine Basham, Charlie Davies, Adam Warren, Rio Dyer.

The pack looks better for having Dee, Hill, Landman in the front 5. Big test for Ellis starting at 1, but I've been impressed so far, and a little surprised at how quickly he has taken to playing loosehead.

Backs look pretty raw...just hope we can show a bit more in attack than in recent weeks.

Seems to be a typo Penguin. I still keeping Kirchner's names on the team. What's it supposed to say?

Cruel, but sadly accurate jibe.

I can cope with players being sh*t, but signing players when they are consistently sh*t for their previous club and then playing them, even when they are playing sh*t, and then playing them out of position so that somehow they produce a performance so sh*t it threatened to warp the fabric of space-time...that is hard to take. And presumably he is earning decent wages that we would be better off spending on locks, just to add some extra vinegar to the wound.

saw benetton released marty banks, exactly the player the dragons need to be signing

Theflier wrote:saw benetton released marty banks, exactly the player the dragons need to be signing

If he can effect a South African accent he'll be a shoo-in.

I think he is already set with his next team.