Dragons 10 - 16 Dragons Premiership XV - Lol

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Well.... The Dragons brought a mix and match team of players from their Premiership clubs within their region and the hotch poch team managed to turn the region's team over at home. So well done to the lambs to the slaughter from Cross Keys, Newport and Bedwas, you did your clubs proud.

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons head coach Darren Edwards remains upbeat and praised his teams attitude and commitment. Thank god the professionals didn't win god knows what Edwards might of said!


Dragons team: D Evans, T Prydie, P Leach, J Dixon, M Poole, S Jones, J Evans, A Coundley, H Gustafson, D Way, I Nimmo, A Coombs (capt), J Groves, D Waters, T Brown. Replacements all used: S Parry, N Williams, T Ryan, J Tyler, H Stoddart, I Jones, W Evans, L Robling, W Harries, A Tuilagi.

Dragons scorers: Try – Tom Brown, Conversion – Steffan Jones, Penalty – S Jones.

Gwent Select team: G O’Driscoll, K Baller, A Awcock, R Wardle, E Frewen, R Powell, R Downes, R Cornock, G Price, K Gaye, D Hodge, C Lodge, P Sargent, R Nash (capt), J Thomas. Replacements all used: R Hutchinson, A Lott, M Jones, K Maiden, C Attwell, A Powell, A Quick, D Gunter, A Davies, M John.

Gwent Select scorers: Try – Richard Powell, Conversion – R Powell, Penalties – R Powell.

Referee: Neil Hennessy (WRU)

Stone Motif wrote:Are you really persisting in this wind up? Why start a thread if you aren't going to read what is written on it? No-one is shrugging their shoulders and if a scratch side of fringe Ospreys and those coming back from injury lost to a combined Swansea/Bridgend side, the best of whom are likely loaned out from the region anyway, no-one would bat an eyelid. Read my lips a DRAGONS B TEAM LOST TO A DRAGONS C TEAM BIG DEAL.

It's not a question of not reading the posts but I was more interesting in the opinions of posters whom I have known on here for a long time such as Risca, Luckless, Munkian, Griff. Obviously the Dragons have had a massive exodus of players since last season and to me the players who have come in seem to be worse than the ones who are playing semi pro rugby in the Premiership.

Time will tell I guess, it's not where you start it's where you finish. Judging by the Ospreys performance today I am beginning to wonder about us based on the first game.

why do you think how a team performs in a friendly demonstrates that teams top performance (even if that team has out mostly a B team). Why do you think the Dragons A team won't be able to play better than their B team in a pre-season friendly warm up against their own squad/regional players?

Look, the trouble is people who want to put the boot into the Dragons will say it's bad that Dragons B didn't want it as much as Dragons C. Reality check, pro players v players wanting a contract, so obviously those trying to earn a crust will want it more. It's like the FA Cupppppp. You always get shocks in that, but it doesn't mean they're a better team.

Here's a fact to the sad acts who tried putting the boot in. Dragons beat an Aviva side yesterday, Ospreys lost to one, but nothing changes. Friendlies mean jack Shoite.

Smirnoffpriest wrote:why do you think how a team performs in a friendly demonstrates that teams top performance (even if that team has out mostly a B team). Why do you think the Dragons A team won't be able to play better than their B team in a pre-season friendly warm up against their own squad/regional players?

Because there is no gurantee that was a Dragon B team, Tovey, Charteris, Brew, Gavin Thomas, Burns and many other have left, so how exactly do you know who are your first choice players when most of the team is gone?

Then add in the fact first team players are away with Wales a lot and very often you play squad players anyway, so hence your reserves become the back bone of your first team.

U didnt answer my question why do u think the result of a pre-season warm up game (not really even friendly standard) is important to the teams success in the league?

While i agree a team is only as strong as its depth, and this result could show stronger depth with their 3rds doing well. Though i disagree as with training just having started for the senior squad and this being used as one of the starting phases of preseason, while theyd been working hard with sum of the C team, i cant really see much signifcance of the result.

Of course theyve lost lots of players and their new signings are still bedding in, but id say its fairly obvious that they will improve (like they apparently did in their last friendly) when theyve completed a full preseason and have a settled 1st and 2nd XV

Smirnoffpriest wrote:U didnt answer my question why do u think the result of a pre-season warm up game (not really even friendly standard) is important to the teams success in the league?

While i agree a team is only as strong as its depth, and this result could show stronger depth with their 3rds doing well. Though i disagree as with training just having started for the senior squad and this being used as one of the starting phases of preseason, while theyd been working hard with sum of the C team, i cant really see much signifcance of the result.

Of course theyve lost lots of players and their new signings are still bedding in, but id say its fairly obvious that they will improve (like they apparently did in their last friendly) when theyve completed a full preseason and have a settled 1st and 2nd XV

Clearly it's not where you start the season but where you finish it, but the Dragons have lost no less than 18 players since last season, clearly a few have had to be brought in to replace the bodies yet of those that have been brought in how many have proven to be superior to a Premiership counterpart in a head to head game.

I'd of preferred to of seen Edwards given them a bollucking for that loss not praise! Tandy used the word disappointed a lot of times when he talked about the Ospreys defeat at Bath. I liked the style and passion Edwards brought to the Dragons at the start of last season but he seems to be a bit of a push over and too nice. How else would you explain the lack of fire and passion from Dragons performances towards the tail end of last season? Granted so many players leaving, retireing and being released did not help but still you'd think the Rodney Parade fans deserved better considering their the only ones who can actually generate an atmosphere at the regions.

Shifty wrote:

Smirnoffpriest wrote:why do you think how a team performs in a friendly demonstrates that teams top performance (even if that team has out mostly a B team). Why do you think the Dragons A team won't be able to play better than their B team in a pre-season friendly warm up against their own squad/regional players?

Because there is no gurantee that was a Dragon B team, Tovey, Charteris, Brew, Gavin Thomas, Burns and many other have left, so how exactly do you know who are your first choice players when most of the team is gone?

Then add in the fact first team players are away with Wales a lot and very often you play squad players anyway, so hence your reserves become the back bone of your first team.

Some absurd logic being applied there. So if a player (Steffan Jones, say, or Dan Evans, or Mike Poole, or Tim Ryan, or Darren Waters, or Pat Leach, or Jack Dixon, or Huw Gustafson, or Jevon Groves, or Sam Parry, etc etc) has spent the mahority of last season (or even his entire career) playing at semi-pro level, and due to injury/players leaving has to step up to the first team, he should never, ever lose against semi-pros ever, ever again ever just by virtue of stepping up a level? Fabulous news for the semi-pro clubs I guess, as by that logic these regional players must be unbeatable whenever they play in the Premiership...