Bayonne v Dragons

Amlin Cup Pool 3: Bayonne v Newport Gwent Dragons
Venue: Stade Jean Dauger, BayonneDate: Thursday, 10 JanuaryKick-off: 19:45 GMT
Coverage: Live on S4C, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Sport Online

Some thursday night action for you, and if like the previous fixture between these two then it will be a good spectacle. It is also on Sky Sports 1. Some changes have been forced but others are not, which has (as usual) left me questioning Darren Edwards' brain. I'm glad Stef is starting though. And it is rumoured that London Welsh are after his signing.

Newport Gwent Dragons will field a new look back-row of skipper Lewis Evans, Ieuan Jones and Jevon Groves for their Amlin Cup trip to Bayonne on Thursday.

The Dragons are without flanker Tom Brown and name fellow back-rower Toby Faletau on the bench.

Brown (ankle) and wing Tonderai Chavhanga (knee) both suffered injuries during the region's 30-11 Pro12 defeat in Connacht.

Bayonne have included Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips among their replacements.

Dragons coach Darren Edwards knows the game will be tough on his players with only a five-day turnaround since the Connacht defeat on Saturday.

"We just need to get our energy and intensity back in to the game. [It was] Game three in 10 days and it looked like that for the first 30 minutes of the game," said Edwards.

"We have certainly been given a challenging programme by giving us a Thursday night game down in the south of France.

"We have managed to have a two day break after the Connacht fixture but only one training day. So preparation is low but rest is better this week."

Other changes see Hugh Gustafson, Adam Jones and Owen Evans come into the front five who will start in the Dragons front five with Steffan Jones, Will Harries and Mike Poole named behind the scrum.

The Dragons went down 22-19 at home to Bayonne in October and are looking for a similarly committed display.

TEAMS

Bayonne: Sam Gerber; Gabriele Lovobalavu, Thibault Lacroix, Lionel Mazars (capt), Bastien Fuster; Jacques-Louis Potgieter, Guillaume Rouet; Pierre-Philippe Lafond, Anthony Etrillard, Renaud Boyoud, Rob Linde, Matt Graham, Abdellatif Boutaty, Jean Jo Marmouyet, Marc Baget-Rabarou.

Replacements: David Roumieu, Nemiah Tialata, Marc Legras, Dewald Senekal, Julien Puricelli, Mike Phillips, Manu Ahotaeiloa, Matthieu Ugalde.

Newport Gwent Dragons: Tom Prydie; Will Harries, Adam Hughes, Andy Tuilagi, Mike Poole; Steffan Jones, Jonathan Evans; Owen Evans, Hugh Gustafson, Nathan Buck, Adam Jones, Rob Sidoli, Jevon Groves, Lewis Evans (capt), Ieuan Jones.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Nathan Williams, Tim Ryan, Andrew Coombs, Toby Faletau, Wayne Evans, Ashley Smith, Jack Dixon.

Referee: Andrew Small (England)

Assistant Referee: Martin Fox (England)

Assistant Referee: Stuart Terheege (England)

Fourth Official: David Rosich (France)

TMO: Graham Hughes (England)

Citing Commissioner: John West (Ireland)

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/20948553

It is a shame Phillips is not starting to get some idea how he is playing. Hope the Dragons can make a game of it with an improved forward platform.

I don't think it is an improved platform Alun. There no good enough options in the front row. Price is probably one of the best...

If I remember from the first game the French side are very strong in the pack, I am hoping the Dragons can avoid playing anywhere near their own 5m line to avoid penalty tries with English officials.

All about the Dragons back row for me, Shanks is the only forward with anything about him IMHO and if Groves and Jones don't have a belter to take the pressure off what is clearly a limited tight 5 then it should be a long day at the office.

Anyone care to venture a scoreline, I won't because it'll offend Dragons fans

I see the French struggle to get crowds sometimes too!

Steffan Jones looking like he had a good Christmas to me: a bit podgy round the middle. Not good for a 10!

Try! Dai iawn! ^_^

Good try lewis Evans.

Bad tackling Mike Poole. You've just got your head in the wrong position and potentially injured yourself. Silly.

Never seen such a flat game, crowd wise. You can hear individuals talking! Doesn't help that the game is so stop start due to some rubbish skills.

Yeah it’s a real shame about the crowd but the game is starting to pick up. The Dragons are. . . Dare i say it, looking on top in the scrums, and the ball is starting to move about the field a lot now. Adam Jones has been very good so far, I rate him a lot. Very good second row.

Let see what the Dragons do now with that man advantage.

Yellow card for Bayonne. A bit unlucky in a way as he was bamboozled and naturally stuck a leg and hand out to stop Evans which led to a trip. Not deliberate I reckon, but it probably stopped a try so fair enough.

That should have been a penalty try.

Dragons have impressed me so far, defence looked ropy for a few mins but when they settled they look good.

Neither team showing too much going forward but Dragons are prob the better team and deserve their lead so far

Be good to see the Dragons press their advantage now. Silly time to concede a pen, they need to regroup and be really positive with the ball in hand now.

For any lurkers out there, its 6-13 to the Dragons.

The Dragons MUST start doing the basics right, like taking their restarts, if they can sort that out they will be in with a shout.

F*ck me! Dragons just demolished a scrum! Are my eyes deceiving me?!

What a scrum from the Dragons, Bayonne going backwards at a rate of knots.

Griff wrote:F*ck me! Dragons just demolished a scrum! Are my eyes deceiving me?!

Skyplus it! Thats one for the grandkids!

Harsh pen there against the Dragons.

10 point lead at half time with dominance in the scrum. Happy New Year Dragons fans. Hope they can keep it up! They're looking good for the lead.

Lewis Evans is having a stormer, he has been like this all season, he outplayed the Blues backrow over Christmas and he gave the Ospreys backrow a torrid time, perhaps he could be a surprise contender to make the six nations squad and dare I say it even make the first fifteen.

P.S I am on my daughters new Samsung touch screen computer that santa bought her for Christmas, this thing is effing brilliant.

How rubbish are Bayonne ?

Gwent region are not short of rugby talent, just shocking leadership at board level. No ambition.

The line judge is blind

Three crap decisions against the dragons in a row, come on ref !!!!

Shame to see Adam Jones go off, hes been very good for the Dragons.

Steffan Jones has got one hell of a boot on him.

What is Prydie doing?

Yellow card ref. Come on that was so blatant.

Uhhh Ohh, easy missed kick for Prydie, awful pass 3 minutes before that. Not really pressing for that Wales spot people think he deserves.

Must kick this one, come on Pryie.

Good kick.

C'mon! Be a huge win for the Dragons. Regardless of who they are or what day it is, French teams do not like to lose at home.

AAAAAAAaaaaaargh, Dragons must start reclaiming the restarts or they are going to give this game to Bayonne.

That should have been a penalty to the Dragons, both teams have to form the maul.

Bugger :/

All because they did not take the restart.

Morgannwg wrote:That should have been a penalty to the Dragons, both teams have to form the maul.

The ref has given nothing to the dragons tonight.

Great tracking back! Great turn over. Saved a certain score. Dragons need this lineout now!

But the winger was clearly tackled and held to the floor before that anyway...

Faletau doing is usual losing the ball in the tackle

That was straight, he's listening to the bloody crowd!

Ref is doing all he can for Bayonne.

Dragons under great pressure now!!

Falatau amazes me, the amount of great yardage he makes then loses the ball when he hits the ground is so strange, every time he drops the thing. Is it a technique issue, protection issue, is he just unlucky or is he doing something repetitively to lose it.

thebluesmancometh wrote:Dragons under great pressure now!!

Falatau amazes me, the amount of great yardage he makes then loses the ball when he hits the ground is so strange, every time he drops the thing. Is it a technique issue, protection issue, is he just unlucky or is he doing something repetitively to lose it.

Not strange he does it all the time, he has not dropped a catch yet.

No TMO????!!!

He didn't even look upstairs? WHAT?!

What is going on the Dragons getting on top in the scrum, well done.