Pro12: Edinburgh Rugby V Newport Gwent Dragons - 11th Oct

Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (IRFU, 60th competition game)
Assistant Referees: David Changleng, Bob Nevins (both SRU)
Citing Commissioner: Douglas Hunter (SRU)
TMO: Iain Ramage (SRU)



Edinburgh    
Last 3 Matches
Date
Home Away
3/10/14 Ulster 30 - 0 Edinburgh
26/9/14 Edinburgh 20 - 20 Scarlets
21/9/14 Ospreys 62 - 13 Edinburgh

Dragons
Last 3 Matches
Date
Home Away
5/10/14 Scarlets 26 - 13 Dragons
28/9/14 Dragons 33 - 15 Treviso
20/9/14 Dragons 13 - 33 Glasgow

Teams:

Edinburgh

15 Greig TONKS
14 Dougie FIFE
13 Sam BEARD
12 Andries STRAUSS
11 Tim VISSER
10 Tom HEATHCOTE
9 Sean KENNEDY

1 Alasdair DICKINSON
2 Ross FORD
3 John ANDRESS
4 Anton BRESLER
5 Grant GILCHRIST
6 Mike COMAN (Cptn)
7 Hamish WATSON
8 Cornell DU PREEZ
Substitutes

16 James HILTERBRAND
17 Allan DELL
18 Willem NEL
19 Ollie ATKINS
20 Tomas LEONARDI
21 Sam HIDALGO-CLYNE
22 Phil BURLEIGH
23 Jack CUTHBERT

Getting a new thread started for this game, as the last Edinburgh match...ok every Edinburgh match... is too depressing to discuss after the event, at least before there is a bit of hope, however small that hope may be.

30 bald men fighting over a comb..

Dragons have been pretty poor in the backs where they traditionally are decent, their scrum has improved but they can't seem to do anything decent with the ball.. a bit like Edinburgh really.

Lots of pressure on Edinburgh and Solomons as they surely see this is as a must win game.

Given our penalty count, even if the Dragons backs are totally useless, I'm sure we'll c*ck things up enough to ensure they get chances.

The way these 2 are playing it is all set up to be an absolute shocker of a game.

Which will probably mean it will be superb.

Edinburgh to win 5 - 0 when an Edinburgh prop accidentally scores a try by falling over and landing on the ball.

Agree that this feels must win for Edinburgh otherwise it's season over really, at least in terms of achieving a meaningful league placing. Another defeat will also see the fans leaving in droves for the rest of the season I suspect. Most of us are just plain angry at what's going on:

Results: woeful
Performance level: woeful
Style of play: depressing
Developing young SQ players: no
Enhancing the wages of NSW journeymen: tick
Using players our of position: tick
Attending games: expensive
Weather: cold and wet
Excuses: plentiful
Accountability: none

Good omen for Saturday, I'm going!
Edinburgh have never lost when I've been there, admittedly I've only been to a handful of games, and this will be my first since 2012, but still the signs are good...

If we get a win with you there GLove, I think Edinburgh rugby need to see about sorting you out with a season book and some form of regular transport to games.

EWT Spoons wrote:If we get a win with you there GLove, I think Edinburgh rugby need to see about sorting you out with a season book and some form of regular transport to games.

Failing which I'll drive you myself!!

My daughter loved long journeys in the car to put her to sleep. Two birds etc.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

EWT Spoons wrote:If we get a win with you there GLove, I think Edinburgh rugby need to see about sorting you out with a season book and some form of regular transport to games.

Failing which I'll drive you myself!!

doctornickolas wrote:The way these 2 are playing it is all set up to be an absolute shocker of a game.

Which will probably mean it will be superb.

Edinburgh to win 5 - 0 when an Edinburgh prop accidentally scores a try by falling over and landing on the ball.

Our attack is dreadful

And have 1 fit centre

We'll lend you Andries Strauss and play my granny in the centres in his place. Honestly, you're welcome to him

Two bald men fighting over a comb? two one legged men in an arse kicking contest?

Live on Sky aye. That's our two games v the Scots (thus far), we've had on sky. They must know we are good for shipping a few scores. I'd be interested how they advertise this, with two poor teams on show and a big game like Wigan v Saints (League Grand Final) immediately after.

I expect a fairly comfortable Edinburgh win by about ten. Hopefully if we have a minor miracle and get Ben John fit and hopefully our backs look at the big Murrayfield pitch and fancy running instead of kicking.

YOu expect an Edinburgh win? I wonder what the bookies say. I expect a dragons win fairly easily. Edinburgh are clearly the worst team in the league right now - and I am an edinburgh fan!

We are usually worse than awful away from home.

Depends what team we have out, I guess. Still pretty depressed by yesterday's no show.

I know we all say every game is a must win game BUT we have to get something out of this one. Like most I didn't expect a win on the weekend but it was the manner of defeat that again porved annoying.

Toveys kicking was shocking all game, Liam Williams is on fire at the moment but we were kicking it straight to him and why we aren't starting Richie Rees I don't know. Hopefully him and O'Brien will start.

What is frustrating is that our main weak point from last season which was the scrum have been hugely improved (though wouldn't know if you watched Scrum V after game) but our backs look clueless at the moment.

Apparently the SRU and the WRU have agreed that this game will be played with only the forwards, the 9 and the 10.

Well as long as we give Tovey a rest and start Rees at 9 will go along with that lol

tigertattie wrote:Apparently the SRU and the WRU have agreed that this game will be played with only the forwards, the 9 and the 10.

We're doomed - have yo seen our forwards?

tigertattie wrote:Apparently the SRU and the WRU have agreed that this game will be played with only the forwards, the 9 and the 10.

Now there's a novelty.

I'm gonna sum up my feelings on this game fairly succinctly:

Risca Rev wrote:
I expect a fairly comfortable Edinburgh win by about ten.

Spoken like someone who didn't see us ship nearly 90 points to Ulster and the Hairsprays.

Can't bring myself to watch Edinburgh these days, it makes me ill.

Previous results won't matter when playing us. Maybe by ten is a bit ambitious, as it's probably going to be a low scoring, scrappy mess. Embra by 2. 8-6 for cash.

It costs me maybe 10 quid to get a train across, 20 quid for a ticket to the match, to sit in an empty Murrayfield.... sorry "BT" Murrayfield, watching shambolic, gutless, insipid rugby when it's going to be freezing.

I'm sorry Sky Sports is the better alternative because if Edinburgh play like a bag of rancid excrement I can at least turn it over and watch something else.

Edinburgh are in a massive hole and it's only getting deeper.

I hear the great unwashed are permanantly increasing Scotstoun's capacity due to demand.

Someone could be giving me a free ticket to go and watch Edinburgh and I would turn it down to be honest.

I'd actually find someone putting Egyptian Cotton over my face and pouring water down my nostrils much more enjoyable than watching Edinburgh play at the moment.

It is going to be very embarrassing having Sky there on Saturday. 2 poor teams slugging it out in a 67500 seater stadium with 3500 people (if we're lucky) watching it.

Complete polar opposite of the Ulster-Glasgow game the will be covering after the Edinburgh game!

Lucky this is the 1st game of the two, imagine the big let down if it was the other way around!

I can't believe Sky didn't chose Munster-Scarlets or even the Welsh derby.

It'll be interesting to see how the presenter and pundits spin it.

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:It'll be interesting to see how the presenter and pundits spin it.

I suspect their presenting B team will be sent there that's for sure.

If Edinburgh lose then I think the SRU need to look at ridding Solomons by Christmas.

It's just got too much.

Well they're not really advertising it, so aren't really keen. Every advert I'm seeing that's building up is Wigan v Saints. Bet they regret it. Could be so bad, it's good though.

Rock-paper-scissors on the half way line to decide the winner? Just a suggestion.

They'd contrive a draw.

:-)

I've a feeling this game could throw up something special, these games often do.

With the Gibbon "officiating", what could possibly make this match an even better prospect? I'm struggling to come up with anything that doesn't involve South American lingerie models and a game of Twister.

I honestly don't expect Edinburgh to win this. I'm not sure that Edinburgh could beat Treviso, never mind put 30 points on them like the Dragons did. Tovey is also kicking well, which may well be enough to drag them over the line. We know what to do - give Edinburgh the ball and watch them beat themselves - no need for an opposition, really.

GLove39 wrote:Good omen for Saturday, I'm going!
Edinburgh have never lost when I've been there, admittedly I've only been to a handful of games, and this will be my first since 2012, but still the signs are good...

What with the Dragons in their team colours, plus your fine self, that's a lot of orange in the stadium, Graham...

ghad wrote:They'd contrive a draw.

I'm pretty sure both teams would somehow manage to lose...

Have you not seen the Dragons play this year? Our backs wouldn't score if Edinburgh stayed in the changing rooms. This is going to be dire!

The opposite is also accurate...

Have you not seen the Dragons Edinburgh play this year? Our backs wouldn't score if Edinburgh Dragons stayed in the changing rooms. This is going to be dire!

Impossible Standards = Risca Rev???

Impossible Standards = Risca Rev???

?

RDW - Fair enough. But you have to take into the account that the Dragons away form is DIRE! it's so bad I had to write it in capital letters.

Impossible Standards wrote:

Impossible Standards = Risca Rev???

 ?

Sorry, had a senior moment. Just guessing. This conference call I'm on is v v boring.

Impossible Standards wrote:

Impossible Standards = Risca Rev???

 ?

I'm confused as to why I would want to post as two accounts, particularly (if I was to consider it), as another Dragons supporter.

Risca Rev wrote:

Impossible Standards wrote:

Impossible Standards = Risca Rev???

 ?

I'm confused as to why I would want to post as two accounts, particularly (if I was to consider it), as another Dragons supporter.

I am stoopid. Close friends say I've been overworking. I was sure that you each had the same user name graphic.
I'll get my coat.

Dim problem butt.