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

First topic message reminder :


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

Praise be to whatever deity you choose (or don't choose) to follow - Dougie Fife is fit again so looks like we might actually have two wingers on the pitch!

Saying that, I'm sure Visser is due a break so no doubt Jack Cuthbert will be moved to the left wing....

If not, it does raise the question of who plays 10 and who plays 15. Solomons says Tonks was put back to 15 to give him some gametime to build up his confidence after an injury (I'm sure drubbings away to Ospreys and Ulster have helped in that respect) - will he give him a game at 10 now? I suspect he'll stick with Heathcoat.

Tom Heathcote played for Bath when we beat them pre-season last year. I'll clutch that straw, if you don't mind.

Fife being back fit is a huge boost, and should hopefully mean that Cuthbert moves back to 15 (his only position) allowing Tonks to play at 10.

funnyExiledScot wrote:Fife being back fit is a huge boost, and should hopefully mean that Cuthbert moves back to 15 (his only position) allowing Tonks to play at 10.

My god. That's actually got the makings of a *proper* backline.

Instead of the usual ‘after the Lord Mayors show’ is this an instance of before ?    

14:40 – Edinburgh v Dragons – Guinness Pro 12 – Sky Sports
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant referees: David Changleng (Scotland), Bob Nevins (Scotland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

http://www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/15794.php


17:05 – Ulster v Glasgow Warriors – Guinness Pro 12 – Sky Sports
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Nigel Correll (Ireland), Paul Haycock (Ireland)
Television match official: Simon McDowell (Ireland)

http://www.pro12rugby.com/matchcentre/15796.php

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


Pleased to see fife and Watson back, but Strauss keeps his place.

Looking on the bright side, other than Strauss and maybe Coman, that is probably the team most people would want to see.  We certainly can't do much better just now. I'd personally prefer Tonks at 10 and Cuthbert 15, but am happy with things as they are anyway - especially Heathcoat's kicking. Dell is probably there to get some gametime, but I'm sure Sutherland will see plenty gametime this season.

I suspect Strauss and Coman are aware of the negative comments that have come their way this season.  Maybe Solomons has used it as a motivational tool for them:

"The Scottish public think you are an expensive journeyman that is blocking young Scottish talent coming through.  Time for you to prove them wrong."

Something like that.

Based on Solomons' comments so far though, I suspect he's told them everything is fine - carry on with what you're doing.

He strikes me as the sort of old fashioned guy who would keep all that type of chat behind closed doors.

It would distress me if Strauss thought for a second he had been playing well irrespective of what Solomons was telling him.

Strauss
Coman

Part of me want Edinburgh to lose this one. No matter how wrong some people are they will never admit their mistakes and find some laughable excuses instead.

The thing is with those two, they aren't bad players - not like Marcus Di Rollo at Scotland level bad - they are just rank average.

And if rank average is all we're getting from them, I'd much rather see more of Chris Dean and Jamie Ritchie. I'd probably take Leonardi over Coman, and Dominguez over Strauss!

RDW_Scotland wrote:The thing is with those two, they aren't bad players - not like Marcus Di Rollo at Scotland level bad - they are just rank average.

And if rank average is all we're getting from them, I'd much rather see more of Chris Dean and Jamie Ritchie. I'd probably take Leonardi over Coman, and Dominguez over Strauss!

You have summed up perfectly the situation but for some reasons Solomons sees leadership abilities in Coman and Strauss that i have never seen, not to mention they are extremely average on the field.
Gilchrist should be captaining the side imo.

Laurel and Hardy at 12/13 but apart from that its a good team.

You can't really blame Pappy for playing Coman People when Denton is still out.

I am very much looking forward to 6 Denton 7 Watson 8 Du Preez.

The problem GC is that Solomons is selecting Coman for his "leadership abilities" which no one has noticed. Leonardi has shown he is a better player (18 selections for the Argies isn't to be sniffed at to be honest) and a good ball carrier.

As for Strauss i guess in Solomons' imagination he is running the defensive line...

Lee Byrne (c), Matthew Pewtner, Tom Prydie, Ashley Smith, Hallam Amos, Jason Tovey, Jonathan Evans; Boris Stankovich, Elliot Dee, Dan Way, Andrew Coombs, Rynard Landman, Lewis Evans, Nic Cudd, Andy Powell.

Replacements:
T. Rhys Thomas, Hugh Gustafson, Lloyd Fairbrother, Ian Gough, James Thomas, Richie Rees, Angus O’Brien, Aled Brew.

Prydie a back three player at 13 is a big call, but one we knew was coming. Taulupe having a rest. Byrne back fit and Coombs back after his 3 week suspension. Not a bad pack, but I'm worried by Prydie. Hopefully Pewtner can shine as he was good for us last season.

PenfroPete wrote:14:40 – Edinburgh v Dragons – Guinness Pro 12 – Sky Sports
Referee: Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Assistant referees: David Changleng (Scotland), Bob Nevins (Scotland)
Television match official: Iain Ramage (Scotland)

I can't remember if Dudley Phillips is any good or not.

He's a Pro 12 ref that isn't Nigel Owens - probably safe to assume he's not!

I don't remember him very well but i think i would take him over Clancy, Fitzgibbon or Lacey.

It's a good team apart from the chump in the 12 jersey, which throws the back line off a bit. Great to see Watson back at 7.

Good bench actually.

Strauss just made a lovely hit, now if he can learn to run, pass and kick he might start to justify his selection!

Almost a very good try but Visser left his hands in the changing rooms

Bad injury for du Preez

FFS Du Preez is going off injured and it looks bad. Commentators are suggesting a season ending injury! Let's seriously hope not

Standing right next to where cornell got injured, his ankle is pointing at very nasty angles. Out for the season at least.

Oooh, you hate to hear that. The big fella has been one of your few successes this season. Let's hope it's not as bad as it looks.
"Pleasures come in single spies: sorrows in whole battalions."

I've now seen at least 1 good moment each from Coman and Strauss and I haven't even been drinking!

Watson is having a good game, his support lines and breakdown work are giving us something to work with. We desperately need to get a try though

That must rate as one of the worst 40 (actually it was closer to 60) minutes I have ever seen.
Two utterly hopeless teams with very little ambition between them.

Dire game really. Edinburgh should have put away one of their chances. Stop ruddy kicking ball away!

Hhat's the score?

2.5 hour train journey down for this!?

Couldn't believe some of the handling ah the start.To be fair though some flashes of good play towards end of the half. On another day we could be 20-0 up.

We have no specialist centres on the field now. A 10 and a winger in the centre.

GLove39 wrote:2.5 hour train journey down for this!?

Couldn't believe some of the handling ah the start.To be fair though some flashes of good play towards end of the half. On another day we could be 20-0 up.

I feel sorry for you but Surely to god you didn't have high expectations did you?
More utterly gash attempts at tackling but well worked try by the Dragons.

Why did Ford kick that ball away?

Really impressed with Hamish Watson

Good charge down try from Visser. Now can we get one from actually playing some rugby perchance?

Welcome try but barely deserved.
At least Visser was there, though and at least tried to correct his mistake from the kick off.
And what does he do straight away? Give a forking penalty away. The ref warned him at least twice.

dragon4life wrote:We have no specialist centres on the field now. A 10 and a winger in the centre.

Dragon, mate, we have no rugby players on the pitch.

An actual try

@EdinburghRugby · 17m 17 minutes ago
(ER 6-0) #PRO12Rugby @cornell_du has a significant leg injury and is on his way to hospital. We wish him well.

More to the point: An Andries Strauss try scoring pass

Has the earth's polarity been reversed at half time?
Edinburgh actually resemble a rugby team now (although that may just be a relative-thing compared to the Dragons who have been decimated by injury to be fair)

Game lost now

Chuffing heck. Aled Brew must live near a Greggs shop. He has fair put the weight on since I last saw him. He used to be a great player and pretty quick with it

Good point from the Radio Scotland commentary about how Bresler gives a lot of penalties away from not rolling away = tired.

How is Fitzgibbon a pro referee

Matt Scott 'Everybody is looking a bit lethargic now'

Looks like Burleigh coming on at centre

You'd like to think not.
Ok he was injured before he came over but that should mean he is still fit but also pretty fresh
One of Edinburgh's problems is they don't listen to the ref.
Visser was done for offside a while ago and Coman continued to fud about with the ball at his feet at the back of the scrum despite the ref shouting "use it"

When did Chunk from the Goonies sign for the Dragons

Nematode wrote:Matt Scott 'Everybody is looking a bit lethargic now'

Looks like Burleigh coming on at centre

Good point. I was just thinking that there are fewer people getting to the breakdown and not necessarily by a conscious, tactical decision

Thoroughly deserved MoM for Watson, very good game

Well we won, it wasn't pretty but there were flashes of an actual rugby team in there. Probably flattered by the opposition not being good though, I feel for the Dragons fans, injuries didn't really give them a chance.

Watson was quality and is going to be a key player for us with Cornell out for what looks like a long time. I was also very impressed with Beard, he put a big shift in. Visser managed to redeem himself after his donkeyish drop over the line to get a try then followed it up by failing to listen to the ref. Heathcote kicked solidly, and I want to see more of him attacking the line as he did at the end, albeit with a gaping hole to run through.

A mixed bag, but lets be honest we definitely could've been worse!