Blues v Dragons

TEAMS

Blues: Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, Richard Smith, Dafydd Hewitt, Harry Robinson; Rhys Patchell, Lloyd Williams; 1 Sam Hobbs (capt), Marc Breeze, Benoit Bourrust, Macauley Cook, Filo Paulo, Rory Watts-Jones, Robin Copeland, Josh Navidi.

Replacements: Rhys Williams, Gethin Jenkins, Scott Andrews, Chris Dicomidis, Ellis Jenkins, Lewis Jones, Gareth Davies, Gavin Evans.

Dragons: Daniel Evans; Will Harries, Pat Leach, Ashley Smith, Matthew Pewtner; Jason Tovey, Wayne Evans; Owen Evans, T Rhys Thomas, Dan Way, Matthew Screech, Rob Sidoli (capt), Netani Talei, Toby Faletau, Lewis Evans.

Replacements: Sam Parry, Aaron Coundley, Francisco Chaparro, Adam Jones, Nic Cudd, Richie Rees, Steffan Jones, Ross Wardle.

Referee: Leighton Hodges (WRU)

Assistant Referees: Neil Hennessy, Gwyn Morris (both WRU)

Citing Commissioner: Aurwel Morgan (WRU)

TMO: Paul Adams (WRU)

I think our few of our changes are strange. Buck gains pretty much parity in the scrum and drops out of the 23, for Way who I don't think really offers much. Nobody has suggested an injury, so it's strange. I know he was one of the props who fell off Dacey, but still. Also strange to see Cory Hill drop completely out of the 23. I get that Lyn is rotating Screech in, but it's strange to bring Madam onto the bench. Lastly, Wardle was a natural replacement for Amos, on the basis of our success Boxing Day, so that's a strange call too.

Of course, I'd start Richie Rees, but Wayne hasn't done too bad recently. Awful weather for today, so key for Jase to have his kicking boots on again (for goal anyway) and important to play in the right areas.

Nathan Buck dropping out altogether is a strange one if he isn't injured.

Lousy weather today. Reminds me of last season's Boxing Day match. Not an omen, hopefully!

Gutted I'm in a box rather than on the terrace today, honest

Yeah seems few strange decisions I would start Rees and Chapparo but worked other day so lets hope for cracking game (though weather seems bad) and of course same result for Dragons

When's kickoff?

2.05pm Hammer.

I notice Ashley Smith is back in the fold a lot more recently. I guess because of Jack Dixon's injury. I thought he was coming towards the end of his career, but was surprised to find out he is only 26! Seems to have been around forever! Good in defence, good defensive leader, but sadly lacks that bit of cutting edge that we need. However, will be good to see if the new coaching team can get a bit more out of him than the previous ones.

On team selection, this definitely doesn't look like the strongest team we could have put out. To me, anyway. Agree with others on the props. Chapparo seems to get a lot of bench starts when, to me, he seems like our best prop. Maybe some concerns about fitness and lasting a whole game?

I would also have gone for Richie Rees too. What's happened to Jonny Evans? Injured or unfancied by Lyn?

Weather is foul, but the pitch is plastic. Not sure what that means, but I expect a lot of knock ons which could be good as we got the upper hand at scrum time last week!

The Blues players have (mostly) shaved their heads?! Is that a protest/statement???

Griff wrote:The Blues players have (mostly) shaved their heads?! Is that a protest/statement???

Support for Matthew Rees

Cheers Pete. Missed the start.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25564963

They raised over £12,500 for Velindre Cancer Centre   

Fair play to the Blues for raising the money (and awareness)....some of them proving that a skinhead doesn't suit everyone, mind. It is rather amusing trying to Spot the Player...it's like watching prison football...

Blues fans, where did Watts-Jones come from? Seems to be playing well in the games he has been given an opportunity in this year.

Patchell has a knee injury, you can bet that it's long term!

Come on the Dragons!

played all the rugby so far. Had a lot of decisions go against them in the first half too.

The Blues 9 kicking is horrible.  Two kicks gone dead and his box kicks go about 10 metres and give possession to the Dragons.

Me and my big mouth.

Another harsh call against the Dragons at the end there. Real shame since they deserved at the very least a losing bonus point.

Griff wrote:The Blues players have (mostly) shaved their heads?! Is that a protest/statement???

All for charity apparently. Not sure how a shaved head helps anybody very much, but there we are.
Cheaper than getting a royal to the south pole though.

A rubbish game that Cardiff happened to win. Can't say more than that really.
Great that they now allow the kids on the pitch after the final whistle.

Wasnt patch on the boxing day game and pity we didn't get anything out of it but still going well at mo

Ref did us no favours but this is pretty standard for away teams in the Rabo.Dan Evans looks great going forwards.If his defence was as good he would be in the Wales matchday squad.

Taff,

I thought he should have been in ahead of Amos in the AIs, his defence is no worse than Amos; but he far better going forward.

Dan Evans had another great shift today
Shame for the Dragons but they looked more dangerous, he is still only 25 as well

Handy for the Blues to have a homer ref, he was much the same at Dave.

The coditions were very bad but the new pitch was the winner, the Newport football game was called off at the Dave Parade (today) again. If the Dragons play next year they should ditch their pitch or move to a ground away from a tidal river.

Well played the Dragons, their should have kept te ball in the backs as they made ground in nearly every attack.

A rumble in the jungle it wasn't and last season's mud fest was much better. For me though the best team won. Neither side were great however and the only try came from a lucky Sweeney-esque type bounce.

glamorganalun wrote:Handy for the Blues to have a homer ref, he was much the same at Dave.

The coditions were very bad but the new pitch was the winner, the Newport football game was called off at the Dave Parade (today) again. If the Dragons play next year they should ditch their pitch or move to a ground away from a tidal river.

Well played the Dragons, their should have kept te ball in the backs as they made ground in nearly every attack.

I understand your frustration Alan, but rugby has been played at Rodney Parade longer than you've been born. And we've always had bad weather in Wales. Not sure it calls for the Dragons to move ground. Plus, further drainage works are to be completed in the summer (half done this summer, but bizarrely the worse end of the ground was left til last and was not finished in time   ). Furthermore, the Newport County match was off last week too but the Dragons played a day or two later and the pitch was fine - made for a good game against the blues - so I think that perhaps football is a bit pickier about their pitch.

The Saint wrote:Blues fans, where did Watts-Jones come from? Seems to be playing well in the games he has been given an opportunity in this year.

Watts Jones from Cardiff Uni, played for Cardiff RFC last season.

went to match, at half time there was a bizarre kicking competition - good idea in theory but poorly planned. 3 random blokes, no prizes for winning. They should have 2 Dragons fans v 2 Blues fans, got us cheering for our guys, and presented them all with free tickets / signed shirt for taking part. Instead, just got ushered off the pitch.

fantastic to see Dragons players back on the pitch at the end signing autographs and having photos with kids. Shame on the Blues for not coming back out.

matthew rees is undergoing chemo for testicular cancer at the moment and has lost all his hair, so it is a fundraiser and awareness raiser but also a way of standing alongside him. great statement. photos on the Blues twitter page.

glamorganalun wrote:Handy for the Blues to have a homer ref, he was much the same at Dave.

The coditions were very bad but the new pitch was the winner, the Newport football game was called off at the Dave Parade (today) again. If the Dragons play next year they should ditch their pitch or move to a ground away from a tidal river.

Well played the Dragons, their should have kept te ball in the backs as they made ground in nearly every attack.

It was a different ref at Dave actually. He wasn't good for us either. Two games in a row we've had men tackled in the air and no yellows (Patchell, Boxing Day and 1/2P today).

Don't know what some of those decisions were? Knock on Cuthbert, out of play = lineout Cardiff? Warns Borrust after the likely spit (doubt ash would react otherwise) not to react, but doesn't ping him. Either he reacted or didn't?

Still think Cardiff are a poor side, but sadly that's another away game that has got away from us. Three away games we've lost that we could've won (Embra, Connacht and today).