Worcester Warriors vs Dragons

The last week of my notice period, and therefore the last time I will be able to do one of these for a while. I would be interested to see what side Warriors fans think they will put out. I thought they played well vs Wasps and had them in trouble at scrum time in particular.

The side I would like to see:-

Hobbs
Dee
Harris
Landman
Croswell
Evans
Griffiths
Jackson

Pretorious
O'brien
Warren
Dixon
Beard
Ashton
Prydie

Thomas
Price
Mitchell
Hill
knoyle
Arwel Robson
Tyler Morgan

Like it - would swop Cory Hill to start instead of Crosswell but other than that fair shot - Jack Dixon needs a big game, Adam Warren is really pushing for a centre berth. Tyler & Jack need to show their class

dragon999 wrote:Like it - would swop Cory Hill to start instead of Crosswell but other than that fair shot - Jack Dixon needs a big game, Adam Warren is really pushing for a centre berth. Tyler & Jack need to show their class

Hill to start for me too. We're underpowered at the best of times let alone when we toss around putting back rowers in the second row.

I think the way Croswell has been stealing opposition ball warrants his selection, but obviously we will lose some grunt in the scrum.

The obvious choice if he wants to negate a lineout is pick Crosswell 6/8. I'd sooner have a solid scrum than a lineout. You can lose much more off a scrum, penalty wise for a start.

What's also apparent (and somebody you forget a bit) is we clearly can't go into games without our main try scorer Pat Howard.

I don't think you can drop Evans, Griffiths or Cudd at the moment, and our scrum has gone well in recent games even with Crosswell at lock, which is why I have stuck with him - although I do think Worcester will be tougher in this department.

I do keep forgetting Paddy, although thought Adam Warren played well against Leinster which is why he got the nod from me on this occasion.

Crosswell would move to back-row for me, but I wouldn't like to drop either of Evans, Griff or Jackson either - they're a good unit. They'll have to leave out Tyler Morgan as well as the other backs have played better and Morgan hasn't turned up this season yet. Benchwise, TRT and Knoyle are among the worst in their positions in Britain & Ireland so it's a no from me.

Leon Brown has been registered for Europe ahead of Craig Mitchell

Get a life mate

GavinDragon wrote:Get a life mate

Cheers mate.


I think it's a good idea giving Leon Brown more exposure at this level as he is another one of the very promising academy products, although he will probably struggle at the set-piece against Wuss.

Mikey_Dragon you're back!

uncle_nigel wrote:

GavinDragon wrote:Get a life mate

Cheers mate.


I think it's a good idea giving Leon Brown more exposure at this level as he is another one of the very promising academy products, although he will probably struggle at the set-piece against Wuss.

That comment wasn't directed at you, and I thought I had deleted it, but hey-ho.

I haven't been impressed with Mitchell at all since he came back. Think he has struggled in nearly every game I have seen him play in. Think Lloyd Fairbrother has done OK off the bench, as has Brown.

Dragons: T Prydie; T Morgan, S Beard, A Warren, A Hewitt; A O'Brien, S Pretorius; P Price, R Buckley, B Harris, M Screech, C Hill, J Thomas, N Cudd, L Evans (capt). Reps: E Dee, S Hobbs, L Brown, R Landman, H Keddie, T Knoye, GR Jones, J Dixon.

Worcester: J Adams; B Howard, M Stelling, R Mills (capt), D Hammond; C Braid, G DeCothi; V Rapava Ruskin, J Singleton, B Alo, W Spencer, C Scotland-Williamson, S Betty, C Kirwan, M Cox. Reps: M Williams, R Bower, M Daniels, A Kitchener, H Taylor, C Hewitt, J Shillcock, A Short.

1 first teamer starting for them at loosehead (in comparison to last week). Hope the NGD win or Andy Bowell or Delme will be writing poison again.

Disapointed that Griffiths and Jackson aren't starting, but that backline looks pretty good.

Wonder what is up with Griffiths? He's by far our best attacking 7. To not even make the bench is very strange. Few too many changes again for me. I get that some are enforced, like Howard and Meyer but then it kind of seems he has decided to completely reshuffle the pack and in some cases it's unnecessary (Dee, Griffiths and Jackson).

Im sure its down to picking up knocks in the Embra game - unfortunately the Dragons gone quiet again on injuries - they were getting better at keeping fans updated.

The usual gripes are back for me with the Dregs. Injury updates are quiet and barely publicising the Prem Select team.

RiscaGame wrote:The usual gripes are back for me with the Dregs. Injury updates are quiet and barely publicising the Prem Select team.

PS team is on their front page mun !

Yes, but why should I have to go looking for it? They're happy to go social media happy on other things. Shouldn't this be given similar treatment and posted about on Twitter etc? Maximum exposure and all that good stuff.

Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

GavinDragon wrote:Get a life mate

Fat chance, i'm afraid. Stuck in the house for various reasons I won't go into.
D'you get my post deleted for typing the "N" word, btw?

Stone Motif wrote:Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

"Diabolical" by the sound of it.
Just joshing.
33 unanswered points aint good however. Game effectively over before Dregs got over the line. Maybe the comp isn't a priority for your team. More important stuff to sort first too I guess including the pitch at Dave. Must be effecting the players in some shape or form.

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/commentary?gameId=290725&league=272073

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

"Diabolical" by the sound of it.
Just joshing.
33 unanswered points aint good however. Game effectively over before Dregs got over the line. Maybe the comp isn't a priority for your team. More important stuff to sort first too I guess including the pitch at Dave. Must be effecting the players in some shape or form.

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/commentary?gameId=290725&league=272073

What, the pitch is affecting them? Our home form is much better than away form though. So no. But I do agree the pitch could do with replacing.

Affecting I meant. Hit myself on the knuckles with a 12" rule like my teacher used to in 1973.
Not the pitch. Rather the uncertainty of what's happening or isn't happening regarding the future of the Dave Parade pro outfit.

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

"Diabolical" by the sound of it.
Just joshing.
33 unanswered points aint good however. Game effectively over before Dregs got over the line. Maybe the comp isn't a priority for your team. More important stuff to sort first too I guess including the pitch at Dave. Must be effecting the players in some shape or form.

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/commentary?gameId=290725&league=272073

What, the pitch is affecting them? Our home form is much better than away form though. So no. But I do agree the pitch could do with replacing.

29 tons of sand recently wasn't it?
Bisley Promenade tickets will include a sea view soon. Donkey rides extra, candy floss available in the clubhouse.
Seriously though, like CAP which tried lorry loads of sand too, Rodders needs sorting asap. Gonna cost though, so the knobs in charge need to stop faffing.

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

"Diabolical" by the sound of it.
Just joshing.
33 unanswered points aint good however. Game effectively over before Dregs got over the line. Maybe the comp isn't a priority for your team. More important stuff to sort first too I guess including the pitch at Dave. Must be effecting the players in some shape or form.

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/commentary?gameId=290725&league=272073

What, the pitch is affecting them? Our home form is much better than away form though. So no. But I do agree the pitch could do with replacing.

29 tons of sand recently wasn't it?
Bisley Promenade tickets will include a sea view soon. Donkey rides extra, candy floss available in the clubhouse.
Seriously though, like CAP which tried lorry loads of sand too, Rodders needs sorting asap. Gonna cost though, so the knobs in charge need to stop faffing.

I don't want one of those full plastic pitches like yours though. We're not Luton Town. A hybrid pitch like Ospreys, MS, etc. will do for me.

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Griff wrote:

Cardiff Dave wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:Well, yet another bumming off a reserve team. What is the point of this team turning up with such a soft underbelly.

"Diabolical" by the sound of it.
Just joshing.
33 unanswered points aint good however. Game effectively over before Dregs got over the line. Maybe the comp isn't a priority for your team. More important stuff to sort first too I guess including the pitch at Dave. Must be effecting the players in some shape or form.

http://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/commentary?gameId=290725&league=272073

What, the pitch is affecting them? Our home form is much better than away form though. So no. But I do agree the pitch could do with replacing.

29 tons of sand recently wasn't it?
Bisley Promenade tickets will include a sea view soon. Donkey rides extra, candy floss available in the clubhouse.
Seriously though, like CAP which tried lorry loads of sand too, Rodders needs sorting asap. Gonna cost though, so the knobs in charge need to stop faffing.

I don't want one of those full plastic pitches like yours though. We're not Luton Town. A hybrid pitch like Ospreys, MS, etc. will do for me.

Don't like pretend grass either.
A neighbour has a plastic lawn. Hoovers it in the spring and summer. Not right if ewe ask me. And don't get me started on plastic garden sheds ffs.

Won and lost up front, with the scrum being our main point of weakness. Not surprised given Wuss' scrummaged Wasps off the park in their last fixture (with the same starting LH and TH- I think).

That, and the fact it was peeing it down with rain, was always going to make it extremely difficult as we were on the backfoot constantly.

No excuses however, the scrum just wasn't up to it and without the injection of £££ into the playing squad, I don't see how we will ever truly compete with teams who have budgets far bigger than our own.

Plus the Dragons feeder team Ebbw Vale got SMASHED by Ponty last night 63-14 in the Foster's Challenge Cup

Things that bad at Ponty, you're celebrating wins in a development comp?

If you look at the sides Ponty played a pretty strong team with a lot of first teamers whereas Ebbw used it as it should be and gave lower league players the chance to impress. 14 players on permit including some from Div 3 B too.

RiscaGame wrote:Things that bad at Ponty, you're celebrating wins in a development comp?

No...but I'm sure of the score had been the other around old Bedford Welsh would have made an article about it. I just got back from Spain and don't even know what this Fosters cup thing even is to be honest

Steffan wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Things that bad at Ponty, you're celebrating wins in a development comp?

No...but I'm sure of the score had been the other around old Bedford Welsh would have made an article about it. I just got back from the Jobby and don't even know what this rugby thing even is to be honest

Fixed

Stone Motif wrote:

Steffan wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Things that bad at Ponty, you're celebrating wins in a development comp?

No...but I'm sure of the score had been the other around old Bedford Welsh would have made an article about it. I just got back from the Jobby and don't even know what this rugby thing even is to be honest

Fixed

I assume the "jobby" is meant to be the job centre? You would know all about that I guess

By the way...Spain is a place in Europe. If you ever venture out of Newport one day then maybe you will see it for yourself

Steffan wrote:

Stone Motif wrote:

Steffan wrote:

RiscaGame wrote:Things that bad at Ponty, you're celebrating wins in a development comp?

No...but I'm sure of the score had been the other around old Bedford Welsh would have made an article about it. I just got back from the Jobby and don't even know what this rugby thing even is to be honest

Fixed

I assume the "jobby" is meant to be the job centre? You would know all about that I guess

By the way...Spain is a place in Europe. If you ever venture out of Newport one day then maybe you will see it for yourself

You seem to mention Spain an awful lot Steffan. Moving to Spain, living in Spain, just back from Spain. I reckon you're making it up

Gavin, only Ruskin is our usual starting front rower from round 1. Our hooker is acadamy and our tighthead is a new youngster who I think was on his first outing.

Interested that you thought we played well against Wasps - I thought we were terrible.

Most interest for us is our second row. Spencer is a big unit, but has been long-term injured and last week was his first outing since joining us from Bath. CSW is a home-grown big lad who has also been out for many weeks. They offer a lot of beef. With two new props this week, it will be interesting to see if our power in the scrum last week came from the front or second row.

Good luck with the match tomorrow. Hope we win, but in Wuss we are all pretty focused on our massive game against Brizzle next week.

Griff wrote:You seem to mention Spain an awful lot Steffan. Moving to Spain, living in Spain, just back from Spain. I reckon you're making it up

Hardly like living in Spain for periods is uncommon to a lot of British people  

Sadly I wont be going back for a while. However, I am looking forward to seeing the 4G pitch at Sardis for the first time on New Years Eve against the mighty Newport feeder side Cross Keys

Not sure how that whole "split the league up" thing works for the second half of the season, but will be attending a few games I imagine. My money is on Merthyr to win it. Speaking of Merthyr...Lord Dowlais still post on here or did the imbeciles manage to drive him out?

tooboredtowork wrote:Gavin, only Ruskin is our usual starting front rower from round 1. Our hooker is acadamy and our tighthead is a new youngster who I think was on his first outing.

Interested that you thought we played well against Wasps - I thought we were terrible.

Most interest for us is our second row. Spencer is a big unit, but has been long-term injured and last week was his first outing since joining us from Bath. CSW is a home-grown big lad who has also been out for many weeks. They offer a lot of beef. With two new props this week, it will be interesting to see if our power in the scrum last week came from the front or second row.

Good luck with the match tomorrow. Hope we win, but in Wuss we are all pretty focused on our massive game against Brizzle next week.

TBTW - your LH started against Wasps and demolished their scrum, and then ours in the game at Sixways last week. Last night I am not sur if he was playing but we had parity in the scrum.

The loosehead last week, was the one from Wasps the week before. No he did not play at all this week.

Their front row selection for this week was pretty strange. I get why they rested their starting loosehead, but they also changed their second choice tighthead from last week.