RugbyRebels

Sandydragon wrote:It will need an amazing coach to turn us around. The culture is too defeatist. But this was a Leinster 2nd/3rd team. It should have been a contest, or even a win at home.

Hopefully Jackman will soon move on.

The unfortunate, but stark, reality is that Leinster 2/3rds are better than the Dragons first team, I don't think chopping and changing the team each week helps the Dragons all, they need rid of Jackman asap.

Numbers wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:It will need an amazing coach to turn us around. The culture is too defeatist. But this was a Leinster 2nd/3rd team. It should have been a contest, or even a win at home.

Hopefully Jackman will soon move on.

The unfortunate, but stark, reality is that Leinster 2/3rds are better than the Dragons first team, I don't think chopping and changing the team each week helps the Dragons all, they need rid of Jackman asap.

Based on that performance there is no disagreement. Yet the players needed to be competitive are there, we desperately need a coach who can give some structure and belief. I’m not expecting us to beat Leinster first team, but at home vs their reserves and youth we should be a lot closer than that.

Good performance from the Dragons last night - gutting for them to lose at the end after battling on with 14 men.

Son of Mathonwy wrote:Good performance from the Dragons last night - gutting for them to lose at the end after battling on with 14 men.

We play better without Jackman. Annoying to lose, but a better performance than some of the recent embarrassments.

Ospreys 19-12 Scarlets

Bigt of a game of one half; specifically, the southern half of the Liberty Stadium pitch. No-one seemed able to escape from it, as if they were tied to the south posts by elastic.

A morale-boosting win for Os after a resilient and smart performance, but Scarlets will wonder how on Earth they weren't out of sight by half-time. I can't recall Os being so heavily dominated at home as they were in that first 40, but they turned around only 3 down. I guess defence must take some credit but the stats show Os tackle %age wasn't that great. Scarlets made more (i.e. some) breaks but none in dangerous areas. Once again, Os conceded more pens that they received in a home fixture.

I was very pleased with how it was turned around though. The message got through to keep the ball in Scarlets' half by any and all means necessary, and the forwards found a way to give the halfbacks the extra inches required to do just that. The try was a combination of a wild bit of bad luck for Foxy and a brilliant opportunist finish from Morgan, and with no pens forthcoming those drops were the killer blows. Os were on top and worth the win in the end, but never as dominant as Scarlets had been in the first half. A creditable recovery, but it shouldn't have been enough.

Scarlets again unable to turn possession and terretory into points, and far more dramatically this time. Lots of important players missing or not firing on all cylinders, now Patchell too (again!). Well played by the Blues - fantastic defence, though lucky that deliberate knock-on by Fish wasn't noticed in the first half, when the game was very much in the balance.

Fish was very lucky not to walk.

But alarm bells ringing for the Scarlets. Key players are missing, but they looked impotent with ball in hand, not helped by a makeshift fly half to be fair.

Davies at scrum half is looking worrying. Wales will really miss Webb.

Also real concerns over Halfpenny who pulled out late with headaches. Whatever time he needs to recover from that knock he took versus Australia he needs to take.

Sandydragon wrote:Also real concerns over Halfpenny who pulled out late with headaches. Whatever time he needs to recover from that knock he took versus Australia he needs to take.

The officials must be really proud of themselves over that decision.

I really thought the Dragons were going to fall agonisingly short last night when Sam Davies was taking his kick.

What a let off!

Since Jackman’s gone the team seem to have found their doggedness to keep going even when they’re out on their feet.

Great performance and a deserved win.

normanski wrote:I really thought the Dragons were going to fall agonisingly short last night when Sam Davies was taking his kick.

What a let off!

Since Jackman’s gone the team seem to have found their doggedness to keep going even when they’re out on their feet.

Great performance and a deserved win.

The players suddenly look a lot more committed. We still need a lot of improvement, but the last two games have been very welcome.

Well played the Dragons. It caused me great pain to see the Ospreys fall short at the end, but it'll do the Dragons a power of good to get this victory. The Ospreys left themselves far too much to do after a lackluster performance in the first half.

The Scarlets lose by 5 points - and a marginal decision by the Irish TMO disallows a try for them. Having officials from either of the nations involved - particularly the home team - is a joke.

So the Dragons come up short against Munster. Discipline still an issue and that includes brain farts at daft moments.

But compared to where we were a few months ago, things look a lot better without Jackman.

Good game at Cardiff.

8:7

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Sandydragon wrote:So the Dragons come up short against Munster. Discipline still an issue and that includes brain farts at daft moments.

But compared to where we were a few months ago, things look a lot better without Jackman.

Really promising. Annoying that the wind blew Lewis's kick off course.

Son of Mathonwy wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:So the Dragons come up short against Munster. Discipline still an issue and that includes brain farts at daft moments.

But compared to where we were a few months ago, things look a lot better without Jackman.

Really promising. Annoying that the wind blew Lewis's kick off course.

Very. I’d have taken the win, although no complaints as Munster were better over 80 minutes.

Jesus, what a weekend. You'd think the Scarlets would have managed a win, if no one else.

Yeah, that was shyte. Cardiff’s game looked like a cracker, otherwise......

Just more opportunity for the Fail to write about how shyte the competition is.

Sandydragon wrote:Yeah, that was shyte. Cardiff’s game looked like a cracker, otherwise......

Just more opportunity for the Fail to write about how shyte the competition is.

The Blues v Glasgow game was a cracker, some great tries and a very good advert for the league, the Dragons match wasn't too bad to watch either and the Scarlets v Benetton was ok, the Ospreys game was dire however,

Numbers wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:Yeah, that was shyte. Cardiff’s game looked like a cracker, otherwise......

Just more opportunity for the Fail to write about how shyte the competition is.

The Blues v Glasgow game was a cracker, some great tries and a very good advert for the league, the Dragons match wasn't too bad to watch either and the Scarlets v Benetton was ok, the Ospreys game was dire however,

Aye. The standard of play can be very good. It suits the Fail to promote the anti pro 14 angle though.

Benetton Treviso 57 - 7 Dragons

39 missed tackles!

I’m beginning to think we should only have 2 regions. Fund them properly with decent coaches and we might see something decent.

I thought Ospreys had steadied the ship over Christmas but they've been in a crash dive ever since. Very troubling.

Sourdust wrote:I thought Ospreys had steadied the ship over Christmas but they've been in a crash dive ever since. Very troubling.

All this talk of their future can’t be helping. Worrying times.