Scarlets 24 Dragons 13 (From South Wales Argus)
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Scarlets 24 Dragons 13
9:28pm Friday 5th October 2012 in Sport
By Iwan Davies
Adam Hughes' try was not enough for the Dragons at Parc y Scarlets
NEWPORT Gwent Dragons lost their ninth league game in a row against the Scarlets after an inept forward performance in a damp squib of a derby.
What should really worry Darren Edwards’ men is that they were taken apart by a Scarlets eight who hardly set the world on fire.
The Dragons have never won at Parc y Scarlets and if they don’t improve quickly, they never will.
The good news for Welsh rugby - after another terrible Pro 12 advert - is that 19-year-old Scarlets tighthead prop Samson Lee is a top prospect and he tormented the Dragons in the scrum.
The visitors had started well in appalling conditions on a dreadful night in Llanelli and they went into the lead thanks to a beautifully struck penalty from near half way by outside-half Steffan Jones after nine minutes.
But he went from hero to villain in the next few minutes after two of his kicks went out on the full to cost the visitors huge swathes of territory.
Former Dragon Aled Thomas, picked ahead of Wales’ first choice No 10 Rhys Priestland, put the hosts back on level terms with a penalty of his own a few minutes later.
The Scarlets started to get the upper hand with their full back Liam Williams showing characteristic adventure to probe the Dragons’ defence.
On 25 minutes there was a bizarre sequence of events that cost the Dragons dearly and will no doubt feature on Question of Sport’s ‘What Happened Next ?’ sooner rather than later.
Scarlets fly half Thomas looked to have missed an easy penalty but with the visitors sleeping, thinking the kick had gone over, another ex-Dragons in centre Gareth Maule followed up and pounced on the ball.
The game was then stopped for several minutes as referee Nigel Owens asked television match official Gareth Simmonds to rule on whether the penalty had gone through the posts.
When he decided it hadn’t, Owens then asked him to adjudicate if Maule had scored a try with Simmonds giving the Scarlets the thumbs up.
Thomas then really rubbed the Dragons’ noses in it by nailing the touchline conversion.
The Dragons had said before the game they would target the Scarlets’ scrum which is prone to be flaky against the big boys.
But the sad fact is, the visitors aren’t anywhere near the league of the Ospreys front row who shunted last night’s visitors around Parc y Scarlets last month.
With just 30 per cent territory and possession in the first 40 minutes, the Dragons were under terrible pressure and Thomas added two more penalties before half-time, as well as missing another sitter, to give them a well-deserved 16-3 lead.
The second half was just as shocking for the visitors as well as the fans.
The Dragons’ lineout joined their malfunctioning scrum after replacement hooker Hugh Gustafson failed to find his rhythm when he replaced Steve Jones.
Chances were few and far between for the poor Dragons, outside half Steffan Jones fluffing a drop kick attempt in front of the posts just outside the Scarlets 22.
The Dragons however managed to score the first points of another atrocious second period when wing Tom Prydie slotted over a 60th minute penalty to make it 16-6 and keep them in the game.
The Gwent region where given a lifeline when it was the Scarlets’ turn at a defensive calamity when centre Scott Williams made a complete hash of trying to ground a kick through by Dragons full back Dan Evans on the greasy turf.
Adam Hughes followed up well and pounce on the ball to score a try after 63 minutes that was beautifully converted by Prydie.
A panicking Scarlets wondered how on earth they were leading by just three points but disaster struck minutes later for the Dragons when they were again destroyed in the scrum.
After being pushed off their own ball, scrum half Jonathan Evans was sin binned for taking out Josh Turnbull in the ensuing carnage and replacement Priestland kicked an easy penalty.
There was a fairytale return for Scarlet Morgan Stoddart, making his first appearance since a horrendous double leg break sustained playing for Wales against England at Twickenham in a pre-World Cup defeat at Twickenham in August 2011.
The full back/wing nearly scored after a wonderful run before going over in the corner in the 71st minute to eliminate slim Dragons hopes of a comeback.
Comments(37)
Rugby Warrior Paulo
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10:25pm Fri 5 Oct 12
Dai the Milk
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10:30pm Fri 5 Oct 12
mep
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10:51pm Fri 5 Oct 12
It does answer the question of why the 'regions' are all in financial difficulties.
Oddjob
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11:37pm Fri 5 Oct 12
kalwales@hotmail.com
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7:32am Sat 6 Oct 12
East Newport Dave
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8:56am Sat 6 Oct 12
exilemike
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9:18am Sat 6 Oct 12
Doberman1
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9:39am Sat 6 Oct 12
the dork
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9:58am Sat 6 Oct 12
Monster Munch McCoy
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9:59am Sat 6 Oct 12
However not as inept as the Dragons performance. Scrum constantly in reverse, line out a shambles and no aggression in the tackles. It was men v boys. The Sacrlets were poor and a better team, of which there are plenty, would of put a bucket load more points on us.
Good picture however on TV of DE on his macbook once again. I think the WRU had just sent him an e-mail to congratulate him on pushing the region further down the development path. They have certainly picked the right man for the job.
Robert Shillabeer
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11:23am Sat 6 Oct 12
Scrums need far stricter control by match officials as there is far too much law breaking going on, balls put in crooked, into the second row, boring in and taking the scrum down when the ball is lost. Just about every side do one or more of the foregoing while the hooker never or at best rarely sticks for the ball because it never goes near them.
Overall the ref had a god game last but was let down very badly by the night TMO. Showed a lot of common sense at the end by really ignoring his t judge's flag for a meaningless offence but had to award a penalty so the t judge was not offended.
Monster Munch McCoy
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11:44am Sat 6 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer wrote:Thanks for you report on the ref. But what do you think of the Dragons performance Darren (sorry Rob)?
There were three very poor decisions that went against the Dragons last night. Firstly the try that wasn't then the kick that was touched by a Scarlet which the touch judge correctly indicated to be over rule by the ref on advice from the crowd, have already tweeted the ref on this issue but no response yet (not holding my breath though). Thirdly the Scarlets prop was continuously boring in at right angles and disrupting the Dragons front row. You can say that was because the Dragons front row was weak, but not many front rows can cope with that for long.
Scrums need far stricter control by match officials as there is far too much law breaking going on, balls put in crooked, into the second row, boring in and taking the scrum down when the ball is lost. Just about every side do one or more of the foregoing while the hooker never or at best rarely sticks for the ball because it never goes near them.
Overall the ref had a god game last but was let down very badly by the night TMO. Showed a lot of common sense at the end by really ignoring his t judge's flag for a meaningless offence but had to award a penalty so the t judge was not offended.
East Newport Dave
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12:41pm Sat 6 Oct 12
East Newport Dave
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12:45pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer
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12:54pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Doberman1
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1:03pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer wrote:And your thoughts on DE & the team Robert?
Monster munch I was not criticising the ref he is about the only one in the Rabo who does do his job right. But, he did make three mistakes yesterday albeit one was actually the TMO. The pack would work better if they ALL Played in accordance with the laws of the game however. The Scarlets were driving in all night without any correction by the ref, points I have expressed to him but nt ad a reply or even an acknowledgement and don't expect one to be honest.
Also did anyone notice last week how Dan Lydiate was "walked" off the pitch by the physios, despite having a broken & dislocated ankle, unbeleivable... Professionalism comes in many forms, but never at The Dragons.
Robert Shillabeer
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1:22pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Doberman1
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1:37pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer wrote:Robert, with such blinkered perspective on DE and the whole set up I can only think you must be an internal part of it. Your thoughts on Dan and his injury border on the ludicrous, I hope I never require you to administer first aid to me!
They started to carry Dan off but he walked or rather hobbled to the side lines, perhaps it was his choice, but when a bone is broken carrying him or letting him hobble results in little more damage as the bone is broken. As to the question of DE he works with what he has and I'm sure he feels frustrated sometimes. As to the scrum, the Scarlets have the old Dragons scrum coach and he sure used his insider knowledge when preparing the Scarlets, would not be doing his job if he didn't but that's how it goes sometimes. Pease remember head coaches must work with what they ave and look at the changes other regions have gone through ver the years.
cwmbran man
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2:00pm Sat 6 Oct 12
cwmbran man
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2:02pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Monster Munch McCoy
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2:17pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer wrote:Robert, So your summary is that DE is doing the best he can but the team he has got are a load of rubbish?
They started to carry Dan off but he walked or rather hobbled to the side lines, perhaps it was his choice, but when a bone is broken carrying him or letting him hobble results in little more damage as the bone is broken. As to the question of DE he works with what he has and I'm sure he feels frustrated sometimes. As to the scrum, the Scarlets have the old Dragons scrum coach and he sure used his insider knowledge when preparing the Scarlets, would not be doing his job if he didn't but that's how it goes sometimes. Pease remember head coaches must work with what they ave and look at the changes other regions have gone through ver the years.
Also I though we have one of last years Scarlets front row forwards, Iestyn Thomas, in our coaching set up. What insider knowledge did he bring for last night.
If that's right, it shows once again we have a another rookie coach we are giving experience to on the blessing of the WRU to help there development at our expense.
GazzaH
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6:25pm Sat 6 Oct 12
SWBorderer
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8:51pm Sat 6 Oct 12
Having said that, there is no excuse for the way we played, Stefan's kicking out of hand was abysmal, he is obviously out of his depth. The only people who haven't known for two years that our front row is too weak are the people responsible for organising the side.
I can't see any way we can improve with Edwards in charge, he is blind to the problems and appears to have little tactical awareness apart from throw the ball anywhere.
Robert, your comments about Dan's injury are mystifying, with the bone broken, the only support for the ankle is the tendons which can be even more serious if damaged, there is no way he should have been allowed to put any weight on that ankle. If the Dragons can't afford proper medical care, perhaps they could all sell their Mac books to raise the cash.
I shall be watching my Grandson's U14's tomorrow and I expect to see more skill and tactical awareness than I saw from the Dragons.
silurix
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11:02pm Sat 6 Oct 12
number12
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3:05pm Sun 7 Oct 12
dereksboy
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5:21pm Sun 7 Oct 12
dalesman1666
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10:26am Mon 8 Oct 12
The best way to watch the dragons is with a remote in your hand +with one click there gone.
dereksboy
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1:44pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer
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2:26pm Mon 8 Oct 12
silurix wrote:Silurex you are quite right more money is needed at all four regions but when you look at the facilities coming on stream at Rodney Parade there is some improvement in that area and without having to get into more debt than can be managed thanks to Mr Brown and his know how. On Scrum V last night there was talk about the lack of money being put in by the WRU in year that saw them make £62 million profit without putting much back into the regional game and hence the Premiership/Champion
We lost the services of Luke Charteris, Aled Brew, Lloyd Burns, Jason Tovey, Tom Willis and Gavin Thomas for this season. With all due respect , the replacements may eventually make the grade , but they have not done so yet. Can't fault their effort last night , but the skill levels on display, with a few exceptions , were of a poor standard. Quality will sometimes see you through bad patches , but the Dragons don't have enough of it - they need to overperform every week just to stand still. I think that was why Tony Brown was asking for more resources for the regions from the WRU. He knows that the Dragons will be up against it without the extra quality that only more cash will make possible. I think "plucky losers" is the only title we can win this season as things stand. Whether a new coach would make any difference is a matter of opinion. Its possible, but not guaranteed. The same financial constraints would apply to whoever was in charge.
ship level. It seems they pay out the minimum to lower level clubs rather than the higher levels out of some unknown reasons. The lower level clubs need financial support yes but it should be shared out better. £40 million shared out by the four regions, premiership, championship and the various divisions that make up Welsh rugby on a balanced basis will do more to strengthen Welsh rugby that a big fat bank balance at the top in Wales.
Robert Shillabeer
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2:35pm Mon 8 Oct 12
silurix wrote:Silurex you are quite right more money is needed at all four regions but when you look at the facilities coming on stream at Rodney Parade there is some improvement in that area and without having to get into more debt than can be managed thanks to Mr Brown and his know how. On Scrum V last night there was talk about the lack of money being put in by the WRU in year that saw them make £62 million profit without putting much back into the regional game and hence the Premiership/Champion
We lost the services of Luke Charteris, Aled Brew, Lloyd Burns, Jason Tovey, Tom Willis and Gavin Thomas for this season. With all due respect , the replacements may eventually make the grade , but they have not done so yet. Can't fault their effort last night , but the skill levels on display, with a few exceptions , were of a poor standard. Quality will sometimes see you through bad patches , but the Dragons don't have enough of it - they need to overperform every week just to stand still. I think that was why Tony Brown was asking for more resources for the regions from the WRU. He knows that the Dragons will be up against it without the extra quality that only more cash will make possible. I think "plucky losers" is the only title we can win this season as things stand. Whether a new coach would make any difference is a matter of opinion. Its possible, but not guaranteed. The same financial constraints would apply to whoever was in charge.
ship level. It seems they pay out the minimum to lower level clubs rather than the higher levels out of some unknown reasons. The lower level clubs need financial support yes but it should be shared out better. £40 million shared out by the four regions, premiership, championship and the various divisions that make up Welsh rugby on a balanced basis will do more to strengthen Welsh rugby that a big fat bank balance at the top in Wales.
silurix
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3:06pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Robert Shillabeer
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3:18pm Mon 8 Oct 12
Keith Barnett
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8:22pm Mon 8 Oct 12
The WRU need to invest in the Regions before they spiral out of existence
It's about funding and the Welsh Regions are the poorest in the Northern Hemisphere
Robert Shillabeer
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12:12am Tue 9 Oct 12
Euwan Usami
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1:25pm Wed 10 Oct 12
Laugh a minute
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10:39am Sat 3 Nov 12
Lets look at the DoR - for me he is the man appointed to oversee all of those elements and quite frankly he is no where near it. In the modern era of professional sport you do not need a DoR who is steeped in rugby history or tradition (aka Crosskeys and Newbridge) you need professionals from the commercial world who understand how to measure demand of the modern game, design your approaches to satisfy demand, select the right people, players, coaches, medical backup, analysts who have an edge, not happy with the status quo, never standing still and thinking outside the box. Steve Jobs of Apple said "get up every morning with vigour and surround yourself with talented people" exactly the same in sport. don't moan about money, resources, players, produce your own, set new standards, don't follow other regions look at what the best in the world are doing and do it better. Unfortunately we have the current incumbent Beale and his ill matched team of coaches and support staff all looking over their shoulder to see who to blame, The Board, The DoR, The Coaches, The Players, The WRU, The Name, I could go on and on, read the postings it will follow the pattern laid out above.
Quite simply guys, we have employed the wrong person who is not equipped to do the job. He in turn has appointed the wrong Team of coaches, medics etc, who invariably will set poor standards because that's all they know, which in turn promotes the wrong culture, hence the results.
So in essence Beale is out of there tomorrow, and for the good of Gwent don't appoint an imbecile like Kingsley Jones, (look at Phil Davies a replica model, who will get the boot from Cardiff in the not to distant future) search for the right person irrespective of their rugby backgrounds, do they have the right characteristics, FTSE 100 experience, large budgets and Large P & L exposure, turnaround experience, relationship management for sponsorship and marketing, demonstrable record of selecting talented people and proof of delivering the required outcomes. I sincerely hope the Board of the Dragons or WRU read this for the good of the game in Gwent and ultimately Wales
Euwan Usami says...
9:38pm Fri 5 Oct 12