URC is BACK! Dragons v Ospreys Sat Sept 21st @3pm

Why we didn't splash some good cash on a tight head puzzles me 😕 Possibly the most important position in the way we play. It seems though that the management are pretty excited about Ben Warren...let's hope he comes good, is he injured?

I wonder if this season we're going to see some decent back play, that would be a nice change. RMW just doesn't do it for me, hopefully KH will make a massive difference.

Anyone know why Morgan Morse is playing for the Whites, not in the Ospreys 23? I'm presuming game management 🤷

I notice a few on here questioning finances ref SH and the decision ref Toby leaving...going on conversations I've had with Blyth, Toby, Mike James the funding is no issue and it's just a matter of getting things up and running, no issues from what I heard. Also, Toby's relationship with the others mentioned is very good, I cannot see any other problems that would stir it up.. I think a lot of people are very glass half empty and looking at the slightest 'issues' with more negativity than necessary.

See my reply above to your first post.

Just saw it. That’s good to hear. I guess until the proverbial spade is in the ground, rumours and conjecture will continue!

Not much is going to happen until after the end of the cricket season as the new wicket takes 18 months to grow. There are a couple of stadium building companies in the mix and they are aware of our timescales and are confident that they can be met. The clubhouse is the first thing to be revamped.

There is a case for debate about these offences as there is no offence if the collapse is involuntary. In fact if a prop twists, lowers, forces down an opponent or has his head lower than his hips he is the one guilty of foul play. How a ref is supposed to know when a collapse is intentional or involuntary I have no idea and the last two scrum pens against Ospreys saw their TH chewing grass as well.

IIRC the ref said something about the TH not chasing or chasing his feet and the second call came from the assistant ref even though we had gotten the ball away from the scrum.

Thanks for that. I wish the mealy mouthed commentators would tell us these things instead of rabbit ting on about nothing related to what is occurring. I am not always so sharp at seeing these offences and often am left mystified.

He was with Bridgend and yes he is quite good - well he did well against the Exeter Chiefs so he must have something about him.

Not seen him play. Seen him train. Big guy but not conditioned to pro level. Scrum smashed against Exeter in first half but guy who went said it was a bigger problem on the loose head with Stef Thomas. I prefer the idea of conditioning a young prop like this lad and Rhys Henry rather than converting a more athletic type from back row as with Warren. If the recent hype around Warren is to be justified then we will need to see a lot better from him than we saw against Edinburgh and Lions when he was only for 20 minutes or so and was rag dolled in scrums. Let’s hope this is the case when he returns from injury.

Dragons RFC: Angus O’Brien, Rio Dyer, Joe Westwood, Aneurin Owen, Jared Rosser, Lloyd Evans, Dane Blacker; Rodrigo Martinez, Brodie Coghlan, Leon Brown, Ben Carter (c), Matthew Screech, Ryan Woodman, Harri Keddie, Shane Lewis-Hughes

Replacements: James Benjamin, Rhodri Jones, Luke Yendle, George Nott, Dan Lydiate, Rhodri Williams, Harry Wilson, Ewan Rosser.

They have even more absentees from their "first team" and their bench doesn't have the dynamism and energy of ours. Could be a good game.

As I thought Booth did not disclose all injuries. Rhys Henry and Garyn Phillips were rumoured to be out and this appears to be the case

Possibly and probably but as they are potentially available for selection I thought it would be an idea to put them in. Obviously it will be an indicator of how Booth sees these players if anyone makes the squad.

Also, I have seen elsewhere someone saying that Henry was injured so young Matholwch might be called on.

I would be amazed if Booth disclosed all our injuries. He never has done in the past and I doubt he will start now. The transitional players have a handful like Morse Lloyd and Tristan who have provided they are senior squad members already and a number that may be ready in crisis and some that are nowhere near ready to be put on the field.