In the Dragons' Eye - Opposition Preview: Blues

Opposition view:

Cardiff Blues

Quick facts

Pro 12 position: 7th

Challenge Cup position: 2nd

Anglo Welsh position: 4th

Stadium: BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park

Postcode: CF10 1JA

Capacity: 12,125

League form

The Blues made a blistering start to the season, winning their first 4 matches including an impressive away win against Munster at Thomond Park. Since then, Wales’ Capital Region has seen their season has falter, with 5 defeats in 6 games leaving them outside of the Champions Cup places. Their last league win came in Treviso in early November.

European form

The Blues started their European campaign in fine form, registering two comfortable wins over Bristol and Pau in rounds one and two. They continued that run with an emphatic win over Bath earlier this month. A comprehensive defeat in the return fixture at the Rec has halted that run, and they are now tied with Bath on points at the top of their table, only behind on points difference. (Anyone for a knockout tie?)

Anglo-Welsh form

Two defeats against Exeter and the Ospreys see the Blues bottom of their group. They play Sale and Worcester when the competition resumes in February.

How to get to the stadium

In the extremely unlikely event that you haven’t been before, the BT Sport Arms Park is adjacent to the Principality Stadium. Unfortunately no trains are operating on Boxing Day, but bus services are running with a revised schedule, and we suggest checking local bus operators’ websites for details.  

Sadly the DOSC coach is sold out for this game.

Blues Danger Men

The Blues have spent well in the off-season, making good use of their backer's money to fill out their squad. Willis Halaholo joined from New Zealand super xv franchise the Hurricanes in October and will start in the centre alongside last year's import, Ray Lee-Lo. Both are classy players, and it was the latter's well timed run into a gap in a tiring Dragons defence that set up a last minute winning try for the Blues in the fixture at Rodney Parade last season. The Men of Gwent's all welsh midfield of Adam Warren and Tyler Morgan will have their work cut out for them!

Elsewhere, Nick Williams will hope to get the home side over the gain line, forming a bulky back row alongside Josh Navidi and Sam Warburton. The Dragons will need to take some of their good line speed shown at home and apply it in this game to stop the big man before he gains momentum. The tussle between Warburton and heir apparent, Ollie Griffiths, will also be a fascinating encounter.

We would like to extend our congratulations to Sam on his 100th appearance for his region, although of course we hope he is disappointed at the final whistle.

What Blues' fans think of us

Dragons Danger Men

A few were mentioned, but none more so than Rynard Landman and Ed Jackson - which is perhaps unsurprising given they tried, and failed, to sign the former. The boiler house is certainly an area where the Dragons are stronger on paper, with Cory Hill set to start alongside Rynard, forming a bulkier second row than their Blues counterparts.  

Realistic hopes for the match

Everyone is always going to be confident for a derby.

However the general consensus from the Blues fans is a close game with a home win. Never underestimate the Dragons though, we won the duel in pre-season ;-).

Season in review so far

The Blues fans are generally positive but a little disheartened at recent performances and results. Although very few have targeted the end of the season playoffs, many are optimistic of a Champions Cup place, which they have missed out on in recent seasons.

Verdict

Our recent record against the fellow Welsh regions is dire. However, records are there to be broken and I think we have a great chance here.

The last time we met our Blues counterparts on Boxing day, the game ended in a 23 – 17 victory for the Men of Gwent. Coincidentally, Tavis Knoyle scored for the Blues in that game. (Here’s hoping he does the same for us this time round.)

For us to win, we have to start quickly. The Blues have failed to overturn a single half time deficit at home this season, so a quick start is vital.

The Blues worst point return in league home matches this season is 15, so the Dragons will need to be dogged in defence. I am sure that a vocal support will inspire the team to do this.

Prediction

Blues 13 - 21 Dragons

Ryan Robinson – Dragons Community Ambassador

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

#standupfortheMenofGwent

Blues

M Morgan, A Cuthbert, R Lee-Lo, W Halaholo, T James, S Shingler, L Williams, R Gill, K Dacey, S Andrews, M Cook, J Down, J Navidi, S Warburton (captain), N Williams. Replacements: K Myhill, B Thyer, T Filise, J Hoeata, E Jenkins, T Williams, N Robinson, C Allen.

Dragons

T Prydie, P Howard, T Morgan, A Warren, A Hewitt, A O’Brien, T Knoyle, S Hobbs, R Thomas, L Fairbrother, C Hill, R Landman, L Evans (captain), O Griffiths, E Jackson. Replacements: E Dee, T Davies, B Harris, M Screech, N Crosswell, S Pretorius, D Jones, S Beard.

In the Dragons' Eye - Opposition Preview: Worcester Warriors

Opposition view: 

Worcester Warriors

Quick facts:

Premiership position: 11th

Challenge cup position: 4th

Stadium: Sixways Stadium

Postcode: WR3 8ZE

Capacity: 12,024

League form:

The Warriors have had an indifferent start to the season, with one win from their opening 10 fixtures which came in a narrow 11 – 9 win over Newcastle Falcons at Sixways. Another home defeat against Wasps last weekend means Worcester find themselves in 11th and facing a relegation dogfight with Bristol RFC. However, they can take some positives for their display against Wasps, with their scrum in particular causing the visitors problems.

European form:

The Warriors have paid the price for fielding youthful sides in Europe, with only 2 losing bonus points to show for their efforts.  A narrow home defeat to Brive in round 2 leaves the Warriors needing points against the Dragons before Christmas to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

How to get to the stadium:

Sixways is conveniently positioned adjacent to J6 on the M5 with parking available at the ground and nearby. It is best to book parking in advance, and you can do this by calling the Warriors ticket office on 01905 459309. There are 3 train stations in Worcester with the main one heading straight into the town centre. Buses and taxis can be found in the city centre which operate to the stadium.

Atmosphere:

The ground was reasonably quiet for their home defeat to Brive in October. Dragons fans will expect to out sing the Warriors faithful to create an atmosphere reminiscent of Kingsholm in February. Men of Gwent, can you hear us? Show the foe that you are fearless….. ;-)

Best place to eat and drink (inside the stadium):

The main clubhouse is closed to away supporters but there are numerous food outlets in and around the stadium. The majority of these can be found in the east stand of the ground with plenty of seating space to sit and mingle with fellow supporters. A Cornish pasty, chips and a drink can be purchased for £8.

Best place to eat and drink (outside the stadium):

Warriors fans have suggested The Tything for a beer and this can be found 200 yards from Firegate St railway station. A number of food outlets, bars and restaurants are also nearby, with Warriors fans suggesting The Pheasant, The Bull or The Three Pears as the best places for food.

The Warriors danger men:

Ben Te’o and Chris Pennell starred as the Warriors slipped to defeat against Brive, and the Dragons will have a tough task defending these two strike runners. Tom Heathcote, if fit, will also cause problems for the Dragons. Also, as mentioned above, the Worcester scrum caused Wasps no end of trouble at the weekend, so Ceri Jones’ men will have to be on their game to ensure we win set piece ball.

What the Warriors think of the Dragons:

Danger men:

The fans at the Brive game highlighted Hallam Amos, Sarel Pretorious and Lewis Evans as three players that they fear ahead of our meeting at Sixways. (and rightly so - ed)

Realistic qualification hopes:

Scrum half Luke Baldwin said in his post-match interview against Brive that they could still qualify from the group. He admitted that the group may be out of their hands but felt 8 points against the Dragons can put them back in command.

Attack coach Sam Vesty echoed these views and said he couldn’t believe how they lost both previous games and challenged his side to win both ties against the Dragons.

Verdict:

The Warriors are there for the taking. Their main downfall in defeat to Brive, was their inability to capitalise on good attacking positions. Scrum half Luke Baldwin called on his side to be more clinical in attack and this was something that all Warriors fans would have agreed with. If the Dragons can put together a resolute defensive display, then they have every chance of winning. In terms of attack, the Dragons must be patient and error free, with Brive scoring after exploiting the holes in the Warriors defence that occurred after numerous phases.

Prediction:

Warriors 17 – 22 Dragons

Ryan Robinson – Dragons community ambassador

#standupforthemenofGwent

In the Dragons' Eye - Opposition Preview: Leinster

Ahead of our Pro12 fixture against Irish province, Leinster on Saturday evening (kick off 7.35pm), our man Ryan Robinson takes a look at our next opponents and gives some handy tips for those fans making the trip across the Irish sea.

Opposition view: Leinster

Quick facts

Pro 12 position: 2nd

rds2.png

Champions Cup position: 1st

Stadium: Royal Dublin Society (RDS)

Capacity: 18,500

League form

Leinster have made a fantastic start to the Pro12 season and sit second in the table, having lost only twice in away defeats to Glasgow Warriors and the Scarlets. The defeat to Scarlets last weekend was preceded by wins over Zebre, Connacht and an emphatic victory over Munster. Leinster have a 100% home record in the league this season and it will be a tough game for the Men of Gwent.

European form

Leinster are also top of their Champions Cup group, with one win and one defeat so far. They find themselves in a difficult group, alongside Northampton Saints, French giants Castres and Montpellier. Qualification from this group would be a good achievement for the Irish province, despite their rich history of success in European competition.

How to get to the stadium

Bus:

There are several buses that go to the RDS stadium from across Dublin. Aircoach can be used to go directly from the airport to the stadium.  From the city centre, buses 4,7,8,18 and 46a all stop at the RDS.

DART system:

Short for Dublin Area Rapid Transit, it is a quick way to reach the stadium. Both Lansdowne Road and Grand Canal Dock stations are within a 5-minute walk to the stadium.

Car:

The stadium is located on the R118.  You can join this from Trinity College and drive for approximately 2km. Parking is available at the ground, for a small fee when you arrive. To check availability, you can call + 353 1 668 0866.

Best place to eat and drink (inside the stadium)

Credit: http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/supporters/laighin-out/

Credit: http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/supporters/laighin-out/

There is an official supporters bar at the stadium which welcomes away supporters. It is called the Laighin Out bar and has food and drink available as-well as Wi-Fi, big screens and on occasion, player interviews before and after the match.

There is also the Centurion Bar at the entrance to the Anglesea stand. Numerous food outlets can be found in the Grandstand and the Anglesea Stand.

Best place to eat and drink (outside the stadium)

Leinster fans have suggested Donnybrook Village as a good place to go before the game. It is a fifteen-minute walk from the stadium and contains chain fast food outlets as-well as independent bars and restaurants.

For something closer to the ground, there are the options of The Horseshoe House, The Bridge and Paddy Cullen’s all within 300m of the stadium.

Leinster danger men

Hard to say without knowing how many of their internationals will be rested following their heroic efforts in the Autumn Internationals. One would imagine that players involved in Saturday’s match against Australia are unlikely to feature against the Dragons, but Leinster still have incredible strength in depth with Isa Nacewa and Adam Byrne likely to cause problems. Other notable players pointed out from the Leinster fan base are Dan Leavy, Joey Carberry and Jamison Gibson- Park.

What Leinster fans think of the Dragons

Dragons' Danger Men:

Leinster fans highlighted 4 players that they think will cause them problems. These were Tyler Morgan, Ashton Hewitt, Rynard Landman and Sarel Pretorius (they clearly didn't see Ollie Griffiths' and Angus O'Brien's performances on the weekend). With these 4 in the side, we have the capabilities to take on anyone on their own patch.

Chances of winning:

Being unbeaten at the RDS since February last year means Leinster fans are rightly confident of their side winning again against the Dragons.

Verdict

Trips to Ireland are always difficult, but having said that, there are positives for the Dragons ahead of their duel in Dublin. The Gwent region were the last team to win at the RDS. We also did the double over Leinster last season and have won 4 on the bounce at home, with the team really settling in to their new style of play. A difficult side regardless of who plays, the Dragons have a lot of things going for them ahead of this match.

Prediction

Leinster 22 – 24 Dragons

Ryan Robinson – Dragons community ambassador

#standupfortheMenofGwent

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Dragons 27 - 19 Edinburgh

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A cold Sunday afternoon at Rodney Parade was warmed up by another exciting, committed and thoroughly determined performance from the Dragons, with a hugely important result in defeating Edinburgh. 

Much had been made pre-match about the team attempting to create a fortress at Rodney Parade, with the 3 previous home wins in succession going some way to build the atmosphere that makes our stadium such an intimidating place for away teams to visit.  This victory not only increased this record to 4 successive home wins, but crucially continued the momentum that the recent performances had been slowly building.

An hugely entertaining first half was dominated by the impressive playmaking skills of Angus O'Brien & Sam Beard in the backline, and a massively dominate performance from Ollie Griffiths.  A player of huge potential, who's development has been curtailed by nagging injuries thus far, is starting to show just why Dragons supporters hold him in such high esteem.  He not only dominated the breakdown, but in the loose demonstrated his undoubted skillset and rugby nous, often drawing in the Edinburgh defence and spreading the ball wide, a skill that seems to have escaped Welsh Rugby in recent times.

The invention and rugby nous was not limited to these 3 players, with TRT showing some great awareness to steal the ball at a non-contested maul, and set off down the touchline, setting up a fantastic counter attack try for Carl Meyer, who finished very well indeed.

Sam Hobbs, who along with Sam Beard, has been a fantastic signing for the Dragons, ploughed over for the 2nd try, and Angus O'Brien then started and finished a move (after 3,287 TMO replays), created by yet another pinpoint kick from Sam Beard.  Genuinely lost count of how many tries his intelligent kicking game has created for Hallam, Ashton and Angus now this season.

Throughout this incredible 1st half Edinburgh played their part, with some enterprising Rugby, and a good performances from their No 8 Manu, fullback Kinghorn, and old Rodney Parade favourite Jason Tovey.

The second half, understandably failed to live up to the spectacle of the 1st, and became very disjointed due to the number of injuries sustained by both teams, but the Dragons defended bravely, and demonstrated the level of determined and stubborn resistance that the Rodney Parade faithful have been encouraged by this season. 

With a Angus O'Brien penalty sealing the win, Rodney Parade celebrated a very important result, and the momentum that it continues to build.  Praise must go to all the players involved, who really dug in, the new signings that have settled so quickly (especially Tavis Knoyle) and the senior players such as TRT, Lewis & Nick Crosswell, who are really leading by example. 

The coaching staff it must be said are developing a very entertaining brand of Rugby, the delivery of a very solid set piece, and the continued development of some of the best young talent around.  This can be demonstrated by the calm, confident and assured performances of Angus O'Brien in the last few matches.

We hit the road now, with tough fixtures both away at Leinster in Pro12 and then our European fixture with Worcester Warriors.  Running an away travel event for Worcester, we've already had a good number of bookings made for this trip, which we can hopefully take a good number of away fans with us.  We'd recommend booking early through our or the Dragons website (closes around Weds 7th Dec) to ensure suitable transport is pre-booked and available, and for us to take the maximum numbers we can to Support the guys through a vital Euro fixture.

A final word from us goes out to for Referee Frank Murphy, who took charge of his first game at this level.  Our congratulations to Mr Murphy, and we wish him all the very best for his career moving forward.  He handled the game very well, and seemed to be in control throughout the game, allowing himself time to make decisions, and not being influenced by a very vocal Rodney Parade crowd (unfortunately).  A few errors that Dragons Supporters felt were made were more to do with consistency of TMO application, but regardless of these observations, we offer our sincere best wishes, and hope he makes a big success out of his new career.

DOSC Man of Match (Vote on Twitter): Ollie Griffiths

Dragons : C Meyer; P Howard, S Beard, J Dixon (T Morgan), A Hewitt; A O’Brien, T Knoyle (S Pretorius); S Hobbs (P Price), R Thomas (R Buckley), B Harris (L Fairbrother), N Crosswell, M Screech (J Thomas), L Evans (capt), E Jackson (N Cudd), O Griffiths (Cudd).

Tries: Meyer, Hobbs, O’Brien

Cons: O’Brien (3)

Pens: O’Brien (2)

Edinburgh: B Kinghorn; D Hoyland, C Dean, P Burleigh, M Allen; (G Bryce) J Tovey (D Weir 53), S Kennedy (S Hidalgo-Clyne); J Cosgrove, N Cochrane (capt, S McInally), M McCallum, F McKenzie (L Carmichael), B Toolis, M Bradbury, N Manu (V Mata), J Ritchie.

Tries: Manu, Dean, Mata; cons: Tovey, Weir.

Referee: Frank Murphy (Ireland).

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Competition - Present Man of Match Award with Guinness at Edinburgh Fixture

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Thanks to the kind support of both the Dragons, and the Pro12 sponsors Guinness, we've been offered the chance to run a competition where one of our members can win the chance to present the Man of the Match award immediately after this Sunday's fixture against Edinburgh (15:30 kick off at Rodney Parade).

To enter just fill in the form below, and the lucky winner will be drawn at random this Saturday evening (26th Nov).  The competition is open to all Dragons Official Supporters' Club members, which remains free to join here for those that are yet to register.

Good luck...

#StandUpForTheMenOfGwent

Dragons 36 - 21 Scarlets

Photo courtesy of @welsh_si

Photo courtesy of @welsh_si

The Dragons won their third game on the bounce at home as they continue in their quest to make Rodney Parade a fortress once again.

On a chilly night in Gwent, the Dragons made a sluggish start to the game, gifting the Scarlets territory and possession through silly penalties and forced offloads, allowing their opponents to open up a 6-0 lead through the boot of Dan Jones.

A penalty earned from a driving maul allowed Angus O'Brien to bring it back to 6-3, and, following another Scarlets penalty, the Caerleon RFC product then put Kiwi Sam Beard over for a try, converting it to put the Dragons into a 10-9 lead.  The Dragons' failure to clear their lines allowed the Scarlets in for their first try of the evening just before half time, making it 16-10 and summing up a fairly lackluster first 40 for the home side.

The half time break saw DOSC chairman, Brad Hayward, interviewed on the pitch, and our esteemed leader did a great job in promoting supporters club events and away travel plans. The winner of the 50-50 raffle was also drawn (and is yet to be claimed).  

The Dragons were given a huge boost in the second half when Scarlet flanker, and former Dragons Academy and Penalta RFC product, Jack Condy, was sent off for punching Nick Crosswell on the floor. This, and some strong carrying from the forward pack, created space which the backline duly exploited. Tries for the impressive Harrison Keddie, Nick Crosswell and Carl Meyer followed while Sam Beard, arguably man of the match, also grabbed a second to round off a convincing win for the region.

Following the match, the DOSC was proud to present the Worthington's Player of the Month award to Rynard Landman, for a series of barnstorming performances throughout the month. We also offered a lifetime supply of Mission Burrito tacos to sweeten ongoing contract negotiations and remain confident that this will swing the balance, and the lock will be a Dragon next season.

October's player of the month will be presented after the Edinburgh game and voting for November's award will open shortly. All members are entitled to vote and you can become a member for free by completing an application form here.

A special thanks to the parents and players of Abercarn RFC and Forgeside RFC, who were present at the game for the guard of honour. We hope you enjoyed and look forward to having you back in the future. 

We look forward to our next game at Rodney Parade against Edinburgh next Sunday at 3.30pm. Lets get behind our boys as they try to make it 4 games on the bounce at home!

#standupforthemenofgwent

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Joint Supporters Group Meeting with Pro12 and Pro Rugby Wales

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Notes of the Joint Supporters Group meeting with Pro 12 and Pro Rugby Wales

Wednesday 2nd November 2016

Liberty Stadium. Swansea

Attendees:

JSG representatives:

Cardiff Blues Supporters’ Club  Sarah Hopkins and David Elsmere

Crys 16                                               Ian Lewis and Steve Hiscocks

Dragons Supporters’ Club            Dan Hallett and Matt Andrews

Ospreys Supporters’ Club            Nigel Jones, Keith Collins and Geoff Jones

Pro 12                                                 Martin Anayi

Pro Rugby Wales                            Mark Davies and Antonia Lamont

DISCUSSION

AL opened the meeting at 6.45pm by welcoming everyone and thanking Martin for taking the time to do a return trip from London to Swansea to meet with JSG. Everyone present agreed that JSG would take the notes of the meeting for circulation to members afterwards. AL thanked JSG for their support for the recent derby games. AL ran through the list of questions that had been provided by JSG and their members in advance of the meeting and explained that they would either be picked up by MA and MD in discussion or could be specifically picked up by JSG.

MD echoed AL’s comments and said that PRW thought that meetings with the JSG was a constructive way to communicate on a two-way basis with supporters of regional rugby. MD confirmed that PRW as an ‘organisation’ consists of purely of one CEO and one Head of PR which is only contracted as a part time role – realistically and pragmatically with this resource the most effective way to communicate on complex issues is via the JSG – which is why, for example a conference call was arranged between all parties recently on the derby fixture scheduling.

MD thanked CBSC, OSC and DOSC for attending the meeting via phone conference the previous week which had been useful in setting the scene in advance of the recent derby games. MD confirmed that JSG will remain the primary means of communication on key issues as the official supporter network.

Martin Anayi, CEO of Guinness PRO12 (MA) introduced himself and said he welcomed the opportunity to meet with JSG. He explained that he had been working in his role with GuinnessPRO12 for 12 months and during that time a number of key changes had taken place to create a stand-along organisation with a dedicated team of people recruited to solely focus on promotion and development of the PRO12 Championship - not 6N or British and Irish Lions.

 

He believed that this was already seeing real benefits for the Pro12, although it was still early days.

MA priority in starting the job was to do something that hadn’t really been looked at before, which was to look at the Guinness PRO12 from a customer’s perspective. The feedback from supporters had been reviewed and already good progress was being made against the supporter ‘wish list’ but it would take time to get it right.

One of the main areas of feedback given to PRO12 was relating the fixture scheduling. Sunday fixtures were universally unpopular and supporters wanted regular kick off times on Fridays and Saturdays. Substantial changes have been made in this area with SKY Sports being asked to give up their exclusivity to Saturday games as a result of fan feedback. JSG asked about the impact of KO times on families with less afternoon games making it difficult to bring children to games. MA said that in order to meet the very clear demand for less Sundays and standardised KO times, this had been an unfortunate outcome and one that needed to be considered going forward. JSG recognised that it wasn’t easy to please all stakeholders but asked that this be a topic for future discussion with the group.

MA and MD outlined the significant complexity and time taken to renegotiate and existing contracts to allow the fixture moves from Sunday to Saturday included detailed discussions with key broadcasters to satisfy all needs; a lot of work had taken place to standardise KO times out to round 13 – this is further than the English Premiership as they have one broadcast partner and PRO12 has 7. 

The discussion turned to refereeing standards with JSG sharing several aspects of concern about the quality of officials and the impact that this was having on games and the supporter/player experience. MA stated that the other main issue raised by supporters to PRO12 in previous feedback and surveys was that of the officials. MA explained that whereas in England any issues with referees cantered around the issue of capability (as all refs were English refereeing English teams) he had been concerned previously at the questioning of the integrity of officials in the PRO12 which seemed to be based on their nationality. Any such assertion, whether perceived or otherwise, would have the potential to have a negative impact on the championship.  PRO12 had spoken extensively to all of the coaches last season who they had said that their main concern was that of quality of officiating, which was more important to them than neutrality at this point.

MA and MD explained the first priority for coaches was that PRO12 referees were deemed to have the right capability levels above and beyond merely being neutral appointments (as it was previously). Therefore based on the coaches feedback, PRO12 took the first step of creating neutral TMO’s and AR1’s (first touch judge). This has been achieved and significant cost covered by additional sponsorship so no impact to distribution to Clubs. Referee development key item but, like players, cannot develop referees overnight. Review of season to date taking place end Nov which will include referee appointments, decisions and development needs as well as assessment process.  

JSG asked about the development of referees and MD confirmed that Ireland and Wales were already well on with developing a good pathway for officials.  MA and MD outlined that Ireland and Wales have mature competition structures that allow development and fast tracking of referees across multiple competitions. They are now including Scottish and Italian development referees in those pathways to fast track new referees. PRO12 now has a defined Development Group of referees from the 4 countries with a focus on fast track.

JSG noted that a detailed discussion had taken place the previous week with MD about scheduling, and the recent derbies and a full explanation given. However, given the questions and feedback from supporters, JSG asked for further comment from MA.

MA explained that it was a very complex process with all 12 clubs submitting individual requests to the tournament director in May (this might for example include the Welsh regions requesting a specific weekend for Judgment Day). Then any stadium restrictions had to be accounted for.  MD added that this was particularly complicated in Wales due to two of the stadia being affected by football (Ospreys and Dragons) and one being affected by events at the Principality Stadium (BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park).

By the end of May, all clubs requests are taken into account as the Tournament Director creates a draft schedule. In June, once the Football fixtures are released, all stakeholders in the competition clubs, unions, broadcasters are provided with the weekend schedule for formal agreement at the end of June. 

The next step is for the broadcasters to make their ‘picks’ - their requests and this season the impact of the requests from PRO12 supporters for less Sundays and more standardised fixture times had to be negotiated into the contracts. This is then circulated back to the clubs who feed back to the Tournament Director for formal sign-off mid-July.

A two-week gap is then given before public announcement to allow Team Managers to book travel. The ‘Big Weekends’ approach as an exciting and vital new development in the competition to raise profile and effectiveness as a Championship was agreed by all Stakeholders in May; but dates have to be agreed across all 4 countries – ie Judgement Day date has to be agreed by Ireland to ensure Irish derbies take place same weekend and vice versa if any requests from Ireland/Scotland/Wales.

 Big Weekend at round 7 agreed and signed off by all parties end June, so everyone involved missed the implication of overlap with call up window in Wales and MA and MD apologised to supporters that had been unhappy with R7 schedule although they outlined that the call up window in Ireland also overlapped but there had been no issue in Ireland.  MD outlined that it was positive that the derby weekend had seen strong crowds and two great games of rugby from the wider squad players entertaining supporters without all internationals being available. MA pointed out that if the round had been inter-Union then Welsh regions would have been up against full strength Scottish or Italian sides who did not have the additional international weekend call up.

JSG thanked MA for his honesty and said that this openness with the wider supporter network previously might have prevented some of the comments posted on social media. MD said that PRW and PRO12 both feel strongly about being open with supporters and per the previous week’s discussions, the primary focus was to support the Clubs in the build-up to the important derby fixtures and to project the positive aspects of these games. JSG were supportive of this position as had been agreed at the previous meeting.

MA went on to say that there was now a bigger commercial balance between club championship and international levels and that both recognised that there were mutual benefits for success in both arenas, from a rugby perspective and a commercial one. MD said that the current relationship between the regions and WRU had been transformed over the last 12 months and that it was now much more of a partnership approach to rugby and commercial activity.

MD outlined that particularly in Wales, for the success of Welsh rugby, club and international rugby are completely inter-reliant.  MD emphasised the complete ‘partnership’ approach is currently working well in Welsh Rugby.

JSG asked about the move to an improved season structure. MA said that all parties recognised the need for less games in the season and that this was a hot topic everywhere. MD said that contractual arrangements were in place until 2019 and there was lots of work behind the scenes on developing options to plug the commercial gap that would inevitably be left by less international fixtures.

JSG asked about the value of continuing to have the Italian teams in the GuinnessPRO12. MD said that all aspects of the ‘product’ had to perform and if any area was not contributing or was affecting the quality or integrity of the championship, then that would be reviewed. MA said that the Italian market for rugby was generally struggling and PRO12 were active in trying to help them develop commercially. There are also participation agreements that had to be honoured.

JSG asked how PRO12 was considering its uniqueness (4 nations clubs) as a selling point and point of growth. MA said it was important that the PRO12 did not shrink but that it grew, and a discussion was had about the great opportunities supporters had to travel within this competitions, although logistics and costs could be prohibitive.

JSG asked whether there were plans to expand the PRO12 championship. MA said that standing still or going backwards was not an option and that PRO12 had to look to grow.  MD added that PRO12 was equally being pursued by other parties. His view was that this was inevitable given that there were only 4 professional leagues and two of those are ring-fenced.

JSG asked whether expansion would be likely by adding a development league and MA said that this was not on the agenda as improving quality was of key importance. This was currently an issue with others seeking a place in the PRO12 as even countries such as the USA and Canada don’t have a substantial structure in place as yet.

MD said that another advantage of the PRO12 was how flexible and open to change the participants were.

MA said that wage inflation remained a big factor in our game and that although revenues are increasing, wage inflation in still increasing at a faster rate, although there had been discussions at EPCR recently about this issue.

JSG asked about future TV deals and when the next one would be negotiated. MA said that the next cycle of deals starts in the 18/19 season and so this means going back to market in around April 2017. PRO12 are currently working on agreeing our proposition and packages so that we can place ourselves to get the best commercial deals. MD said that previously the PRO12 had not been sold as an exciting ‘product’ and a lot of good, positive work was going on behind the scenes in this area.

MA said that the recent improvements in attendances, TV viewership and digital engagement was helping the brand and the product which should, in the longer term, drive more investment in the PRO12.

AL said that the PRO12 would be seeking to engage with supporters again via survey to gain more feedback on the competition and would work with JSG to get detailed feedback from their memberships to inform PRO12 and PRW on the specific views of supporters in Wales; to help shape and focus forward activity to help provide the best possible customer experience for supporters of the PRO12 competition.

AL said that she would work with JSG to arrange a wider consultation session for the members of CBSC, Crys 16, DoSC and OSC in early 2017 and thanked everyone for attending.

JSG thanked MA, MD and AL for their time and for the frank and constructive discussions, reiterating that this was a great format to jointly discuss and communicate relevant issues on behalf of members and the wider supporters base.

Meeting closed at 9pm.    

Dragons 21 - 16 Connacht

Another uplifting performance at Rodney Parade this season, where the team have generally performed well this season, and it is hoped this victory, coupled with the great performance against Brive, can provide such much need momentum and confidence for the team. 

Dogged, determined and physical, the team defended manfully throughout, and demonstrated a high level of intensity up front, and no shortage of ambition behind the scrum.  Injury to Nick Macleod had given Angus O'Brien the opportunity to start at 10 again, and a mature, composed and brave performance from the fly-half saw the team home, to build on 2 great tries from Ashton Hewitt. 

The pack really fought tooth and nail, with the scrum looking especially strong throughout the game.  This solidity (a tribute to both players and Ceri Jones alike) made a big impression on Supporters, and coupled with the hugely dedicated performance from the 2nd and back rows around the breakdown, set the platform for the victory. 

A try in each half for Ashton, firstly from turnover ball, and great hands across the line, and the second from another deft grabber kick from Sam Beard (repeating his trick from Brive game). 

A sign of not only what the Dragons coaching staff are trying to implement this season, and what the players are capable of, hopefully the guys can kick on, and build on this in the next home fixture to the Scarlets, who we ran close at PYS a few weeks ago. 

 

 

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