Dragons v Ulster

[bootlaced]

Destiny is in our own hands, to hell with the various permutations we will be better rested than Dragons,lets hope Ulster go there with fire in the belly, passion in the heart,and a steely mindset.this is a game that we can and must win.

[gannonman]

I have the confidence we will go out there and win and with a bonus point. I believe that when our players are given this sort of match they go all out to win it and they give it their all. Dragons have been playing well recently so we will have to be at our best but if we play an open game and cut the mistakes we will have a good chance.

[Flads]

In their faces from the kick off and don't let them settle! We can do it!!

[Article]

They have already done us a favour by beating a huge Cardiff team...they are playing well and full of confidence. We need to bring our A game.

[bootlaced]

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/sport/ ... _top_trio/

NEWPORT Gwent Dragons return from their three-day bank holiday break anxiously waiting on the fitness of three key players ahead of their final game of the season against Ulster at Rodney Parade on Friday night.

Backs Adam Hughes and Ashley Smith plus openside Gavin Thomas are all struggling to make it after suffering injuries in their terrific victory over Cardiff Blues which ended a five year drought against their nearest rivals.

Smith, who has a nagging shoulder problem, actually played right through the second half with damaged ribs, Hughes couldn’t come out for the second half because of a neck problem while Thomas suffered a recurrence of the knee injury which made him a doubt for the game.

With Martyn Thomas and Will Harries also ruled out, the Dragons are pretty stretched among the backs, but Pat Leach and Matthew Pewtner are standing by to replace Smith and Hughes if they fail to make it.

It’s not the same issue in the back row where Lewis Evans would replace Thomas, as he has done successfully before this season, though coach Darren Edwards wants to give departing Joe Bearman game time in front of the home fans before he joins the Ospreys.

The Dragons will hold the key to who makes the Magners League playoffs right up to the end of the regular season.

If they beat Ulster with the visitors failing to get a losing bonus point or score four tries and the Ospreys gain their expected bonus point win against Aironi in Italy, the Ospreys will scrape into the playoffs. The Blues will, too, if they beat the Scarlets away and Ulster lose without a bonus.

The Dragons will go flat out to help their Welsh rivals and claim another big Rodney Parade scalp following successive wins there against Treviso, the Ospreys and the Blues.

“I’d love to see two Welsh teams in the playoffs, there is no animosity between the four regions,” said Edwards.

“Ulster will be going for it, they have won big games away in the Heineken Cup and they’ll be another difficult team to beat.

“But we’ll certainly be going flat out, the players are buzzing and they want to finish the season on a real high.

“We may be down to the bare bones, but we’ll be going for it, there’s definitely one more there. We’ve been building nicely and we’ve been scoring a boatload of tries.

“But we’ve got to make it a cycle of events and make sure the infrastructure is right, then we can grow things.

“We are the cutting edge, but it’s a business at the end of the day and we’ve got to make sure we’re working together.

“It’s our duty to provide entertainment.”

One player absolutely certain to play against Ulster is their newest starter, 20-year-old Steffan Jones, who had a belter against the Blues though called in out of position at full back when he is an outside half.

He scored a cracking solo try in the opening minutes and followed up in the final minutes with a penalty from near halfway.

“Steffan has got to play, he deserves his place on merit and if he can string two performances like that together we’ve certainly got some player,” said Edwards.

[HwoodMike2umate]

Do we want to be winning at half time?

[Rob6]

31 man squad for Friday night

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/9346.php

ULSTER SQUAD FORWARDS
Jerry Cronin, Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Dan Tuohy, Johann Muller, Neil McComb, Tim Barker, Pedrie Wannenburg, TJ Anderson, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack.

ULSTER SQUAD BACKS
Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Ian Humphreys, Paddy Jackson, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Darren Cave, Mark McCrea, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, Jamie Smith, Adam D'Arcy.

Ireland internationals Stephen Ferris (knee), Paddy Wallace (thumb), and Andrew Trimble (thumb) remain unavailable for selection due to injury, as does BJ Botha (knee)

[OneMore]

Do we want to be winning at half time?

If we were 50-0 up at the turnaround, I'd take it.

OM

[lovesthehardground]

31 man squad for Friday night

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/9346.php

ULSTER SQUAD FORWARDS
Jerry Cronin, Tom Court, Paddy McAllister, Bryan Young, Declan Fitzpatrick, Rory Best, Nigel Brady, Andi Kyriacou, Dan Tuohy, Johann Muller, Neil McComb, Tim Barker, Pedrie Wannenburg, TJ Anderson, Willie Faloon, Chris Henry, Robbie Diack.

ULSTER SQUAD BACKS
Ruan Pienaar, Paul Marshall, Ian Humphreys, Paddy Jackson, Ian Whitten, Nevin Spence, Darren Cave, Mark McCrea, Simon Danielli, Tommy Seymour, Craig Gilroy, Conor Gaston, Jamie Smith, Adam D'Arcy.

Damn!

Had hoped Eileen the tea lady would finally get a game but she clearly hasn't recovered from that knock to her hobnobs in training.

MK HEC team plus Gilroy and Cave to start would be my reading of the situation. "Potentially" our last game of the season so team picks itself.

There's no BJ so Fitz to start at tight head if he's fit. Agree Cave & Gilroy in for the broken thumbers. Only other change may be Faloon at 7 if McGlocks wants to counter their attacking style. I would pick our best back row combo (Henry, Diack,P3) and let them worry about us.

[ColinM]

I'd like to see Henry, Diack and Willie start, telling them that we're dictating the pace of this game. P3 offers the biggest impact off the bench as well.

The rest of it picks itself really, Fitzy for BJ, Cave & gilroy for the broken thumb twins.

Dont know if BJ will be fit for the play offs, if not its a shame his Ulster career has ended with a whimper.

[againstthehead]

flip, was hoping BJ would be back. Ain't got much out of him this season . Hopefully court is back to full fitness.

I assume there's no chance of the broken thumb twins returning for a semi-final?

[rocky]

No!

Rocky

[bootlaced]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 272643.stm

Magners League - NG Dragons v UlsterVenue: Rodney ParadeDate: Friday, 6 MayKick-off: 1905 BSTCoverage: Y Clwb Rygbi - S4C. Live updates on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Wales & BBC Radio Cymru
Steffan Jones made his Dragons debut in the win over Cardiff Blues Newport Gwent Dragons will rest centre Ashley Smith for their final Magners League match of the season against Ulster.

Smith has been suffering with a shoulder injury during recent weeks and Pat Leach will deputise.

Darren Edwards' side can have a big say as to who makes the play-offs with the Ospreys and Blues in contention.

"I think we've got to concentrate on ourselves," said Edwards. "That's the most important thing here."

The Dragons have won their last three matches at Rodney Parade including wins over Welsh rivals the Ospreys and Cardiff Blues.

And Edwards, who was confirmed as Dragons head coach last month, has spoken of the feel-good factor at Rodney Parade.

"Our last month playing here has been outstanding [and] I think we've created a great environment on the field and off the field," added Edwards. "It's good to see so many people smiling.

"It's really good that we've got Ulster coming here looking for a play-off spot and we're trying to carry on what we've been doing over the last couple of weeks.

"There will be two teams trying to make a really good game of it."

Back-row Lewis Evans will also miss out against Ulster but full-back Steffan Jones retains his place having made his senior debut against the Blues.

And Edwards has hailed Jones' performance during the 28-15 win last Friday as "outstanding."

"We've blooded quite a few young players this year and Steffan's just the latest to step up and he certainly did that," said Edwards.

"What we're trying to breed in these players [is that] they actually try and make a difference on the field.

"And Steffan's composure and attitude in trying to make a difference for us last Friday was brilliant."

Newport Gwent Dragons have won three of their last four games, but have lost their last three encounters with Irish opponents.

Ulster's only defeat in their last eight Magners League games was 26-34 at Leinster on 16 April but haven't won at Rodney Parade since September 2006.

[SparkyClarky]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport ... 50608.html

Looks like mad Willie is out for this one & a bench spot for TJ?

[WhiteKnightoftheWeld]

good photo of tom court there
*cue rant about lazy journalism...