Match Preview: Newport-Gwent Dragons vs. Ulster Rugby

[ADM]

[tag=image]http://uafc.co.uk/img/image1.JPG[/tag][tag=content]And so our luck continues!

Or maybe you could make the case that it hasn’t – did we get a good comeback win or did we spurn a bonus point? Two sides to a coin that was flipped last Friday night, and although we seemingly had the Scarlets where we wanted them with twenty minutes to go, we couldn’t deliver the killer blow that would have taken us top of the Guinness Pro12 heading into this weekend.

No, instead we are third and, although we are level with Glasgow in second and only one point behind Munster in first, to me it feels like third place has us trailing slightly. Still, all it takes is for two results to go our way and suddenly we’re top – completely going against the form we’re in at the moment: a winning form, but performance wise there is still a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to putting away inferior teams.

Edinburgh became a titanic tussle after Stuart McCloskey’s red card and a week before that our win over Treviso only became the dominant victory it was because the Italians ran out of puff with ten minutes left to play. So we head over to Newport this Sunday without Roger Wilson, without Luke Marshall, and without anything to suggest that this game will be a certain victory. Whenever Jamie Heaslip named Rodney Parade the most hostile away venue in the league, you know he wasn’t joking.

It’s also a ground that hasn’t been too kind to us over the years, especially during international periods. However, we are facing a Dragons side that has fallen on hard times over the last few weeks. After a monumental victory in Dublin over Leinster, not only did they fall to Connacht in Newport, they suffered a double blow – losing captain Rynard Landman to an eight week ban for an elbow on Jack Carty and then an embarrassing defeat in Parma to Zebre.

Connacht have done us a favour by giving us a healthy reminder that Rodney Parade can be stormed over the Six Nations and the Dragons can be tamed. And we should hold no fear at going there and getting the win either – although we seem unable to really get our game going at the moment, we are still grinding out those gritty wins and that will stand us in good stead. A winning mentality isn’t something that can simply be forgotten.

So off we go to the lair of the Dragons knowing that by Sunday afternoon we might actually have a chance of going top of the Pro12 should results go our way – though that seems unlikely given Glasgow host Zebre. Still, this is a glorious chance to dodge a banana skin and put a big win on the board that will keep our play-off hopes well and truly alive.

And one I feel will be taken.

Team news
Andrew Coombs starts for the Dragons on his return from injury as one of two changes to the Welsh side’s starting XV, both of which are up front. Ian Gough is the man to make way for Coombs, while the other change sees Nic Cudd replaced by James Benjamin at openside flanker.

Just the two changes for Ulster as well, with the suspended Roger Wilson and Luke Marshall the two players to drop out. Iain Henderson is released from Ireland duty to start at blindside, while Mike Stanley gets a first start for the province at inside centre with Darren Cave captaining Ulster for the first time. There is the possibility of a debut for centre Sam Arnold should he be introduced off the bench.

Newport-Gwent Dragons vs. Ulster Rugby
Sunday 8th March, 16:00
Rodney Parade
Guinness PRO12 – Round 16

Live on BBC2 NI and S4/C

NEWPORT-GWENT DRAGONS
15. Geraint Rhys Jones, 14. Tom Prydie, 13. Jack Dixon, 12. Ashley Smith, 11. Hallam Amos, 10. Dorian Jones, 9. Jonathan Evans; 1. Boris Stankovich, 2. T Rhys Thomas (capt.), 3. Brok Harris, 4. Andrew Coombs, 5. Cory Hill, 6. James Thomas, 7. James Benjamin, 8. Nick Crosswell.

16. Rhys Buckley, 17. Phil Price, 18. Lloyd Fairbrother, 19. Matthew Screech, 20. Scott Matthews, 21. Luc Jones, 22. Carl Meyer, 23. Ashton Hewitt.

ULSTER RUGBY
15. Louis Ludik, 14. Craig Gilroy, 13. Darren Cave (capt.), 12. Mike Stanley, 11. Michael Allen, 10. Ian Humphreys, 9. Ruan Pienaar; 1. Callum Black, 2. Rob Herring, 3. Wiehahn Herbst, 4. Dan Tuohy, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 6. Iain Henderson, 7. Clive Ross, 8. Nick Williams.

16. John Andrew, 17. Andrew Warwick, 18. Bronson Ross, 19. Lewis Stevenson, 20. Robbie Diack, 21. Paul Marshall, 22. Sam Arnold, 23. Rory Scholes.

Referee: Dudley Phillips (IRFU, 48th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Ben Whitehouse, Martyn Lewis (both WRU)
Citing Commissioner: Gwyn Bowden (WRU)
TMO: Derek Bevan (WRU)[/tag]