Preamble
A pleasing sell-out crowd and a Big (Chief) Red Cloud-sponsored Nige reffing augured well for a festive atmosphere and a good local derby contest. Even the weather was fair at the start, favouring the Blues in the first half before turning Newport Docks evil in the second, when the unfortunate Dragons had to play into the bitter wind and driving rain.
The Encounter
After a start almost as bright as the Dragons’ peeled-satsuma away kit, things looked promising. Decent lineout ball and early indications of a strong mauling game, Ashton Hewitt vigorous with and without the ball, Moriarty making a couple of inroads and Taine Basham a whirlwind of energy. After 20 minutes I realized I hadn’t used the fast-forward button, which is normally a technological godsend when watching a recording of a Drags match.
There was even a half-break from The Most Handsome Man in Rugby™, finally getting some injury-free game time for the Dragons.
Perhaps inevitably, the tide slowly turned in the Blues direction. Cardiff’s ‘interesting’ but effective breakdown tactics and the Drags poor clear-out work / sluggish passing combined to slow us down. The Blues defensive line speed and some seasonal goodwill from Nige’s patrolling of the offside line saw us under pressure and getting pushed backwards.
Our attempts to cross the gain line emphasized the poor quality of the Drags front five as ball-carriers, and our 9’s sluggish service meant they often made a standing stand rather running on to the ball at speed.
In contrast to Cardiff, the Drags deployed a more passive gain line defence, spreading across the field like a tangerine daisy chain. Unfortunately, this suited Jarrod Evans’ excellent heads-up with time-to-spare game management. A lovely dummy sent Welsh Legend Wainwright into the wrong player as Evans glided through a gap to send winger Lewis-Hughes in for the opening try.
Cardiff were taking command, and some very poor box kicking from Rhodri Williams who seemed to misjudge the conditions and playing surface (we are not in Rodney anymore, Rhodri), meant the bright start petered out. But lo, against the run of play the Drags executed a good driving maul from a lineout, and that man Basham bustled over for the touchdown. 10-5 at the, ahem, oranges.
Cardiff started the better at the outset of the second half, unsurprisingly with all the elements in their favour. But some dolly-drop passing on the Drags 22 saw an intercept from Basham, who sprinted towards the Cardiff line chin-on-chest, like a ram looking for a gate. Evans caught up and made the tackle, but Basham kept the ball alive, and after a couple of surge-and-fumbles Screech scorched over at lightspeed..
That was as good as it got from a Drags perspective. The Blues forwards further dominated the collisions and started to push our boys backwards in the tackle. The Drags bench didn’t really make an impact, and after a poor clearing kick from Williams Josh Adams went on a typically surging run. Lane was unable to gather the resulting cross-kick, but Nige yellow-carded Hewitt for I think loitering in his own 22, and a tired Drags team started to leak penalties. The Blues eased to a 16-12 victory.
Pastries and Crumbs
Although the set-piece forward battle was well contested it underlined how both teams have underpowered packs, with neither side really getting the upper hand. The Blues defence was quicker and better organised, and the Drags suffered throughout from slow ball and a lack of forward power. Basham is a fierce competitor and earned his Player of the Match status, and he seems a good leader by example.
Cardiff’s ancient warriors Gill, Andrews and Turnbull seemed to be enjoying themselves, but their Welsh Legends had quiet games, as did our lads Dee, Wainwright and Hill. Amos and Adams seem good acquisitions for the Blues, and Tovey’s last quarter kicking game (the best one of the 3 fly-halves on show) complimented Jarrod’s earlier passing and running work to close out the game.On a positive note, I always thought the Dragons has a squad good enough to compete rather than capitulate as was the case under Blarney Jackman’s peculiar tenure, and so it seems to be. We need more front five oomph which would hopefully speed the half-backs up, but otherwise matches are now bearable to watch. Marvellous.
As reported by OvallyBalls operative MisterIks.
On the telly this week
Friday 27th December
| Ulster 35 – 3 Connacht | 19:35 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Bristol 21 – 26 Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 28th December
| Treviso 36 – 25 Zebre | 13:00 | Freesports |
| Northampton 33 – 26 Gloucester | 14:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Edinburgh 29 – 19 Glasgow | 15:00 | Premier Sports 2 |
| Harlequins 30 – 30 Leicester | 16:30 | Channel 5 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Munster 6 – 13 Leinster | 18:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
Sunday 29th December
| Exeter 14 – 7 Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 1 |
Ovally Balls 
Happy New Year everyone!
Uneventful here, after a chaotic evening in the restaurant I got home just around 10:30 had a pork steak and salad and a beer before wishing LaSuava HNY and then off to bed.
I’m not much struck on New Years celebrations as the measuring of time is all so arbitrary.
LikeLike
Happy New Year, OBistas.
New decade, though arbitrary as Sauves notes, so hoping for the return of facts to discourse.
And for Wales to continue their dominance over the Wallabies
LikeLiked by 1 person
There’s a rather funny rugby out-takes programme on some obscure cable channel.
LikeLike
Hope everyone has a happy new year. Thanks Thaum for setting up this place for us reprobates.
LikeLiked by 2 people
@TomP
I only just saw the scores now. Canada defeated Czech Republic 7-2.
LikeLike
Happy Arbitrary Calendar Change!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A Guid New Year Tae Awbody!
Here’s hoping 2020 is a better year than 2019 was, for everybody. Thanks to Thaum for resurrecting this daft and wonderful little corner of the internet, and if any of our old AoDers are out there and lurking, it would be good to hear from you in the New Year.
Also – to Sag. I know you prolly won’t see this, but anyway… Thanks for everything you did for AoD and also for the music chat. I learned a lot. Hope you are well and things are going OK.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Just popped open the special birthday champagne! (Five months later….)
BB – seconded; here’s a toast to Sag.
It was pretty trivial to set the site up. What makes it is you lot, so thank you!
LikeLiked by 5 people
LaDoaB,
Ouch!
Happy New Year, me old chien.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happpeee hogmanay OBers
Just celebrated by driving the length of the country. Puking did happen but it was a child, due to car sickness rather than alez. Luckily a voluminous bag was on hand.
A wee drink before bed? Maybe.
LikeLike
A wee drink before bed? Maybe.
Possibly.
LikeLike
Happy new year all, lets bring it down a tone. It’s traditional.
LikeLike
For Thaum
LikeLike
Difficult to follow Abba, but…………………………………..HNY to everyone here.
Dog hopes 2020 will be better than what’s gone so here goes…………………………………………
LikeLike
OT – ya bass.
LikeLike
The Six Nations decade in numberz: https://www.espn.com/rugby/story/_/id/26296087/by-numbers-stats-six-nations-decade.
Prize for anyone who guesses the highest drop goal kicker of the decade before reading it.
LikeLike
And HNY, ladz
LikeLike
Excellent work OT. Here’s the cracker that cracked it. Goodbye Eurovision, hello world domination, even though Anni-Frid seems to be at a different party.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And another best ever song to bookend a marvellous career. An object lesson in writing pop songs, and what lyrics! Genius.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m like the light behind Sunbeamtim’s shadow today. Must be 2020 syndrome.
To the ducks!
LikeLike
ROG?
LikeLike
BDB?
LikeLike
Frida was always at a different party….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Likewise Yozz.
I’m wondering what you made of that Gatz quote about coping with injuries during the World Cup apart from Anscombe’s?
One the one side I can see his point but it seems pretty critical of The Patch in particular, unless it is also connected to his injury problems too and a general point about our fitness struggles at 10.
On the other I wondered if he was justifying his pursuit of Anscombe and bringing him to Wales from NZ, because it took an awful long time for Anscombe to justify the investment.
LikeLike
Stephen Jones? Although I don’t believe that one myself. The Priest kept missing and Sexton seems too obvious. An Italian perhaps?
LikeLike
Arf. Good point BB.
LikeLike
Prize for anyone who guesses the highest drop goal kicker of the decade before reading it.
Did you know who it was before you read the article, Yosoy?
LikeLike
One can buy mixed packs of beer in the LCBO. I picked up a four-pack from a brewery near Ottawa, called Beau’s. There’s a can of their Lugtread lager, Full Time IPA, Countdown Pale Ale, and one called DavidsTea London Fog.
“Ingredients: Local Spring Water, Barley Malts*, Oats*, Lactose* (Milk), Cream of Earl Grey* (Black Tea*, Marigolds*, Cornflowers, Natural Flavoring), Hops*, Vanilla Extract*, Brewer’s Yeast (*Organic).”
Milk, Tea, and Vanilla in beer?
This one may remain unopened…
LikeLike
Whoops – it’s spelled Lug-Tread.
LikeLike
“What’s “Thinkspot”? Is it:
“The hot new thing out of Silicon Valley:
1 a vaguely culturally-appropriative dot you’re supposed to put on your forehead to cure all your bad brainwaves.
2 An entrepreneur’s club, basically a mashup of WeWork and that exclusive “black card” Billy McFarland used to hawk before Fyre Festival.
3 A vibrator for sapiosexuals.
4 An unused and unusable Patreon knockoff intended for the Intellectual Dark Web.
“If you guessed 4, congratulations! You have correctly identified the single least interesting thing ever invented.”
LikeLike
@Iksy
I think he has a point, to a degree. Anscombe was missed, but then so were players like Faletau, Ellis, Rob Evans etc. and that’s before I get to the list of those who might have made it in a kinder alternate timeline (Warbs, Scott Williams, Tyler Morgan and others).
I think that Gatland never trusted Patchell. I can sort of see why as he’s not a grab the game by the scruff type that Biggar is or Anscombe has got closer to (albeit with a much higher error count than Biggar). I still don’t feel comfortable with him at 10 in a way that I do with the other two, although he’s unarguably the best Welsh 10 at unlocking a defence and I suspect he’ll be a first 23 player under Pivac.
Anyway the past is the past and let’s just look forward to an injury crisis finally gifting caps to Tovey and Luke Price in the 6N.
LikeLike
I didn’t. I’d have thought it would have been Sexton or Everyone Loves Dan Biggar.
LikeLike
I never would have guessed.
LikeLike
Interesting choice made by Squidge:
LikeLike
@Yosoy
How did you quote my post?
LikeLike
@LADOAB
But without the spaces
LikeLike
LikeLike
Well that didn’t work. blockquote between then quote, then blockquote between
LikeLike
That didn’t work again. You need to use the pointy brackets either side of blockquote, and then pointy bracket forward slash blockquote pointy bracket.
LikeLike
:-)
Like this: <blockquote> Quoted text here </blockquote>
LikeLike
@tomp
https://gizmodo.com/jordan-peterson-sir-mr-surrogate-dad-sir-please-ret-1840059957
LikeLike
LikeLike
OT – the second bloke certainly looks like he thinks pot.
LikeLiked by 3 people
LikeLike
Woo hoo! Check out LADOAB’s html skillz!
LikeLike
Just one of my
manyfew talents…LikeLike
Hmmm. Apparently ‘they’ are saying Jonny Gray’s off to Exeter in the summer to join Hoggy. If that’s so, Glasgow are going to need a huge rebuild next season. We haven’t replaced Hoggy (Seymour and Mullet Jackson aren’t the answer), DTH and Horne The Elder, and even Niko aren’t what they were. We also need to get some other new blood in the forwards.
Doom, gloom and misery!
LikeLike
@BB
I was going to post a comment earlier about Jonny’s predicted departure, except that I read that he was thinking of joining his brother in France.
LikeLike
OT,
LikeLiked by 1 person
LADOAB – it looks as though it is Exeter, according to this article. Sometimes its easy to forget that Jonny’s only 25, so Exeter will be getting a player who can still improve.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50968610
The story I’d heard was that Richie was leaving France (might have been someone on here that said that one) and perhaps going back to Glasgow.
LikeLike