Scarlets v Dragons Fri 22nd KO 7.40

Should Be More Like 20

Here I am, sat at my desk waiting for the day to finish. I’m getting picked up at 5 and then diving through the traffic to deepest darkest West Wales to watch the Dragons take on the Scarlets. You know what? I don’t want to fecken well go, as I know we are going to be properly turned over.

Dragons Coach, Paul Turner is putting out a very strong side, probably the strongest for a while:

Kevin Morgan (c), Nathan Brew, Paul Emerick, Ashley Smith, Aled Brew, Ceri Sweeney, Gareth Cooper, Adam Black, Ben Daly, Lee Harrison, Ian Gough, Luke Charteris, Colin Charvis, Jamie Ringer, Michael Owen

….but in truth I wish he were saving some of the side for the more important Blues game on the 27th but you can’t have everything.

Big round of applause to the Scarlets for their performance last week in Toulouse, outstanding….sadly I nipped out to pub for a swift half when then were 34-10 down so I never got to see the fight back. It’s amazing what you can with £9,000,000 eh Scarlets??? Not that I’m bitter or anything.

The Scarlets are also putting out a good team, Popham is the only notable exception but he’s on the bench:

15 Barry Davies, 14 Darren Daniel, 13 Regan King, 12 Matthew Watkins, 11 Mark Jones, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Dwayne Peel (c), 8 Nathan Thomas, 7 Gavin Thomas, 6 Inoke Afeaki, 5 Scott MacLeod, 4 Adam Jones, 3 Craig Dunlea, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Iestyn Thomas.

Two notable things to take into consideration here. It’s Black Friday in Wales, basically that means the whole country is going on the razz after work and there’s going to be a near sell out and a very boisterous crowd at Stradey. The other thing is that, and it pains me to say it, I really don’t think this Dragons team have enough fight in them. It’s my belief that a few players don’t actually want to play for the Region and wish they were somewhere else, I won’t name names.

Form: Llanelli Scarlets achieved a notable double home and away over Toulouse in the European Cup in the past two weeks, and have now won six of their last seven encounters in all competitions. At home the Scarlets have lost just once in 20 games: 42-49 to Toulouse in January 2006. Newport Gwent Dragons won their most recent match in the Magners League: 17-10 at home to Edinburgh on 10 November but have not managed back-to-back wins in the league since January. The Dragons have won just one of their last ten tussles against fellow Welsh Regions. The Scarlets have won the last five games against the Dragons in league and cup, whilst the Newport based side are yet to win at Stradey as a Region.

Recommendation: Scarlets –12 @ Sporting Odds.