WALES AND LIONS LEGEND
THE beginning of the new PRO14 season looks like an open goal for Bernard Jackman’s Dragons and it’s one they must convert after such a poor showing last season.
Looking at the first few months of the upcoming season, you have to say they couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to get off to a flyer. But what it also meane is that the pressure will be on them straight away. It will be a case of the men from Rodney Parade sinking or swimming and this time around, with the summer recruitment of some top names such as Ross Moriarty, they have every chance to swim. It is a massive season for the Dragons and there is a good vibe around the place from what I’ve heard speaking to a few of their players.
The past couple of seasons down there have been dire and to win just two PRO14 games last term is nowhere near the standard required at professional level and the fans deserve better.
That’s why the month of September is going to be nothing short of vital for Jackman’s side. As a player I must admit I never looked too much at the fixtures when they were released before the campaign got underway. When you’re in the middle of pre-season, your only focus is getting as fit as possible and making sure you’re in the best position to be selected for the first match.
But for Jackman to see that they have three of their first four games at home is a huge boost – and what’s even better is those three at home are against Benetton Treviso, Southern Kings, and Zebre.
The Dragons should be winning all three of those matches and be using that run as the perfect opportunity to put into practice all the things they have been working on this summer If they manage a clean sweep, they’ll have surpassed the total number of matches they won in the entirety of last season by October. That must be the aim because, otherwise, things could go pear-shaped again as so much of the game is mental. Win early and their confidence will sky rocket.
Bernard will know all too well his team must perform to safeguard his future and if they were to lose to either one of the Italian sides or the Kings, then there is a real danger that the wheels will have come off before they’ve even got started. Were the Dragons to begin with defeats to one of those sides before travelling to last season’s PRO14 and Champions Cup double winners Leinster, I’d really fear for them.
The key right now is staying cool and delivering. That’s what the Dragons must do and I really hope they have turned a corner. The other thing to jump out at me from the PRO14 fixtures was the Boxing Day derbies, or in the case of this year, the lack of them.
In my column last week I emphasised how player welfare must remain the most important aspect of the game today. That is clearly still the case, but I do wonder if there could be a way to both protect the guys on the field and also play over Christmas. I think there could. I can understand why playing on both Boxing Day and at New Year is a concern for the authorities. They’ve acted on it, but is there a danger we’re cutting our nose off to spite our face here? Perhaps.
I loved the Christmas fixtures when I was a player. Yes, it meant you couldn’t have the extra mince pie or glass of red wine, but it was all worth it when you ran out there in front of a full house.
”The competition is getting much tighter, with only the Dragions and Kings lagging last term”
PRO14 2018-19 FIXTURES
CARDIFF will host the opening night of the new PRO14 season on August 31 with a clash between European champions.
Challenge Cup winners Cardiff Blues welcome defending PRO14 title holders and Champions Cup winners, Leinster, to the Arms Park.
The second game on August 31 will see Ospreys open the campaign with a visit of Richard Cockerill’s Edinburgh.
Scarlets, 2017 title winners and last season’s beaten finalists, travel to Kingspan Stadium to face the 2006 Celtic League winners, Ulster.
Dragons fans will have high hopes to see what the region can achieve in season two of Bernard Jackman’s tenure as they face a challenging opener against Benetton who are aiming to build on last season’s record number of wins.
Munster will take on the Cheetahs while the Southern Kings start their season in Parma, Italy when they tackle Zebre. Connacht face Glasgow to complete thwe opening round.
The Boxing Day derbies are THE games of the season. Everyone is watching, the attendances are the best of the year, and the Wales selectors are always watching. It’s what you want to be a part of. There’s an argument to say moving the games to December 22 won’t have much of an impact on crowd numbers.
I hope that’s the case because we all know how important it is for the regions to have the turnstiles ringing at that time of year.
It’s absolutely vital to their finances and without those numbers coming through the gate, they struggle.
Hopefully, from their point of view, that won’t happen because we’re getting close now to the serious action getting underway. I can’t wait for the league to start because the standard and entertainment of the PRO14 is only getting better and better. The competition is also getting much tighter, with only the Dragons and Kings really lagging behind last term.
My hope is that will change and to do that, Bernard’s boys must be quick out the blocks. If they aren’t, it could be another long 12 months.
■WE’VE seen a lot of Welsh sporting heroics at Principality Stadium in my time, but Geraint Thomas, below, has put himself right up there with those this month.
As a former international rugby player, I had to go through my fair share of physical pain. Now as someone with a keen interest in cycling, I can only marvel at Geraint’s achievements at the Tour de France.
I really hope he is crowned champion because even in the cycling I’ve done – which is nowhere near professional standards – the pain has been much worse than anything I’ve felt on a rugby field. That’s why I take my hat off to Geraint.
You’re doing your country proud G, now bring it home!
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