The Challenge Cup's David and Goliath: 'If we manage to pull it off then it will be a great story'
Dean Ryan is facing one of the most difficult challenges of his coaching career next weekend – sending out a Dragons team that has never played together to face some of the world’s top players in their European Challenge Cup quarter-final at Bristol next Friday.
Facing down Fijian superstar Semi Radradra, New Zealand full-back Charlie Piutau and a host of England internationals like Kyle Sinckler and Nathan Hughes was always going to be tough, but throw into the equation nearly three weeks without a game for the Dragons and the task becomes even more daunting.
Dragons put out a team including young talent and lost 41-20 to Scarlets on August 29 – the same day an understrength Bristol outfit was trounced 40-7 by Sale. Since then, the clubs have been following very different paths to their European quarter-final.
Dragons have been working hard to replicate game situations in training while Bristol, who have thumped Worcester 36-13 and Northampton 47-10, will add a third Gallagher Premiership outing to the mix when they take on in-form Wasps on Sunday in what is expected to be a run out for the team that will face the Welsh side.
Playing matches comes with a risk not only in terms of potential injury but also disciplinary setbacks and Bristol will be without captain Siale Piutau against the Dragons after he failed in his appeal against a three-game ban after being sent off against Worcester.
TRY TIME | Watch Leon power over for his second try against Ospreys this season ? #GUINNESSPRO14 #Rise pic.twitter.com/gQ4B8NRtgH
— Dragons RFC (@dragonsrugby) September 9, 2020
While the absence of the Bristol captain is of some solace to Dragons, the only concern Ryan has is ensuring his squad – which will include recent arrivals Jonah Holmes, Jamie Roberts and Nick Tompkins – checks in at Ashton Gate mentally and physically ready to cause an upset despite never having played together. Roberts could not be considered for the final two PRO14 games because he was self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.
Ryan, the Dragons director of rugby, refuses to be cowed by the enormity of the task and believes his players and coaching staff will learn a lot about themselves in this match which is a precursor to their Heineken Champions Cup campaign next season.
He told RugbyPass: “It’s unique because I have never gone into a European quarter-final just three games into the season! This match has great drama and narrative; they are fast becoming one of the main sides in the Gallagher Premiership with some of the world’s best players.
“We cannot emphasise how excited we are about the challenge and we are not stressing about it. We are one of the lowest budgets in the PRO14 and they are one of the biggest in the Premiership and that is a great narrative in itself.
“We only ever had two games after the restart that never really had anything on them (against Ospreys and Scarlets). We looked at being three weeks away from a quarter-final and the merits of going with an XV against Ospreys and Scarlets that flowed into Bristol and there were minimal benefits.
“The challenge has been how to get the XV we want to face Bristol ready and we have done as much as we can to replicate that intensity in-house. We train pretty physically anyway and this is a pretty unique situation because we are probably getting twelve days preparation for the game and Bristol are getting four but they have continuity of performing.
“We are working to get continuity in an XV that people will not have seen yet because we didn’t think it was in the long term interests of the club. This team will not have played together and we have the gamble of some of our new quality players not having played.
“If we had not taken the selection decisions then a significant number of youngsters at the club will not have played until January. In the PRO14 there is no Celtic Cup and so we have to get the balance of getting that right while also putting our best XV on the pitch to face Bristol. We don’t have the resources that Bristol have got.”
Bristol playing three matches while the Dragons are only training has at least given Ryan and his coaches more video to analyse about the strengths and weaknesses of Pat Lam’s high profile squad, although constant selection changes to deal with midweek matches have muddied the waters.
“The Premiership at the moment is a series of mismatches,” said the former Gloucester and Worcester director of rugby. “You only occasionally see firsts vs firsts and we have seen games where they have had an easy stroll and also a tougher time against Exeter.
“I have had some tough conversations because some selections have been done on a bit of reputation because it is a one-off game. It is not done on eight weeks of form with everyone getting a chance. This is pretty early in our journey but we won’t be going into the match undercooked.
“We are excited to pitch ourselves against Bristol and of course it will be difficult but there are so many players who haven’t faced this kind of challenge and there are times when you feel paternal and think ‘that will be tough for them’. But you cannot hide them from the excitement and if we manage to pull it off then it will be a great story.”
Beautiful, simply beautiful ? https://t.co/3uB2mcGAAV
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 9, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Bar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
35 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
35 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
35 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
35 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
35 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
35 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
35 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
18 Go to comments