• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

Last catch up round: Scarlets V Dragons

TRF_stormer2010

Moderator
TRF Legend
Joined
Sep 7, 2009
Messages
9,401
Country Flag
South Africa
Club or Nation
Stormers
Scarlets hosting Dragons on Saturday, 16 April.


Will it just be an easy 5 log points for Scarlets who will be motivated to close in on a play off spot and backing up last week's statement win? Probably, I'd wager.
 
Lovely win for the Dragons tonight out west. They had a half decent match against Gloucester so they've brought a bit of that confidence into the game. Carter and Rowlands carried well. Thought Dragon's back row did well to keep the ball moving well as well. Always feel their attack is a little one dimensional and they aren't used to having all that ball. They need back this up next week as well to build a bit of momentum.
 
Didn't expect that one to be honest. Now Scarlets has a run of two away derbies where they have shown the potential to lose and then the Stormers (at home at least). Pretty tough position now as they basically need to win all their games for a possibility of qualifying while picking up bonus points. Very tricky for them to make the playoffs now.
 
On one hand I'd prefer that the Scarlets made the play offs for some Welsh flavor AND the 8th placed team is going to feel a bit bitter losing out on Euro qualification to a team behind them on the log if Scarlets end up at 9 and are the top Welsh side.
 
I dont care if Scarlets were down to 13 men inside the first 10mins and were without Patchell, that is an absolute shocker of the highest order and almost certainly a season ender.

Lovely win for the Dragons tonight out west. They had a half decent match against Gloucester so they've brought a bit of that confidence into the game. Carter and Rowlands carried well. Thought Dragon's back row did well to keep the ball moving well as well. Always feel their attack is a little one dimensional and they aren't used to having all that ball. They need back this up next week as well to build a bit of momentum.

Hats off to you Bluemoon for suspecting Scarlets were being overhyped by the likes of me and wouldn't make the playoffs.
 
Just watched the highlights. I think the two yellows are fair. Dragons lucky with two of the tries being called. I'm not saying they aren't technically tries but I for one wouldn't have been surprised for the one where the player barely has fingers on the ball in placing and where the 12 again does seem to go beyond the tackle (or attempted tackle rather) and continues.. well, I've seen more legit tries disallowed.

Still, as a Stormers fan I won't be complaining. It eases a little bit of pressure but we'll still have to win games if we want to be sure of a play-off spot. Looking a bit difficult for the Scarlets though even if mathematically possible. The Bulls are closest to them but a 5 point head start is bigger than it seems particularly looking at the Bulls' remaining fixtures and assuming a few of those wins will be 5 pointers. On top of that the Scarlets will need to overcome a massive points difference as a log tie will still see the Bulls go through (I am assuming the 1st tie breaker is points difference?), So we are practically looking at a 6 point head start for the Bulls. It might sound ridiculous but I think the Scarlets, if they come into the top 8 will do so rather at the expense of one of the Scottish sides or higher placed SA teams. Hence me still being a tad nervous for my Stormers.
 
I dont care if Scarlets were down to 13 men inside the first 10mins and were without Patchell, that is an absolute shocker of the highest order and almost certainly a season ender.



Hats off to you Bluemoon for suspecting Scarlets were being overhyped by the likes of me and wouldn't make the playoffs.
If you look at the Scarlets season as a whole, they aren't a top 8 team. I am gutted that it took those 2 Cardiff results to give a different impression haha!

Sadly, due to all going in welsh rugby at the moment, I don't think any of the 4 are worth top 8 this season. I think they can be better than this season has suggested there's just so much chaos in welsh rugby right now.

I can't see the Scarlets beating the Ospreys with a BP in the liberty as that is a huge derby game for them and the Ospreys are playing for the Euro place. A fully stacked Stormers should also win at PyS.
 
A fun and indeed surprising match. Congratulations to the Dragons, but for the Scarlets this was their 'Italy' match - and that's taking into account that there have been some awful matches against the Irish, French and English teams in particular this season.
 
Top