I got tickets for this match for Christmas and it was the first time I watched a match from the Enclosure.

Despite not much scoring action I did make another You Tube video and here it is.

Spreadsheet updated.

green13 wrote:

ThisYearWillBeDifferent wrote: I have 6190 in my head, could have dreamt it.

I thought it was announced as 6900 and something, I thought that seemed fairly accurate. Don't know what the capacity is anymore, it was a sell out since Friday morning.

I think he was right with 6190. It was a good crowd for a dragons game, and great to see another sell out.

ThisYearWillBeDifferent wrote: I have 6190 in my head, could have dreamt it.

I thought it was announced as 6900 and something, I thought that seemed fairly accurate. Don't know what the capacity is anymore, it was a sell out since Friday morning.

tlocke wrote:
I think he's very good with ball in hand/passing, but I think his ball carrying ability means coaches prefer him to be the receiver rather then the "distributor", If you know what I mean (even though i didn't explain it very well).

Sorry again for previously overreacting.

If you mean coaches like him making yards in the wide channels rather than playing the middle pod of slower forwards I think I get you. As for overreacting, thanks, and sorry for snapping back, could have been a bit more diplomatic myself!

salmson wrote:

tlocke wrote: Salmson ,will you stop. Dillane can't pass now as well ... Leave the lad get some game time. It annoys me when fans get hypercritical without considering the circumstances . One minute "the future" the next can't jump, can't scrummage, can't pass.

I'm not saying the guy is anything but an excellent player - I think I referred to him as a force of nature earlier in that post - but age-wise he's a toddler in tight five forward terms, and it's hardly hypercritical to point out he can't scrum down behind 3, and he can't pass effectively (certainly not to extent required to be the lock playing down the middle of the pitch in Connacht's gameplan). I certainly never suggested he can't jump, but he can't call the lineout (neither can Roux). Dillane himself has called these out as areas/skills he needs to develop.

My point was simply that year he may get the sharp end a selection dilemma he benefited from last season, there's no need to attack me or inflate a comparison between 2 players into an attack on one of them.

Fair enough, I apologise. I didn't mean to attack you. I would disagree with your view that he can't pass effectively , I think he's very good with ball in hand/passing, but I think his ball carrying ability means coaches prefer him to be the receiver rather then the "distributor", If you know what I mean (even though i didn't explain it very well).

Sorry again for previously overreacting.

I have 6190 in my head, could have dreamt it.

Evil_g wrote: Does anyone know what the announced attendance was on Saturday?

I think it was announced at 6700? Maybe?

Does anyone know what the announced attendance was on Saturday?

tlocke wrote: Salmson ,will you stop. Dillane can't pass now as well ... Leave the lad get some game time. It annoys me when fans get hypercritical without considering the circumstances . One minute "the future" the next can't jump, can't scrummage, can't pass.

I'm not saying the guy is anything but an excellent player - I think I referred to him as a force of nature earlier in that post - but age-wise he's a toddler in tight five forward terms, and it's hardly hypercritical to point out he can't scrum down behind 3, and he can't pass effectively (certainly not to extent required to be the lock playing down the middle of the pitch in Connacht's gameplan). I certainly never suggested he can't jump, but he can't call the lineout (neither can Roux). Dillane himself has called these out as areas/skills he needs to develop.

My point was simply that year he may get the sharp end a selection dilemma he benefited from last season, there's no need to attack me or inflate a comparison between 2 players into an attack on one of them.

connachta wrote: Cannon is quite limited ball in hands, and not very impressive in contact
I would agree with Pat on that one, keep the picking order as it is and have our 2 international players, Roux and Dillane, working on lineout calls

I remind you they both are quite young,have a margin of improvement on one isolated technical area.
And above all, they are both rusted because they had very limited gametime with our team/hookers/calls : Dillane has played 25 minutes with Connacht in Pro12 since October. Roux spent most of last season out. Let those guys some time, they'll be impressive in May, I'm convinced about it.

Browne is on his way too, wait and see if he's a solution for lineouts/Muldowney's role

Suffers a wee bit like Toner from Tall Tree syndrome, harder to hit contact low when you're that tall and a big target area provided for the tackler. He'[s not destructive but I have no concerns about his input at all.
Seems more than happy to carry if required and do the graft necessary, but he's still new to the system so you'd need an other slot in beside him.

I think Ultan has badly missed out on game time, he's very young for a second row so really should still be learning his trade. Second Rows (like Props/Hookers) are like fine wine and get better with age...:whistle:

salmson wrote: Last year Pat said Dillane and Roux were playing for one place, as Aly or Browne were needed to run the lineout. Aly covered the tight head side of the scrum and did the "heavy playmaker" thing, so Dillane's carrying & all round force-of-nature style got him the nod over Roux.

This season we have same battle, but it's going the other way - for the rest of the season I think we have to go with Cannon as the lineout operator (his defence is pretty good too - 21 tackles vs. Cardiff) while Roux, who can pass, and scrummage on the tight head side, gets the nod over Dillane, who can do neither.

I've been hugely impressed with Cannon. If you compare his progress to Aly, who took 18 months of development before he became the main man for us, Cannon's improvement in less than a third of that time bodes well for the future.

Salmson ,will you stop. Dillane can't pass now as well ... Leave the lad get some game time. It annoys me when fans get hypercritical without considering the circumstances . One minute "the future" the next can't jump, can't scrummage, can't pass.

Cannon is a specialist lock , just like Quinn. I like when teams play with one specialist lock and one "offensive" lock (for want of a better term). For instance i prefer when Ireland play with a Ryan/Toner and Henderson/Dillane combination. I think in the modern game you need at least one lock that carries and makes hard yards.

connachta wrote: Cannon is quite limited ball in hands, and not very impressive in contact
I would agree with Pat on that one, keep the picking order as it is and have our 2 international players, Roux and Dillane, working on lineout calls

I remind you they both are quite young,have a margin of improvement on one isolated technical area.
And above all, they are both rusted because they had very limited gametime with our team/hookers/calls : Dillane has played 25 minutes with Connacht in Pro12 since October. Roux spent most of last season out. Let those guys some time, they'll be impressive in May, I'm convinced about it.

Browne is on his way too, wait and see if he's a solution for lineouts/Muldowney's role

100% agree. There has been so many player combinations (due to injuries and call ups) this season in the front 5, no real continuity.

Last year Pat said Dillane and Roux were playing for one place, as Aly or Browne were needed to run the lineout. Aly covered the tight head side of the scrum and did the "heavy playmaker" thing, so Dillane's carrying & all round force-of-nature style got him the nod over Roux.

This season we have same battle, but it's going the other way - for the rest of the season I think we have to go with Cannon as the lineout operator (his defence is pretty good too - 21 tackles vs. Cardiff) while Roux, who can pass, and scrummage on the tight head side, gets the nod over Dillane, who can do neither.

I've been hugely impressed with Cannon. If you compare his progress to Aly, who took 18 months of development before he became the main man for us, Cannon's improvement in less than a third of that time bodes well for the future.

Cannon is quite limited ball in hands, and not very impressive in contact
I would agree with Pat on that one, keep the picking order as it is and have our 2 international players, Roux and Dillane, working on lineout calls

I remind you they both are quite young,have a margin of improvement on one isolated technical area.
And above all, they are both rusted because they had very limited gametime with our team/hookers/calls : Dillane has played 25 minutes with Connacht in Pro12 since October. Roux spent most of last season out. Let those guys some time, they'll be impressive in May, I'm convinced about it.

Browne is on his way too, wait and see if he's a solution for lineouts/Muldowney's role

Bazzo wrote: Yup I agree. The darts were very catchable (maybe not perfect) but there was a Dragons jumper up competing pretty successfully every. single. time. I wonder if it would be at all possible to get a lineout specialist coach in to try and get Dillane and/or Roux up to speed? Then again it may not be Duffy's coaching that's the problem but the lads themselves not being able to get it, I'd find that a lot more worrying..

There was plenty to be frustrated by on Saturday, but Pat's reluctance to bring on Cannon was top of the list for me. In the end, he brought Fox on first, before eventually bringing him on. When he did come on I thought there was a noticeable improvement. The other frustration was the decision to go to the corner instead of taking a pretty straightforward kick at goal (there was a second one which I think would have been out of range) when we were only 5 points ahead. If we'd stretched it to 8 I reckon Dragons would have lost interest.

On the positive side, I think our defense over the last two games has been much improved. Only one (penalty) try conceded, and the line speed is much better. Hopefully the next two games will help the team grow in confidence because that seems to be a large part of the problem in my opinion (causing individuals to try too hard, drop balls etc).

PS: Did anyone see Bundee roaring at Nigel at the end when he had gone to the TMO for the Cooney try?! He's some man