28/09/2014 Scrum V Sunday

On Scrum V tonight, the unbeaten Ospreys march on against Munster.

The Blues are down in Dublin. Elsewhere, the Scarlets return to

storm Edinburgh's fortress. While the Dragons attempts to rouse from

their slumber. And we beat the Kiwi who has taken

charge down West. What I have seen so far is it massive amount of

passion, more so than the region I have come from.

Good evening and welcome to another bumper edition of Scrum V. We will

be getting to grips with the action from run for the Pro12. I'm joined

by guests and we will be having the rest of the week 's news.

I will be joined by World Cup winner and head of rugby at the WRU, Josh

Lewsey, to discuss his plans about rejuvenating grass-roots rugby.

All that to come. We kick off with the match between Munster and the

Ospreys. Eli Walker was back on the wing for

the Ospreys while Dan Biggar was making his fourth consecutive start.

He will fly-half was hoping to maintain his 90% goal-kicking record

at a ground where Ospreys victories over Munster have always been slim.

Murray takes a slightly wider attack, just beneath the posts. Ian

Keatley is not needed. A pick and drive from the forwards. It is about

composure for both teams. Another little dink. A short ball. Through

Ian Keatley, wide ball across the line and that will be the opening

try for panda you are -- van der Heerwe. Possibly only a metre of go

forward. Dan Biggar. A good offload to Justin

Tipuric. Jeff Hassler will go over in the corner and that is down in no

small part to the footballing ability of Justin Tipuric.

And it is slowly, slowly from the Ospreys. Looking to make hard yards

up the middle. Dan Biggar, what can he do? Looks for Jeff Hassler. You

called it earlier. The block. Unlucky for the Ospreys.

The referee was right on the spot. Destruction. -- obstruction. There

is the ill discipline I talked about.

There is no need to take the man in the air. It is as clear as day.

Marie, game, and a great pressure from Rhys Webb. Van der Heerwe Takes

it forward and clears up from the scrum-half.

He wasn't involved. Went straight through the ball.

Kevin Morgan is looking on in the background. And normal service is

resumed from Batman. -- from that O'Donoghue. Certainly on the front

foot now. This time there is a big hit but he stands to hold the ball.

All hands to the pump for the Ospreys. The line is in sight. And

the have their tails up. The prop takes it on. The ball is turned

over. A shrill blast on the whistle from the referee.

19 red. Two metres short. Over the 80

minutes. Surely, a try now would ruin it for the Ospreys. It's Jordi

Murphy. He picks up. The Ospreys try desperately hard.

He has knocked it on. 80 minutes are up on the clock. The

referee looks at his watch. That's full-time. A famous victory for the

Ospreys. It was a young squad we've got and

we are making no excuses but the way the boys toughed it out, the driving

line-out was superb. For us to come away with a win is what pleases us

most. Hopefully that is a big starts to build on.

Dan Biggar is keeping his feet on the ground but a lot of people wrote

the Ospreys off before the start of the season because they lost four

clients. The jury is out after three victories over inferior opposition

but that was stunning last night. They wanted to be judged within a

month and the month came after this game so that was the yardstick. I

don't know if we were writing them off but we didn't know what to

expect because they had lost so many players and there were so many

youngsters coming through. Also as an osprey, you are expected to win.

The youngsters have started to take leadership. As a team performance, I

think they will be extremely happy with going there and the resilience

they showed at the end to grind it out.

They have lost all those leaders but Dan Biggar has really stepped up.

His partnership with Rhys Webb yesterday, they controlled the game

masterfully and effectively kept Munster out.

The key word there is a partnership. They have got a fantastic

understanding of each other's game. Dan Biggar was attacking the line a

lot and just the ability of the likes of Rhys Webb to find support

inside. Again, he is great and the high ball, Dan Biggar. He is

constantly up, making things happen. Rhys Webb back in the action.

Throughout the game yesterday there was total control in their

performance. They had a powerful platform. He really has stepped up

to the mark. He bosses the forwards and calls the shots, making things

happen. When it comes to where you want to play territorially, there is

no one better in Wales than Dan Biggar at the moment than making

sure the forwards get up from scrums and rucks and find themselves

downfield. That was evidence. As a partnership moving forward, there

are no to better players in Wales. Are we looking at the Wales

half-back partnership? You have got to look at

partnerships. If you go with Gareth Davies may be you go with Priestland

or Rhys Webb and Dan Biggar. That is up to Warren Gatland. The Ospreys

boys are playing better as a unit. People are saying their stars have

gone but they have a good backbone in the Ospreys and the front row is

strong. Alun Wyn Jones, of course. Good defenders. The halfbacks are

solid and the game management is exceptional. Maybe there is a lack

of creativity but they had a chance yesterday and they took it. Dan

Evans is also safe. I love their attitude. It is a throwback to my

days at Neath because everybody hated us but we don't care. It

showed in their defence. If you go to muster you have to defend well.

Watch the line speed because it is quick but also they have the

confidence to spot and come out of the line. When you do that, they

fill in behind. He makes the tackle but then the umbrella defence,

Andrew Bishop is up there. They are still pushing and putting them under

pressure. Aggressive defence. Here we are again. They are well

organised and they don't put many people on the ground. Munster were

laying very deep, which played into the Ospreys hands. Aggressive

defence, not committing many men to the ruck. They varied the defence as

well. That was the most pleasing aspect for me. They couldn't work

them out. It all comes down to execution because you can do

everything in training but execution and attitude. They didn't do many

errors yesterday and they didn't miss... There was a bit of a

discipline but I think it was a tremendous performance with dreadful

weather. I think they have been very solid and a great attitude is the

key for me. The defence throughout was

impeccable but that rear guide? Guard action when Munster were

laying siege to the line, did I give you an idea of the character of the

squad? It says a lot when you can defend

your own line in the 80th minute and you are defending as strong as you

would. With the enthusiasm as well. Not just because it was an outcome

of the result but they backed each other. One would come out of the

line and the other would back him. The resilience they showed. They

were picking each other up off the floor when they made good tackles.

To know that your team-mate is there with you means that you attack

things at 100%. We have to leave it there. Let's

turn our attention to the Scarlets and they travelled to Edinburgh with

confidence after they beat Treviso last week.

The captain Ken Owens was ruled out for 12 weeks with a neck injury

before the game. Gareth Davies was ruled out with concussion and there

was a return to action for Samson Lee, thrust back in after serving a

suspension for a head-butt. Conditions are great this evening

and as we have already heard, the Scarlets are in good try scoring

form this season and already have a chance to attack immediately.

Gareth Owen is looking for space behind and that is the dink through.

Harry Robinson thinks he may have got through. The Scarlets may have

struck as early as 40 seconds into the game. Harry Robinson diving onto

a loose ball and it looks as though he has got the try. Yes, try has

been given. The referee says yes. What a start for the Scarlets!

Atkins puts in the tackle. A deep pass. Gareth Owen. Add to Liam

Williams. He checks back inside but loses the ball as he hits the gap

with the try line at his mercy. This time Scott Williams just take

the hit and again, the Scarlets complaining that bodies are lying

over the ball. They can quickly by Aled Davies who almost breaks free.

A pop-up pass and Liam Williams gets the try this time. It has been a

long time coming but quick thinking from Aled Davies and great support

from Liam Williams gives the Scarlets full back their second try.

The crowd finally getting something to cheer about. A great offload.

Just short of the try line. Cuthbert. Desperate tackling from

the Scarlets but they have got men on the far side and it is a walk-in

for Tim Visser. Edinburgh strike back just before half-time.

Kennedy once more forwards and the team obliges. Kennedy arrives and

pops it up. And Phil Burleigh barges his way over.

We should have come away with more points. We were happy with a man

down just to get two points in the last few minutes and to tap and go

it was a little bit disorganised. A poor decision.

Just to clear that up, that came from an field, not on high, that

decision to keep the game? We were ready to take a couple of

points and we were disappointed we had 14 men out on our feet. A little

bit disorganised. A lot of the senior players were off the field.

That was inexperienced. Wayne Pivack was not happy with the decision made

on the field in the dying seconds. I asked this to Phil Davies, was that

raised or for Harvey -- brave or foolhardy?

You have got to assess how your players are. If you have got

forwards willing to carry the ball, then you have an opportunity to

kick, then yes. If you click then you get the draw. They should have

put the game away. They blew it and they should have won it. The same

against Ulster. They are in a controlling position to win and they

don't. That could cost them. Twice they have had a commanding

lead against Ulster and then an Edinburgh. Twice they have fallen

away in the second half or at least the last quarter.

Why is that happening? Is an issue they have got to address because a

lot of people are talking about the Scarlets as the Welsh side of the

season because they have got talented players and they have

always had a strong set piece but this year you can see it creaking a

little. The scrum isn't so powerful. They haven't got the

platform they had in the past but I think there is a concern because you

can't afford to throw away leads like they have done. I think Wayne

Pivack will be addressing that. Gareth, I suppose it is the opposite

of the Ospreys because they seem to galvanise in the last ten minutes

when the pressure is on. The Scarlets seem to fall away in the

last 20. I think it is game management

because you pay it differently in regards to the scoreboard. If you

are up and away from home then you play completely differently. You use

your Number ten and play in your heart. Sometimes they can get

reckless when there is no need. Thanks. It is sure to be a big week

for the Scarlets and Wayne Pivack. We caught up with him to see how he

is settling in as head coach. Every single one of you, think about

it, think about it. You belong to something unique and

that is Llanelli rugby club. Things are a little different down West and

this is heart and soul rugby country.

Rugby courses through the veins here and the new man is under no

illusions about the strength of feeling among the fans.

What I have seen so far is a massive amount of passion, more so than the

region I have come from. The man in the street is so knowledgeable, so

passionate and keen to talk to you about the team, players. I don't

mind that. It just tells me how passionate the community is about

the team and the team doing well. That motivates me to do the best I

can to get the players to perform on a Saturday.

The last time Wayne Pivack was here he was in charge of Fiji and coach

them to within two points of a famous victory against Wales. He

returned to New Zealand in 2007, coaching Auckland before travelling

to West Wales himself in his new environment.

I had people say to me that a lot of players and management live outside

of Llanelli and they travel up 40 or 50 minutes, maybe coming down the M4

from Cardiff. I had a chat to Steve Hansen who I have known for many

years because we were in the together and coached together. His

suggestion was to immerse yourself in the local community and the

culture because you have got a special region and enjoy it.

All that pressure from the Scarlets is turned into points.

We talk about the north and south divide but what are the differences

you have noticed? Definitely the amount of contact we

do at training, the physicality we bring to training sessions is

probably down compared to what we do at home. The Pacific Islanders like

to act is the way they play. It does raise the standard for everybody

across the board but that is not to say we have to be knocking the

stuffing out of each other. It is a little shift.

We all like to think about the Scarlets as a team that plays

running rugby but how much is a balance?

We have got a great tradition in the way we play the game and it is

similar to back home. The attack was always going to take care of itself.

We need to be expansive because we have got players who enjoys out --

enjoy that. We want to play that way but some teams just don't have that

mindset or ability. I would rather have a team that attacks and could

score tries, provided we can score more than the opposition. The key

for us now is to have the same energy levels and enthusiasm in

defence as we do in attack. Any Kiwi arriving in this part of

the world will be aware of that historic day in 1972 when Llanelli

beat the all Blacks. The town was famously drunk dry and the shock

waves resonated across the rugby world.

I have told this story before, ten years of age and upset because the

mighty all Blacks lost against a provincial team. I have never

forgotten that and coming here it was a privilege to come to the

Scarlets. Guys like Gareth Jenkins working in the office next door. We

have a bit of banter and working in the office next door. We

to win but we need to get the performances right on a weekly

basis. The best of luck.

Enjoy your Welsh kick. They were good Welsh cakes. He is a

Enjoy your Welsh kick. Selection is key in this day and age

and you have got to target the top six.

It might be put to the test this week as they prepare to get over to

the draw. Over to you. It has been a busy week

for Rhys Patchell. As well as protect preparing for the match

against Leinster, he showed support for the WRU initiative to get more

schoolchildren into rugby. He is one of the rising stars as

Cardiff Blues but earlier this week, he went back to his roots to lend

his support to a WRU and schools initiative that has seen 43

full-time rugby officer posts being creative. The aim is to increase the

amount of rugby being played in schools and clubs.

The school is a massively untapped resource in terms of participation

levels and getting kids to play the game and to give them the

opportunity. Gareth Bale may have been a world-class rugby player but

he chose football. I mean, it is vitally important they play on a

Wednesday in the regional leagues, which means they are free to play on

Saturday and then maybe twice a week, learn twice a week and that

can only be positive. The school club officers include

Steve Jones and involves semiprofessional coaches and

players. It is about producing the players

from school and then pushing them and signposting them into the clubs

and where they can play their rugby on the Sunday with the clubs and

with us in the week in school. As they get older they will go up the

league and hopefully you can produce players who go into the youth and

then in three years they will be playing senior rugby.

I'm pleased to say that World Cup winner and head of rugby at the WRU,

Josh Lucy, is with us now. Building on a recent review, can you give us

more explanation? It is a part of a broader strategy,

and attempt to underpin the long-term needs of the league and

community game. One thing we found amongst the review in looking at the

underlying structures and systems in the game is there is a lot of

convoluted structures and friction between schools and clubs. For us it

is about putting the framework in place so they can flourish.

What were the problems before? I think in terms of having to

provide real leadership and offer the appropriate development at the

appropriate age, creating a link between the national team and

grassroots and making sure the content of what the guys deliver is

disseminated across Wales. These are challenges we are trying

to address. 43 posts have been created but is this just beginning?

Let's hope so. Our intention is to grow. It is always a question of

resources and as part of the union's ongoing review, either they

have to be allocated from elsewhere or looking for sponsors. In terms of

return of investment, 50,000 boys and girls, teaching them the right

values and the right parts of the game in Wales is a fantastic

opportunity to do something special. Thanks for coming in. I can only

imagine the panel have strong opinions.

Jonathan, you have long banned the drum for this. -- and the drum. I

played rugby for my school and my team.

It is about making the link because kids in school are a captive

audience. Single parents can't drop off their parents on the weekend to

play maybe. It is a great initiative and fantastic to see them working

together. The 43 officers, I was very lucky because I had a great

schoolteacher who put me on the right road to rugby union. I am

delighted. I understand you have been getting

your boots muddy? I have been working with children

for aspirational stuff as well. This is a great initiative and when I

look at the Child, for instance, who would benefit from this, he wouldn't

just benefit in Iraq the way because if you give children the opportunity

to play rugby, -- in a rugby way. Then maybe you would find the next

big player because of this but that child will be given an opportunity

to have great values and understand what it means to be part of the

team. That, to me, is why this initiative is a great way of helping

the children. Well fed. Let's get stuck into the Pro12 game.

The Blues were in Dublin . Sam Warburton was back for the Blues

after being rested last week, while Gethin Jenkins was declared fit for

his first start of the season. George Watkins made his debut after

impressing with five tries in two games for Cardiff RFC.

The Leinster defence under pressure. Josh Navidi snap it up. Gareth

Davies. Fanning in with the tackle. The child is still on for the Blues.

Coming back into this game after early pressure. Gavin Hewitt. Lewis

Jones. Josh Turnbull knocks it on. That could be something for colony

on the counterattack. Back goes Cuthbert. He looks to open it out.

He is brought down by Jamie Heaslip. Lewis Jones is appealing for a

penalty and he will get one. There it is for Eoin Reddan. Ryan is

stopped in his tracks. Jimmy Gopperth. This is Ruddock on the

charge, hitting the line at speed and fending off Jones. Rhys Ruddock

has got the first try of the game at 38 minutes, which will delight his

dad. This is Eoin Reddan. And Leinster

looking to put width on it. They have got around the Blues defence.

Timing his past to the young replacement on half-time. Bouncing

through the tackle and he has got there.

More possession for Eoin Reddan. Jimmy Gopperth. A little step

unlocks the Blues fans. Gordon D'Arcy is over. The first game this

season. Cardiff Blues now looking on the back foot. This is Devin Toner.

Jamie Heaslip. He is stopped by Warburton. A crossfield kick for

McFadden but it is too high for him. Gareth Davies takes it quickly, to

Corey Allen. Looking to put pressure on the defence. Corey Allen has lost

it. He adds the first Blues try in nearly four hours of rugby.

Can The Blues put a bit of a on this one? Adam Thomas. Support from Sam

Warburton. He is over. The Blues looked to be back in it. It will go

to the video referee. Can you check the final pass? The pass inside came

off a Leinster defender. The try is good. Cardiff lose back in

contention. -- Cardiff lose. They have got one point. They are looking

to run it out from defence. Gareth Davies has lost it in contact. It is

snapped up. Look McGrath goes the post. Leinster have got their bonus

point. The Blues will go home pointless.

They came back admirably. But they conceded the try in the last minute

and left Dublin was nothing to show for their efforts. How will they

feel? Massively disappointed. It was their best formance by some distance

this year. But I think psychologically, to come away with

nothing and then look ahead to two games, they have the Ospreys and

Connacht and are both playing well, it will be tough for them. --

performance. Defensively, they got rushed of a lot of tackles and that

is an area of concern. But look at it. When they are in that position,

they have to take the bonus point. As I said, it does not matter who

you have as a defensive coach or as a head coach. If you fall of tackles

you will not win games. That is what happened in a lot of those tackles.

You can have the best systems in the world. You lose games. Is that a

concern? It is. I have played for The Blues and watch them this year.

To me, the defence is personal. If you have a one-on-one tackle to

make, it is your responsibility to make it. We know sometimes we missed

tackles and sometimes we make them, but to fall off as many as they did,

something is going wrong some work. It is personal. You need to work on

this. It comes down to one-on-one. If the guy is running harder than

you are willing to tackle, he will run over you. The fixture list is

looking increasingly long -- wanting. Can you see them getting

anything out of their next two games? Apart from Treviso, everyone

will be tough. That does not matter who you are. The competition for

qualification is key. Every point is important. If they lose these two,

they have a fight to get back into the top six. That is what the season

is all about. Let's move on to Catalan Dragons. And to contribute

so earlier on this afternoon. -- they took on Treviso. Lee Byrne was

back to lead the home side. Ashton Smith returns to add experience to

the backline. Andy Powell got the nod at line side. The Dragons went

in search of their first win of the season.

Looking to get Treviso over the gain line. Intercepted. This will be an

easy run-in. It is the youngster who moves in for the first try. Andy

Powell does well. A chance for the Dragons to counter from here. They

switch it. He has a moss on his left. Great finish. The South

African is there. Evans is trying to rip it clearer. Jonathan Evans. They

must go. It is a stroll for Ashley Smith. He rounds it off.

The Dragons have raised the tempo. That is great plague. What a try for

Jonathan Evans! A great team effort. Looking to drive it. There he is. He

has got there! Very difficult for the Dragons now. Has he got there?

Surely the try has come for Treviso? We are happy for you. We do not want

the results to take the focus away from the performance. We took a step

forward today. It is better than me have first-team and experienced

players coming back from injury. -- then when we have. Two other results

to catch up on. Glasgow's flying start to the season continues. They

triumphed over Connacht. Zebra beat Ulster. Ospreys retain the top spot.

Bolster and Connacht make up the top four. -- Ulster. In the bottom

half, the Scarlets and The Blues dropped to seventh and ninth

respectively. The Dragons go to eighth. Interesting words from Lyn

Jones. They are pleased with where they are. They did make heavy

weather of that. The win was important. A confidence booster,

that is all. They had a run of defeats. It can become a habit. It

is getting the balance, getting it right. It is a game they had to win.

They were never going to lose. It fell off a little bit in the second

half but they got a bonus point. Reborn. Is this a new chapter? They

had injury problems. There are a lot of new players there. It will take

time. From now on, it will be about results. We expect them to be moving

up the table. Briefly, Gareth, what about that result against Ulster?

Declan Fitzpatrick sent off after 11 minutes. But you still fancied

Ulster to come back? Well, good on the French side! It has shown that

teams going out there and not having the motivation they should have had,

they will come unstuck. Over to Bethan. We are in week three of the

Premiership. Any surprises? A lot of surprise results! Defending

champions Pontypridd left things a little late before securing their

win of the season. Bridgend took the lead after a try from Flatley. Three

second-half tries but the hosts included this one. It gave them a

bonus point win. The Ravens went home empty-handed. Carmarthenshire

Derby ensued. Adams crossed for the first try of the season. The

visitors took the lead. Having supper to heavy defeats Newport

-based Ebbw Vale. They came away with an unexpected victory. John

Morris scored the only try for Newport. It was the boot of the

Black and Amber's O'Driscoll which scored 17 points. Bridge Field saw a

thrilling match. It was the visitors who scored first. They went on to

build a comfortable 31-10 lead. Despite two tries within two minutes

in the second half, they could not complete the comeback. Abba Ravin

were the worthy winners. Cardiff took an early 10-0 lead against

Cross Keys. Cardiff had to welsh capped players in their side. It was

Lloyd Lewis who caught the eye with a superb individual try. The

visitors claimed their fourth successive win. Both sides fielded

to regional players. The Ospreys player got me off to a flying start.

Scarlets wing Phillips scored twice. They secured a third successive win.

That defeat for Neath lead them rooted at the bottom of the table.

Pontypridd and Carmarthen remain the only two undefeated sites. From the

Premiership and we go now to Anglesey. Now that we have the cup,

the plate and the bold, the prospect of a once-in-a-lifetime appearance

at the Millennium Stadium really adds extra spice to cup day. This

Division 2 team are hoping to make the long journey south. They have to

overcome the team from Division 3 who made the journey from Wrexham.

We went down from Division 1 to Division 2. We have got a very good

team and we are fighting back. We are going to try and go back up. We

have two players in the team who haven't played for the junior team

and the youth team. It is working well. You are from... Stockport,

Coventry. You learn the language? I have. Can you give me a hand in

pronouncing your opposition today? No, I cannot. Come on, boys! We are

very proud of what we have. We are proud of the scenery. We have some

committed young lads coming through. Let's hope there is room for

improvement. I think this is going to be a long afternoon. Almost as

long as their name! They do look a well Jill team. They are very tidy.

-- well drilled. We have many North Wales players that have gone through

to the national side. One of them is still coaching. Are you talking

about McBride? I am. Things are not going well for you, unfortunately.

We are struggling for numbers today. One of the lads has just got

engaged. We are trying to make the most of it! Every cloud has a silver

lining! We have a bit of a suntan, as well. Are you a former player?

No, I am not. Just in love with the game. I am. A food all? Only joking!

As that camera not run out of film yet? How proud would you be as a

grandfather to watch them play at the Millennium Stadium? I would be

the first one there. We do? Yes. It would be great if they managed.

Really fantastic. We would all be there to mention Mark first, she is

second, and you will have be third! All right. There seems to be some

confusion. How many tries have you scored? It was eight in the end. He

has turned you into a have tidy player! Yes, it has worked well for

me! Not a bad result. Greg Horsman scored eight tries. Incidentally,

Northampton have jumped above Bath in the Aviva Premiership table.

Thank you. We turn our attention to next week. Another Welsh derby.

Scarlets take on well as he could have. He has

struggled a little. Liam Williams is just on fire. Fantastic and

everything, attack and defence. We can see here. He has started the

season fantastically well. The old head, Lee Byrne... He will always

put in a performance when it comes to a local derby. He will relish the

opportunity. He wants to play against the Scarlets. He has a great

left foot. It is his ability to hit the line that has poured in. I am

looking forward to this. -- that is important. He is one of the players

of the season, Liam Williams. Lee Byrne has opened

of the season, Liam Williams. Lee We believe you with a tribute to a

colleague of ours who after nearly 60 years in the industry has decided

to hang up his microphone. Good night. But the past 26 years Delhi

Griffiths has delighted radio Wales listeners on his popular show A

String Of Pearls. This morning, aged 83, he bade farewell to his

listeners and announced his retirement. For 30 years he directed

every live rugby match from the National Stadium beginning with

Wales taking on England in 1963. He was adept in front and behind the

camera. But one of his fondest memories remains the Barbarians

taking on New Zealand in 1973. It was Cliff Morgan's breathless

commentary and his direction that help make that tries so memorable.

This is Gareth Edwards! Dramatic start!