15/04/2012 Scrum V

Hello and welcome to Scrum V. We had a bumper programme for you as

usual. We will have wisdom and insight from Robert Jones and

Jonathan Davies. There is plenty more coming your way. As the race

for the play-offs approaches, we will have all the action from the

Pro12. We endured blizzard conditions as we need Dan Lydia.

They are affectionate. They flock around you when you turn up with

food. Welcome to K Club. It is when Derby time as Cross Keys meet Ebbw

Vale at Rodney Parade. We. With the action from the Cardiff City

Stadium last night. The Blues made five changes to the side thrashed

by Leinster. The Ospreys travelled to Cardiff of the back of two

consecutive wins. Hoping to card as well. The crowd are not

happy. It looks a bit harsh. Yellow card, very doubtful. Here comes

Biggar. Amazing. That is He's 12th consecutive kick. The scores are

tied. Martyn Williams on scrum-half Jones popping up again. A new lease

of life for the former Welsh captain. They are screaming for the

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the Blues are for a while. Dash back for a while. It was offside. -

certainly looks like a penalty for the Ospreys. Another mystifying

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A good scrum. A careless pass their of the South African-born wing.

Penny macro again, and the Blues's advantage is extended. -- penny

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Blues cannot match it. Biggar to cannot be kept out. The Ospreys's

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captain get the drive. -- gets the there half-time scoreline? We were

a little bit more patient and directing what we were trying to do.

In the first half, we got turned over, which was a bit disappointing.

The score reflected again in the second half. From last weekend, we

have made strides forward. We know we are in a difficult place. The

big thing is for the majority of that game, our defence was resolute.

We worked hard. The boys took responsibility, but unfortunately

we were not good enough. We are in a good position, coming home of

a good position, coming home of Friday night against the Dragons.

Despite some of those refereeing decisions, it was pretty

enterprising stuff. It was. They have played with a lot more purpose

and will pace and freedom. A lot of the players are stepping up to the

mark and playing well. This is a good example of how positive and

direct they were. Just the quality and delivery of the ball. There is

only one way that they can go and that is forward. They are not

frightened to go either side. That frustration was born from the scrum.

They fell apart after 20 minutes. George Clancy, he did not refereed

the scrum at all. The dominant pack was always going to be the Ospreys.

They were always going to be on top, but time and time again he penalise

them. It wasn't until the end of the first half, beginning of the

second half that he started to realise and referee correctly. We

know it is a problem area, but when you give eight penalties at scrum

time, which he did, you have to look at it and make some decisions.

Somebody has to do something because at the moment, it is

ruining the game. George Clancy has come under criticism for that

performance, has 90. I need to be careful about what I so. I switch

the TV off after 20 minutes. I thought George Clancy was terrible.

We all have a job to do and we have to try and make it entertaining and

referees are involved in it as well. For me, the stop and start, he

absolutely destroyed the game. The Blues tried to play a bit of

football and so did the Ospreys, but he tracked the game down. It

was so boring and slow. The referees need to look at themselves.

We are in the entertainment business and that has to be the

case here. I thought he was absolutely dreadful yesterday. He

spoilt the game. How the Ospreys were down at half-time is beyond

belief. The Blues were very lucky yesterday. I know there are a

couple of decisions you thought were harsh? It was not just the

scrum, that was a farce. But the yellow card. You're talking about

reactions. That was that, this was awful! Sweeney it almost tackled

Alun Wyn Jones. The ball bounced off his biceps and he reacted

against it. There is no doubt about it the Ospreys were the better side,

but they need to look up a number of areas. The scrum, the

interception and the spare tackle. The interception is the fact that

you read the play. It is very good rugby because you read the play,

you have got to go for it and if you go for it and slap it down, OK

it is a penalty. But both of them, Evans could have caught it. Sweeney

should never have got the yellow card. With yellow cards been so

important these days, they do not use it when people are slowing it

down. I have got to say, I agree with Robert, the Ospreys played

more attacking rugby. They looked adventurous, there dummy runs were

a good, but I thought and the last couple of weeks they have played

exceptionally well with confidence. Biggar has been exceptional because

he has not been static. Before, they were playing a slow game and

the back was under pressure. Now they look as if they are enjoying

themselves and they looked in a very good position and maybe it

will be the biggest threat to Leinster. You mentioned Biggar.

Also, but, both been linked with leaving. The is rumoured to have

been offered a 3 million pound deal. Well, he has to go. He is not

playing very well with the Cardiff Blues. That type of bigger, he has

to go. It is another example of the French coming in and picking of our

If you get offered three times your money to go and work so well, the

chances are you'll go. We can't compete. Dan Biggar realises he is

happy there, he likes the way the Ospreys are going. He is the

Swansea boy. He wants to stay, where as Cuthbert, maybe, he thinks

hang on, I am on the crest of a wave here, I've broken onto the

international scene, as long as he makes sure his international

contract is fine and he gets released to play for Wales, then he

must be thinking, well, why not? In the economic climate we are in, the

regions and Wales are finding it very tough and the boys are going

to come in and take the big bucks. The Ospreys' next opponents of the

Dragons and one man hoping to put a dent in their quest for a home

semi-final is Dan Lydiate. We went to meet him on his parents'' farmer

little did we know we would need more than wellies.

The international rugby field can be a pretty inhospitable place, so

to come the wilds of Mid-Wales. It was here that arguably the hardest

man in the Welsh squad was raised. We have travelled up here to meet

the man they call the silent and Me and my brother Rufforth

generation farmers here. I played Friday night, jumping the car and

head back here and have the rest of the weekend to chill-out. Give us

an idea of what it was like growing up here but having ambitions to

play professional rugby at having to go to Newport to do so? It is

quite hard because there is not a lot of professional rugby up here.

It is good that we were brought up on the farm, my parents got the

work out of the way so they could take us down. Big thanks to them,

really. There is a bit -- there are a lot of players who don't have

that opportunity. They do miss out, I think. The rigours of the

farmyard prepare you for international rugby? Yes, you start

learning to tackle by tackling sheep, catching sheep, and there is

plenty of fields to run around so you get quite fit from doing that

and you what always lumping bales around and what not, so there is

plenty of manual labour to be done. Who do you think will be least

equipped to deal with life on a farm? Sam Warburton, he is a townie.

He is a city boy. I don't think you would live up here in these hills.

I will see you at the top. See you You have a reputation as a hard man

on the pitch. We come up here and see these conditions that you have

been used to working in. Perhaps we should not be surprised. I don't

know about being a hard man on the pitch but it is quite a tough

environment at times. A lot of farmers work in harsh conditions

but jobs need to be done so you get on with it. I would rather it was

like this than sunny, I can't deal with the heat. As long as it is

quite cool I am happy. mentioned that, a couple of us in

the office have noticed you have been playing without your school

cap recently. Is that something to do with the heat as well? Yes, it

has been quite hot and the soft ears. I have been trying to

keep it on because they are starting to rip, but it has been so

hot in there, I have chucked it after 16 minutes. Nothing to do

with superstition then? No, I have got baby softie is, I'm afraid. --

One thing that does help you keep in shape when you visit here is a

purpose-built gym. How did this come about? Basically because it is

quite isolated appear, you have to travel anywhere to go to the gym.

It is right next door, so it is handy. You in particular seemed to

be associated with the top tackle, getting as low as you possibly can

and the opponents are up on the deck before they know what has

happened. Why did that starred? think it was going into the World

Cup against a big physical groups, the South Africans, and the sort of

thing when you're statistics come up after regain you never want to

be missing tackles and what not, or have a negative tackle way you make

a tackle and you get carried five metres, so I wanted to chop them

down before they got going. It worked out better. Jack was in the

team, Sam and getting, if you can cut them down early it gives them a

chance to get on the ball, we had good success in the World Cup so

trying to improve on that, really and it works so I stick at it.

has and you is the nickname, Djerba. That is one of your many nicknames.

-- Chopper. I will take that one. Warburton tries to make up a few

but they never stick. I will stick with Chopper. If it is not you, who

is the hardest man in the Welsh team? It would be Huw Bennett, he

will push himself until he is sick and then push himself again. You

have people like Luke Charteris, who is out with injury after the

World Cup but I got injured in the first game but he played the whole

campaign, so you have a lot of respect for people like that. If

you get ten years being a professional especially

internationals, you are lucky, so we are not there for a long time so

we make the most of it while we can. Make hay while the sun shines.

good farming analogy. Yes, got it in there. There has been rumours

that given your performances on -- some French clubs have been showing

an interest in you. Where do you stand? Are you looking forward to

another season with the Dragons, or further afield? I am quite a

homeboy, so definitely the Dragons next season. They gave me a chance

when I was younger to play a lot of rugby and it really helped me was

my development, so I can't thank them enough in that respect.

Warburton was my source, I will give it away, he says you have a

reputation for showing shapes on the dancefloor? Yes, I have. What

is that all about? On the odd occasion when I do drink, that is

when I like to. You have to wait once every six months while I do

that but there is no stopping me kitchen so we had better go red

talking. We'd better had come otherwise my mother will not be

happy. -- we had better go and read. I contested by his mother does make

good food. An interesting thing and that's chat, his hero growing up

was Richard Hill, the England flanker, and it is no surprise that

it is the unsung heroes who do the dirty work. Very much, he plays in

the Richard Hill mode. He does the donkey work, makes the tackles,

probably one of the most prolific and better tacklers in the world

game. He is nicknamed Chopper and he stops them at source. He has had

a fantastic Six Nations. He is one of the very good back row that

Wales will take for the next few years. He is really grounded, from

that background. He must think that going to Poland as a doddle. You

have someone like by Morris and climb up -- Clive mergers -- Clive

Burgess, Bryan Williams, that is different altogether. That a

working environment is really hard. The travelling he does, the gym

work he does, he must be an inspiration to all those kids who

live in wit -- who live in Mid- Wales, with no ambition, they see

someone like that, if he can do it, I can do it. Warren Gatland has

broken both his heels after falling off a ladder. It has raised doubt

as to whether he can tour Australia with Wales. If he can't, a good

dress rehearsal if he gets the lion's job? First and foremost it

is down to his health. It is not -- if it is not right for him to go,

he can't go. There are more important things in life than rugby.

I feel that with the backroom staff he has got now he will be confident

in them taking over. His communication is good now. If he is

healthy enough to go, great, if he is not, well Rob Howley and the

team should do a good job. Let's go back to the Pro12 and Dan Lydiate

was in action on Friday night as the Dragons welcomed Treviso to

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Dragons. It is a bonus point try for the Italians. Can the Dragons

try, a consolation one I'm afraid, I think, for the Dragons. Lovely

passing particularly from Lydiate. All to no avail, even if the

Our focus is on finishing the season strong. A lot of young

players are having first experiences and that is another big

experience because we scored four tries and did not win a game of

rugby. That should not happen. sums it up, doesn't it? Four tries

and on the losing side. The Dragons' season is picking out.

is, they should have won it. The disappointing thing is they will

lose some players. They need to strengthen in some ways because

this year has not been great. Next year will be more to offer. Some

sad news, a for Porte -- former Newport stole what, Malcolm Thomas,

has died at 82. He won 27 caps for his country and was a double Grand

Slam winner in the 1950s. He toured both New Zealand and Australia with

the Lions. Our thoughts go out to Highlights now between the game

this afternoon between the Scarlets long range and Jonathan Edwards get

that first important try. -- get converted try would bring them back

level. It is a penalty try given by great score and the Scarlets really

for Aironi. It is a very difficult place to come. The result was all-

important. Of course, we would have loved the bonus point, but we are

still in the fight and that is the most important thing. Let us have a

look at the weekend's other It is a shame they missed out on

that bonus point, but the scrum did look week today. The Ospreys should

finish second and fingers crossed, there is hope for the Scarlets.

They will be desperately disappointed they did not get the

bonus point. I am briefly, Stephen Jones said that he is moving to

Wasps. I surprised by that? None at all, he office he wants to prolong

his career. Going to Wasps, obviously still fighting to stay up

and short of money. Surprising in that respect, but I think it is all

about playing. He wants another couple of years on the field.

knows what it is all about, it's just that Wasps are in a bit of a

predicament. Let's move on to the game between Ebbw Vale and Cross

Keys. In has been a huge week for Cross Keys. They are trying to

reach another final this afternoon. We are going to speak to the

coaches now. Probably one of the biggest weeks in the history of

Crosskeys, would you agree? A yes. We knew we had a second semi-final

this week, so we had to get the bumps and bruises out of the way

midweek and get ready for today. Lloyd has had to retire. Abbey lost

to rugby. The definitely. The news filtered through on Tuesday. We

wish him all the best. Good luck this afternoon. I'm going to speak

to the other coach. Can we have a quick word with you. A huge there

this afternoon. What are you expecting from the game against

Ebbw Vale? I am quite apprehensive. We went through a lot last week a

we're just hoping and praying that we don't come down from the

adrenalin rush. Although Cross Keys other favourite this afternoon, do

not right up Ebbw Vale. They have beaten three Premiership sides to

get to this stage and have not lost Tom Lampard has put Cross Keys

The referee is right on hand to a wall the try. This is so dramatic!

Dorian Jones put Ebbw Vale into the lead. This is sensational! We are

in injury time. Ever felt just need to keep their discipline. Nash

tried to force an error and Iping he has done it. That is rugby

suicide. the referee reaches for his pocket. Two semi-final so close

to each other, I have been really stressed. It is hard work to deal

with it. We have not won anything and we have to find us to contend

with. It is massive for the club and the boys. Congratulations there

There had been playing really well. Good luck to them. They play with a

bit of freedom and it is great to see they have established

themselves in two cup finals. tout stay in Gwent and the latest

candidates in our new challenge kick club.

Let's us recap the walls. There will be five per place kicks and

one drop goal. Gentlemen, welcome to kick club. We journey east, and

I'm not sure we will find three wise men, but we have got some

Dragons. Go, Sam Perry. That is five more, even with a bit of

Sir. Come on, the clock is ticking. You are out of time. -- for the

seven points. Next, the man who bought the thunder by air Ebbw Vale.

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Lewis Evans. Here are the highlights, most of which seem to

That should constitute an immediate get 10 from the right-hand touch?

No, he can't. He races into the pocket. That was a scandalous

stitch-up! As good as it was, it will not count. He was out of time.

Stop on 13. Unlucky. Away they go, of to the kebab shop. Prop Rhodri

A man of many talents, Faletau. He is part of the Dragons back-row he

take on the Ospreys next week. weather front five are going, they

will be hard to stop. They are playing with momentum and freedom.

They looked as if they are enjoying the game. It will be a tough ask

for the Dragons. A foregone conclusion? I think it will be. It

is a home game. The quality of rugby the Ospreys are producing, I

can only see one winner. But the Dragons have always done well

against them. Let us talk about the Scarlets. They should have got a

bonus point. They have a crucial game coming up. They are desperate

to get each and every point. It is important they do all they can.

That would put the cat amongst the pigeons if the Scarlets did win,

and they can win at home. Bentley very much. Shane Williams revealed