:00:23. > :00:28.Pre-season is officially over. Everything from here on in is for
:00:29. > :00:52.real. From the heartlands to the
:00:53. > :00:55.Premiership, from the under 20s to the very top, Scrum V has it
:00:56. > :01:13.covered. Hello and welcome to a brand-new of
:01:14. > :01:17.Scrum V Sunday, the Pro12 has started with a bang. There have been
:01:18. > :01:20.tries galore and some intriguing results already. Jonathan Davies and
:01:21. > :01:24.Martyn Williams are both here to offer their thoughts. We will hear
:01:25. > :01:32.from them in a few moments. First, let's start with a encounter at the
:01:33. > :01:38.Arms Park between the and Edinburgh. -- between the Blues and Edinburgh.
:01:39. > :01:42.Blues head coach Danny Wilson gave Nick Williams his first competitive
:01:43. > :01:46.start. Ellis Jenkins was named as captain and a strong looking bench
:01:47. > :01:53.included Wales' record cap holder Gethin Jenkins and Matthew Morgan.
:01:54. > :02:14.Edinburgh, meanwhile, had five debutants in the backline.
:02:15. > :02:25.Lovely, lovely dummy! Gifts unopposed under the post. This is
:02:26. > :02:39.now within three yards of the Blues try line. They will not want to
:02:40. > :02:45.concede at this stage. Now they go wide.
:02:46. > :02:59.Edinburgh are back in front. Another Edinburgh player lying on the wrong
:03:00. > :03:04.side. But Nick Williams has picked up from the base. The huge New
:03:05. > :03:13.Zealander crashes through another tackle. Support from Tom James. You
:03:14. > :03:18.said it before, Ritchie, he is a human wrecking ball. If you go high,
:03:19. > :03:22.he bounces you off. If you go low, he will probably bounce you off as
:03:23. > :03:36.well. It is almost impossible to bring him down with one tackle. Good
:03:37. > :03:40.initial defence from Edinburgh, but the ball is inching closer to the
:03:41. > :03:46.Edinburgh try line. The whistle has gone. It is a penalty try. Edinburgh
:03:47. > :03:53.bring the ball to the ground illegally. There is the culprit,
:03:54. > :04:06.Jamie Ritchie, the Edinburgh blindside, deliberately collapsing
:04:07. > :04:09.the ball. Will the Blues now try and roll this maul towards the Edinburgh
:04:10. > :04:17.trial and? That is what they are going to do, and in these
:04:18. > :04:23.conditions, who can blame them? Stacy couldn't manage to get over.
:04:24. > :04:34.-- Stacy. Thomas Williams, barking orders to his forwards. The Blues
:04:35. > :04:41.must surely now score. They are over the line. Nick Williams has been a
:04:42. > :04:42.nuisance all night. The big man has capped his competitive debut for the
:04:43. > :04:55.Blues with a try. Fair play to Thomas Williams. --
:04:56. > :05:25.Tomos Williams. Tomos Williams is over the line! He
:05:26. > :05:29.has been a threat from the fringes all night. If one man deserved to
:05:30. > :05:40.score, it is that man, Tomos Williams. Good to come away with a
:05:41. > :05:45.home win. I'm more pleased with the way we did it, different to how we
:05:46. > :05:48.normally do it, in tough conditions. Either we dominated in the areas
:05:49. > :05:58.where we have strengths. It rained hard all night, but given
:05:59. > :06:04.those conditions, a finite. Yes, a good start. Your focus in pre-season
:06:05. > :06:10.is winning your first game, and they have done that convincingly. The go
:06:11. > :06:19.forward was very good. Tomos Williams stood out. Just a
:06:20. > :06:30.comfortable win. Maybe last year, it would not have been as comfortable.
:06:31. > :06:35.And it is another win at Cardiff Arms Park. It is becoming a fortress
:06:36. > :06:43.again. Yes, the pitch obviously suits them. They have loads of
:06:44. > :06:50.talent when they have got the ball. The key for the Blues this year is
:06:51. > :06:54.their defence. If they become solid defensively, they will be very
:06:55. > :07:00.difficult to beat. They will have a feel-good factor. Their recruitment
:07:01. > :07:03.is good as well. They have brought in a lot of players who will not be
:07:04. > :07:10.leaving during the international window. One of whom is Nick
:07:11. > :07:15.Williams. And on the evidence of last night, he is worth every penny.
:07:16. > :07:19.Every Blues player will have breathed a sigh of relief that they
:07:20. > :07:25.are not going to have to play him this year. He has been around the
:07:26. > :07:31.block a bit. He is a brilliant signing, exactly what you need as a
:07:32. > :07:41.team. You need a focal point. It is early days yet, but it was a great
:07:42. > :07:55.start last night. You just need go forwards. It is a simple plan. The
:07:56. > :08:00.rest will follow. Both partnerships looked sharp last night. Yes, the
:08:01. > :08:09.nine and ten is so much easier if you are on the front foot. I thought
:08:10. > :08:19.Tomos Williams have an exceptional game last night. Competition for
:08:20. > :08:26.places, that is what you need in the squad system. Then he scores that
:08:27. > :08:31.crucial try. But also on the back of that, we know what he can do. People
:08:32. > :08:43.have questioned his defensive qualities, but that is attitude.
:08:44. > :08:49.With Tomos Williams, he has great creativity. And with Dan Biggar
:08:50. > :08:56.there, this year will be the axis for Wales. It is going to be
:08:57. > :09:01.crucial. Everyone else has gone to footballers. Martyn, when you look
:09:02. > :09:09.at the overall squad, Danny Wilson inherited the squad. He has shaved
:09:10. > :09:13.it down to 45. Is it now quality over quantity? Absolutely. The
:09:14. > :09:18.numbers they had were ridiculous. If you have that many players in your
:09:19. > :09:23.squad throughout the week, you are using more physios and spending more
:09:24. > :09:28.time on players. It is definitely quality over quantity. Those boys
:09:29. > :09:34.were bit part players. You can call them up anyway from the Premiership
:09:35. > :09:39.if needed. It is a good-looking squad for the Blues. He took a risk,
:09:40. > :09:48.because it is a long season and people get injured. But he wants
:09:49. > :09:53.that squad there and he has cut other players to get a solid squad.
:09:54. > :09:56.A great start for the Blues. The Scarlets began last season winning
:09:57. > :10:04.six on the trot. Could they get this season off to a flyer? Their first
:10:05. > :10:09.opponents were Munster. Ken Owens captained a strong side
:10:10. > :10:15.with 11 capped players for the Scarlets. Wales internationals
:10:16. > :10:17.Williams, Scott Williams Gareth Davies all started with Senator
:10:18. > :10:52.Jonathan Davies on the bench. Let's have another look at that. I
:10:53. > :11:09.think that is a straightforward decision. A good long pass for
:11:10. > :11:21.Williams. The second time that Munster managed to sniff out the
:11:22. > :11:26.threat. This is better from Munster. The Scarlets are under pressure for
:11:27. > :11:30.the first time. The try line is within sight for the Irish province.
:11:31. > :11:54.Good defence from the Scarlets. Lloyd Linton what's the video
:11:55. > :12:13.referee to have a look. You may award the try. Free kick to Munster,
:12:14. > :12:19.taken quickly. What a burst from Munster. Again, the Scarlets defence
:12:20. > :12:25.is caught napping. From nowhere, the gap opens up. Totally against the
:12:26. > :12:50.run of play for Munster. I think McLeod was taken out in the
:12:51. > :12:57.air, maybe? The referee is not happy. It was a bit of a missed kick
:12:58. > :13:04.from Patchell. Gareth Davies goes as well, takes the referee and everyone
:13:05. > :13:20.by surprise. Has he got the legs? He has. Fantastic try.
:13:21. > :13:27.There is a penalty coming the Scarlets' way. If they do get those
:13:28. > :13:30.three points, the pressure should tell for the Scarlets and they will
:13:31. > :13:41.bring themselves back to within a try. They have got the corner. This
:13:42. > :13:52.line-out has to go to hand. Two attacking opportunities bomber gone
:13:53. > :14:06.begging for the Scarlets. Great hands again from the Scarlets.
:14:07. > :14:12.There might be a bit of trouble here. It is going to be a penalty.
:14:13. > :14:25.There was no need for him to come in. I can't that. This to make it
:14:26. > :14:29.23-13 to Munster. The time is starting to take out for the
:14:30. > :14:39.Scarlets. And it has just squeaked over. Got edged by a good Munster
:14:40. > :14:42.pack. And we will have to improve. There is no point having the best
:14:43. > :14:48.backline in Europe if we are not providing enough ball to go forward.
:14:49. > :14:55.Ken Owens was not happy. If there was once that, it is this. Scarlets
:14:56. > :15:00.had 67% position. How can you have that much ball and not win?
:15:01. > :15:04.Sometimes you see the stats after games flashing up on the screen.
:15:05. > :15:11.Yesterday, they had lots of possession, but it is what they do
:15:12. > :15:21.with it. They were deep as well. And they didn't vary their tactics. He
:15:22. > :15:26.is in control throughout this clip. But they are not getting over the
:15:27. > :15:37.gain line, not getting any impetus. They look a bit lost at times.
:15:38. > :15:44.Really hitting this ball at pace. They had some time with a run going
:15:45. > :15:49.straight into the heart of the Munster pack. A have managed to turn
:15:50. > :15:52.really quick ball into slow ball. This was part of the game they will
:15:53. > :15:57.be relieved disappointed with. The Munster pack really opened up around
:15:58. > :16:02.the close contact areas. It's a crucial part of the game, to get
:16:03. > :16:06.back into it. They go round the corner, driven by cover the gain
:16:07. > :16:10.line. He goes off his feet under when the penalty. On the flip side,
:16:11. > :16:13.this is what you want to do when you're on the front foot. It's the
:16:14. > :16:22.first time they have gone, the Scarlets. It was a clean-up
:16:23. > :16:26.yesterday by Munster. They knew what they were doing. They didn't have to
:16:27. > :16:32.make a decision. They take over, they pick up. The scrum-half isn't
:16:33. > :16:38.anywhere near. They had its labs, they're cleaning out. They are in
:16:39. > :16:43.disarray, the Scarlets. Is a classic example, like we said at the start.
:16:44. > :16:46.They were clinical, they knew what they were doing. It's going to be
:16:47. > :16:53.tough for the Scarlets, particularly the pack. As a forward, the pressure
:16:54. > :16:56.is on you. We have got to produce otherwise the blame is going to be
:16:57. > :17:00.laid on them. It's the first games and you don't want to go too hard on
:17:01. > :17:04.them but they're going to have to improve a lot against the battery
:17:05. > :17:09.pack. Everyone likes the way they play. They try and play expansive,
:17:10. > :17:13.bring the good backs into it. But when they did have overlaps, they
:17:14. > :17:20.didn't run the inside shoulder, they didn't hold offenders. They didn't
:17:21. > :17:25.really test the Munster defence. With Patchell, he missed a kick to
:17:26. > :17:30.get the bonus point. A little bit of variety. The conditions were
:17:31. > :17:36.dreadful when they played. The grubber kick sloping down. The
:17:37. > :17:40.old-fashioned up and under. And they do have the likes of Rob Evans
:17:41. > :17:45.Samsung coming back, not November, but they will make a difference up
:17:46. > :17:50.front. They will do. A few new players in the back. It takes time
:17:51. > :17:54.to gel. It will be really interesting to see how the Scarlets
:17:55. > :17:58.react. They have quality and they will get better. Onto the Ospreys.
:17:59. > :18:00.They began their campaign at home. They were up against a team in
:18:01. > :18:10.zebra. A welcome return for Justin to break
:18:11. > :18:14.in the Ospreys back. He was the voice of experience, and the absence
:18:15. > :18:17.of Alan Wyn Jones and Dan Biggar. Some have revealed captain from
:18:18. > :18:20.scrum-half while Ashley back was another welcome return in the
:18:21. > :18:23.midfield. Buddy of strength on the bench with Rhys Webb and new boy
:18:24. > :18:28.Bradley Davies among the heavy artillery. Kiwi import curb beggar
:18:29. > :18:39.made his debut for Zebre as a full-back.
:18:40. > :18:51.Sam Parry in control from the line-out. The Ospreys are turning
:18:52. > :19:03.round. It came from the resulting line-out. Sam Parry gets the Ospreys
:19:04. > :19:13.first of the season. A move back ten metres. Ashley straight through!
:19:14. > :19:26.Straight over. You cannot go ahead of a bowl any
:19:27. > :19:37.more, you got a driving behind. Just a liberty defence. Ashley backed
:19:38. > :19:44.rolls out. It's trying a bit three. -- it is try number three. That's a
:19:45. > :19:47.much better drive, initially. They got the momentum going. Far better.
:19:48. > :19:55.Looking good for the Zebre this time. He can't quite see Fisher. It
:19:56. > :20:11.could well be sung McDowell's decision. Try is confirmed. To break
:20:12. > :20:20.up the tail. Getting a warning to get out of the way. They try and get
:20:21. > :20:29.the drive on. The try has come. So has the bonus points.
:20:30. > :20:41.Sam Parry looking for a hat-trick. He has kept control. It of a
:20:42. > :20:52.hat-trick for Sam Parry! Was an evening it is turning out to be.
:20:53. > :21:08.Sorensen, web. A lovely ball from Sam Davies. He finishes in style.
:21:09. > :21:21.But it has opened up the Dan Evans. It has gone the other way. Was he in
:21:22. > :21:25.front, Rhys Webb? Try -- try River Severn.
:21:26. > :21:45.There is another one coming. It's another for the Ospreys. Eight
:21:46. > :21:49.tries. There are a couple of things we still need to tidy up but it's a
:21:50. > :21:52.good start. It was the start of the season last year that under due? How
:21:53. > :21:56.important It is a decent start, that we got to
:21:57. > :22:05.get ready for Steve Tandy is a happy man. We were
:22:06. > :22:09.all there on the night ended a difficult one to critique. On the
:22:10. > :22:13.one hand, separate were dreadful but the Ospreys, to their credit, they
:22:14. > :22:19.kept playing and looks good. Zebre were terrible. I think they were
:22:20. > :22:27.just eating red wine and drinking -- drinking red wine and eating pizza.
:22:28. > :22:30.They have some new signs. Ashley back. If you get a full season under
:22:31. > :22:34.him, look at the squad now on the whole. They're very strong. You can
:22:35. > :22:39.only beat what is in front of you. They were very clinical. They didn't
:22:40. > :22:43.just throw the ball about the sake of it. Really impressive start. I
:22:44. > :22:47.have a big game coming up with Connacht who were hurt after this we
:22:48. > :22:52.can's results. If they can keep everybody said, they will go very
:22:53. > :22:56.close. Tickets when they needed to. They didn't just throw the ball
:22:57. > :23:01.around willy-nilly, even when the game was won. Sam Davies the fulcrum
:23:02. > :23:06.of that. I think Zebre were absolutely dreadful. In every part
:23:07. > :23:10.of the game. They were slick, they were clinical, the Ospreys. I do
:23:11. > :23:15.like Sam Davies because he is an old-fashioned stand-off. He just
:23:16. > :23:24.kicks slow ball away. He finds the grass. It's good for competition. A
:23:25. > :23:31.condiment each other when they play together sometimes. Just watch. Even
:23:32. > :23:35.when he were up 30 points, just buying it. You could have great left
:23:36. > :23:39.peg. Finds the grass. They have a good kick chase and they're up
:23:40. > :23:43.there. Take the ball to the line well. One thing I noticed, that this
:23:44. > :23:51.block there. I think it is Rhys Webb. He just stands there and he is
:23:52. > :23:56.away. I saw previously on a kick return as well, Dan Evans get the
:23:57. > :24:00.ball. Just watch it, goes to the right, there is back to the left.
:24:01. > :24:04.There you go, a lovely channel between the two Ospreys players. He
:24:05. > :24:10.is true. It is not obstruction because you haven't got it out of
:24:11. > :24:13.the way. It's just good play. It's just something that they have looked
:24:14. > :24:18.at in pre-season and Sundays of the things we to do. We're going to do
:24:19. > :24:22.an inside ball. You drove him as a support player. Referee can't blow
:24:23. > :24:26.it because you don't have to step out of the way. It's up to the
:24:27. > :24:30.defenders who get on the other side of you. I thought I was very good
:24:31. > :24:36.coaching and very well executed by the players. A conference of when.
:24:37. > :24:43.It will get tougher, but they didn't have any points after six games last
:24:44. > :24:45.year and now they have five. On the night, we were urging caution
:24:46. > :24:51.because there were challenges to come. Not least the trip to Galway
:24:52. > :24:55.next week. After what happened last -- yesterday, an incredible result
:24:56. > :24:58.in Galway. The defending champions were beaten 41-5 by Glasgow. Talk
:24:59. > :25:03.about being brought back down-to-earth. Seymour scored a
:25:04. > :25:06.brace among six tries. Revenge from the semifinals of beat this time
:25:07. > :25:16.must year. That is an astonishing results. Yes, they played brilliant.
:25:17. > :25:20.I just felt that yesterday, Glasgow showed intense. I think they will be
:25:21. > :25:25.up there with Ulster. The Ospreys next week, I want to put things
:25:26. > :25:29.right. It will be a tough game. The Ospreys will have to raise their
:25:30. > :25:36.game. Connacht offensively were poor. I think on a struggle this
:25:37. > :25:41.year. They lost Henshaw. They haven't got their strength in the
:25:42. > :25:48.Delta squad. They will be hurting after yesterday. I'm fully confident
:25:49. > :25:57.the Ospreys well... One thing we mentioned that Zebre in the
:25:58. > :26:05.Champions Cup. Top six. That's the end of the story. We will come back
:26:06. > :26:09.to that. Talking of the Ospreys and Zebre, two former Ospreys have begun
:26:10. > :26:12.a coaching career. They're not doing it for the money because they aren't
:26:13. > :26:21.being paid. They are doing it for the love of the job. 20 years ago,
:26:22. > :26:24.they were being called the best thing to come out since coal.
:26:25. > :26:34.The zebras were living the dream and competing amongst the elite of Welsh
:26:35. > :26:36.and European rugby. Since then, the club have enjoyed varying fortunes
:26:37. > :26:40.and are currently playing in division one East Central. This
:26:41. > :26:43.season, they have recruited two familiar faces from the professional
:26:44. > :26:55.ranks to help coach this latest group of Zebre. Ian Evans over the
:26:56. > :27:01.try line! I should be getting a phone call asking if I want to get
:27:02. > :27:05.my -- got a phone call asking if I wanted to get my hands back into
:27:06. > :27:11.grassroots rugby, to see the game from a different perspective. He did
:27:12. > :27:24.bring to mind. I know he is enjoying his coaching. I know we get on and
:27:25. > :27:34.he is a good character. The new season gets under way.
:27:35. > :27:46.That's what makes it entertaining. It's really exciting at the minute.
:27:47. > :27:49.You've got a younger of players here, local boys. I just want to
:27:50. > :27:57.help the club get back to where they want to be. Do they treat you with
:27:58. > :28:01.reverence and respect? Not at all. Everything is very game. You get
:28:02. > :28:10.ripped into straightaway which is what I like. There is no hierarchy.
:28:11. > :28:21.I am one of them. Work is never one, family. It all comes above rugby.
:28:22. > :28:24.They aren't ambitious bunch. They are a valleys team. At the end of
:28:25. > :28:30.last season, they turned the game around a bend. They said it was no
:28:31. > :28:38.money in it any more. Those days are long gone. My two grandsons are
:28:39. > :28:49.playing. Number nine is not relevant. Lloyd and Alan. It's a
:28:50. > :28:56.really special place. It's got something, hasn't it? It's a great
:28:57. > :29:05.day. The first time we've been in division one. We are looking forward
:29:06. > :29:12.to the season. I think they are after a good battle. It is valleys
:29:13. > :29:19.rugby. And it's a beautiful valley. It's a fantastic setting. You got to
:29:20. > :29:25.Welsh internationals. How important is it? Andrew is a local boy. It's
:29:26. > :29:30.great for the youngsters to learn from to professionals. The attitude,
:29:31. > :29:41.the professional attitude they bring. Pretty happy with that. I'll
:29:42. > :29:50.take that. One from one. Are you currently injured? Understacker my
:29:51. > :29:56.feet. Unfortunately it was difficult this weekend I'm fully fit. There's
:29:57. > :30:01.a lot less than your tank. You're not for a fast -- for Pastoral best.
:30:02. > :30:13.Fingers crossed I have Great stuff. Congratulations. Off to
:30:14. > :30:17.a winning start. We're going to have a look at the revamped Premiership
:30:18. > :30:23.in a moment. Have a look at that. That is the new Pontypridd heard
:30:24. > :30:26.strip. We've had some fairly unflattering reviews and social
:30:27. > :30:33.media for dog some have been less than kind. You like fashion. What
:30:34. > :30:44.are you make about? They look like three packs over a freshers suites.
:30:45. > :30:49.I'm a bit of the traditionalist on kits so why not a big fan of that
:30:50. > :31:00.one. Is that a thumbs down? We contacted the club and they said
:31:01. > :31:05.Pontypridd loves the new alternative kit. Apparently, the designers had
:31:06. > :31:09.three highlighter pens left when they were designing it. They hope
:31:10. > :31:15.the boys in the studio love it. Do not adjust your set, is the message!
:31:16. > :31:20.We will leave it there and get on to what happened on the pitch. Here is
:31:21. > :31:25.the round-up. There were a few new faces in the
:31:26. > :31:30.principality Premiership this year, four as the league goes from 12
:31:31. > :31:36.teams to ringfenced 16 for the next three seasons. It was a wet weekend
:31:37. > :31:48.for the first round of fixtures and Bargoed, one of the new kids on the
:31:49. > :31:54.block, where playing. That is an enormous shove from Bargoed, a
:31:55. > :32:14.monstrous effort and they deserved penalty. The flags are up, 3-0 to
:32:15. > :32:22.Bargoed. A bit sloppy. It is an intercept. Is anyone going to stop
:32:23. > :32:26.Jenkins? No. That is the opening try for Neath, easy as you like. Neath
:32:27. > :32:38.have been on the back foot for much of this game, but Bargoed are no
:32:39. > :32:42.great attacking position. The referee has seen enough. He has
:32:43. > :32:50.awarded a penalty try. Under the post. A chance to steal this one.
:32:51. > :32:54.The flags are up and that is going to be a last-minute victory for
:32:55. > :32:58.Neath. If you're going to play against a side like Neath, with
:32:59. > :33:03.their heritage and reputation, they managed the conditions better than
:33:04. > :33:08.us. We need to learn quickly. Lots of positives to take out of it. The
:33:09. > :33:13.scrum worked extremely well, as we hoped it would. But we need to
:33:14. > :33:16.manage the game and the conditions better, because the margins are so
:33:17. > :33:21.much smaller at this level that when we were in the championship. The
:33:22. > :33:25.other games featuring the teams promoted from the championship
:33:26. > :33:41.delivered a couple of shocks. Merthyr went to Crosskeys. Cymru
:33:42. > :33:46.were at Bridgend. Quick thinking and quick hands by Schwartz and
:33:47. > :33:58.Williams. Swansea were back in the Premiership, but couldn't match the
:33:59. > :34:05.feats of Merthyr. Pontypridd brought a bit of colour and it was a flash
:34:06. > :34:25.of brilliance from Sweeney that broke the 13-13 deadlock. Aberavon
:34:26. > :34:33.were good enough to beat Llandudno. -- Llandovery. Cardiff hosted
:34:34. > :34:43.Newport on Friday night, and Young stole the show. And in today's
:34:44. > :34:46.match, Ebbw Vale coach Nigel Davies took his side to Scarlets country.
:34:47. > :34:54.They lost out to a late Billy McBride penalty kick.
:34:55. > :34:58.So a new season, a new structure and a few bloodied noses on the opening
:34:59. > :35:04.weekend. I am delighted to say the head coach of Merthyr joins us, Mr
:35:05. > :35:10.Lee Jarvis. Congratulations, what an opening weekend for you. Yes, our
:35:11. > :35:13.first game of the Premiership, so we were chuffed to bits with the wind.
:35:14. > :35:20.The conditions were horrendous, but I thought we managed well. For those
:35:21. > :35:24.who don't know, the league split into two conferences after 15 rounds
:35:25. > :35:26.and you have a top eight in the bottom eight. Many would have
:35:27. > :35:31.thought Merthyr would be happy with the bottom eight, but you are going
:35:32. > :35:34.for the top. We are an ambitious club, as you can see from the
:35:35. > :35:39.signings we have made. It is important to be in the top eight by
:35:40. > :35:47.Christmas time. Because with the top eight comes the bigger clubs. One
:35:48. > :35:54.criticism of this new structure is that those who do go in the bottom
:35:55. > :35:58.eight don't have an incentive. There is no relegation, so they are
:35:59. > :36:03.marooned. It is difficult. We have talked about this as a group. We
:36:04. > :36:08.know we have pressure from above as well. But we are quietly confident.
:36:09. > :36:13.We had a great result yesterday and we are looking forward to next week.
:36:14. > :36:21.There is a tasty fixture coming up. In three weeks' time, Pontypridd and
:36:22. > :36:32.Merthyr, that will be quite a derby. You are going to relish going back.
:36:33. > :36:38.We currently play on our pitch and it is superb, so it will be a great
:36:39. > :36:42.occasion. Before you go, my Scrum V sources have told me there was an
:36:43. > :36:50.incident preseason with your car, some quiche and Andy Powell. Can you
:36:51. > :36:53.elaborate? It was the middle of the night and he thought it would be a
:36:54. > :36:58.good idea to open my car and rub quiche all over my dashboard. Three
:36:59. > :37:03.weeks later, I am still driving a Ford focus that is cheese and onion
:37:04. > :37:07.flavour. You would think they would have more respect! Great to see you.
:37:08. > :37:12.Hopefully, we will catch up with you throughout the season. Back to the
:37:13. > :37:21.Pro12 now, and the dragon started their campaign with a tough away
:37:22. > :37:25.fixture at Ulster. It was a case of life after volatile
:37:26. > :37:32.for the Dragons as Kingsley Jones named his first squad since the
:37:33. > :37:35.talisman's departure. The Dragons looked to play with tempo. Nick
:37:36. > :37:41.Macleod made his first competitive start for the region and Pat Howard
:37:42. > :38:00.made his debut in the midfield. Ulster named a strong side.
:38:01. > :38:13.A bit sloppy by Ulster's new outside-half. Paddy Jackson expected
:38:14. > :38:20.to come back for Round 3. This could be interesting. Has he got that
:38:21. > :38:22.down? He skidded in. I think they are going to have a look at that.
:38:23. > :38:58.Howard may well have got that try. What a break by Pienaar. Here comes
:38:59. > :39:09.Rod Liddle. He couldn't get it. The youngster thought he had got his
:39:10. > :39:28.first senior try. It is a try. Looking more encouraging now for
:39:29. > :39:38.Ulster. Blood pressure now from Ash -- good pressure from the home side.
:39:39. > :39:54.He scores! The two babies of the Ulster side, Rob Liddle.
:39:55. > :40:02.Try number three for Ulster. And guess who, the poacher supreme, Ruan
:40:03. > :40:29.Pienaar. Terrific stuff by Stockdale. And
:40:30. > :40:40.Stockdale is just oozing class. Good work by the Springbok. Two tries for
:40:41. > :41:06.the youngster! Is herring going to get another try?
:41:07. > :41:13.He has done! It is really frustrating for us. You are in
:41:14. > :41:18.control, and then one error and they scored and they have the momentum
:41:19. > :41:19.into the second half. Until half-time, we felt we were in
:41:20. > :41:28.control. Thomas summed up what we were
:41:29. > :41:33.feeling on the night. The Dragons have a really promising first half,
:41:34. > :41:52.but it unravelled in the second half. Yes, five tries to one. It is
:41:53. > :41:57.about playing to your strengths. If they can't win in confrontation,
:41:58. > :42:06.they have to play a different style. I think Ulster will be up there.
:42:07. > :42:10.With the situation with Pienaar, there will be end of emotion over
:42:11. > :42:15.his last season. I think they will be up there with Glasgow at the end
:42:16. > :42:19.of the season. Kingsley Jones has spoken publicly about their desire
:42:20. > :42:23.to play more up-tempo games because they haven't got the forwards to mix
:42:24. > :42:28.it with the big guys. Do you think that is the way forward for the
:42:29. > :42:32.Dragons this season? It has to be for the Dragons. They do struggle at
:42:33. > :42:38.said peacetime. They do not have a big, driving line-out. But they have
:42:39. > :42:53.good talent. They were showing good signs. They played from their 22 and
:42:54. > :42:57.it is a good result. It is the way forward for them. The difficulty
:42:58. > :43:05.will be when it starts to rain and pitches become heavier and the ball
:43:06. > :43:10.becomes greasy. But of all the regions who wanted a home start to
:43:11. > :43:23.the season to get momentum, the Dragons did that. They have to take
:43:24. > :43:28.the positives from that. If they are going to play that style, they have
:43:29. > :43:32.to be more clinical. They have to appraise the opportunities they get
:43:33. > :43:36.and finish them quickly. It is going to be tough, but it is a bit like
:43:37. > :43:42.the Japan side. Their weakness is their size. They keep the ball in
:43:43. > :43:47.hand and keep it going, and they have developed a lot in the last few
:43:48. > :43:51.years. If they are to persevere with that style, fitness and conditioning
:43:52. > :43:54.will be key. We did take a glimpse behind the scenes to see exactly
:43:55. > :44:05.what the Dragons got up to in preseason. The game is just getting
:44:06. > :44:10.more physical. You have got to be a rugby athlete these days. The size
:44:11. > :44:22.of some of these blokes, you have to prepare yourself as best you can. We
:44:23. > :44:25.started training nine weeks ago. All the Dragons squad are given
:44:26. > :44:29.individual goals to achieve in the weights room and on the training
:44:30. > :44:32.field. There is more focus on strength and acceleration for the
:44:33. > :44:36.forwards, while the emphasis for the backs is on power and speed.
:44:37. > :44:39.Strength underpins a lot of things because the stronger you are, the
:44:40. > :44:48.more robust you are through injuries. You play the game at high
:44:49. > :44:51.pace with high condition. So it is not just the weights room, you have
:44:52. > :44:57.to have good strength and integrate it into rugby. As well as hard work,
:44:58. > :45:02.how you recover is important. It is important to stretch it out and open
:45:03. > :45:10.up a bit. That will help prevent muscle injuries. We have to stay on
:45:11. > :45:15.top of recovery. I certainly do a lot more stretching now than when I
:45:16. > :45:19.was 21. But ultimately, all of this can only be judged on the field of
:45:20. > :45:24.play, and this season the Dragons known exactly what they want to
:45:25. > :45:29.achieve. We want to play with tempo. We have a lot of chats with the
:45:30. > :45:33.coaches and the rest of the staff. Everyone has the same approach,
:45:34. > :45:38.which is great for us. We know what to achieve. There is no hiding place
:45:39. > :45:43.in training these days, a satellite technology tracks the players' every
:45:44. > :45:47.move, giving valuable data back to the coaching staff. This is the GPS
:45:48. > :45:52.unit. It goes in a bra -like thing and it shows how far we go. Some of
:45:53. > :45:56.the forwards don't like wearing them, the fat boys! But they are
:45:57. > :46:06.quite good overall. It gives you something to work on and you can
:46:07. > :46:09.look at how fast you are running. You can see if what you are doing in
:46:10. > :46:12.the gym is coming through to the game scenarios. The GPS gives is
:46:13. > :46:15.pure feedback in terms of total distance run in metres of the
:46:16. > :46:18.velocity in metres per second or metres per minute, and then we have
:46:19. > :46:24.a discussion of whether that a session achieved what we wanted. Put
:46:25. > :46:30.simply, that is how fast and for how long all players can maintain the
:46:31. > :46:37.required levels. It is a mark of fitness across the squad.
:46:38. > :46:43.Those numbers do get really competitive. We try to come --
:46:44. > :46:47.create back competitiveness. It just brings a little bit more out fringe
:46:48. > :46:54.player. Wing in this environment, it's good to have competitive
:46:55. > :46:58.nature. We are always trying to get behind each other. If someone is
:46:59. > :47:02.quick on the day, there is competitive element to it.
:47:03. > :47:09.It is so incredibly scientific these days with the GPS. You can't hide
:47:10. > :47:12.from anything. We were monitored with everything. Or you happy that
:47:13. > :47:17.there is a good balance between that level of scrutiny and just working
:47:18. > :47:22.on basic skills? I think that is key. With New Zealand's and how they
:47:23. > :47:30.play, I think they've got the balance right. Wales in particular
:47:31. > :47:33.want to be involved. For perhaps the first ten years, we weren't fit
:47:34. > :47:38.enough to compete with the top. In the last ten years, I think we might
:47:39. > :47:41.have gone too far in the other way. Not to professional, that's a stupid
:47:42. > :47:44.thing to say, that you forget it is a game of rugby and not a track and
:47:45. > :47:50.field event. It is finding the right balance. The head coach with his
:47:51. > :47:52.conditioning staff, maybe the conditioning staff don't have too
:47:53. > :47:57.much influence over the rugby side of things. The gym is the same in
:47:58. > :48:05.Auckland as it is in London and Cardiff. It's just the core skills
:48:06. > :48:08.are as important. But also, the game management and understanding what to
:48:09. > :48:15.do a different times in the game, that may be as important, if not
:48:16. > :48:19.more important than the skills. I understand they are getting bigger
:48:20. > :48:22.and stronger and faster. They got everything now, the facilities they
:48:23. > :48:26.have are brilliant. To be a professional sportsman now, you're
:48:27. > :48:29.given all the help you want to make it the top. It's a privilege
:48:30. > :48:34.lifestyle, being a sportsman. They got to enjoy it. One man who puts
:48:35. > :48:40.faith in strength and conditioning as Warren gallon. He will be
:48:41. > :48:44.revealed as the new Lions coach, if the rumours are true. Probably the
:48:45. > :48:50.worst kept secret in rugby. Let's assume he will be unveiled on
:48:51. > :48:55.Wednesday in Edinburgh. The right call? I think so. I think he is an
:48:56. > :49:01.outstanding candidate. He has been on two of the last jurors. Head
:49:02. > :49:06.coach when they won four years ago. As of the other contenders, there
:49:07. > :49:13.wouldn't have been on the tourists. It's going to be a tough ask but I
:49:14. > :49:16.think it's deathly the right choice. Yeah, New Zealand away is daunting
:49:17. > :49:23.but I think the calibre playing out, got a sneaky that it might be an
:49:24. > :49:27.opportunity to shock the blacks. Exciting times. We will talk about
:49:28. > :49:31.this in more depth next week when we know exactly who is God that my
:49:32. > :49:35.inscape. Wednesday is being announced. We will be across the
:49:36. > :49:38.bats. Stay tuned on the BBC website for news of exactly what has
:49:39. > :49:45.happened and to find out who will be taking over the helm. That's all we
:49:46. > :49:51.have time for this week. Munster versus Blues is our fixture next
:49:52. > :49:52.Friday. Banks to Jonathan, to Morrison, Lee Jarvis and you at
:49:53. > :50:06.home. See you next week. The Pro12 season's kicking off, so
:50:07. > :50:10.it's game on for our Welsh regions. And you can feed your need
:50:11. > :50:20.for Welsh rugby like never before.