Newport Gwent Dragons face their biggest game of the season on Friday night when they go head-to-head with Overmach Rugby Parma in the battle to secure the final place in next season’s Heineken Cup.
The battle for the final 24th place in the Heineken Cup is up for grabs on Friday at Rodney Parade, kick off 7.45pm with The Dragons knowing they have one final chance to ensure they have top class European rugby next season.
The Dragons have named a 28-man squad for the match with the starting line up expected to be announced following tomorrow’s training session. Dragons Academy member Jamie Corsi has been drafted into the squad as have Cross Keys player Will Thomas and Ebbw Vale’s Simon Hunt who made his debut for the Region against Edinburgh three weeks ago.
The Dragons find themselves battling to secure top flight European action at Rodney Parade after finishing the bottom of the four Welsh Regions in the Heineken Cup. However, the mood in The Dragons camp remains positive with the whole squad aware that it is down to them to perform to secure Heineken Cup action.
Coach Paul Turner is well aware of the importance of Friday’s game and said, “We have to win on Friday night if we want Heineken Cup action at Rodney Parade next season, it is as simple as that. No one at The Dragons is happy with the situation we find ourselves in but it is of our own making and we have to dig ourselves out of the position we are in. We have been studying tapes of Parma all week and familiarising ourselves with their players. We have done our homework on them and if we play the way we did against Munster and Leinster at Rodney Parade then there is no reason why we cannot be successful on Friday.”
The Dragons have received a massive boost with the news that departing international centre Hal Luscombe is available for the game with his insurance for the game being resolved. Luscombe is keen to bid farewell to the supporters who have made his stay in Wales memorable and enjoyable and has recovered from his groin injury which kept him out against Borders.
One player who has played consistently well over the course of the season is stalwart flanker Jamie Ringer. Ringer has been rewarded with his outstanding contributions by being called up into the Welsh squad for their tour to Argentina.
Looking ahead to Friday night’s crucial game he said, “All our energy is focused on Parma. We have had a good week’s training and there is no doubt that all the boys are ‘up’ for the game. This is our last match of the season and our last opportunity to clinch Heineken Cup rugby at Rodney Parade for next season which is something we all desperately want for ourselves as players and for the fantastic supporters here. They have backed us all season, shown their support on the terraces and while I would ask them to back us for one final time this season we as a squad would like nothing more than to repay their support by securing Heineken Cup rugby for them next season, they deserve to see Europe’s best players in action.”
The Dragons are operating an innovative and imaginative pricing structure for the game which sees prices increase the nearer the date of the match approaches. The first two days the tickets went on sale saw over 1,000 tickets sold and with the ticket office being busy all week supporters are urged to purchase their tickets before the match.
Dragons Squad
Aled Thomas, Gareth Wyatt, Gareth Chapman, Simon Hunt, Hal Luscombe, Ceri Sweeney, Nathan Brew, Richard Fussell, Ben Breeze, Craig Warlow, James Ireland, Gareth Baber, Adam Black, David Maddocks, Steve Jones, Andrew Brown, Rhys Thomas, Gethin Robinson, Chris Anthony, Jamie Corsi, Ian Gough, Bryn Griffiths, Luke Charteris, Peter Sidoli, Will Thomas, Rhys Oakley, Michael Owen (c), Jamie Ringer.
