2 Changes for Ulster's Visit

TR is in
By Andrew Collins
September 8 2005

Dai Young has made 2 changes to the team that were embarressed in Galway for Friday night's visit from Ulster. The Blues lost their opening match 13-9 to Ulster's Irish partners Connact and will be looking to pick up a win in the first home game.

The first 15 sees the inclusion of hooker Rhys Thomas, and lock Craig Quinnell at the expense of Deinol Jones.

Though something needed to be done following the poor showing last week, questions will be asked over why the two changes come in the pack, an area where we looked strong. The backs, including captain Rhys Williams, all under-performed and never looked like making anything, so why has Dai not changed it about?

Simple, the squad isn't good enough. Given we have 3 centers unavailable, but Tristan Davies is not a create player, and Rhys is not a center.

Lee Thomas starts on the bench, but with his added kicking option, should he have been favoured at 12 over the former Leeds man?

Or even to put Penut (Ryan Powell) at scrum half, with Phillips in center, a position he occupied for Llanelli last year.

Dean Dewdney, Jamie Robinson, Kort Schubert, Xavier Rush and Stitch are still unfit, and the Lions are still being rested.

Youngster Nick Gill loses his place from the bench and is replaced by Matthew Nuthall, while young center Daffyd Hewitt hasn't done enough to convince Dai he is worth of the bench spot.

Whatever the team, pressure is on to right the wrongs of Saturdays shock defeat, and a loss on Friday would see any hope of a good season vanish, posibly along with coach Dai Young.

Team
N Macleod; C Czekaj, R Williams (capt), T Davies, C Morgan; N Robinson, M Phillips; J Yapp, Rhys Thomas, M Jones, C Quinnell, R Sidoli, M Molitika, R Sowden-Taylor, A Powell.

B Evans, G Williams, D Jones, M Lewis, R Powell, L Thomas, M Nuthall.