Edwards: The buck stops with me

12:21pm Saturday 16th February 2013 in Sport Photograph of the Author By Chris Kirwan

DRAGONS BOSS: Darren Edwards DRAGONS BOSS: Darren Edwards

HEAD coach Darren Edwards has taken full responsibility for the heaviest defeat in the history of Newport Gwent Dragons.

The region conceded eight tries to a Glasgow side shorn of their Scotland stars in a humiliating 60-3 RaboDirect Pro12 loss at Rodney Parade on Friday night.

The defeat knocked the 55-3 Dublin drubbing at the hands of Leinster in 2005 off top spot in the list of all-time lows.

It was a pathetic, gutless display that leaves the Dragons, who have shipped the most tries of the 28 teams in Europe's three frontline leagues, slumped one from bottom of the table.

But rather than point the finger at his players Edwards issued a mea culpa.

“The nature of the job is that I will cop the flak,” said the head coach. “I prepare the team and I take total responsibility. The buck stops with me.

“It was embarrassing and we've got to make a massive apology but we've just got to fight and keep going.

“We had a good month (they had won their previous three) and had put some good building blocks in place but it all fell apart on Friday. Every aspect of our play went wrong.

“We were poor in every area, we didn't challenge Glasgow from an attacking, defensive or set piece point of view.

“That was embarrassing and there's no other way of talking about a defeat like that.

“We knew we would have a tough game against Glasgow, they are a top team, but I genuinely believed we would be competitive, instead we've let everyone down very badly.

“I feel for (defence coach) Rob Appleyard, he has prepared the team well and I know that we are a good defensive side, we've proved that over the last month.

“The players didn't do their jobs but I can't be blaming them – it's ultimately my responsibility.

“I've got to question whether they are right going on that pitch so I don't want to make any excuses for myself.

“It's a very damaging result and very personal. You want to make sure you put things right.”

However, the manner and severity of the defeat has left many Dragons fans demanding that the current management team don't get the opportunity to put things right.

And it could get even worse for the region unless they improve dramatically.

Next Sunday they travel to Parma to take on Zebre, who have lost all 21 of their games in the Pro12 and Heineken Cup this season.

Defeat to the Italian whipping boys, who have targeted this game for some time, would be another low in an already shocking season.

Comments(15)

dragonsgareth says...
12:42pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Finally time to get this idiot out of here then?

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the dork says...
12:55pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Let us not forget this is a human being here we are giving a kicking. he looks gaunt and haggard poor soul. I think we should be morebnunderstanding no onr prepares a team to fail, The WRU have got a board frozen in the headlights and if they want to keep 4 regions move a top rugby man to lead hjm.

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Robert Shillabeer says...
1:10pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Shuan Edwards has given up his role with other teams, why not get him on board for the remaining games, can't do any worse and he can knock a kew heads together in the process.

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Doberman1 says...
1:43pm Sat 16 Feb 13

the dork wrote:
Let us not forget this is a human being here we are giving a kicking. he looks gaunt and haggard poor soul. I think we should be morebnunderstanding no onr prepares a team to fail, The WRU have got a board frozen in the headlights and if they want to keep 4 regions move a top rugby man to lead hjm.
Competely agree that we must remember this is a mans livelihood we are talking about. I am DE's biggest critic and have said for a long time he needs to step down and I have not changed my view at all on this. Staying at The Dragons is just not an option, in any capacity, his credibility here is shot. His WRU puppet masters should take him back into their fold in whatever capacity they see fit. We need tried and tested experience at the helm. Kingsley for me is the obvious solution, that would be a real statement of intent from the board and may go a long way to convincing supporters to dig deep and shell out for another season?

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East Newport Dave says...
2:25pm Sat 16 Feb 13

It may take defeat next week to hasten a resignation. It is the whole approach on the field which worries me. Static possession is being spread wide where the midfield are just getting smashed. To make matters worse the distribution from outside half is laboured and then any chance of a gap in the opposing defence is gone. These are all coaching issues which have never been addressed aside from the scrummage problems. The Dragons attack is completely predictable........i could go on.
The most important part of the set up is the coach. When Mackintosh was at Newport and then Ruddock was at the Dragons we were formidable and the players played good patterns. It is a shambles and the current coaching team have had more than enough time to sort things out. The only conclusion is that they are not up to it and should be shown the door.

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fedupjon says...
2:46pm Sat 16 Feb 13

The players were a disgrace last night and should not go unpunished. However I have continually argued for the removal of Edwards and Beale plus any of the other hangers on.
This pair clearly have no standing in rugby and will never develop players for the future. Get them out now and try to salvage something of the season.
Perhaps the management of the region will do something if they understand how few supporters will part with their hard earned cash in future.

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CaptainB says...
3:10pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Kingsley Jones is the right man for the job, and a hard man as well, and that is what is needed.

The players should have been afraid to go back to the dressingroom afteer that display.

Time after time we have said in these comments it was only a matter of time before we had a pasteing, well we had it last night.

Coaches and some players are just not up to it!!!

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Euwan Usami says...
6:03pm Sat 16 Feb 13

"The buck stops with me" says DE

It doesn't though does it?!

That's the ferking problem isn't it!

The excuses come from you. But that's not the same thing either.

Let's face it RP think purely in terms of finances now. They won't waste money paying DE off to go away. They have told him to carry on regardless. Mark my words, we could lose every game by a hundred points, we are still stuck with the muppet till his contract is up.

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phantom14 says...
6:17pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Mr Beale must go as well as I am sure he has had a lot to do with the majority of signings that are just not good enough. I appreciate we have a small budget but their idea of the right player is shocking, we need a good 10, Robling is a 12, Dan a fullback and Steffan not up to regional standard.A real dog of a second row is needed and an old head in the front row.Darren is a no 2 coach so a good coach also needed, a dark horse is Steve Law at Bedwas as he always gets the best out of his players and you would be afraid to go into the dressing room if someone like him was about after a performance like that.We could not do any worse !!

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SWBorderer says...
9:30pm Sat 16 Feb 13

Myself and many others have been calling for changes since before the season began, Darren was never the right man for the job and his assistants are mediocre at best.
We have wasted money on players who were never suitable and now the board will be desperately coming up with a load more fictitious names of players they have lined up for next season, in the hope of selling season tickets. Needless to say, none of them will materialise.
We are at the butt end of what is a crisis throughout Welsh rugby. The only hope for rugby in Newport is to develop the club and get into the English system, leave Welsh rugby and all of it's petty jealousies behind.

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rightsideup says...
11:38am Sun 17 Feb 13

You've had long enough to'put things right',Mr Edwards.

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Risca1 says...
4:15pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Edwards a joke. Start the car.

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kalwales@hotmail.com says...
8:28pm Sun 17 Feb 13

Always Look on the bright side of Life !

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shamown says...
3:59pm Mon 18 Feb 13

i cannot disagree mor with 'the dork' who says

"Let us not forget this is a human being here we are giving a kicking. he looks gaunt and haggard poor soul."

thats the nature of the beast im afraid, and pretty much sums up the complete lack of his capabilities as a coach!!

i have always said the decisions he has made regarding player selection and signings are a shambles, and i hope we get completely stuffed by Zebre, in order to force him out!

this season is a write off, but i do believe that even on a tight budget, under the right coaching set up, we can perform a lot better each week!

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Gooding says...
7:33pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Hasn't worked out for Darren Edwards. Time to clear the decks and start again. Best way is to change everything from top to bottom. Name of team back to Newport RFC, play in Black and Amber, change the coaches and team manager (Beale). We might then see some support, interest and sponsorship return to Rodney Parade. Who knows, maybe some respectability too?

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