Of all the people involved in the Ulster set up, Assistant Coach Dwayne Peel knows more than anyone how challenging a trip to Rodney Parade can be.
With Dragons Head Coach Bernard Jackman prioritising home form, Peel is acutely aware of the threat posed by his countrymen on Friday night.
Ahead of the Guinness PRO14 encounter, the former Wales scrumhalf, who amassed 76 international caps, declared, “It’s an extremely difficult place to go. First and foremost, they are a proud region and that shows in their displays, particularly at home. They’ve mixed and matched their teams, week in and out really, but they have relied on some good home form.
“They have invested in a lot of youth over the last couple of years and you can see it coming to the fore this year. They also have Gavin Henson is giving them a bit of direction at 10 and leading them around the park pretty well.”
With the signing of Ross Moriarty confirmed for next season, Peel believes that is an excellent piece of business which bodes well for the future of the region.
“Being taken over by the Welsh Union over the last couple of months has injected a bit of interest and buzz, and I think that signing is a huge for them,” said Peel. “He’s a British & Irish Lion and a fantastic player. He will certainly add a lot to the environment.”
Ulster has clinched 9 points from a possible 10 in November, courtesy of late match-winning scores in both games (against Southern Kings and Benetton Rugby), but the performances have left significant room for improvement.
“The execution of many things has let us down. We have been making a lot of line breaks and it is about executing beyond that. Our kicking game in the second half last week wasn’t what we would expect - we had three or four kicks on the spin which put us under a bit of pressure.
“I think if we had managed to execute a bit better, we would have applied more pressure on Benetton, instead of taking pressure, which we did do in the second half. But credit to Benetton, they kept us in our own half and it was our inability to exit that put the pressure on us.
“We’ve got to accept that we are happy with the four points given that we did bleed a few youngsters as well. They stepped up really well for us. It is encouraging to see some of the Academy products coming through, Aaron Hall, Matty Dalton and Greg Jones all made their debuts against Benetton.
“Having said that, it will be good to welcome back a couple of our more experienced internationals for this game. The Dragons will probably be missing a few, but they will be tough and be dogged, especially at home.”
Peel, who previously held the role of Backs & Skills Coach at Bristol Rugby, has helped Ulster consolidate a top three position in Conference B of the Guinness PRO14, level on 32 points with second placed Leinster. He has settled well in the Province and is enjoying the environment at Kingspan Stadium.
“The opportunity came my way and I was familiar with Ulster having travelled there as a player,” said Peel.
“The history of the Province and the club really excites me. The talent within the group to work with also made it an attraction to come here.
“I've really enjoyed myself so far. I’m enjoying my work and I’ve brought my family over and they’ve settled in well, so it makes life easier. People have been accepting and welcoming.”
With Dragons Head Coach Bernard Jackman prioritising home form, Peel is acutely aware of the threat posed by his countrymen on Friday night.
Ahead of the Guinness PRO14 encounter, the former Wales scrumhalf, who amassed 76 international caps, declared, “It’s an extremely difficult place to go. First and foremost, they are a proud region and that shows in their displays, particularly at home. They’ve mixed and matched their teams, week in and out really, but they have relied on some good home form.
“They have invested in a lot of youth over the last couple of years and you can see it coming to the fore this year. They also have Gavin Henson is giving them a bit of direction at 10 and leading them around the park pretty well.”
With the signing of Ross Moriarty confirmed for next season, Peel believes that is an excellent piece of business which bodes well for the future of the region.
“Being taken over by the Welsh Union over the last couple of months has injected a bit of interest and buzz, and I think that signing is a huge for them,” said Peel. “He’s a British & Irish Lion and a fantastic player. He will certainly add a lot to the environment.”
Ulster has clinched 9 points from a possible 10 in November, courtesy of late match-winning scores in both games (against Southern Kings and Benetton Rugby), but the performances have left significant room for improvement.
“The execution of many things has let us down. We have been making a lot of line breaks and it is about executing beyond that. Our kicking game in the second half last week wasn’t what we would expect - we had three or four kicks on the spin which put us under a bit of pressure.
“I think if we had managed to execute a bit better, we would have applied more pressure on Benetton, instead of taking pressure, which we did do in the second half. But credit to Benetton, they kept us in our own half and it was our inability to exit that put the pressure on us.
“We’ve got to accept that we are happy with the four points given that we did bleed a few youngsters as well. They stepped up really well for us. It is encouraging to see some of the Academy products coming through, Aaron Hall, Matty Dalton and Greg Jones all made their debuts against Benetton.
“Having said that, it will be good to welcome back a couple of our more experienced internationals for this game. The Dragons will probably be missing a few, but they will be tough and be dogged, especially at home.”
Peel, who previously held the role of Backs & Skills Coach at Bristol Rugby, has helped Ulster consolidate a top three position in Conference B of the Guinness PRO14, level on 32 points with second placed Leinster. He has settled well in the Province and is enjoying the environment at Kingspan Stadium.
“The opportunity came my way and I was familiar with Ulster having travelled there as a player,” said Peel.
“The history of the Province and the club really excites me. The talent within the group to work with also made it an attraction to come here.
“I've really enjoyed myself so far. I’m enjoying my work and I’ve brought my family over and they’ve settled in well, so it makes life easier. People have been accepting and welcoming.”