By Graham Thomas
When you have won 19 successive derby matches against your nearest neighbours, then you might be forgiven for a little complacency.
But Cardiff coach Matt Sherratt is not one for resting on his laurels, even if his team will be overwhelming favourites to record a 20th successive win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Boxing Day.
When they met at the Arms Park in November, Cardiff won 31-23, but it was not really as close as the scoreline suggested.
Since then, the gulf between the teams has widened – in league positions in the United Rugby Championship, at least, with Cardiff having moved up to fifth spot in the table, whilst the Dragons are rock bottom.
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Dee & Lewis-Hughes back on the bench #WeAreGwentRugby #DRAvCAR pic.twitter.com/vtPkgFBQxK— Dragons RFC (@dragonsrfc) December 23, 2024
But instead of looking at the form book, Sherratt will stress the historical context, enjoy the game for what it is, and try to make sure Cardiff do not suffer any hangovers from what is likely to be a very restrained Christmas Day for his players.
“This still feels like a proper derby, with Rodney Parade packed to the rafters,” says Sherratt.
“When you walk off that place, you get a pretty hostile reception. But that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? So yeah, I’m really looking forward to it, and the players are as well.”
For the team who have lost those 19 matches in a row – against opponents that pain you the most and in a sequence that goes back to 2015 – it would be advisable for the Dragons to do their utmost to unsettle and upset their neighbours.
Sherratt would expect nothing less than a full lorry-load of verbals from Dragons fans and insists his Cardiff players should also relish the old-school atmosphere.
“This is what it’s all about. You have derbies in football like, Liverpool v Everton, Man United v Liverpool – the fixtures that raise that level of sentiment and emotion, and obviously our closest rugby rival is Newport.
“There’s a massive history attached to it. I don’t really think about it as a regional game. I might get in trouble saying this as well, but I just kind of look at it as Cardiff v Newport.
“It’s got a rich tradition, it’s Christmas, it’s the most supported time of year and there’s always a cracking atmosphere with sub-plots involving certain players playing against each other.
“It’s what rugby is all about.”
Sherratt insists he can’t quite recall some of the more spicy comments that have been hurled his way from the Rodney Parade stands, but says the experience for youngsters can be educational.
“I can remember once walking out by the corner and the noise and the intensity of the chanting was really impressive. I could see our younger players were taking it all in by the looks on their faces – they’d never experienced that before – but it’s a valuable thing to go through.”
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©️ Ben Thomas skipper
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Taulupe Faletau in league action#YmlaenCaerdydd https://t.co/WK3I4IAgjY pic.twitter.com/LBksIxNxcc— Cardiff Rugby (@Cardiff_Rugby) December 23, 2024
Sherratt’s opposite number – Dragons interim head coach, Filo Tiatia – has prepared his team for what would be a huge upset victory, but he will not be at Rodney Parade.
Tiatia has a long-standing family commitment back home in New Zealand, where his father will celebrate his 80th birthday – a promise that pre-dates his ascendancy to the top job at the Dragons.
But he has trained his squad, picked his team, and will hand over match-day duties to his assistant, Matt O’Brien.
Someone else who won’t be at Newport is Warren Gatland, who has also gone home to New Zealand – as he has done every year as Wales coach.
Having lost his captain and hooker Dewi Lake for the Six Nations because of an arm injury, Gatland will be relieved to see that Wales hooker Elliot Dee, who hasn’t played since May because of an ankle injury, is set for his first appearance of the season off the bench.
“Cardiff are a good team,” said Tiatia. “We are really looking forward to the game and we have watched them closely, and they will have done the same.
“It’s a great opportunity for the players that get selected. Rodney Parade will be nearly sold-out and I know how important Boxing Day is.
“We have to be a little bit innovative. We can’t be showing the same stuff all the time.
“It’s about capturing the moments and then executing, which is where we have been falling short.”
Cardiff are firm 1/2 favourites to beat the Dragons on Boxing Day, with the Dragons priced at 17/10.
In the handicap, the Dragons are given a 5.5 points start.
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