WHAT a sad anti-climax! It was going to be the Jonny Wilkinson show, a sell-out crowd and glory for the Newport Gwent Dragons as they vanquished a premier English team in the shape of Newcastle Falcons.

But none of it happened. Wilkinson was the first to go when he pulled out 48 hours before with more arm/shoulder trouble, then came the vile weather which destroyed the day and kept the crowd down to just over 8,000 and finally the match, which was a massive disappointment for the Dragons.

They had the consolation of a bonus point for keeping the losing margin to under seven points, but no-one who saw the game live or on television drew any conclusion other than the Dragons blew it.

Tactics were naive in the conditions, whereas Newcastle got it spot on as Wilkinson's replacement Dave Walder kicked mercilessly and accurately.

And - here we go again, Jason - but the wrong pack was picked and insufficient use was made of Percy Montgomery.

Last season Monty was into everything, his big left boot sending the ball miles, but this season he is almost a peripheral figure.

I trust it's nothing to do with his recall to the international scene and his forthcoming commitments with South Africa, but it's about time coach Chris Anderson insisted he takes a far more central role.

And it's about time Anderson listened to what just about every man jack at Rodney Parade within the camp and outside is saying and picks a different pack.

You've got to have size and ball winning capacity in the Heineken Cup which is one reason why the French and English teams do so well, with Munster up there with them, too.

Harlequins gave them a run for their money on Saturday evening, their pack would be too strong for the Dragons and they are bottom of the Zurich Premiership.

As for Perpignan, they look absolutely frightening. Anderson almost admitted as much after watching their pool opener against Edinburgh, so the Dragons' visit there in mid-December looks like being a chastening experience.

But something can be done about it even now. I would have Ian Gough, Peter Sidoli, Michael Owen and Ross Beattie in my back five and so would almost everybody else, for that line-up has height, weight and ball winning capacity.

The team which contested and even won in some cases in Europe against the likes of Bath, Newcastle, Munster, Leinster, Castres and Toulouse contained big forwards like Adrian Garvey, Gough, Simon Raiwalui, Mike Voyle, Gary Teichmann and Peter Buxton.

They were battle hardened men with real size and physical presence about them which is just not there in the pack Anderson picks.

And another thing about Saturday at Rodney Parade - the lack of atmosphere, the lack of a real buzz. Given the size of the crowd - it was still over 8,000 - there was no comparison with the days when the likes of Bath, Munster and Leinster visited the ground.

Then you could have cut it with a knife as the large galleries got behind the Newport team and they responded. They were heady days, indeed.

But against Newcastle it all seemed so flat, and not just because the Dragons were making such hard work of it and not because the foul weather cast such a pall of gloom over the place.

I would suggest it was more because of the gradual dilution away from Newport playing at Rodney Parade on the big occasion.

It is a region which is playing there now at the highest level and that was reflected by the number of fans I spoke to from Pontypool and Ebbw Vale.

There was also a sizeable proportion from Pontypridd watching Kevin Morgan, Gareth Cooper, Ceri Sweeney and Gareth Wyatt who all used to play there.

Now that may be seen as a good thing, particularly among the Welsh Rugby Union hierarchy who are developing regional rugby - even if they won't pay the Dragons as a region - but in terms of identity, in terms of atmosphere it's hardly a resounding success.

There was no raising of the rooftops at Rodney Parade against Newcastle and somehow it wasn't quite the same. Times have certainly changed, but is it for the better?