NOW we can see rugby go forward in the Gwent region - at last, at last common sense has prevailed and the Newport name is finally in the title.

Months and months of campaigning by this column in particular has been rewarded, and you'll forgive me if I take some personal satisfaction in all this.

Does it not beggar belief, therefore, that the Welsh Rugby Union are far from happy with the outcome? Or maybe that's just downright predictable.

The WRU have summoned Newport to appear before them today to explain what the change from Gwent Dragons to Newport & Gwent Dragons is all about.

Confidentiality prevents me from revealing the precise details of an e-mail sent to Newport some days ago, but let's just say that it's highly critical, damning even.

To use, in their own words, that is a disgrace. They are highly- paid officials, supposedly well qualified to do their jobs.

You could have fooled me. Don't they realise the decision to finally, and very belatedly, get Newport in the name was nothing more than commercial reality?

Aren't the WRU aware that Gwent was heading for the buffers, hit by the twin threat of lack of finance and poor support?

There was little or no corporate interest shown in the Gwent Dragons, major sponsorship was sadly lacking and season ticket sales were very poor.

There was hardly any interest from the public, as it showed during the Dragons' first home match at Pontypool last Friday, yet within hours of developments being announced fans were queuing up at Rodney Parade for tickets.

As I said many times, people from the Valleys were never going to watch rugby at Rodney Parade, it just isn't in them.

But the powers that be in Gwent and the WRU refused to see the obvious.

History and tradition in Wales is something David Moffett and Steve Hansen just don't understand.

They think two clubs can stand alone and the others can combine with more than a century of tradition going out of the window. That is not the case and it never will be.

History and tradition, in fact, demanded that Newport be included in the name if there was to be any chance of success.

And given all the off-the-field progress at Rodney Parade during the past four years, that alone made it lunacy and commercial suicide to leave Newport our of the title.

Again significant people in the WRU - general manager Steve Lewis and director of rugby Terry Cobner are from Gwent for goodness sake - refused to grasp the nettle or were unable to do so

They don't particularly relish the presence of Tony Brown, would you believe, again blissfully unaware - or putting their heads in the sand - how much he means to rugby here, even if his return is more a supportive role than hands-in-pocket full-on involvement.

The WRU fail to see the value of his very presence, the sheer stability he brings to the table.

Moffett has failed to respond to repeated requests for his views on developments in Gwent, though I have been unable to resist leaving messages on his mobile about backing the wrong horse and reminding him of his remark about Tony Brown being history.

Now that WRU and certain Gwent officials have failed in their attempts to keep Newport out they are trying to take them to task.

They question whether the area is now a proper region, and there is more than a suggestion that money will be withheld because it now appears to be a stand alone situation much like Cardiff and Llanelli.

For an answer to that one they need turn only to coach Mike Ruddock, who has from day one been carrying out his directive to make this a true region.

A change in the name of the title - and the WRU are even questioning whether that can be done - has made no difference to what Ruddock is doing.

Only last week he met with Gwent coaches from the semi-professional league and with Gwent referees, and he's continuing his work with the Gwent Academy.

So, to Messrs Moffett, Lewis and Cobner I would say 'Look at reality, take what has happened on the chin, be aware that it is the best thing that has happened, bury your prejudices, allow commercial reality to dawn on you and give the outcome your full blessing.'

Anything else will be sour grapes, and if you don't Gwent rugby will be well and truly dead.

As it is, dead and buried could well be applied on the wider front in Welsh rugby.

What a disgrace Saturday's performance was, beaten by England reserves and by a record margin in Cardiff, no matter how strong that England side was.

Of course, there have been calls for coach Steve Hansen to go. Just imagine what would have happened long ago to a professional football manager. He would have been out of the door.

I'm not one of those sack the coach or manager merchants as soon as things go wrong, but 11 defeats in a row is totally unacceptable.

And previous Welsh rugby coaches have departed for far less than this. Their pride would not have let them stay.

But the players also bear a heavy responsibility. What was so inexcusable last Saturday was the complete lack of passion, the absence of any fervour.

There is no excuse for that. Players in the past have been prepared to die for the cause, but there was absolutely no edge and no desire against England.

For that the players' money should be withheld - at the very least. They should be ashamed, for they have let their country down, and it's not the first time.