Given the weather conditions which saw more brooms on the pitch pre match than you would see at a Harry Potter convention and the ball being a the proverbial bar of soap the game was never going to be spectacle of the highest order but the lads stuck at it to grind out the much needed win. A Ben Cohen try after two minutes settled things in the end but the Saints line was never really under threat and the defence held firm and despite what certain some sections of the media would have you believe – Planet Rugby described us as ‘shaky’ - they deserved the win having gone into the game in some peoples eyes as underdogs.
One heartening aspect was that towards the end the boys even started to play like that lost belief had returned as they kept the Glasgow side pinned back in their half to run down the clock, a bit of that early season swagger had come back. It may not be the single game that turns the season round but it sure is a step in the right direction.
There is still obviously a bit of work to do though as we had problems at the set piece that I’m sure will be the focal point for our forwards this week and again we gave away more than our fair share of penalties but we go into Saturdays game at the Gardens in better shape than we were this time last week for that we should be well and truly thankful.
LOOKING FORWARD
So with Saints heading Pool Three in the Heineken Cup it is surely just a case of staying there. If only life were that simple.
On Saturday we can keep that ball European ball rolling with a victory over Llanelli. The Scarlets went down narrowly to Toulouse on Friday night but with the monsoon conditions again being a great leveller it is not easy to read anything formwise from this game. The Welsh side are however not having it all their own way in the Celtic League this season. Champions a matter of months back, they only won two games out of the first block of matches this time round (sounds familiar does it not?).
In the big game stakes we are one apiece in the Heineken Cup. With Scarlets winning the corresponding game last year they sneaked past us in the group and went on to the quarter finals with a victory on a wet dismal Sunday at the Gardens. This win, a week after the heroics of Agen, avenged that semi-final defeat of 2000 at the Madstad, Reading the year we went on to win the whole caboodle and I’m taking the lads to improve on last weeks performance, take another step back on that road to recovery and perform that feat again.
The long term weather forecast does not look good and showers are forecast for the day but I’ll take a 3-0 win in six inches of mud if it takes us into the double header against Toulouse in December still in with a large shout.
Again we supporters can play our part. The last time Llanelli visited we started well but just like the team faded as the afternoon went on and I’m sure anyone listening to the game at home would have thought the second half came from Stradey Park rather than the East Midlands as ‘Sospan Fach’ rang out around the stands. We cannot allow that to happen again so sing your hearts out from start to finish, you get an extra hour in bed this weekend to recover. Talking of hours, remember Saturday is an early, one o’clock, kick off. Turn up at your usual time and we will all be gone, hopefully celebrating somewhere. See you then!
MINES A TREBLE
Hats off to the club for finally acting over drinks prices in the bars. Despite early protestations that everything was tickety boo when compared with other local drinking dens in the area Alan Robson has held his hands up and declared they got it wrong. The introduction of ‘happy hours’ and the permanent reduction in the price of a pint of bitter will go some way to quelling the complaints but I guess the proof of pudding will be in the eating, or should that be drinking.
Of course the main Rodbar is a great facility but I always feel that the club is missing out by not having more seating facilities in there. Yes you can pack them in post match, but it seems most people just have a quick drink then wander off to drink elsewhere. Having nowhere to park your backside, especially those terrace dwellers that have spent the last few hours on their feet, or even having nowhere to just put your pint down for a minute does not altogether add to the welcoming aspect of the bar. You can see by the number of people sitting on the steps in there that there is a demand but who wants to sit on a cold step all night? A few more tables and chairs might encourage more to stay and of course spend more money over that bar especially if the Supporters Club have stumped up their hard earned cash to put entertainment on. You only have to look at the cash going into the tills of places like the Bus Club, The Foundary and the Thomas A Becket on match days to see what the club might be missing out on. Keep that party going in the Rodber and you might just start to get a few converts back from these other hostelries and with them their money. Make a night of it you might get them back for good.
WOULDN'T PASS THE DOORSTEP CHALLENGE
I have said before in the column that I’m quite a fan of the new home shirt design, (and would be even more so if they bought out a supporters version in ‘proper’ material), but like most people the new away shirt leaves me totally cold. I’m still not quite sure what colour it is supposed to be but on the television on Sunday it looked all the world like someone had put a pair of black socks in with them on a hot wash. They looked grey and washed out and not a good advert for the club. I am sure I was not the only who cheered when the team came out in the Gold, Black n Green in the second half. Why we cannot have a Gold version of the home shirt is not for me to guess but I know it would be a better seller.
One heartening aspect was that towards the end the boys even started to play like that lost belief had returned as they kept the Glasgow side pinned back in their half to run down the clock, a bit of that early season swagger had come back. It may not be the single game that turns the season round but it sure is a step in the right direction.
There is still obviously a bit of work to do though as we had problems at the set piece that I’m sure will be the focal point for our forwards this week and again we gave away more than our fair share of penalties but we go into Saturdays game at the Gardens in better shape than we were this time last week for that we should be well and truly thankful.
LOOKING FORWARD
So with Saints heading Pool Three in the Heineken Cup it is surely just a case of staying there. If only life were that simple.
On Saturday we can keep that ball European ball rolling with a victory over Llanelli. The Scarlets went down narrowly to Toulouse on Friday night but with the monsoon conditions again being a great leveller it is not easy to read anything formwise from this game. The Welsh side are however not having it all their own way in the Celtic League this season. Champions a matter of months back, they only won two games out of the first block of matches this time round (sounds familiar does it not?).
In the big game stakes we are one apiece in the Heineken Cup. With Scarlets winning the corresponding game last year they sneaked past us in the group and went on to the quarter finals with a victory on a wet dismal Sunday at the Gardens. This win, a week after the heroics of Agen, avenged that semi-final defeat of 2000 at the Madstad, Reading the year we went on to win the whole caboodle and I’m taking the lads to improve on last weeks performance, take another step back on that road to recovery and perform that feat again.
The long term weather forecast does not look good and showers are forecast for the day but I’ll take a 3-0 win in six inches of mud if it takes us into the double header against Toulouse in December still in with a large shout.
Again we supporters can play our part. The last time Llanelli visited we started well but just like the team faded as the afternoon went on and I’m sure anyone listening to the game at home would have thought the second half came from Stradey Park rather than the East Midlands as ‘Sospan Fach’ rang out around the stands. We cannot allow that to happen again so sing your hearts out from start to finish, you get an extra hour in bed this weekend to recover. Talking of hours, remember Saturday is an early, one o’clock, kick off. Turn up at your usual time and we will all be gone, hopefully celebrating somewhere. See you then!
MINES A TREBLE
Hats off to the club for finally acting over drinks prices in the bars. Despite early protestations that everything was tickety boo when compared with other local drinking dens in the area Alan Robson has held his hands up and declared they got it wrong. The introduction of ‘happy hours’ and the permanent reduction in the price of a pint of bitter will go some way to quelling the complaints but I guess the proof of pudding will be in the eating, or should that be drinking.
Of course the main Rodbar is a great facility but I always feel that the club is missing out by not having more seating facilities in there. Yes you can pack them in post match, but it seems most people just have a quick drink then wander off to drink elsewhere. Having nowhere to park your backside, especially those terrace dwellers that have spent the last few hours on their feet, or even having nowhere to just put your pint down for a minute does not altogether add to the welcoming aspect of the bar. You can see by the number of people sitting on the steps in there that there is a demand but who wants to sit on a cold step all night? A few more tables and chairs might encourage more to stay and of course spend more money over that bar especially if the Supporters Club have stumped up their hard earned cash to put entertainment on. You only have to look at the cash going into the tills of places like the Bus Club, The Foundary and the Thomas A Becket on match days to see what the club might be missing out on. Keep that party going in the Rodber and you might just start to get a few converts back from these other hostelries and with them their money. Make a night of it you might get them back for good.
WOULDN'T PASS THE DOORSTEP CHALLENGE
I have said before in the column that I’m quite a fan of the new home shirt design, (and would be even more so if they bought out a supporters version in ‘proper’ material), but like most people the new away shirt leaves me totally cold. I’m still not quite sure what colour it is supposed to be but on the television on Sunday it looked all the world like someone had put a pair of black socks in with them on a hot wash. They looked grey and washed out and not a good advert for the club. I am sure I was not the only who cheered when the team came out in the Gold, Black n Green in the second half. Why we cannot have a Gold version of the home shirt is not for me to guess but I know it would be a better seller.
No comments:
Post a Comment