No Pressure Then!
Evergreen Warhorse
By Mark Cotton
September 24 2009
As the 80’s songstress Yazz once warbled, “The only Way is UP”. Following Sunday’s home hammering at the hands of the London Irish try machine we fervently hope this will be the case. Giles Lindsay needed to find a director of Campbellesque proportions to extract many positives from the Peckinpah material on film! However, now is the time to draw a line and face the rest of the season together.
The team must still be sleeping with the lights on after watching the replay of the game, but there’s no point in dwelling for too long in the past, so on to Northampton.
No pressure, then! After a shaky first match of the season where Saints came back to beat Worcester 20-17, a visit to Wembley resulted in a narrow defeat to Saracens. Last week saw them give Gloucester a second home drubbing on the bounce so they are playing to their well-fancied tag. The midlands side were in disarray both on and off the pitch three years ago and were deservedly relegated. However the club learnt well from it’s time in the lower tier and bounced back at the first attempt. Coach Jim Mallinder has put together an attractive side and recruited well during this close season. Former tearaway Dylan Hartley has been handed the captaincy and by all accounts is thriving. Shane Geraghty was a surprise capture from London Irish, fullback Ben Foden has long been a favourite of mine, and any penalties gained are likely to be slotted by evergreen warhorse Bruce Reheina. The pack boasts a host of international experience and if we’re lucky we may get a glimpse of our old pal Alan Dickens who’s still proving his worth in the Prem.
So, where now for Leeds? Do the coaching team of Back and Key make wholesale changes, or do they keep the faith with the squad that took to the field last week? Well, unless injuries or return to fitness dictates otherwise, I would probably go for the latter, though not necessarily in the same starting order. Let’s face it, the team are on to a hiding to nothing this week and not even the most optimistic die-hard can be expecting a result from Franklins Gardens. This week gives the boys a chance to regain a bit of face. In all probability they will lose but the manner of the expected defeat could well prove to be a bonus in itself. If the team takes heart from Worcester’s effort on the opening day of the season then a losing Bonus Point is not a million miles from their grasp. I’d like to see Danny Paul given more game time this week, his trademark bullocking runs have been one of the highlights for the Headingley faithful. Equally, Luther Burrell made a favourable impact last week and deserves another shot, and I also feel that it’s time for another youngster, Phil Nielsen, to play more than a bit role. I really feel that this week’s match strategy should be to keep the ball in the forwards where possible, aimless kicking or poorly executed passing will be severely punished by the Saints back line. Vitally, it will be important that whoever skippers the side gets on the same wavelength as ‘Sir’ from the off, Reheina will convert place kicks at will from all over the park.
I’m looking forward to Saturday. The Franklins Gardens matchday experience is possibly the best in the league, in my opinion the stadium certainly is. The Northampton fans are usually a welcoming lot, with a healthy regard for banter and an almost Eurovision-like talent for the variety of their songs. I’m not going to tip too much results-wise for Leeds, however I hope that the performance on the park will allow both the team and the fans to leave Northampton with their heads held high. Then it will be time to bring on the Tractor Boys…….
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Bruce Reihana appears to be focused this season on the long-range penalties only, Stephen Myler or Shane Geraghty handling the rest with pretty decent %'s.
We are certainly hoping to back up the Glaws result with a W at the Gardens, but you may find a few nervous chaps/chapesses in the GBG if we don't get a good start!
Good luck and enjoy the game.
HOWEVER
I do remember some banana skin results against Leeds in the past, so my chickens can rest easy that they will not go through the counting gate yet.
Interesting that Leeds supporters actually pay attention to our singing! Most clubs supporters seem to think we only have one song!!
Good travelling and look forward to welcoming you back to the Gardens again.
David L
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
- Live wrong and preposterously
No alcohol for January. I'm a dryathlete in aid of cancer research.
Dryathlon
“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”
Benjamin Franklin
Tetleys Block F E143
I'm standing on the Gordon Terrace, you're more than welcome to join me if you like.
Mark & Dragon should note that the Gordon Terrace is split into three sections: B, C & D. C will be full, and the stewards will insist that yous stand in the section marked on your ticket, so if you want to stand together make sure you buy tickets for the same section.
Zandra YaPoI
YaPoI - Yorkshire and Proud of It
'proficiscor in una'