Experience can keep momentum going - Voyce
Tom Voyce - experience
By Cherry Picker
September 14 2011
Only two games played, and already only three teams have unbeaten records in the Premiership - if Gloucester have their way, that figure will be reduced by one on Saturday after their visit to Harlequins.
With Exeter top and Leicester second bottom, the early table has a topsy-turvy look about it, but Gloucester won’t be complaining about their own fourth top place.
After the unlucky defeat at Northampton on day one, their home win over Worcester largely repaired the damage and the game at Quins is going to be a major test of the squad’s mettle.
Veteran winger Tom Voyce says he and other experienced hands need to steady the youthful exuberance in the squad, but that’s by no means a bad fault.
He told the Citizen: "Enthusiasm is great and highly effective, but sometimes it can be a little too much and then before you know it you're on the back foot because there's been a wrong decision.
“It's easy for me from where I'm standing, but I think the youngsters have got to listen to us.
"They might not agree all the time, because they want to play rugby, but sometimes over-eagerness can be deadly. It's just a case of having the odd word in the ear.
"It's not so much about what you say, as reminding them where we are and what the aims are given the territorial situation.”
He admits Quins will be a major challenge: "Harlequins are playing some positive rugby and looking sharp, and they obviously beat Northampton pretty well.
"They're a very opportunistic side, they love the quick throw-ins and the quick taps at free-kicks from scrums and things.
"So we've just got to make sure that we stick to that all-important plan, and we can come out with the right result.
"The match at Saints probably looked prettier, but sticking to our systems against Worcester was actually much more pleasing, we didn't go off that script.”
Will James is banned for a week following an RFU disciplinary hearing. He was cited for striking an opponent in the Northampton game.
Meanwhile, owner Ryan Walkinshaw says the days of Glaws losing players they don’t want to lose are over. He has been angered by the number of important squad members who have moved on because Glaws could not keep them and told the Citizen: "I was frustrated last season with how some of that happened, and to be honest I think we lost a couple of players I really don't think we should have.
"But it wasn't our fault as much as external influences.
"At the same time, at the beginning of the season the first thing we do now is sign the guys we really want to keep, to make sure they are secure.
"And then with the remaining funds you look for replacements or new individuals to come into the squad. That's the process that we will be employing from now on.
"I'm really happy with the start of the retention process. The reason we weren't going out and making as many big signings as people expected or wanted last term was because we have got all these guys to re-sign.
"Some of the young guys are going to ask for more money, that's just the nature of the game.
"And they deserve it, they've proved themselves worthy of starting for this team, and they should be rewarded monetarily as well as publicly.
"It shows our intent to make sure everyone in the squad now will be with us in future.
"There's a lot of contracts this year and Bryan distributes that how he wants.
"He will have a lot on his plate in mid-season, when he starts evaluating the ones he wants to keep and some new players he wants to go after."
He’s got a fair bit on his plate now, too, as he tries to maintain the momentum gained by the win over Worcester.
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See you Saturday chap!
