Something for the Weekend
By apb
April 13 2006
This weekend, Leeds go to Reading knowing that winning their last three matches with bonus points still might not be enough to quell the ominous spectre of Division 1 rugby next season. Dark days lie ahead, and nothing but wailing and a gnashing of teeth is likely to follow at the end of the season.
That's pretty much how our message board has been feeling this week, and to be honest, its difficult to argue with. But "adoptee" posted just the other day: "can we have some positives for the game against London Irish?". I'll do my best.
First of all, dispite all the critics, we still have the foundation of an excellent team. We have exciting pacy backs in the shape of Biggs, Snyman and Balshaw. We have a world class scrum-half who doesn't know how to spell capitulation, never mind the meaning of it! We have good and improving centres, we have abrasive (and downright nasty) backrowers, and we have a tight five that would easily find a place in any other premiership starting line-up. Just ask all the circling vultures on the other premiership messageboards who they would steal from us if they could, and you'll find that the whole team is wanted by others.
That, to me, shows that we have a class line-up.
The team themselves have an astounding resilience. Sorry to harp on at last year's great escape, but that was a monumental effort to keep the club in the top flight, and they deserved the plaudits they got for it. There's perhaps a "lightning doesn't strike twice" element to the pessimism around at the moment, but hey, why ever not? There are countless stories of people getting struck by lightning several times, and they all survived (at least, the ones who told me about it did, anyway!).
The team do seem to have to make things difficult for themselves before they get better though. Look at the way they came back almost to snatch a place in the Heineken Cup quarter finals earlier this season. With pretty much all hope gone, just a glimmer was left and boy did the team do us proud then! That game against Cardiff at Headingley was worth my season ticket money all on its own! The boys we have can play the game there is no doubt about it.
So we visit the MadStad this weekend, and this is where it gets interesting. You see, this is now genuinely a "must win" game. Lose this, and if Newcastle get a point or more from their game against Sale, then its all over. This is where the lads have to turn it on. And do you know what? I think they will. Because, London Irish owe us, big time. They were a pretty poor team last year, and when we had the fixtures announced and they were our first game, nearly all of us mentally pinned four or five points onto it and looked forward to the season. Then the Exiles went and got all good without telling anybody, which really was not fair! They've had a less good run of late, but still managing to keep hold of their style, but its high time they went and lost it completely and gift wrapped the five points for us and said "sorry"!
There's also one really big positive. Normally I don't get to go to away games, particularly not if they're on a Saturday. However, this is an exceptional weekend, and providing the logistics can be worked out, I shall be attending the MadStad for the first time.
The last two away games I went to were the Powergen Cup Final, and the last game of the season at the Wreck.
We won both of those....