The season so far:- a view from a convalescent.
Josh Matavesi
By Lindsay Clayton
September 26 2012
I haven’t been able to get to a game as yet due to having knee replacement surgery on the 23rd August, bad timing some may say, but it had to be done.
I have watched all the games on TV though, thanks to Premiership TV, and I have to say, despite the lack of a win the rugby we are playing is much more of what we wanted last season. Martin Bayfield on the ITV highlights show said he would rather be at Sixways than at Sale at this moment in time as the Sharks have very good players who are not gelling at all and we are gelling but not getting the luck.
So we have London Irish at home this Friday and I am gutted I can’t be there, but It is an opportunity to get the first win. The Exiles have conceded a bucket load of points but managed to do what we couldn’t last week and beat Bath at home.
Hilly has said he is considering some changes to the starting line up as all our tries at Saints last week were scored by subs, some may argue that Saints switched off after their 5th try and going 37 – 3 up but we still scored 4 tries in 16 mins and held out to the end without conceding any more points, something which we have failed to do on previous occasions! From the club's press releases it would seem that only Josh Matavesi will be reinstated at centre amay maybe Craig Gillies but I am not sure for which lock as both James Percival and Dean Schofield bring so much more in the loose than the Warriors veteran, please Hilly can we have Jonny Arr on from the start pretty pretty please!
It has been interesting to read the comments on both of the Warriors forums, most bemoaning our lack of composure in the final throws of a match, some ranting about referee errors, for which The Warriors have received two RFU apologies, and some seeing the change in the way the Warriors are playing and hoping it will pay off very soon. I am in the latter category, you can’t complain about the lack of effort, line breaks, off loads , yards made etc etc etc, it just needs it all to come together in one game then another and so on. Let’s hope it’s this weekend and next at Adams Park.
As for me? I won’t be at a game until Sale Sharks at home on 26th Oct. I thought it would be easy to slot back in to the old routine of hopping on a bus and rocking up to Sixways to enjoy a game, but I can’t sit with my feet on the floor without my operated knee getting very uncomfortable, I can’t walk any distance yet and stairs are problematic without a rail, so I will wait and just carry on watching the game on my PC in the cold light of day and have my fingers crossed that when I do get to Sixways we have a couple of Premiership wins under our belts. So for those who have missed it COME ON YOU WORCESTER BOYS!!!!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:10:24:11:12:19 by Powick Eastander.
Will be great to get a home win on friday though please.
At Northampton last Saturday, at last we had a bit of luck. We needed that last conversion to get the second bonus point. The referee spotted the early charge for Andy Goode's first missed kick, and gave him another chance, which he accepted.
Maybe we'll now have the odd lucky break going our way!
Hope your recovery is buoyed by Warriors finding winning ways, but remember no sudden celebratory leaps out of your chair PE when that first win is announced, hopefully on Friday.
Has apathy now set in as supporters have been taken to the well-of-hope so often over the past few years that now nobody believes we shall ever have a great side and it will be a consistent struggle against relegation, and that therefore all passion for Warriors has finally been driven out? Having attended the first game this season (and been down under since) there wasn't too much to shout about imho.
If that is the case then is it, maybe, time that WCFC started playing up at Sixways as well to make fuller use of the resources?
Also good point regarding WCFC. How they so desperately could do with our help next season, I very much doubt a ground share will happen but they couldn't half do with it.
The season for me has been very much the curates egg.
Penalty decisions aside the same old problems of consistancy occur. I thnk we are playing better rugby ( just) but we do not seem to play for 80 minutes in any game, although we have finished strongly against Saints and LI. We then turn up at Wasps for a horror show if RH is to be believed.
I still live in hope that we can be safe from relegation well before the seasons end. The signing of Murry shows good intent on the clubs part, Goodes form is excellent and with Hodgeson available we have to start to move forward. We do however need to get the balance of the back row right, we arguably have the most strength there with returning players but I am concerned that we do not know the best blend.
As far as the number of posters go then I know some who have given up due to any post, however sensible and objective, being slammed as not supporting the club if it appears to be critical of a performance, players or whatever.
You also have to say that the more FC posts the more traffic you will get.
Club atmosphere, we have to be able to feel part of what is going on. Charlie Little may have many fine qualities ( although a number at Glos were delighted when he left) but I am not sure he has contributed much to this, and neither did the Ruddock era. How many players interact with the crowd, some don't even acknowledge the appalause when they leave the field of play.
Summary so far, more tries scored, more conceeded, Sale will be a defining game if we are to kick on. Still hopeful.
- who plays where in the back row - it ought to be 2 of Kev, Jake and Sam on the flanks with Blair or Mr T at 8 IMHO;
-scrum half - looks lihe Hodgson will get a run once match fit; curtaians for Perry. are is better than we give him credit for
- centre - is anyone sure of the best combination? Grove seems to be a perpetual target of faint praise when he is, IMHO, a very good player who needs others to do some of the line breaking for him
- front row - worrying. If Sarries are after Matt M, who will be mindful that Marler and Corbs are ahead of him in the England pecking order, then we have an issue. If it is not them then it will be someone else. Tigers have a lot of good props, but few of them are English and the salary cap has a load of wriggle room if you have english players. On the other side Murray may be a key signing - we will have to replace TT one day and that day may (very abdly) have arrived already.What we can see, and is also cler form comments on the Cavs game, neither andriess nor Driscoll are going to replace him.
the commercial side is always going to gripe people simply because it feels like it gets in the way - people will only be happy if we have cheap tickets, cheap(but good) beer, hearty food on demand and great rugby. There is no mathematical equation that allows for all of those things - which other entertainment venue can you get a seat and get cheap food and drink? None at all. this is not like going to Sixways in 1980 ( when i first did) and getting a pie and a pint before the match.
Anyway, i feel better for that. At least the debate on this forum is less predictable and more positive than the moaning minnies on the Offy.
have a good afternoon