No weekend game, so Ryan has time for an inquest
Dean Ryan - angry
By Cherry Picker
November 3 2008
With no match next weekend, Gloucester coach Dean Ryan has plenty of time to conduct the inquest he clearly feels is necessary after his team's poor display in the EDF win at Newcastle. The victory meant Glaws topped their group and reached the semi-finals with three wins out of three, but Ryan was far from happy with some of his senior players after a drab game.
The coach's after-match comments suggest he will be asking a few embarrassing questions before Glaws get back into action with an away game against Saracens in the Guinness Premiership.
On the BBC, Ryan contented himself with praise for Newcastle Falcons and for his own two replacements, try-scorer Apo Satala and Dave Lewis.
But walking to the Citizen, Ryan said: "When an Academy lad (Lewis) comes on and energises the game, you then have to ask why that is.
"He made a difference in the game. Apo Satala comes on and changes the dynamics of the game.
"Credit to those two, but it's also a pointed finger at guys who are senior internationals and the question is why is that able to happen? That's something which we'll look at and not hide from.
"Both Apo and Davey Lewis deserve credit for getting us the win because some of the other lads were not going to get us that. The concern is we're not bringing the energy game that we need.
"We've got to look at ourselves and ask why the energy levels aren't high. This was a game which put us in a semi-final and I thought the first 40 minutes weren't good enough.
"The second half was better, but it's a different picture then. You're behind the game and having to do different things. We worked very hard in the second half to get the result. But we're creating massive mountains which don't need to be there."
So, ten games into the season all is not well at Kingsholm. Glaws are through to a semi-final and in mid-table in the GP. But they haven't really played well yet, certainly not consistently, and even though several players have voiced their concerns and have even come up with possible reasons for the below-par start to the season, nothing has happened to put things right.
Yet.