London Welsh v Bristol - Play-Off Preview
By Mark W-J
March 24 2011
What a difference a week makes. The feel-good factor at London Welsh following our opening play-off win over Nottingham evaporated in barely 25 second-half minutes at Sixways last Saturday, as Worcester scored 26 unanswered points to overturn a 23-14 deficit to claim another bonus point win at our expense. Next up are Bristol, languishing at the bottom of Pool A with just a point from two games.
All of the play-off fixtures to-date have been high-scoring affairs, with all twelve clubs earning a try-bonus in their opening two fixtures. Only Moseley have gained a losing bonus point after their highly entertaining but slightly kamikaze 38-34 (five tries apiece) home defeat to their local rivals, Birmingham Solihull, last weekend. Bristol lost by the odd try in nine at Meadow Lane on Sunday, but having gained a solitary try bonus in 22 games in Stage One of the season – ironically in the 32-38 home win over Nottingham on 17th October – they will undoubtedly be pleased to have rediscovered their cutting edge. The Bristol supporters seemed particularly impressed with fly-half Mark Davies, who celebrated his 22nd birthday last week with his first try for the club having been pressed into action following the sudden departure of Adrian Jarvis to Leeds. Davies began his career with fierce local rivals Gloucester, making his debut in the Guinness ‘A’ League at the age of seventeen, but he’s spent the last four seasons on a whistle-stop tour of the area, appearing for Moseley, Lydney and Cinderford as well as Bristol, scoring 435 points in 49 appearances for the Forest of Dean side.
Despite collecting the bonus point at the weekend, Bristol already find themselves twelve points adrift of Worcester and six points behind Nottingham and ourselves. They entered the play-offs with an air of optimism following a run of three wins over Welsh, Bees and Plymouth and a final defeat by a single point at Rotherham, where only Worcester of the promotion play-off contenders registered a league win. This run, allied to their success in reaching the semi-finals of the British & Irish Cup, had led many observers, including former coach Richard Hill, now in charge at Worcester, to suggest that they may even be dark horses for promotion - or the knockout stages at the very least - but the concession of 11 tries in two games has put paid to any aspirations they may have had of regaining their place at the top table. It may be that the effort required to drag themselves out of the relegation places has caught up with them; it may be that the focus is on collecting some silverware in the cup, with a semi-final at Ponty’s ‘House of Pain’ to look forward to at Easter; or maybe the announcement that Head Coach Paul Hull is to move on at the end of the season has had the direct opposite of the desired effect.
The decision to reveal Hull’s plans as early as the first week of March was supposedly taken in order to ensure that next season’s squad was assembled in the knowledge that there would be a new man - current academy manager Liam Middleton - at the helm. Chairman Chris Booy announced at the weekend that 80% of the current playing squad are expected to renew their contracts for next season, and their official website has revealed that 14 players - including captain Iain Grieve, James Merriman, Darren Crompton and Junior Fatialofa - have already put pen to paper, although hooker Ollie Hayes has just been announced as a new signing by Worcester. If the internet rumours are to be believed (!) then Hayes will be joined at Sixways by his current boss, as Paul Hull is supposedly joining the Bristol Friends Reunited gathering, although it has to be said that the Bristol supporters do not take kindly to the thought of becoming a feeder club for the Warriors.
For those people who don’t remember club rugby in the days before the Courage Leagues it must be hard to imagine that London Welsh v Bristol would once have been arguably the biggest fixture of the weekend in England. The teams first met in December 1900, and in those pre-league times Bristol were one of the few teams who won more times than they lost at Old Deer Park. While we were enjoying the delights of regional rugby at places like High Wycombe and North Walsham, they were a constant presence in the top flight before being relegated in a play-off against London Scottish in May 1998. As that coincided with our elevation to Premiership Two, our paths crossed for the first time in league rugby at the Memorial Ground on 26th September 1998. Both clubs went into the game having won their opening three fixtures, but Bob Dwyer’s side were far smarter in the rain and their 37-3 win put the two club’s respective aspirations into perspective.
Thirteen years on and those aspirations seem to be reversed, although if the rumours are to be believed Bristol have – unlike Welsh - at least put forward an application for promotion should the opportunity arise. We’ve won one game apiece since last season’s play-off semi-final, and while Bristol have undoubtedly taken a couple of steps back since losing to Exeter in the final, it’s difficult to argue that we’re in a stronger position than we were twelve months ago, yet if we are to repeat last season’s progress to the knockout stages then we need to target two wins in this double-header. Both clubs have conceded try-bonus points to Nottingham and Worcester in the opening two rounds - including a pair of hat-tricks for Warriors winger Miles Benjamin - but each has gained one from their meeting with the Green & Whites. Maybe it’s the spring sunshine and the firmer pitches which are encouraging a more expansive game; perhaps the need to win has replaced the fear of losing. Yet crowds are still low, possibly because the format of the season leaves the transient punter confused and the loyal supporters bemused. It’s a far from perfect situation, but a good old-fashioned afternoon of running rugby should hopefully ensure that those who do spend their afternoon at one of the good old-fashioned homes of the game will at least get their money’s worth.
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1 Worcester 1 8
2 London Welsh 1 7
3 Nottingham 1 2
4 Bristol 1 0
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:03:24:17:47:40 by adge1.
All played 2 matches
Worcester Won 2 points 13
London Welsh Won 1 points 7
Nottingham Won 1 points 7
Bristol Lost 2 points 1
Before we get to our match on Sat there is an important game at Nottingham tomorrow night when they host Worcester. A home win seems improbable but Notts could pick up a bonus point or two. That would light-up our group and make Bristol's visit even more vital for both teams.
Quote:MC-TJ
Even though the official site may not yet be updated (it is a shame that you think they cannot be bothered-not true) methinks you are a bit premature as the actual table is currently this:
All played 2 matches
Worcester Won 2 points 13
London Welsh Won 1 points 7
Nottingham Won 1 points 7
Bristol Lost 2 points 1
OK the match report v Wuzz is there but the table is not updated. Let's call it an oversight. Ongoing oversight apparently.
- it is a beautiful day and there are far worse things going on in the world than a table being a little out of date.
I look forward to hearing loads of your POSITIVE support for the boys tomorrow!
As I said - there are still far more important world events happening - but at least the table is correct
Tomorrow we play Bristol in what will be a very tough game regardless of Bristol's previous results.
However, we (LONDON WELSH) do have enough guile, endeavour, power, speed of thought, passing skills, running skills, and class to out-think, out-play, out-run, and above all out-score our opponents. But beware on some occasions we do lack guile,endeavour, power, speed of thought, passing skills, running skills,and class to out-think, out-play, out-run, and out-score our opponents. This however will not be one those occasions. C'MON YOU WELSH . PADDYTAF
Quote:nld
Looks a familiar opening sentence Mark!
Before we get to our match on Sat there is an important game at Nottingham tomorrow night when they host Worcester. A home win seems improbable but Notts could pick up a bonus point or two. That would light-up our group and make Bristol's visit even more vital for both teams.
Indeed they did. F/t Notts 19 Worcester 25. No bonus for Warriors though.
2011 Race Day Schedule
KEY TIMINGS
RIVER CLOSURE 14:55
ISIS GOLDIE TOSS 15:05
BOAT RACE TOSS 15:15
ISIS BOAT 15:42
BBC TV GOES LIVE 15:45
GOLDIE BOAT 15:47
OXBRIDGE WATERMEN’S CHALLENGE 15:50
OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE BOAT 16:10
ISIS GOLDIE RACE 16:30
THE XCHANGING BOAT RACE 17:00
If anyone slopes off to watch the Race during the second half, their names will be noted down and terrible things will happen to them.
conv missed
conv kick
12-3
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:03:26:15:07:46 by Blackheath Welsh.
conv missed
conv kick
33-9
conv kick
40-9
conv kick
47-9
conv kick
54-9
final score
10 minutes into the second half it was game over. Bristol supporters around us were very critical of their team but to be fair they kept trying to the end. Their 10 kicked really well but the forwards couldn't capitalise on the field position.
15 mins in and Duncan G thought it looked like a 40+ game to the Welsh. This notion was poo poo-ed by the other experts on the duckboards. What do we know? A column in the Western Mail awaits !