A WIN IN WALES
Well it all went well for me in South Wales last weekend. It started very well when I won a bit of money on the bus playing Poker!! I was sat next to Beaver the whole way down so I was a little bit worried about getting Swine Flu but taking the money off him made it worthwhile!! Then when we got into the game we got a good win, I scored a try and didn't get injured so it was a good weekend all round.
The first half, when we scored three back to back tries, was probably what most people thought turned the game but just prior to that we defended our line really well after we had dropped a kick. We defended for something like five sets and that took the sting out of them and then came the three tries and that broke their back. I think we completed at around 90% in the first half and 85% in the second and that is something we have been talking about all year. It is something we have worked very hard on in training over the past two weeks and it paid off. If you can complete at that level then it tires out the opposition and that's what happened.
It was a much needed victory and coming on the back of five losses was a good boost for us. I think we did it in the right way too and hopefully we can get a bit of a roll on and get some confidence in the side. We know we need to win all of our remaining games to have a chance of the Play Off's. That's what's in the back of our minds but we have to take each game as it comes. Even if we do then I think we will be looking at other sides losing but we have Quins two weeks on the trot and if we could take four points off them then we would go above them and hopefully we could also be above Hull FC by then.
Harlequins will be another tough game for us. I was speaking to Chad Robinson earlier this week and he told me they have a couple of players coming back into their side this week and we have them again the week after and it looks like they'll have a full compliment back by then. They haven't been travelling that well but when they get their players back they will certainly be a tough task for us back to back.
There was a bit of disruption in the camp over the weekend with beaver and his Swine Flu. He was a bit hot and coughing on the way down but when he got up on Saturday it was obvious he was ill. He could hardly speak and Swine Flu was mentioned but it seems that he might have it! He certainly had the symptoms and is being treated now but hopefully it's just normal flu and he'll be back by the weekend. I think it's the first time he has ever been sent home from a game and he was gutted to miss it as he has played in every game this season so far. He has done well considering how old he is and we all told him that only old people get Swine Flu, so he's got to watch out at his age!! So we put him on the Reserves bus - so they'd catch it and not us - and sent him back early!
We have the Test starting again this week and there's no Kevin Pietersen!! I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing because he hasn't done much and I am a bit of a fan of Ian Bell. McDonald and Watson coming in will strengthen things and I'm pretty confident of heading up to Headingley on level terms.
This week we said goodbye to Julien Rinaldi. He has been good for the club and he fitted in straight away. He played some good footy too and it was unfortunate he was injured. I will be sorry to see him go but I am sure he will keep in touch with the boys. I think he is going back to France to be Player / Coach at Villeneuve and we all wish him all the best. He's a great bloke and he has been good on and off the field for us.
I hope as many as possible come on Sunday and help us get the win over Quins. We certainly haven't given up the Play Off's and I hope you haven't too.
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