Dean Ryan
Glaws aiming to finish top of the table again
Dean Ryan
By Cherry Picker May 9 2008
The talking stops on Saturday as Gloucester aim to finish top of the Guinness Premiership table for the second season running and, more important, clinch a home game in the play-off semi-finals. It's top v second as Bath stand in their way at Kingsholm, Dean Ryan attempting to set up his team for a series of games in which they hope to make it third time lucky in play-off finals.
Dean Ryan
The talking stops on Saturday as Gloucester aim to finish top of the Guinness Premiership table for the second season running and, more important, clinch a home game in the play-off semi-finals. It's top v second as Bath stand in their way at Kingsholm, Dean Ryan attempting to set up his team for a series of games in which they hope to make it third time lucky in play-off finals.
Having lost to Wasps and then last year to Leicester in big finals at Twickers, now is the time to put an end to that losing streak, but Ryan is concentrating on the first of what could be two games against Bath if they meet up again in the play-offs.
He told the Citizen: "Victory will be an edge, but I don't think it will be fundamental to the outcome. These sort of games are one-offs.
"It will give certainly a mental edge, certainly - a boost to confidence to either side. The bearing that has is difficult to say.
"It will be tough games both times if it happens."
Glaws have been labelled a side that can’t cut it in big games, specially after the Heineken Cup defeat at home to Munster, but Ryan added: "I don't necessarily agree with being given the tag.
"You can lose them in the last minute, the last 20 minutes, or whenever. It doesn't mean it's something you are overly vulnerable to."
Meanwhile Mike Tindall (right) said: "People are always going to question you until you win those big games and until you win those trophies.
"That question has come about because we have got ourselves into situations to do well in a few cups - and we haven't quite performed how we expected.
"And that is never really going to be laid to rest until we go out there and actually win something.
"There is internal pressure on ourselves - we know how good the squad could be. But you've still got to go out there and perform. And we've hopefully got three games left in which to show that.
"Lessons are good as long as you learn from them - and we have learned as a team from our mistakes in the Heineken Cup and the Premiership final."
Let’s hope he’s right, but with Ryan and others saying that Glaws are still a work in progress, perhaps we shouldn’t expect too much.
Either way, nobody needs to be told that tomorrow at Kingsholm is a very big game in front of a sell-out crowd, and the weather should be a lot better than it was at the Rec.
And to add spice to the occasion, Olly Barklay is playing for Bath against the side he's due to join next season - a game he says he is not exactly relishing.
Let’s rock and roll.
He told the Citizen: "Victory will be an edge, but I don't think it will be fundamental to the outcome. These sort of games are one-offs.
"It will give certainly a mental edge, certainly - a boost to confidence to either side. The bearing that has is difficult to say.
"It will be tough games both times if it happens."
Glaws have been labelled a side that can’t cut it in big games, specially after the Heineken Cup defeat at home to Munster, but Ryan added: "I don't necessarily agree with being given the tag.
"You can lose them in the last minute, the last 20 minutes, or whenever. It doesn't mean it's something you are overly vulnerable to."
Meanwhile Mike Tindall (right) said: "People are always going to question you until you win those big games and until you win those trophies."That question has come about because we have got ourselves into situations to do well in a few cups - and we haven't quite performed how we expected.
"And that is never really going to be laid to rest until we go out there and actually win something.
"There is internal pressure on ourselves - we know how good the squad could be. But you've still got to go out there and perform. And we've hopefully got three games left in which to show that.
"Lessons are good as long as you learn from them - and we have learned as a team from our mistakes in the Heineken Cup and the Premiership final."
Let’s hope he’s right, but with Ryan and others saying that Glaws are still a work in progress, perhaps we shouldn’t expect too much.
Either way, nobody needs to be told that tomorrow at Kingsholm is a very big game in front of a sell-out crowd, and the weather should be a lot better than it was at the Rec.
And to add spice to the occasion, Olly Barklay is playing for Bath against the side he's due to join next season - a game he says he is not exactly relishing.
Let’s rock and roll.
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