We were torpedoed
The game in the shade
We were torpedoed
By Paddy69 September 1 2002
The 3000 Season Ticket Holders brought along 6000 others to see a fancied London Irish side take on a weakened Bath Rugby team in what some were billing as a top versus bottom clash. Well, that plan didn't come together!
We were torpedoed
The 3000 Season Ticket Holders brought along 6000 others to see a fancied London Irish side take on a weakened Bath Rugby team in what some were billing as a top versus bottom clash. Well, that plan didn't come together!
The game in the shade
By Paddy69
London Irish 22 Bath Rugby 24
“We will be asking where the extra 5 minutes came from”, said a disappointed Conor O’ Shea after today’s game where Bath recorded their first away win in the league since April 2001, whilst Irish were looking for their first competitive win since the Powergen Cup Final.
“We were told by the 4th Official on 78 minutes, that it would be blown on 83. We told the guys not to panic, as there were six minutes left. That should have meant, by our calculations, that the whistle should have been blown immediately after the restart from the drop goal. Somehow we got 5 minutes!”
When asked if there was a means of communication between the 4th Official and the Referee, Conor just looked exasperated, and said that would be the head of a very short list of questions that would be asked in the Club’s Match Report. “We will look at the video, pick out the sections we think are valid for comment and for the umpteenth time send a report to the RFU. Your guess is as good as mine if anything will come of that.” The expression said more than words could ever have.
“It was a very poor spectacle, especially given that it was a season opener. There were far too many penalties. Bath had a man binned for killing the ball on the ground and virtually every penalty given against them after that was for the same offence. Bath never looked like scoring a try, or coming anywhere near and we must take that as a positive.”
“Barry has won us many games with his kicking ability, and he is very disappointed right now. However, we know that he will win us many more. It’s a measure of the man that he took that drop goal, although on the bench we were a little sceptical when we saw it shaping up.” Good to see Geoff Appleford making some yards before Barry pulled the trigger.
“We played wide early in the game, but when the ball is being killed continually, game plans tend to change to a more direct style.”
“Lack of discipline cost us, the Rob Hoadley incident being a prime example. The ball had gone out for a lineout, when it gets called back because of the scuffle, then Barkley bags another 3 points. We do have a system of fines for disciplinary indiscretion, and we will be looking at the video.”
This doesn’t tell the entire story of what was a very poor game of rugby, which even Michael Foley, admitting to being pleased with the win, but definitely not backslapping time. “A gutsy performance, especially after the drop goal. Last season, our guys would have dropped their bundles. Remember too, that we only had 14 men on the field for 20 minutes of that game. That makes it all the more remarkable from the Coaching Team’s viewpoint.”
Hooker Humphreys was binned on 35 for persistently killing the ball, Simon Emms was binned along with Rob Hoadley for fighting in the 53rd minute. Just as well, as we weren’t even winning that one! I thought Crockett should have gone as well, for steaming in from behind as the ref arrived.
The feeling of the East Stand physically moving under our feet as the Bath faithful moved as one when Ollie sent that last long-range punt sailing between the posts was about as good as it got for the London Irish supporters today. That, and the fact that the band has a few new songs this year!
A tale of far too many turnovers to count, a scrum being penalised for various offences and Barry having a rare off-day are the memories that will be taken from this game. “And Ollie’s only 20!” was heard from one Bath supporter, what a class act this boy is, big future ahead of him. He came in for some stick last season, but the boy stood up when the pressure was on today. But what about his pre-kick warm-up routine, the boy needs a dust pan and brush to clean his running line and a few arm swings and off we go. There won't be many this season who will run Barry close for kicking time.
Malone at 10 looked very bright too.
On our side, why did it take 64 minutes for anybody to pass to Rossouw? He looked pretty clued up when he did get it, making some good ground, only to be stranded on his own. What would have happened had he caught that ball that came back off the upright from Barry's first kick at goal? An early first try, and it would have been a different game.
Rob Hoadley needs to calm down and concentrate on his rugby, lots of errors today. Sackey got such poor ball that he did well the few runs he made. I thought that Kevin Burke was supposed to be big! He looks exactly like Mike Worsley (oh, it was Mike W. the announcer got it wrong).
Digby played very well, giving Ross Blake a hard time at the base of the scrum, but the quality of ball from our open play was poor to say the least. Dawson was going nowhere and Gustard made a lot of uncharacteristic errors. As we understand it, the rotation policy means that Jimmy Cockle will start in place of Gussie at Leeds.
Do our guys not like playing in the sun? All of the action seemed to take place in the shade of the West Stand. Had they heard about the Eastiebeasties?
Bath Rugby is looking forward to next week where they hope to welcome Catt, Cooper, Tindall, Danielli and possibly Dan Lyle back from injury. London Irish are looking forward (with trepidation) to travelling to Leeds, who will be on a high after their stuffing of Leicester, but will the wounded giant rise? We hope so.
Extra 5 minutes? The London Irish faithful will be asking why did it last longer than 5 minutes.
Oh, and it's now £3 a pint of AG in the Stadium!
London Irish: Horak, Sackey, Appleford, Hoadley, Rossouw, Everitt, Edwards, Hatley, Drotske, Halford, Strudwick, Casey, Gustard, Dawson, Sheasby.
Replacements: Barrett, Mapletoft, Danaher, Kirke, Burke, Worsley, Hardwick.
Bath: Barkley, Thirlby, Maggs, Crockett, Voyce, Malone, Blake, Barnes, Humphries, Galasso, Beattie, Grewcock, G. Thomas, Vander, N. Thomas.
Replacements: Chrystie, Mears, Emms, Davy, Mallett, Scaysbrook, Hudson.
Referee: Roy Maybank (RFU)
Attendance: 9203
By Paddy69
London Irish 22 Bath Rugby 24
“We will be asking where the extra 5 minutes came from”, said a disappointed Conor O’ Shea after today’s game where Bath recorded their first away win in the league since April 2001, whilst Irish were looking for their first competitive win since the Powergen Cup Final.
“We were told by the 4th Official on 78 minutes, that it would be blown on 83. We told the guys not to panic, as there were six minutes left. That should have meant, by our calculations, that the whistle should have been blown immediately after the restart from the drop goal. Somehow we got 5 minutes!”
When asked if there was a means of communication between the 4th Official and the Referee, Conor just looked exasperated, and said that would be the head of a very short list of questions that would be asked in the Club’s Match Report. “We will look at the video, pick out the sections we think are valid for comment and for the umpteenth time send a report to the RFU. Your guess is as good as mine if anything will come of that.” The expression said more than words could ever have.
“It was a very poor spectacle, especially given that it was a season opener. There were far too many penalties. Bath had a man binned for killing the ball on the ground and virtually every penalty given against them after that was for the same offence. Bath never looked like scoring a try, or coming anywhere near and we must take that as a positive.”
“Barry has won us many games with his kicking ability, and he is very disappointed right now. However, we know that he will win us many more. It’s a measure of the man that he took that drop goal, although on the bench we were a little sceptical when we saw it shaping up.” Good to see Geoff Appleford making some yards before Barry pulled the trigger.
“We played wide early in the game, but when the ball is being killed continually, game plans tend to change to a more direct style.”
“Lack of discipline cost us, the Rob Hoadley incident being a prime example. The ball had gone out for a lineout, when it gets called back because of the scuffle, then Barkley bags another 3 points. We do have a system of fines for disciplinary indiscretion, and we will be looking at the video.”
This doesn’t tell the entire story of what was a very poor game of rugby, which even Michael Foley, admitting to being pleased with the win, but definitely not backslapping time. “A gutsy performance, especially after the drop goal. Last season, our guys would have dropped their bundles. Remember too, that we only had 14 men on the field for 20 minutes of that game. That makes it all the more remarkable from the Coaching Team’s viewpoint.”
Hooker Humphreys was binned on 35 for persistently killing the ball, Simon Emms was binned along with Rob Hoadley for fighting in the 53rd minute. Just as well, as we weren’t even winning that one! I thought Crockett should have gone as well, for steaming in from behind as the ref arrived.
The feeling of the East Stand physically moving under our feet as the Bath faithful moved as one when Ollie sent that last long-range punt sailing between the posts was about as good as it got for the London Irish supporters today. That, and the fact that the band has a few new songs this year!
A tale of far too many turnovers to count, a scrum being penalised for various offences and Barry having a rare off-day are the memories that will be taken from this game. “And Ollie’s only 20!” was heard from one Bath supporter, what a class act this boy is, big future ahead of him. He came in for some stick last season, but the boy stood up when the pressure was on today. But what about his pre-kick warm-up routine, the boy needs a dust pan and brush to clean his running line and a few arm swings and off we go. There won't be many this season who will run Barry close for kicking time.
Malone at 10 looked very bright too.
On our side, why did it take 64 minutes for anybody to pass to Rossouw? He looked pretty clued up when he did get it, making some good ground, only to be stranded on his own. What would have happened had he caught that ball that came back off the upright from Barry's first kick at goal? An early first try, and it would have been a different game.
Rob Hoadley needs to calm down and concentrate on his rugby, lots of errors today. Sackey got such poor ball that he did well the few runs he made. I thought that Kevin Burke was supposed to be big! He looks exactly like Mike Worsley (oh, it was Mike W. the announcer got it wrong).
Digby played very well, giving Ross Blake a hard time at the base of the scrum, but the quality of ball from our open play was poor to say the least. Dawson was going nowhere and Gustard made a lot of uncharacteristic errors. As we understand it, the rotation policy means that Jimmy Cockle will start in place of Gussie at Leeds.
Do our guys not like playing in the sun? All of the action seemed to take place in the shade of the West Stand. Had they heard about the Eastiebeasties?
Bath Rugby is looking forward to next week where they hope to welcome Catt, Cooper, Tindall, Danielli and possibly Dan Lyle back from injury. London Irish are looking forward (with trepidation) to travelling to Leeds, who will be on a high after their stuffing of Leicester, but will the wounded giant rise? We hope so.
Extra 5 minutes? The London Irish faithful will be asking why did it last longer than 5 minutes.
Oh, and it's now £3 a pint of AG in the Stadium!
London Irish: Horak, Sackey, Appleford, Hoadley, Rossouw, Everitt, Edwards, Hatley, Drotske, Halford, Strudwick, Casey, Gustard, Dawson, Sheasby.
Replacements: Barrett, Mapletoft, Danaher, Kirke, Burke, Worsley, Hardwick.
Bath: Barkley, Thirlby, Maggs, Crockett, Voyce, Malone, Blake, Barnes, Humphries, Galasso, Beattie, Grewcock, G. Thomas, Vander, N. Thomas.
Replacements: Chrystie, Mears, Emms, Davy, Mallett, Scaysbrook, Hudson.
Referee: Roy Maybank (RFU)
Attendance: 9203
Bookmark or share this story with:
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
More London Irish headlines
London Irish latest threads
London Irish Poll
