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Looks like every games a big game for us this season. Batter Roth then onwards and upwards. Coyb

So what, who do we change on the pitch? Tapley in, Blanchet in for me.

Line up for Saturday:

15. James Pritchard
14. Pat Tapley
13. Mike Le Bourgeois
12. Ollie Dodge
11. Henry Staff
10. Steffan Jones
9. Darryl Veenendaal

1. Tom Williams
2. Charlie Clare
3. James Currie
4. Mike Howard
5. Paul Tupai
6. Hayden Thompson-Stringer
7. Josh Buggea
8. Nick Fenton-Wells

Replacements: 16. Jared Saunders, 17. Billy Moss, 18. Phil Boulton, 19. Ben Gulliver, 20. Harry Wells, 21. Pete White, 22. Jake Sharp

I am not sure what happens if we have an injury in the back five.

I would say if a

centre gets injured, Jones will go there.
winger gets injured, Pritchard will cover with Le Bourgeois or Jones moving back
fullback gets injured, Le Bourgeois or Jones will cover

The Titans do not have the biggest pack, not that we have been great ourselves, but maybe we are going to try and test them in the forwards?

So Joe dropped for a Sarries player who goes straight into the back row and Wells on the bench???? No TJ Harris again........... On a positive, Tapley in. Prediction home win 22-17

Also predict a home win 29_12 season back on track.

Joe was playing 7, so was not dropped for a Sarries player. He is also not a 7 and should play 8 with Fenton-wells at 7.

What can I say to that?

Try rubbish

To be honest we got what we deserved.

For me, the problem started at the end of last season. We had a full summer to recruit after last year's disappointing season but seem to have ended up with a host of average back rowers, no invention in the backs and little or no cover on the wings and scrum half. We needed a new backs coach to freshen things up but brought in a defence coach and, certainly today, looked all over the place conceding 8 tries.

Today, we had one of our crash ball centres on the wing yet still no invention in the fly-half/centre positions. It wasn't until Jake came on and played centre ? that we had some decent line breaks.

Well played to Rotherham, at times they looked like we used to play, keeping ball in hand and running tries in from everywhere.

I really hope the guys prove me wrong and turn things around, next week when I go to London Scottish would be nice.

Jake broke the line twice in about five minutes yet no one else seemed to be able to manage it in the whole of the other 75 minutes. We are really missing Mark Atkinson and Brendan in that respect. A thoroughly dispiriting game.

That about sums it up; the tackling was woeful. Too many Div 1 standard players, which made the old guard stand out. Pritch showed the way with a gutsy performance, but that was it.

Please remind me, who is our defence coach?

I'll say it again, pro-am team in a pro league, we're being left behind at knots!

Probably the worst performance from a Bedford team I have ever seen. The number of missed tackles was an absolute disgrace.

A number of players out there looked like they neither wanted, or deserved, to play in a Bedford jersey.

Unless things turn around quickly, and I still have faith that can happen, we are clearly favourites to go down.

Well
Note my signature.
Scottish trip cancelled.
Plymouth trip cancelled (in spite of booked hotel).
Men against boys this afternoon.
What is the problem?
Top management? A few rumours abound.
Coaching?
Players just not good enough?
Old argument - full time v part time (it shows)?

Can't understand why we have fallen backwards so quickly from two seasons ago.
I am a passionate blues supporter but I cringed at what I saw today.

The worry is we actualy played better today than we did last week and that just about sums it up.

I'll be amazed if we manage to stay up this year I know it's only two games in but I'm already convinced we'll go down.

Personally I'd be okay with that lets be honest we're a part time team trying to compete in a full time league.

Back in the day we got away with it but now every other team has improved and left us behind. So we're a part time team lets compete in a league that's predominatley full of part time teams at least we'll enjoy it and TBH it's our level.

There are a lot of benefits playing league 1 rugby, every game will be on a Saturday away one week home the next. Nice places to go, cheap admission and beer, and fans that don't take it to seriousley. Bring it on!!

Still don't think we will go down - 10th place for me

Prediction went south very quickly, however predict an 8th place finish. BP at Scottish, away win at Plywood and a first home win v Jersey. One eyed or what?

Quote:

Garlic sausage
Prediction went south very quickly, however predict an 8th place finish. BP at Scottish, away win at Plywood and a first home win v Jersey. One eyed or what?

I don't think your one eyed however, I can't see us getting anything at LS. Plymouth are almost as bad as we are so I'm going down there hoping for a win.But I think a losing BP against Jersey.

Well the forecasted demise of the club has taken a little longer than many of those thought. The situation has arisen because GI decided it was time to move on but he doesn't want to leave a legacy of a club in debt. So what happens - we off load best and highest earning players, we don't recruit established players as they cost money and instead use dual reg players and we utilise the cash call money to further reduce the debt.

We are no different to football clubs who were the plaything of rich benefactors who when they moved on caused a rapid decline.

I am sure the I love GI brigade will rise as one to defend him but ask yourself has Bedford Rugby been run for the benefit of the supporters or the individual?

For me the quality of the bloke on the mic is mirrored by the quality of the players on the field, with the exception of 2 or 3.

Quote:

Jonathan Wilcox
For me the quality of the bloke on the mic is mirrored by the quality of the players on the field, with the exception of 2 or 3.

Are you saying we talk a good game? We can "talk the talk, but not walk the walk" as somebody once said to Jackson. It's 2 games gone, somebody has to win and somebody has to lose, that's sport. We haven't started to blame injuries or the ref or weather conditions yet, keep the faith.

57OF, I don't think the rush to support will be that great, despite some high spots in the early days, autocracy and lack of vision will be the legacy. Balancing the budget coupled with relegation will not endure the fans to GI.

The issue of the covered terrace in my mind was a monument (well nearly) to the lack of forethought. GI has made it a joke issue, trivialised it. Yet the number of fans wanting that very thing are legion. They just can't see the match fully! How simpler can it be put? Any major expenditure has been on a reactive, panic basis e.g floodlights. 25 metres per year for 4 years + cover on the 5th would have been a plan and feasible. It is not like there were no known builders available was it? Rant over.

Deleted!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:14:23:57:31 by TryBlues.

Quote:

Garlic sausage
Prediction went south very quickly, however predict an 8th place finish. BP at Scottish, away win at Plywood and a first home win v Jersey. One eyed or what?

Bring on Jersey.

agree with all you said blue fox!

I'd like to add that one game does not make a season, but I'm glad of the win.

There does seem to be an unhealthy 'I'm a better supporter than you are' group on this message board and at the club, truth is if you pay for your ticket, go through the turnstiles, take your place at the side of the pitch and the team plays crap - I think that entitles you to an opinion regardless of how many years or decades you've been going!

GI, I feel wants his legacy to be the glory and golden years and leaving a club floating in the middle or near the bottom, but not relegated would suit this fine. His tenure at the club has not been a healthy one and in some quarters I've heard discouraged outside investment. That said he has invested and invested heavily, so I thank him for that. He's almost been as bad as some of the sugar daddy's at other clubs, when he's gone where will the money come from? Or is somebody waiting in the wings happy to invest with little return other than kudos.

I for one have never understood why a so called rugby town, the largest town without a football league club only attracts on average 2,800 supporters?

I also wonder why a club consistently in the top half of the league hasn't got really good standard players flinging themselves at the door of Goldington road, seemingly there's no willingness to pay full time wages?

The DR situation is damaging to the club, it's of no benefit to bedford but huge benefit to the saracens who off load players they don't want or need at the time to a lower club for experience or blooding until wanted again, why is this good for us?

We need to invest in our supporters - this includes covered standing areas etc we need to invest in our team - this means going full time, failure to do so could see us dropping through the divisions.

I know my pits will upset the rise tinted gang where everything is wonderful in their blue land, but you need to open your eyes, smell the roses and realistically see it how I is!

It's been superb, great for a long time now but comes a time when you don't keep pace you get left behind - this country is famous for it (English football, middle to long distant runners after the Coe/Ovett era, English cricket etc etc).

I hope I'm wrong, I'll always follow the blues, watch games whatever the league or standard, but I don't want to be standing in the rain, uncovered thinking what could have been or what was in the good old days!

The DR situation helps us by we get a load of players on the cheap.

we get a load of players on the cheap, who can be recalled at anytime and offer nothing to the development of the team - so who gets the good deal?

Quote:

Luton_Blue
we get a load of players on the cheap, who can be recalled at anytime and offer nothing to the development of the team - so who gets the good deal?

Us because we get quality players that we would never in our wildest dreams could afford to have! Look at the Saracens team from the weekend how many have graced the GR pitch and contributed to points to achieve the playoffs or avoid relegation.

Saracens: Goode; Ashton, Taylor, Barritt (Tompkins 13), Strettle; Hodgson (Ransom 67), de Kock (Wigglesworth 50); Gill (Barrington 50), George (Spurling 70), Johnston (du Plessis 53), Kruis, Botha (Hamilton, 50), Wray, Burger (Brown, 50), Joubert

so we're a saracens b team?

I know why we get them, just not seeing as an advantage that will last or be of benefit.

We have a marvellous academy, maybe we should DR some of them to the first team squad (instead of saracens) and then see what happens, maybe reach our natural level? Is that bad?

Quote:

Luton_Blue
so we're a saracens b team?
I know why we get them, just not seeing as an advantage that will last or be of benefit.

We have a marvellous academy, maybe we should DR some of them to the first team squad (instead of saracens) and then see what happens, maybe reach our natural level? Is that bad?

Unfortunately the Blues Academy players are not ready for Championship rugby. Look how many make the transition at the end of a season the first team squad.

Quote:

Garlic sausage

Quote:

Garlic sausage
Prediction went south very quickly, however predict an 8th place finish. BP at Scottish, away win at Plywood and a first home win v Jersey. One eyed or what?

Bring on Jersey.

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