Jacques Le Roux delighted to be back in the swing...
Photo by Nick Meredith
By John Wilkinson, Coventry Telegraph.
January 26 2015
...of things for Coventry RFC...
Crowd-favourite Jacques Le Roux is eager to make up for lost time after putting in a full 80-minute shift on his return for Coventry in Saturday’s home win over Cinderford.
“It was an amazing feeling to be back on the pitch,” said the Portugal international No.8, who had been out of the side since the opening day of the season with an Achilles tendon injury and was recalled following a midweek training injury to Ed Milne.
“The nerves were pretty high before the game, coming straight back into a position where Ed had been playing really well, but it was a great feeling to be part of the team again.
“I’ve been out for a long time and the team has been doing so well on such a good run, so I was nervous coming back in and just hoping I could do my best.
“For the first ten minutes I was slow to get into it, but once I got the feeling back for the pace of the game the flow just came again and it felt like I’d never been gone.
“Hopefully I’ll be in for the rest of the season to help keep the wins coming and keep us going forward.
Great to have you back Jacques, yes you are right in saying that Ed has done a fantastic job in your absence ,but hey the seat didn't get cold, keep it on Bud.
What a great player to be able to bring straight into the starting 15.
I was saying on Saturday that it's been quite a few seasons since we've been able to bring a whole new front row on, particularly the props, and for them to be just as good as the ones who have just come off.. Chad, obana, brown, and Parkin! Can't remember a time when we've had 2sets so strong.
That was the same for dan when he was on the bench, being able to bring players on who make a difference is sooo important.
I'm looking forward to hearing what Scott and phil have up their sleeves for the the run in. :-)
It wouldn't be true to say that we missed Jacques, because the team has been playing so well and Ed Milne has been truly excellent, but I was reminded on Saturday just what a good player Jacques is. Like Ed, and like that great and wonderful Zinzan Brooke, the work rate is outstanding, covering the whole of the pitch and being involved in everything. To see players like these guys break free with ball in hand and to make the hard yards, getting over and way beyond the gain line, sometimes with two or three opposition players hanging off them whilst trying to bring them down, is a real joy. As Nige says, we are blessed this season with a strong squad where a replacement is guaranteed to be as good as the player he's replacing.
CB it has been a wonder the class No 8's Coventry have played over the years, apart from the greatest ever(imo) Graham Robbins was the top man, and I have never quite forgiven Dean Richards for taking GR's England career, (the push overs oh the push overs).
The big irony was that Godber was the pushover king and got dropped after the Scotland game and they brought Richards in who promptly scored 2 or 3 pushovers against Ireland where Godber would have been in his element.
I remember the day a winger thought he was clear and away, until Graham came from nowhere at speed and deposited him in the hoardings at the Shed side of the pitch.
Pretty well all of the names you saw in Tom's squad list posted here and on the official website are still there with the exception of Nick Murphy (Stourbridge) and Guido Camparelli (Chinnor)., apart if course from those who are playing for Cov.
Pretty well all except those obviously recovering from injury or on the fringes of the Cov squad have been deregistered from Cov and thereby fully registered to Broadstreet, allowing more than just the 4 dual registered to play there.
In addition they have a number of former Cov players, including Andy Murray, Jeff Gregson, Jamie Harrop, Rob Dugard playing there.
By no means all the Cov/Broadstreet players assigned there are currently fit, in fact the injury situation there looks at least as bad as at Cov at the moment. Obviously they have also been affected in recent weeks by Cov recalling DR players into the Cov squad. In that respect they may have been quite relieved ladt Saturday when their away match at Harrogate was postponed.
It seems obvious that Broad Street have huge financial resources relative to the league they are in. They seem to be able to buy up any Coventry player who is not currently in the 1st team squad. It's virtually a Coventry Extras side isn't it?
I'm not sure it's the best way forward for what is essentially a junior club.
Best of luck to them while it lasts. What happens when the money runs out?
What makes you think it's costing them that much? I ask genuinely not knowing.
The players signed across (as against DR) seem mainly to be the young prospects, who probably cost noore than other players at that level.
Cov obviously gain with players returning from injury getting to play at Broadstreet. I have no idea what the financial arrangements are but again I doubt the cost to Briadstreet is high.
At the end of the day everyone at both clubs seems happy with the relationship.
The odd BS player like Dawes (guested for us v Hull I onions last season) has left due to Cov influx but on the surface the Cov lads seem happy to play down there so what's the harm.
Money talks. I think if Barkers or OC's were willing to throw money at Cov players like Broad Street are doing, allegiances, and league positions, would change quite rapidly.
Barkers or OCs would have to get themselves to within two divisions of Cov before the DR / loan process which fundamentally underlies the relationship between Coventry and Broadstreet could be replicated..
Yes, one of the reasons that Briadstreet have got to that level is that they are a wealthier club than most of the other clubs in the area. That's a fact of life - good management and good property deals over the years have seen to that.
Absolutely Peter. One match at a time for Jacques. Last weeks game was maybe a game or two early for Jacques return from injury for a full Nat 1 match. On the bench tomorrow, but what a player to bring on later in the game. Good luck tomorrow Jacques.
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net