By A Nomad
April 14 2013

Would you believe it? This season the club looked forward to three big home matches that would attract bumper crowds, Bristol, Pirates and Newcastle. So what did we get, dreadful weather that drastically cut the number of brave souls prepared to get drenched. Well over night the heavens opened and what had been a bone dry pitch turned almost into a paddy field. There were many pools of water around the pitch. Any hopes of an open game of running rugby were disappearing fast. However the weather did relent and at the kick off the rain abated. 

From the start the Falcons had the ascendancy. A speculative kick ahead resulted in Albion going down on the ball just short of our try line only to slide over the line to concede a 5 metre scrum. The Falcons retained the ball to eventually score a try that was converted.

The pitch conditions caused many errors and there were a number of turnovers but Falcons continued to have the lion’s share of possession. Albion’s weakness was again at the lineouts. We only managed to win a few of our line outs although just now and again we gave the Falcons a taste of their own medicine.

Declan Cusack did score with a penalty kick following a good clearance kick up field. So at this stage it looked possible for an upset to be on the cards. Only a few minutes later a comedy of errors resulted in the Falcons being gifted a try under the posts. The ball hand been fumbled but went backwards only for a defender to scoop it up with one hand and present it to a Falcon who was chasing the kick.

The pitch conditions were such they called for a kicking game with players fielding the ball being put under pressure by those chasing up the pitch. This was not a tactic that Albion could adopt relentlessly due to the miss firing lineout. However it was from a lineout that Albion set up a rolling maul and drove towards the try line, it looked like the referee was playing an advantage but the ball came back to Paul Roberts (on in place of Cusack) put a grubber kick towards the posts that Howley-Berridge gathered and scored. Paul making the conversion.

The half ended with Albion mounting sustained pressure on the Falcons. They were pushed back over their try line but eventually managed to kick the ball over the dead ball line to end the half. With the score at 10 – 14 Albion had set-up the chance for an upset in the second half.

In the second half rain and mist returned, the flood lights came on as a precaution against bad light. This in mid-April when sun set is past 8pm! The Falcons lost a player to the sin bin early in the half but Albion were unable to make the numerical advantage tell. In fact the Falcons increased their lead with another penalty kick during this period.

Albion did have a few chances to score and the Falcons mounted an excellent goal line defence to deny Albion a score, they managed a turn over and clear their lines. On a number of occasions they gained yards of territory by long kicks up field resulting to fumbling errors by Albion players. Albion were caught off side during a Falcons attack and they kicked the resultant penalty. The score them being 10 – 20.

Towards the end of the game Albion seemed to tire, no doubt for the defensive efforts they had put in. Both subs benches had been cleared during the game, Albion having sustained injuries initially but then other subs were made to bring fresh legs on. Keni Fisilau, a last minute for Bevon Armitage who was unfit to play, received a standing ovation from many in the stand as he trudged off for the last time in an Albion shirt at the Brickfields. The game was put out of sight when the Falcons scored their third try.

The large crowd (at least by this season’s average) gave the boys plenty of verbal support and encouragement. Talk before and after the game was focussed on who will be announced as the next Director of Rugby/Head Coach and what players have signed or will be signing new contracts. Rumour had it that the new D O R was in the crowd. I may have seen him but he could have been anyone of the other 2,209, I know it is not me or my wife! So we will soon be starting a new chapter I look forward to the new man arriving and seeing how he puts his stamp on the club and how it plays its rugby. 

Albion's Man of the Match: Lloyd Fairbrother   (Also Rauiri's chosen man at Bristol)

One match to go and it looks likely that there are a reasonable number travelling on the coach to Donny next week. It will be sad to see a club with such a nice ground (and the longest bar in the country) relegated. Best of luck to them in Division One.

	V
10		25

Match Report - Albion 10 Newcastle 25

Discussion started by Unofficial Plymouth Albion (IP Logged), 14/04/2013 11:32

Unofficial Plymouth Albion
14/04/2013 11:32

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noibla
13/04/2013 22:24

Thanks for the report A Nomad as you say the weather was against us again.

I can't work out as to how many years it takes for a proffesional player to trap the awkward high ball with his boot before picking it up and putting the team under great pressure as often as not, it's a mystery to me.

Semper Sersum.

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King Albion
13/04/2013 22:26

Shocking noibla. Was beyond belief today that four times Albion picked up and fumbled with hands. School boy errors. However good game in appalling conditions.

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stonehousealbion
13/04/2013 23:19

Always good to have a well-written match report from one of our own - and in short order, too. Thanks, AN.

Come cheer up, my lads - 'tis to glory we steer!

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ianbol
14/04/2013 11:03

A very good read, A. N. Thanx.

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Cider Drinker
14/04/2013 11:45

nice report

Don't let anything get in the way of a good game of Rugby

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balion
14/04/2013 11:59

Your thought is reasonable Noibla but to be able to do that you have to persuade the opposition to stand off while you do it!!
Apart from that I thought teams put on a good show under to the appalling weather, Great effort from all Albion players considering they were out muscled from a very big and heavy Falcons pack.
Good report CD.
Good luck Keni, thought he had a very game.

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