Gloucester
Bath derby could be turning point for Glaws
Nicky R - back at Bath?
By Cherry Picker
September 28 2010
With two narrow home wins and two embarrassing away defeats to their "credit" so far this season, Gloucester go into a derby game at Bath on Friday night which is probably more vital than most games between the old rivals. It's the final fixture of the opening phase of Premiership matches before a two-week break for cup rugby.
They rarely looked good in their defeats at Exeter and London Irish, and only beat whipping boys Leeds and Wasps by a total of three points, so there should be little danger of them going to the Rec in an over-confident mood.
In fact, with Bath second top six points ahead of Glaws, the cherry and whites are underdogs in a game which is sure to have a terrific atmosphere in front of a full house under the Rec lights and live on the telly.
Coach Bryan Redpath says that passion was the key to the win over Wasps, and there will be plenty of that on Friday night, hopefully without the awful booing that marked Dave Walder’s late attempt to kick wasps to victory. If he had been successful, defeat would have been what those who consider it fair game to boo a visiting kicker deserved.
Fortunately, the majority still stick to rugby tradition and stay silent at such times, but it’s a tradition which seems to be dying out.
In his Citizen column this week, Peter Butler quite rightly states that Gloucester’s home form will be key to their chances of realising Redpath’s ambition to finish in the top four. He also has a go at the boo boys, saying he was ashamed to hear them while Walder was taking his kick last weekend.
The trouble is, of course, there’s little anybody at the club can do about such behaviour. Abuse can be dealt with by banning orders, but the boos are made by sections of fans which are to large for stewards or anybody else to deal with.
In fact, the only people who can stop such behaviour are the fans themselves – have the nerve to tell the boo boys to belt up.
Meanwhile, on the pitch, the Bath game could turn out to be a turning point for Glaws. A good performance and a good result could be the making of them, while defeat will confirm what many fear – that we are going to be lucky to manage mid-table mediocrity between now and next spring.
If Redpath admits his error in dropping Nicky Robinson last weekend by reinstating him on Friday, that would be a start.
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28/09/2010 11:16
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COME ON YOU BATH
!!!!!!!
BATH, BATH, WHEREVER WE MAY BE WE ARE THE BOYS FROM THE WEST COUNTRY , AND WE'LL BEAT YOU ALL WHOEVER YOU MAY BE , BEAT YOU ALL FOR THE WEST COUNTRY !
Mike-s, in exile in Bridgwater
Good prematch report by the way and good on you and the club to berate the booing of kickers
If Redpath admits his error in dropping Nicky Robinson last weekend by reinstating him on Friday, that would be a start. "
..Can I have your Lottery numbers?
![[:wor kid:]](/phorum-5.1.15/mods/smileys/images/13.gif "[:wor kid:]")
