BR - targets

By Cherry Picker
June 28 2011

As pre-season training routines gather pace, coach Bryan Redpath has set himself - and his Gloucester players - a series of targets if they are to improve on last season's Premiership progress. 

Let down by an inconsistency that produced occasional away performances that varied between poor and embarrassing and by a lack of discipline at crucial times, Gloucester have known for a long time what held them back in 2010-11, and they are just as familiar with what is needed if they are put it right in 2011-12.

Many clubs might have been satisfied with a third-top finish in the Prem and their first trophy for five years in the form of the LV= Cup.

But Redpath wasn’t, and hopefully the same applies to the players.

The coach even hopes that a smaller squad will help him and his fellow coaches to put things right.

He told the Citizen: “We have to improve our defensive elements of the game massively. At certain stages last season we were one of the best sides at not conceding tries, but with our indiscipline we conceded a lot of penalties.

"With the group that we have got this season, which is a little bit smaller than last year, it should give us a chance to be more intense in that area."

Not the sort of logic many would follow, perhaps, but it does have its merits, especially if you prefer to look at glasses that are half full rather than those which are half empty.

Redpath believes club rugby has been going through a three-year slump which has put off many supporters as well as disheartening people in the game. But he believes it’s up to people like him to get them back.

He said: “A lot of people fell out of love with rugby because of the ELVs and everyone got a bit disheartened. It has taken three years to get back on track, it has taken coaches three years to be enthusiastic about it again and feel that they are in it for the right reasons and not get bogged down by all the wrong ones.

"The game itself needs to revamp by being a spectacle again and being a challenge.

"The game has not changed. People became a bit disillusioned … hopefully what we have done is reignited that passion again. By making Gloucester a special place to play we have got to keep that going somehow.”

If Redpath can instill that philosophy into the players, they will have no problem getting the fans to respond.

Redpath sets Glaws targets for new season

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 28/06/2011 15:17

Shedloads
28/06/2011 15:17

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