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Under Pressure


By LI Bohemian
January 12 2016

I’m going to be honest, I for one was very nervous about this game, I don’t mind being nervous, in fact I think it’s healthy, because if you think about the thrill of a rollercoaster ride at a fair ground which only last 4 minutes at the most, or a parachute jump out of an airplane, which is costly and could end badly, these nervous match day moments are better, cheaper and apart from the pressure on my beating heart in the last 5 mins of the game, not dangerous.

On the day of game, the conditions were pretty good for rugby, the pitch looked in good shape, the crowd was a regular size we’ve come to expect for this fixture lately, but the nervousness about the implications of Irish losing was seeping into every part of the ground.
Both management teams approached the game with counter views to the significance of the match. Newcastle’s view would put pressure on Irish, Irish’s view was to alleviate this pressure, and I think neither view was believable or worked.

The game kicked off with Irish choosing to kick away any of their possession in order to gain territory, and tackle everything thrown at them by Newcastle, this made the game a bit boring and strangely frustrating, as Newcastle did not offer much to break the gain line, it is my opinion that this game plan maybe the cause of Irish to tire in the last 20mins of most of their games and also our kicking out of hand is not the best at the moment. When Irish did use the ball in hand they made some good breaks but seem to be unable to finish or made errors in the final part of play.
An off side produced the first kickable penalty, which was converted by Noakes.
Noakes’s next attempt was in a better position but his nerves like most of the players on the pitch were jangling, so he missed.
One of the stronger parts of Irish’s game is the scrum, which they dominated all game, this produced the next kickable penalty from a Newcastle put in, Noakes found his range this time and slotted the ball over. 6 – 0 to Irish, even though Irish look the better team it is any ones game still, no more than when a ball is kicked through for Topsy to tidy up in the Irish 22, he fumbles it, the ball somehow manages to get hacked through across the try line and the Newcastle player dives on the ball, I thought it was a gift, but in the replay the Newcastle player dives slightly too early and misses the ball completely, knocking-on, 6 – 0 at Half time.

Whilst in the Jazz Café at half time I see on the TV screen that Noakes has gone off with a shoulder injury, I wonder how we will do with Shane on as his replacement. I see on the tv screen that the players were coming out for the second half, so I make my way back to my seat only to find Lewington has scored from the restart due to Shane putting up a fantastic drop out kick, Newcastle still mentally in the changing rooms and Lewington being the quickest out the blocks and a clean finisher. Shane converted the try, 13 – 0 to Irish.
Irish then seem to be a better team at the beginning of the half and push Newcastle back deep into there own territory, with a penalty already awarded to Irish for a maul infringement, Shane executes a deft cross field kick that Topsy collects, and after briefly losing his bearings when landing on his back, dabs the ball over the try line. Shane kicks the extra’s, Irish lead 20 – 0.

You might think Irish were home and dry, but they don’t roll like that these days.
I noticed how professional the Newcastle players were with the touch judges and how Irish were not trying to close out the game, they started to sit back, maybe the substitutions should have been made sooner, they seem to lose the energy they had at the beginning of the half The penalty count increased against Irish, this produced a good field position for Newcastle, kicking into the corner. Newcastle get back into the game and score a try from a line drive, off of a line out Maul. The number 10 Willis misses the conversion and is substituted for Andrew Goode. I did not boo, and wished that no one else did, two wrongs don’t make a right, and it seemed to me that Goode would feel vindicated for all that had happened between him and Irish now because of this Booing, silence would have been deafening and defining of what was felt.

This Newcastle side beat a full strength Bath side last week, they have all the cunning and know how you would expect from a Dean Richards team, Newcastle got the upper hand with Irish in the final 20mins or so. After a lot of pressure on the Irish try line and numerous penalties, Paice was shown a Red sorry a Yellow card for a high tackle, an easy penalty kick for Goode. The next try was a well timed perfectly weighted grubber kick for Marcus Watson to race through and touch down, Goode kicked the conversion from the touchline. The score is now 20 – 15. To say the last 10 minutes were not uncomfortable and nervy is to say that David Bowie was not a massive influential musical genius. After what seemed a lifetime and some tough decisions from JP Doyle, he did tire towards the end of the game, and he normally keeps up with play better, Irish won.

Where we go from here? You just never know with London Irish, and sometimes the best thing about supporting this side is also the worst thing at the same time.
We are off the bottom of the table for now; we just have to prove we can go higher.

Dedicated to my friend Richard, RIP

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Under Pressure
Discussion started by The Craic www.londonirish.org , 12/01/2016 10:42
The Craic www.londonirish.org
12/01/2016 10:42
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Shawshank
12/01/2016 11:04
Enjoyable report LI Bo - you describe the nervous apprehension before the game well...!

And we'll all have to go through it all again v Wuss in 4 weeks time...

(Sm159)

Finno
12/01/2016 11:10
Excellent report.

Shropshire Hugh
12/01/2016 11:37
Good report, and a neat Bowie tribute to boot!

Living in the Scottish Borders, used to support London Irish, now following Kelso (newly promoted to the Scottish Premiership)

jekyll
12/01/2016 19:58
great accurate report. can you put it on the falcons site so those of them that didnt go can read what actually happened rather that Deanos fairy story

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