Username
Password
Absolute rubbish

Try scorer
By Leipziger
March 17 2008
Every time the Falcons lose or even struggle at home, the same line comes out “worst performance ever”. Then when a game comes along that actually deserves such description, our disgust could be devalued. I am often accused of over-optimism but the Falcons yesterday put on a display of utter rubbish.

With Rob Miller making his first team debut at fly-half and Steve Bates and Ian Peel in charge after a turbulent week at Kingston Park, we got off to the worst possible start with a lineout being overthrown near halfway, and then nobody in a black shirt trying to gather the ball.

 

Bristol came forward, John Rudd missed a tackle on the left and then Tom May was faced with a two-on-one on the line, hooker Scott Linklater scoring after less than two minutes.  Ed Barnes converted.

 

Despite a (slightly) different coaching setup, the Falcons played like nothing had happened last week as Tom Dillon found himself in space on halfway with Rudd in acres on the outside, but decided to come inside.  When Rudd did get the ball he beat two tackles before Tom May dropped the ball in the 22.

 

Bristol went further ahead midway through the first half when they took two penalty lineouts.  We drove them back the first time, but not the second and Joe El Abd peeled off the maul for the second try, leaving the Falcons 0-14 down.

 

After Phil Dowson and Linklater had been sent-off for fighting, a Barnes penalty put Bristol further ahead and his miss with the last kick of the first period might have prevented (well, delayed) a chorus of boos around the ground at half time.

 

We got some half time cheer, with a little lad kicking a few over the posts in front of the South Stand (he’ll be in the team on Friday, as soon as Sam and I get into the coaching jobs).  As the interval dragged on, the announcer informed us that the officials were ready but the teams weren’t visible.  Hopefully Bates and Peel were giving the latest round of home truths, and that may well be the case as it looked to me that a lot of our team were trudging back out with their heads in their feet.

 

However, the Falcons looked better in the early stages of the second half, with May taking a Bristol chip in his own half and legging it forward.  In the Bristol 22, he could probably have scored himself but decided to take on another defender on the outside, who tackled, but the ball was slipped to Miller who was also brought down but managed to put the ball on the line for our first points of the day.

 

Miller’s own conversion didn’t go over but he did kick a penalty minutes later to give us some hope, however Barnes answered with his own kick on 54 minutes, which was in our 22 and initially a home penalty, before replacement referee Tim Wigglesworth decided he’d got the decision wrong.

 

The lineout had not functioned well all day, but I don’t think the replacement of Matt Thompson with Rob Vickers deserved to be cheered so roundly, as Alex Tait and Ed Williamson also came on to join David Wilson who’d replaced the injured Joe McDonnell in the first half.

 

The Falcons had a good spell of scrums in Bristol’s right hand corner five metres out, the referee re-setting a number of times, giving a penalty and then warning the away front row that they had one more chance.  Unfortunately when Bristol did stand up, the scrum turned and Lee Dickson was forced to fire out to the backs, who were unable to capitalise on the territory.

 

And that’s pretty much all we had to cheer, not much.  Thompson’s return for Wilson was unfortunately booed, and after another penalty from Barnes, the stands emptied when four minutes from time the ineffectual Tim Visser threw a loose pass which was picked up by former Falcon Anthony Elliott, who touched down to confirm his old team’s humiliation.

 

At the end the Bristol players received great applause from their travelling hordes, who outsang a shamefully quiet South Stand (I am as much to blame as anyone), whilst only a few Falcons hung around the halfway line, Ollie Phillips and I think Hall Charlton the only ones applauding the supporters.  Not sure we deserved much applause – but they certainly didn’t deserve any!

 

Northampton two years ago (the Carlos Spencer masterclass) was mentioned as the last time we played so poorly at home, and it is certainly one that came to mind.  The Falcons were dreadful in Bath and the DoR and forwards coach got sacked.  Yesterday they were even worse – hopefully, if that’s what it takes, we may see some of those players who consistently underperform released this week.  Perhaps that will light a fire under the butts of the rest.

 

Depending on the Castres result, the crowd figure for Irish could be interesting.  Yesterday only 6,088 were in attendance, our lowest league crowd of the season except Bath, even before we knew what we were to see.

 

With rumours knocking around that Bates is a shoe-in for the job, and that Dave Thompson is leaving if the next DoR isn’t up to it, I’m sure I’m not the only one worried.

 But end on a positive note – well done to man of the match Rob Miller, in the circumstances he had an OK game.

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with: