One try short of history
By Griff
January 26 2009
It was an odd weekend for Irish supporters. The win in Rovigo was a muted one, firstly because the people not lucky enough to make the trip had no match broadcast to keep them up-to-speed of the happenings but also because a win with a four try bonus point would have given London Irish a place in the history books.
January 26 2009
It was an odd weekend for Irish supporters. The win in Rovigo was a muted one, firstly because the people not lucky enough to make the trip had no match broadcast to keep them up-to-speed of the happenings but also because a win with a four try bonus point would have given London Irish a place in the history books.
To become the first club to score a maximum in the pool stages of any European competition would have been quite a feat, unlikely to be repeated often. Irish came agonizingly close. One more try in Saturday's game and we'd have been there.
It seems vaguely irritating that Irish averaged just over 7 tries per game in their 6 pool-stage games but failed in the final hurdle - to score 4 in every game. The fact that Toby Booth saw fit to rest many key players could be seen as a factor in this.
Irish fielded a team with only 2 of their normal starting backs and rang changes in the forwards too. That isn't to take away anything from the players who brought home the all-important victory but it does show that Toby isn't one for wasted-effort in pursuit of fripperies. A place in the history books, while nice, won't put Irish in the all-important Heineken Cup next year. Or the Guinness Premiership play-offs this season. Mr Booth was quite clearly keeping players fresh for their endeavours this season and that is to be applauded.
We'll just have to get the 30 points in the Heineken Cup next year...
It seems vaguely irritating that Irish averaged just over 7 tries per game in their 6 pool-stage games but failed in the final hurdle - to score 4 in every game. The fact that Toby Booth saw fit to rest many key players could be seen as a factor in this.
Irish fielded a team with only 2 of their normal starting backs and rang changes in the forwards too. That isn't to take away anything from the players who brought home the all-important victory but it does show that Toby isn't one for wasted-effort in pursuit of fripperies. A place in the history books, while nice, won't put Irish in the all-important Heineken Cup next year. Or the Guinness Premiership play-offs this season. Mr Booth was quite clearly keeping players fresh for their endeavours this season and that is to be applauded.
We'll just have to get the 30 points in the Heineken Cup next year...
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StumbleuponOne try short of history
Posted by: The Craic www.londonirish.org (IP Logged)
Date: 26/01/2009 12:48
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Re: One try short of history
Posted by: waltham (IP Logged)
Date: 26/01/2009 13:00
Would have been nice - but doesn't really mean much to be the first. Better to give the so-called fringe players valuable game time and rest the big guns.
Re: One try short of history
Posted by: MadMonk (IP Logged)
Date: 26/01/2009 13:06
We came away from a match scoring 3 tries to nil with all the body language of a group who have just watched their team lose a match they felt they should have won.
The team and supporters are behaving like a club that can and should be performing at the highest level every week.
The job was done before the kick off; we had nothing to play for but bragging rights. Toby played the opposition and the pool situation that was in front of him. Clearly he had to think ahead to a tough few weeks back in the premiership. these factors did not combine to orchestrate our finest hour. The fact that we are unhappy when this happens speaks volumes about how far the club has come in the last season-and-a-half.
The team and supporters are behaving like a club that can and should be performing at the highest level every week.
The job was done before the kick off; we had nothing to play for but bragging rights. Toby played the opposition and the pool situation that was in front of him. Clearly he had to think ahead to a tough few weeks back in the premiership. these factors did not combine to orchestrate our finest hour. The fact that we are unhappy when this happens speaks volumes about how far the club has come in the last season-and-a-half.
Re: One try short of history
Posted by: Patrickr (IP Logged)
Date: 26/01/2009 13:09
Totally agree Madmonk. This just shows the standards we expect to perform at. As I keep saying, how thiings ahve changed!
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