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So it’s goodnight from me and goodbye to the Prem (probably)


By LI Bohemian
April 4 2016

When I was 18ish my mates and I, as a rule, went out on a Saturday night after we had played rugby or football and have a time of it. Fridays were a different matter, that was when we all were with our girlfriends either in babysitting or out for a few drinks, meal or a walk, once though my girlfriend rightly ditched me for a guy who paid her more attention. Now I was caught on the hop as it were, at first it was okay staying in watching the Rockford Files or Shoestring on telly.

Then later I started openly trying so hard, too hard, to find a new girlfriend, and the more desperate I got the less chance I had. Girls can sense the desperation and move away from you. I did in the end get over it, but not until I learnt to calm down and actually behave better. You may think what is this to do with the game on Saturday, but in the last ten minutes of the game this was the memory that crossed my mind.

The game started off with a little bit of sparring between the teams resulting in a penalty kicked for Sale and one to Irish, after Tonks missed a kickable penalty, Irish after some good movement score a try, Sean Maitland dabs the ball not to far from the posts, but Tonks hits the posts with his kick, so no extras. Irish have a try disallowed for a forward pass but get another penalty that seems kickable, but Tonks is now feeling the pressure now and so misses his kick. Sale step up a bit and get a penalty, which is kicked, I can see that Cipriani and more so Stringer are working the Official, it was masterful to see, it was then I start to think, although I don’t wont to, that the game is slipping away from Irish, and maybe this thought is also in the players minds. 

From a ludicrously forward pass Sale manage to get deep into the Irish 22 and after some poor tackles Sale get a try. I thought that the conversion was good, as I was in line with it. The ball seemed to drift in and out at the posts but most of those around me thought it should not have been given.
Half time and the scores are 8-13 to Sale. 

As a side note normally I go into the Jazz Bar at half time but stopped to see what happens at pitch side now days. It looked as structured as a jellyfish, I can’t remember it being like this, but the worst thing for me was that none other than Bournemouth RFC were on the pitch with mandatory tour wigs, throwing balls into a bin, this being the team that once when I played a 3rd team friendly at their ground, they had a full team plus 6 subs and would not lend us a player, although we travelled over 100 miles to their ground with 13 players, it was the death of all the game stood for at the time, (sorry, small rant over). 

At the beginning of the half Irish tried their “lets give away dumb penalties” play book move, and rewarded Sale with the spoils of their endeavors, 8 -16 to Sale and then that ray of light as Williams powers his way over for a try and Tonks holds his nerve for the extras to make the scores 15-16. 

I was pretty convinced that Irish would get something from this fixture but, a few aspects of Irish’s play coupled with the senior Sale players, that showed the class and shrewdness that maybe Irish lack at the moment through injury, Pseudo retirement, and just not that type of player we have signed, soon took the game, the Loosing Bonus Point, and probably Premiership survival from Irish in the end. 

Stringer like Hougaard the week before showed that you have a good advantage with a clever, aggressive and wise scrum half who was at it 100% all the time they were on the pitch. With Irish always behind in the second half trying to force the play and under pressure they just could not compose themselves enough to get anything out of the game and Sale just had to wait until a mistake happened and pounce, two try’s and not even in third gear, this same thing happened when I watched the game in new Jersey. 

The final score 15-30 to Sale. 

Although Irish may not be relegated and there is a possibility of redemption my feelings as of today is the fat lady is just clearing her throat and taking a deep breath, unless Irish can find a way to deal with the pressure, desperation and some woeful officiating that often occurs when you are at the wrong end of the league (not an excuse for the result but does not make it any easier).

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So it’s goodnight from me and goodbye to the Prem (probably)
Discussion started by The Craic www.londonirish.org , 04/04/2016 09:48
The Craic www.londonirish.org
04/04/2016 09:48
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Props are not stupid
04/04/2016 10:05
After watching that game I felt sorry for whoever had to do the match report. Thanks for that, good effort.

paulm1953
04/04/2016 10:05
A great write up especially the thing about working the ref. Luke Narraway was invisible. He MUST be replaced as captain for the remaining games as a "good captain" should work the ref.

LI Bohemian
04/04/2016 10:28
Quote:
Props are not stupid
After watching that game I felt sorry for whoever had to do the match report. Thanks for that, good effort.

My tried and tested method is to write it 24hours after the final whistle, to give me time to look at it retrospectively (in a calmer mood)

GHA
04/04/2016 11:00
Good write-up LIB. Ref and AR may've missed the forward pass but they didn't miss the tackles.

I overheard someone suggest that the half-time entertainment was a way of getting the balls back in the bag (bin) after the kids had finished playing with them. Would've rather watched more of the kids, to be honest.

Finno
04/04/2016 12:05
Great report, sums up my feelings perfectly!

Props are not stupid
05/04/2016 11:08
The easy missed kicks against Sale may have something to do with the decision not to take the kicks against Worcester the previous week. Maybe Tonks has got a slight physical problem, so kicking for touch was the right option given the circumstances.

LI Bohemian
05/04/2016 21:31
He did get William's conversion in the second half which was just as hard or easy as the ones missed, so I think it was a touch of the jips

When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

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