By BrianC
May 8 2003

Our last match of the 2002/3 season sees us pitted against fellow strugglers Bristol. Like last season all the final matches kick off at the same time. We are not yet safe, nor indeed are our opponents, but at least our fate is in our hands. Victory will ensure survival for either team.

London Irish vs Bristol Shoguns

Saturday 10^th May, Madejski Stadium, 3pm

Whichever team loses, a bonus point will certainly ensure Bristol’s safety and, barring a series of upsets in other games, will also ensure ours. Looking at the bottom of the table Bath are now in an unenviable position. To avoid coming 12^th they must beat Newcastle and hope that other results, most notably that we will lose without a bonus point, go in their favour. Even though they are at home they face a newly resurgent Falcons side that, with an eye to Heineken Cup qualification, will be visiting the Rec. with nothing other than a view to winning.

Team P W D L F A TB LB Points Saracens 21 7 0 14 465 568 4 5 37 Bristol Shoguns 21 7 1 13 483 592 3 3 36 London Irish 21 7 1 13 391 464 1 4 35 Bath Rugby 21 6 2 13 361 478 1 3 32

Our opponents have had a tough season both on and off the field. Their 30–20 victory over Bath last week has probably ensured that they will not end up in the bottom spot. Despite this the survival of Bristol as a premiership club is still very much in doubt. The clubs principal backer, Malcolm Pierce, has apparently decided to cut his losses and is planning to withdraw his financial support from the club. With regard to the clubs future there are a number of scenarios doing the rounds. Starting with the one most likely to happen these are……

- They and Bath ‘merge’, the new club moves to Ashton Gate.
- Relocate to the Kassam stadium and continue playing as Bristol.
- The club is placed into receivership hence ceases to exist as a professional outfit.
- A new backer, or group of them, emerges. The club continues as before.
- Malcolm Pierce decides that he wil continue backing the club.

However tough we think we have had things this season it is as nothing to what the supporters of Bristol and Bath are currently going through. My heart goes out to them in these difficult times.

On field this weekend, whilst we must not take things for granted, we look as if we now have the ability to edge this game. The introduction of Tofty to the back line for the second half of our home game against Leeds, which continued at Leicester, seems to have brought a new dimension to our play. Our continued inability to score trys remains an area for concern but with confidence appearing to return to the squad I can’t help feeling that this may soon be in the past.

Some of you may have noticed that I have not used the word ‘relegation’ in this piece. I’m one of those who believes this will not happen, especially if Bath end up at the bottom of the pile.

Saturday is the time to bring out all the support we can. It is truly a day of reckoning. A monster crowd is expected at the Madstad, perhaps even rivaling our St. Patrick's day one.

This author, for one, will be a bag of nerves until the final whistle blows.