By Alan Poole, Coventry Telegraph
October 10 2009

NATIONAL League derbies don’t come much more local than Rugby Lions v Broadstreet. But when Street make the eight-mile flit down the A428 tonight, they will be en route for the first-ever league encounter between the two clubs. Rugby are hoping that the decision to make the match an evening kick-off (7.30pm) will attract a bumper crowd to Webb Ellis Road. And although the teams boast similar records from their first five starts, Lions’ home advantage is reinforced by the confidence accrued from a sequence of three successive wins and the incentive of knowing that a fourth would hoist them, for 20 hours at least, to the top of the table.

Street, however, will be eager to give coach Lee Crofts a coup against his former club as they attempt to bounce back from last weekend’s 34-13 home reverse against pacesetters Macclesfield. And, far from counting on a comfortable ride, Lions’ joint coach Peter Glackin insists: “This will be our toughest game so far.

“We’ve done well in recent weeks, but there’s certainly no room for complacency. Street have proved that they are in this division on merit – they’re a good, well-organised side and they’ll really be up for this match so we can’t afford to take our eye off the ball for a moment.

“We’ve tried to keep the build-up as low-key as possible, but all the lads are really looking forward to the game. With Coventry playing away we’d like to think that some of their regulars will come along for the game, so there should be a great atmosphere.”

Crofts, who spent one season of his long career with the Lions, agreed: “We’ll be taking a lot of supporters there so it should make for a great night. But although there are obviously a lot of connections between the two clubs, I’ve been telling our lads that they’ve got to forget that it’s a local derby.

“I’ve been very pleased with the way we have been performing. I thought we could easily have beaten Macclesfield – if they’re setting the standard I don’t think we’ve got that much to worry about – and as long as we play our normal game and don’t get carried away by the atmosphere I’m confident we can get a result.”

Pete Kolakowski, resuming his loan spell from Cambridge, replaces Andrew Weaver in the Lions front row while scrum-half Toby Handley is added to the bench.

Former Lion Eddie Simkiss, on the bench last weekend, should return to the Street second row in place of James Rooke who was red-carded late in the Macclesfield defeat.

Broadstreet will be our toughest test, says Rugby Lions

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 10/10/2009 08:36

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
10/10/2009 08:36

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