By Roger Clarke, Birmingham Post
December 6 2008

Birmingham & Solihull Bees will line up against fifth-placed Tynedale at Sharmans Cross Road tomorrow without player-coach Russell Earnshaw. The influential back row is in South Africa with the England Sevens and is not due back until Sunday but unlike last season when Bees tended to fall apart when their iconic No 8 was missing the Bees of 2008 are made of sterner stuff.

In the last two games they have topped 50 points in both matches, and average 48 for the last four. With 446 points from 12 games the second-placed Bees are 55 points up on the next highest scorers who are Cambridge, nine points below them in third spot in the table.

High-spending Cambridge are managing to just keep in touch with the leaders in National Two and did themselves a favour, and bees an even bigger one, by winning by a single point at leaders Redruth last weekend.

It is a result which brings the leaders side back into the reach of Bees who lost to the West Country side on the opening day of the season and adds a bit of extra spice to next week’s EDF Trophy third round clash when the Cornish outfit are the visitors to Sharmans Cross.

The result will have no league points at stake but may well throw down a marker for what could be a final title showdown on the last day of the season.

First, though, Bees have to see off the likes of Tynedale and assistant coach Eugene Martin knows, as do Redruth after last week, that a slip can be costly.

He said: “There is an opportunity there now. We just have to keep working hard and do what we are doing. Train and turn up on Saturdays.

“You can have all the training in the world but if you don’t turn up and play it counts for nothing.”

Tynedale have agreements with Newcastle about loaning players and Martin said: “We haven’t seen any footage of Tynedale but I have spoken to a few Stourbridge boys and they said that the young lad Tim Visser from Newcastle is quite a handy player.”

The 21-year-old Dutch winger was loaned to Northampton last year and turned in a man of the match show in last week’s 24-15 home win over Stour.

Martin said: “He’s big and he is strong and they obviously play off him quite a bit. Apparently he scored two and set up two.”

Bees out to make the most of Redruth's slip

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 06/12/2008 09:56

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
06/12/2008 09:56

Bees out to make the most of Redruth's slip

Reply Quote Report

Goto: Forum List•Message List•Search• Log In

Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment. We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals. We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards. If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing abuse@sportnetwork.net