Full for 'ull?

By stonehousealbion
January 3 2016

After two games on the road and the festive break, league rugby returns to Brickfields as Hull Ionians travel for their return fixture. Albion have carved out a tidy run of form with five wins in succession, including impressive away victories at Hartpury and Rosslyn Park. We’re now fifth in the table, but with a bevy of capable sides just waiting to leap frog us in pursuit of a top four rapidly putting clear water between them and the rest of the pack. The first home game of the New Year is a great chance to capitalise on our achievements of recent weeks and lay down a marker to the teams above and below us. The match itself is sponsored by the 200 Club and Vince Jones' characteristic sterling efforts have resulted in a rapidly sold out carvery lunch in the East Stand Suite. With the Club making efforts to draw in sports fans from Argyle and the Raiders, it promises to be a real carnival for spectators.

Albion can be justly proud of their recent endeavours. In recent games (and in challenging conditions), they have gone out and secured hard-fought wins against a gamut of opponents determined to show an ex-Championship side exactly how tough Nat 1 can be. Combined with the usual casualties to injury, the side have coped remarkably well changes in key roles (skipper, principal kicker, etc). There is intense, but healthy competition for starting places as well as a phenomenal “esprit de corps” which is all the more remarkable given the situation of a year ago.

This weekend’s visitors should be approached with a high degree of caution. On our first away outing, we got a short sharp lesson in scrummaging as the team newly promoted from Nat 2 (North) bossed us in the set piece. Currently eleventh with four other wins, their recent form is not great, but they have performed well against sides with good pedigree or league standing (eg a one point loss at Ampthill and an LBP when Blackheath visited). They will surely not be overawed by our trail of wins and will be out to do the double.

While the progress of our born again team is worthy of praise all round, a quick glance at the table will show the scope of the challenge ahead. There is precious little wriggle room behind us; Ampthill (level on league points) have a postponed game in hand, Rosslyn Park are in the mix and obviously no slouches, while close behind are a resurgent Darlington. What characterises the top four is an ability of capitalise on the field; the mid-upper sides have a points diff in low double figures, the top four are all around the 200 mark with healthy BP tallies. (Remember the Esher debacle?) More than ever, Albion must strive to put lesser teams to the sword when the opportunity arises. One of the locals at Park last week complained about his side being too “corinthian” and reluctant to keep scoring. This is something we must avoid at all costs.

The online opinion is pretty emphatically in our favour to get the 4T bonus and I believe that this mix of players performing as they are, are more than capable of pulling it off. As ever, we cannot expect any favours from the visitors, but if the current arc of progress is to be maintained, a “mere” four points would amount to a degree of failure.

The squad is on the board - we will start with the same line-up as last week. Another strong bench, so it augers well. Weather-wise, we can expect more of the same from this week and nothing remarkable given the time of year. As for the supporters, we must do our part in raising the gate. The product is light years ahead of what we had to endure last season - but it is vital that it gets a better audience. There is no hiding the fact that individual tickets are expensive for this league, however the Club has provided an excellent half-season ticket offer to tempt the crowds back. Check it out on the PARFC website: "Super Seven". Improved gates and revenues are an absolute necessity in ensuring the future security of our beloved Albion.

(NB: If you’re attending the lunch (12.15 for 13.00 sit down), you must have a pre-bought ticket on arrival – the booths won’t be open until later in the afternoon.) 

Here's the full fixture list:

Sat 09 Jan

Loughborough Students v Esher   14:00   UoL Stadium

Richmond v Fylde   14:00   Richmond Athletic Ground

Wharfedale v Blaydon   14:00   The Avenue

Ampthill v Cinderford   14:15   Dillingham Park

Hartpury College v Coventry   14:30   College Stadium

Blackheath v Henley   15:00   Rectory Field

Darlington Mowden Park v Rosslyn Park   15:00   Northern Echo Arena

Plymouth Albion v Hull Ionians   15:00   Brickfields

National League 1 - 2015-6 Wk 17

Discussion started by Unofficial Plymouth Albion (IP Logged), 08/01/2016 09:34

Unofficial Plymouth Albion
08/01/2016 09:34

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BALION PREDATOR
08/01/2016 14:58

Well done with the write up , very informative all round .

Confidence must be high , but keep the passion for 80 minutes and enjoy youselves and hopefully a bumper crowd to support you for the 80 minutes can get the WIN.




Plymouth Bred , Plymouth Born .

C'mon Albiiioooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

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hills22
08/01/2016 23:36

After what looks like around 700 miles of travelling combined in the last two trips doing searches - the Albion return home to face a side who when we played away, it was the start of our rugby World Cup campaign and our country was full of hope. We all know what happened with regards to England - Albion fans have had different.
A game for supporters to get stuck into following recent fine form and the sponsored lunch.
Come 5 or not long before to be exact (otherwise there would have been injuries) we hope that Brickfields will again be a joy of celebration rather than commiseration. Best of luck to the Albion



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016:01:09:00:03:35 by hills22.

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