BR - credit

By Cherry Picker
May 4 2011

Winners of one piece of silverware, looking forward to a place in next season’s Heineken Cup and favourites to earn a place in the Premiership top-four plays-offs – not bad for a team most people admit is nowhere near the finished article. It’s not been a bad season after all for Gloucester, few people’s tips for success when the season started and looking in trouble at the halfway point.

They had, after all, lost to the two teams destined to finish bottom and second bottom, Newcastle and Leeds, and just didn’t seem able to get their game together as a squad.

But the second half of the season has been a revelation and while it could be said Glaws have been punching above their weight, their improved results have been fully deserved.

But how do you explain a team, losing at Leeds and a few weeks later winning at Northampton?

Whatever the cause – and coach Bryan Redpath and his backroom team must take their share of the credit – Glaws are now 80 minutes away from the play-offs, needing a win at home to Sale on Saturday to clinch their place.

Former Sale man Redpath was angry after his team’s defeat at Sharks last month, but after three games in eight days he and his players have had a more relaxing couple of weeks and he feels everybody has been invigorated by the break.

He told the Citizen: "We've got to make sure we finish off the season in style, secure a play-off place, and then we'll start thinking about the play-offs if we get into them.

"Quality of performance is what matters, and what always has.

"If we produce a performance worthy of the high standards we set for ourselves, then we'll win the game.

"It was great to have some time to reflect a little, and to refocus, now we’ll ensure we're fully prepared for Sale."

It’s a big game, the sort Glaws fans believe the club is destined to play every season, and it will be another test of the Glaws resolve that has managed to cope with numerous injury and unavailability absences during the season.

In many ways, reaching the play-offs would be a major achievement bearing in mind where Glaws were at the midway point, to go any further would be even better.

For now Redpath is concentrating on the big game – or games – to come, but at the back of his mind he is also preparing for next season, when this developing Glaws squad needs to take further steps on the ladder of progress.

But they’re not in a bad place to start from are they?

Hopefully, whatever the result on Saturday, the club will be able to back the Redpath’s judgement in the summer – after all, it’s not been bad so far.

Not bad for an unfinished team, Glaws

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 04/05/2011 11:11

Shedloads
04/05/2011 11:11

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