London Welsh
Bristol v London Welsh - Match Preview
By Mark W-J
January 26 2011
The next four weeks will bring the first half of the Championship season to a close, with the play-offs scheduled to start in mid-March. The upcoming fixtures see London Welsh face three of the other top-five teams, while fifth-placed Nottingham must play all four teams above them in the standings. For Bristol, however, escaping from the bottom four is the sole objective over the coming month.
Although our clubs first met over 110 years ago, in December 1900, our paths didn’t cross in league rugby until the 1998-99 season. That was the first year that Bristol had spent outside the top-flight, and while Bob Dwyer’s side were promoted as champions ahead of Rotherham on points’ difference (+430 to +420!) they have dropped back down twice in the last ten years. On the first occasion, in 2003-04, they were ill-equipped for a push for promotion following the loss of many big-name players and the withdrawal of benefactor Malcolm Pearce, ultimately finishing ninth of fourteen clubs as Worcester, finally, took advantage of the lack of a credible challenger to gain promotion at the sixth attempt. This wasn’t a huge shock to the locals, as new coach Richard Hill had talked of a three-year plan to get the club back into the top-flight. To everyone’s surprise, however, promotion was achieved in the second season, a resounding 68-15 defeat of Exeter on Easter Sunday 2005 finally killing-off the challenge of the emergent Chiefs.
Last season, of course, Rob Baxter’s boys took their revenge in heart-breaking fashion, and Bristol have subsequently struggled this season, currently finding themselves one place outside the promotion play-off places, four points adrift of eighth-placed Plymouth with just four league games remaining. Next Sunday they travel to Birmingham to face the Bees who, despite three league wins this year, are almost resigned to another bottom-four finish, and seven days later they entertain Albion in what is looking like arguably the biggest game in the club’s recent history. Bigger than last year’s play-off final? Potentially, yes, given that defeat would almost certainly consign them to a play-off to retain their place in the second tier of English rugby.
Yet a glance at the Bristol teamsheet on any given weekend gives little indication of why the team is struggling this season. Of course the loss of players such as Lee Robinson, Tom & Luke Arscott, Luke Eves, James Phillips and Radford Pennycook to the Aviva Premiership hasn’t helped, but they can still call upon the services of a potent cocktail of seasoned pros and up-and-coming stars. Sean Marsden, Junior Fatialofa, Nicky Little, Mariano Sambucetti, Nathan Budgett and Roy Winters fall into the former category; Jack Tovey, Dan Norton, George Watkins, Mako Vunipola, and Iain Grieve the latter; while Adrian Jarvis and World Cup Sevens winner James Merriman probably have a foot in each camp. In last week’s Rugby Times, scrum-half Robbie Shaw (formerly of this parish) admitted that even if the club retains its Championship status this season the lack of external investment makes it highly likely that the vast majority of the youngsters will be lost in the summer. Thankfully both the club and its loyal supporters are fully behind the Head Coach – although it helps that Paul Hull is a Bristol legend, having made over 300 appearances for the club between 1987 and 1999.
As for Welsh, our destiny is out of our hands once again. After losing at home to Worcester on the first weekend of November we recorded six consecutive league wins, while defeats for Bedford and the Pirates left us just two points adrift of second place with a game in hand. And with Bedford still to visit ODP on the first weekend of February, we seemed to be closing-in on the pre-season objective of second place in the league. That game in hand, however, was at Rotherham, where both of our rivals have lost this season, and we returned down the M1 last Wednesday evening with our dreams and ambitions in tatters after our heaviest defeat of the season. Worryingly for Bristol, they travel to Clifton Lane on the final weekend of the campaign – the Titans are currently in seventh place, four points clear of Plymouth but nineteen adrift of Nottingham in fifth.
Elsewhere this weekend, Worcester travel to Penzance on Sunday looking to avenge their only league defeat of the season so far. Should they succeed they will be assured of top seeding in the play-offs – it seems strange not to talk in terms of ‘Champions’ and ‘league titles’. And while you wouldn’t bet against them finishing the ‘league’ season on top of the pile, we can take some encouragement from the circumstances surrounding Bristol’s visit to ODP in March 1999 en route to their first promotion. They arrived that day as league leaders, level on points with both Worcester and Rotherham but with a marginally superior points difference: we were six points behind in 4th, back in the days of two points for a win. Yet Worcester won only one of their remaining six fixtures, and finished the season in third place, ten points behind the top two and level with the Welsh. It’s still January - the fat lady isn’t even in the theatre yet.
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Moseley v Birmingham & Solihull) with wins making a difference as they earn points in the relegation pool even if they don't gain escape from this group.
The promotion race is probably limited to two or three teams. The lack of announcements suggests that few have applied for the promotion audit - likely to be just Wuss and Notts plus maybe Bristol. The interesting aspect will be if any of the others win the play-offs - how will those eligible for promotion react?
A fascinating few months ahead but for a variety of reasons!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:29:08:24:16 by nld.
Jack Tovey, Anthony Elliott, Jack Adams, Junior Fatialofa, George Watkins, Adrian Jarvis, Richard Bolt, Mako Vunipola, Ross Johnston, Wayne Thompson, Roy Winters, Darren Barry, Iain Grieve ©, James Merriman, Dan Montagu.
Replacements:
Ollie Hayes, Darren Crompton, Mark Irish, Mariano Sambucetti , Jamie Miller, Robbie Shaw, Ed Barnes.
Looks a good side for LWRFC and surprising to see Robbie S on the bench for Bris when you might expect him to be looking to score against us. But he does have his problem with getting a run out. Pity as we enjoyed his play when he was with us.
I just hope the around is not too hard. Pretty d cold.
No apologies needed but it must have been bad for a grudge to last over 10 years. Completely different management, coaches and team now and more or less no money. So your wish may come true.
Just getting Bhangra on FM. Still..the way we are playing.....
Any momentum we had has now completely dissapated. Very disappointed at teh poor discipline. It's going to be a long half season of play offs
Last line of defence, wrong options & knock one thwarted that though & (sorry to report to you, though pleased as punch as a bristol supporter) the welsh forwards were played off the park
Your guys definitely shaded the line out for first 20-30 mins but scrims, tight etc was all bristol
Quote:How's them chips today?DanFW3
Personally I rather hope Esher, Plymouth and Rotherham survive in the Championship at the expense of Bristol, if that's possible
Quote:Don't know, there should have been at least two yellow cards for LW, what with all the lip, petulance, constant cheating and absolute failure to make a contest of the scrum.What is it with the reffing of scrums, can't remember a single scrum today that wasn't reset or resulted in a free kick or penalty.
Bristol were extremely unlucky not to come away with a bigger win, with another ref it would have been 30+ points. Still, LW's league position can't be topped, I suppose.
We did bodge two good potential tries, one just short of the poets. There is a certain lack of self-confidence that sometimes causes our players to hesitate at a moment when stretching the legs and going flat out for it would get you there.
One other thing, do we mess with our half-back combinations too much? Backs need consistent delivery and that relies on knowing your half-backs through and through.
Yes my 10-year grudge about Bristol is still going strong. Nice enough supporters where I sat though.
Quote:Bristol were extremely unlucky not to come away with a bigger win, with another ref it would have been 30+ points.[/quote
Unlucky didn't come in to it. Bristol didn't go for the jugular when they had the chance, instead they continued to trundle around and were content to pot the pens. Don't know what else the ref could do to aid the Bristol cause, he seemed to turn a blind eye to everything their front row was upto (binding ref!), no wonder Welsh at times took matters into their own (illegal) hands. But Bristol are getting their act together and it wouldn't surprise me to see a Bedford v Bristol final (yawn, who cares?)
It was quite funny to see a couple of your petulant players completely manshamed, especially your scrum half. Your 11 was a great attacking threat though (hopefully he'll not get picked off by a prem club or similar), but didn't like getting battered in contact by some crunching tackles.
I'm sure if we meet again this season your team will be out for revenge. Should be a cracker, hope you bring more fans though as I didn't see or hear any during or after the game.
*EDITS*
Can't spell for toffee today.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011:01:31:14:16:37 by Rinkadink.
Quote:Rinkadink
You'll find it was LW slipping binds and dropping nearly every scrum to avoid complete annihilation, as for the cards it should have been one yellow for repeat infringements and another for abuse of match officials.
It was quite funny to see a couple of your petulant players completely manshamed, especially your scrum half. Your 11 was a great attacking threat though (hopefully he'll not get picked off by a prem club or similar), but didn't like getting battered in contact by some crunching tackles.
I'm sure if we meet again this season your team will be out for revenge. Should be a cracker, hope you bring more fans though as I didn't see or hear any during or after the game.
*EDITS*
Can't spell for toffee today.
1. No
2. Yes
3. Hilarious
4. He's a 7s player - what do you expect?
5. Cracker? doubt it. Think most of our players have decided they've done enough this season
6. Paddytaf was so loud he outshouted the Bristol fans in the SW corner 'Bad ball, no ball!'
thought your s/half had a good delivery when the ball wasn't kept in the forwards, especially going left to right
ross was in the refs ear all game which think cost you the two sets of 10 yards for backchat
Quote:Indeed. shout louder next time so I can pick up the precise nature of the call....paddytaf
Thank you adge1. The call though is "No Ball or Bad Ball". PADDYTAF
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