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Send in the Toops.

Hallelujah, stick to this 9, 10 please!

Without Thompson-Stringer (moving to prop), Flanagan and Fenton-Wells we really are short in the back row.

Not sure when the transfer deadline is or was, but we really need to sort something out if it hasn't gone!

There was me thinking you knew it all

I do now! 26th February it was.

I guess Leeds, Bristol and Donny have snapped up a few for the business end of the season, whereas........???

Let's hold our nerve we are still top 4 - in God I trust

Agree with Try Blues, one of the few areas we don't have the depth required. If we had after the number of tackles one of our back rowers missed last we would expect he would have been watching from the stands tonight.

Well it's over bar the shouting, no reason to really to turn up (apart from the a pint or two).....even some statistics saying our packs bigger than yours etc etc.....I suspect that Jersey may have already brought the 'Silvia' for the trophy......

Ok I like talk like that.....reason .......see my previous posting's......'we struggle against teams we perceive are easy whilst we raise our game to tougher opposition....'

Here's to a great game of entertaining rugby.........COYB....

That's my parting comment, well in part. An evening of entertaining running rugby. For some reason we seem to struggle against this team, a bit like Exeter and Wakefield in the past. This is a big game and we have the players that can take us into the next round, provided we do the basics right and play our game and not theirs. COYB

Before anyway comes on to slate the ref and linesmen for some appalling decisions (with some merit one should add), ultimately we threw tonight away, quite literally.

Firstly, we should have been wise to their maul game from two weeks ago and at times simply not contested, thereby forcing them to play in the open, where we were[i] the better side. Secondly, two golden try-scoring opportunities squandered, first the maul and then [i]the pass to Tapley on the 79th minute. Aaahhh, so frustrating!

On the plus side, at least we don't have to watch the epitome of boredom that is Jersey, again this season (kick, scrum, corner, maul; kick,scrum,corner, maul; kick, scrum, corner, maul)!!!

Disappointing how our season has fallen away in the later part. Maybe its because we found our form earlier than others?
Disappointing how we seem to only lose games by fractions, games that are winnable.
Still, I still think this season has been a huge success compared.
I wonder though much longer we can sustain our lack of forward thinking or ambition? Lack of full time players?
This season may be a freak one off? I sincerely hope not, but if we continue to be there or there about, what next? Where do we go? Stay the same.

Well I don't mind losing but when the official's have no basic concept of the laws of the scrum and driving maul its very frustrating, for the fans and mostly the players, you could see Toops and others getting very frustrated, but Jersey played the official's very well.

Their 6 and 8 spent every scrum boring into our tight head and the number of blockers in front of the ball in their maul was un-believable.

As they left the pitch one of the assistance suddenly found his voice and told the crowd to quiet, he should of had no voice left come the end as he was helping the man with the whistle through the game.

But as others have said we messed up 2 or 3 clear cut opportunities but that's rugby and the bounce of the egg.

Griffiths looked very dejected as he left the pitch, he is going to lose much bigger games in his carer.

My only critisium of the players is they have to be much smarter when the scrum is under some much pressure and get rid of it straight away, but both 8 and 9 are young players they will learn from it and be much better.

A disappointing night where it could of been so much different, and the world cup winner in the crowd left as dejected as the rest of us. Hopefully it wont put him off any future moves!!!

On an evening when entertaining running rugby failed on at least half a dozen times, two or three of them within yards of the line....to lose by a margin of just four points to a fully professional side is quite remarkable.....

If when Mick Rayer had arrived when he did, had presented Bedford Blues with a game plan based on the rolling maul........and little else then I suspect that he would be collecting his wages from a different club.....he did not, he presented a game plan based on running rugby, entertaining rugby, in all the time I have been watching Bedford play I have rarely failed to be entertained.......yes even when we lose.......

Mr Rayer .........PLEASE you and your players keep doing what you doing, entertaining us, with time and we and rugby will be the winners..........

.........and to the Jersey supporter inform us ' this is how you have to play if you want to win.....yes it's not pretty which is a pity'.......yes madam..... if Jersey Rugby Club are that desperate for silverware I feel sorry for them and their....supporters.......

.......there never mentioned Mr Murphy once......!

We need to find someone with plenty of experience, a big ball carrier to replace the boots of Toops when he finally hangs up his boots. We lack a big ball carrying 8. Needs to be the first big signing of next season. As with the performance, they stuck to the game plan and did what they do best. Donny and Leeds will play the same way. But if we keep getting our front row wrong from the start then we'll struggle. Anyway we're out of the cup, so no chance of the double. Time to regroup, train hard and win our next game. Is Flanagan soon to be back???

Was not able to make the game on Fridays - so thank you for your reports - it makes a change. Sad to see that E of ELP has gone what a year this has been

Just have to win the playoffs then.

One has to feel sorry for the Jersey supporters who have to put up with that meagre diet of rugby week in week out. And for the players who cannot grow their skill sets as the season progresses. It is a shame because on the one occasion the Jersey backs ran with the ball, it was with no little skill and speed. Their coach does them a great disservice. I can't see Jersey players moving up through the tiers in the same way Bedford players have without moving to an equivalent or lesser club first.

Of course, it raises the old chestnut of do you win ugly or lose pretty. Blues played some lovely rugby last night and long may it be so.

I was intrigued by the assistant ref's experiment in democratisation of the game. Holding a plebiscite among the Jersey players about who knocked the ball into touch. Surprisingly they indicated it came off a Blues hand and were awarded the lineout. If the ball came off a Jersey hand the ball went backwards for a Blues throw. If it did indeed come off a Blues hand, the ball went forward and should have resulted in a Jersey scrum not a lineout. It pretty much summed up the skills of the officials on the night. Bad day at the office.

However, the loss, as indicated elsewhere cannot be put down entirely to the quality of the officials. We lost because two or three try scoring opportunities went begging. The better rugby side lost, the more pragmatic one won. Disappointingly, as the latter style does not move the game on.

There has to be a review of the laws surrounding the rolling maul. It is impossible to stop without giving away penalty or worse still a yellow card. We have witnessesd Jersey and Doncaster effectively suffocate Blues expansive rugby style, we showed what we can do given the ball last night, but it's difficult to shine when the opposition stuff it up their jumper.
How Parillo got sent off after only his first scrum without any previous warnings was-unbelievable

Maul just needs to be officiated correctly thats all.

When it rolls or moves forward the ball carrier has to be the first man. Not as we saw last might where 2 or 3 players moves forward and the the ball carrier behind them


That should be a penalty to the defending team

Maul just needs to be officiated correctly thats all.

When it rolls or moves forward the ball carrier has to be the first man. Not as we saw last might where 2 or 3 players moves forward and the the ball carrier behind them


That should be a penalty to the defending team

Van morrisons last album was called no plan b and it seems Bedford has no plan b. I absolutely love to see our open running rugby but we need to compete up front too against the likes of jersey. We've been on about a proper ball carry for the past few seasons, get one and it would be near perfect! We've missed nfw leadership too.

Anybody else getting bored, too, of harking on about competing against fully pro teams? We need to move on, become one of them, soon.

We do need a ball carrying 8 with experience and a couple of other seasoned pros to fit our young talented team around. Since our ties with Saints stopped he haven't had those quality players dropping down. I'm hoping that Billy, George and Mako see their days out with us. Here's hoping.

Yes disappointed about the result but more disappointed about the amount of ball we dropped. That said I'm not too bothered about going out of this competition. Top 4 has to be our priority from a financial perspective. Unfortunately we do have the strength in depth to compete on both fronts. Hopefully NFW and MF will be back soon. Lets hope for something from the Leeds game and a bp win against Pirates and that should do it.

Quote:

Ginger Blueboy
*snip*
On the plus side, at least we don't have to watch the epitome of boredom that is Jersey, again this season (kick, scrum, corner, maul; kick,scrum,corner, maul; kick, scrum, corner, maul)!!!

If that was all Jersey were, then it should have been an easy thing for Blues to counter. But they didn't.

Either you've undersold your opposition because that suits your summation or your team weren't good enough to beat a 1 dimensional team.

#Jeeersey

Quote:

Teddy1981

Quote:

Ginger Blueboy
*snip*
On the plus side, at least we don't have to watch the epitome of boredom that is Jersey, again this season (kick, scrum, corner, maul; kick,scrum,corner, maul; kick, scrum, corner, maul)!!!

If that was all Jersey were, then it should have been an easy thing for Blues to counter. But they didn't.

Either you've undersold your opposition because that suits your summation or your team weren't good enough to beat a 1 dimensional team.

One dimensional Jersey certainly are. Good at it? Against us yes. Good enough for the playoffs? Unlikely. B&I? Think Yorks may be a bit better at it.
Result more important than the means? Ask the wife about foreplay.

Quote:

Garlic sausage

Quote:

Teddy1981

Quote:

Ginger Blueboy
*snip*
On the plus side, at least we don't have to watch the epitome of boredom that is Jersey, again this season (kick, scrum, corner, maul; kick,scrum,corner, maul; kick, scrum, corner, maul)!!!

If that was all Jersey were, then it should have been an easy thing for Blues to counter. But they didn't.

Either you've undersold your opposition because that suits your summation or your team weren't good enough to beat a 1 dimensional team.

One dimensional Jersey certainly are. Good at it? Against us yes. Good enough for the playoffs? Unlikely. B&I? Think Yorks may be a bit better at it.
Result more important than the means? Ask the wife about foreplay.

LOL. See you next season for more of the same.

*edit* p.s. I don't ask the wife anything. I've already been told.....

#Jeeersey



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016:03:16:00:35:30 by Teddy1981.

We'll be here.

Teddy1981, if you'd read my post properly, I laid the blame for our defeat squarely at the Blues wasting precious opportunities, and a dollop of blame for the ref. I fully believe we should have been wiser to the Jersey game plan and not competed at a couple of mauls/should have hooked the ruddy ball pronto at 5-metre scrums.

However, having seen Jersey twice at Goldington Road in a month, listened and read other reports and seen rolling maul comments by both Jersey and non-Jersey fans, I find their style of play to be extremely one-dimensional and boring as hell. I fully accept mauls and scrums to be part of our game and the first Jersey try in the cup match was very well executed. But when a team does the same tactic again and again, and again, it does nothing for the good of the game, or for in fact, some of their players.
The only consolation perhaps, for the additional spectators that were Jersey's back three for much of the game is that they were being paid to watch and didn't have to pay the £16/18 ground ticket fee!As someone mentioned earlier, in the one foray of enterprise, those players showed themselves to be no less skilful than their forward teammates, so why not use them?!

In many ways, Jersey remind me of Greece at Euro 2004 - a game plan that many find dissatisfying, but was very effective then. Fastforward to last October, and the greeks are playing much the same style, but this time finishing bottom of their euro qualifying group, not even managing to draw against those North Atlantic mostly fishermen, part time outfit (shan't mention them for Blue for You's sake )!

But anyway, yes see you guys next year, hopefully far more rounded a side!

Thanks Ginge - your posts are so long - love you long time