By BrianC
September 1 2005

Last season after a number of dire performances Conor O’Shea announced that it was time to cease “Talking the Talk” and to start “Walking the Walk” on field. Conor has since walked himself. We start the 2005/6 season with a new Director of Rugby, Brian (Skippy) Smith.

We now face the new season with a largely new management team both on and off the field and a substantially strengthened squad. The question we are all asking of them is can they Walk the Walk? Three pre-season games are now out of the way and initial signs are promising. The first true test however will be next Saturday, when we run out at Twickenham to face Leeds Tykes.

To the understandable chagrin of many Leeds supporters this is their ‘home’ fixture against us this season. It was originally envisaged that our opening game of this season would be our away fixture against Harlequins. After their relegation the deckchairs had to be rearranged. Bristol, the newly promoted side, were initially in the frame. Their supporters however had other ideas and under pressure from them the club refused to take part in this fixture. Leeds, being somewhat more susceptible to bribery, took the guaranteed minimum of 100k on offer hence the somewhat bizarre circumstances in which we now find ourselves. Leeds are laying on free coaches for their season ticket holders but we can expect to greatly outnumber the ‘home’ support.

With only four rounds to go last season Leeds were regarded by most as certainties to be relegated. Some bookmakers had them at odds of ten to one on to be relegated. Their subsequent ‘great escape’ will rank alongside that of Bath in 02/03. (Who will ever forget Elvis entering the building in the last seconds of their game against us?) They came back so strongly in fact that, whilst they still went into the last day as one of the five threatened clubs, the circumstances were such that it would have taken an extraordinary combination of circumstances for them to go down. Not only did they escape relegation, they picked up the Powergen Cup along the way hence securing a much valued Heineken Cup place.

Our record against the Tykes last season was poor; Leeds 3 – 0 LI. Arguably we were unlucky to lose our home fixture 12 – 16 in October. We spent the last ten minutes of this came camped on their line and probably should have been awarded a penalty try. We were however well beaten 16 - 5 in the return fixture at Headingley in January. A match were our performance was so poor that we voted their mascot, Terry the Hamster, man of the match. As if that performance was not dire enough we were to see a real shocker in the cup semi at the beginning of March. Again Leeds ran out 16 – 5 winners but, as anyone who saw the match will testify, this score line flattered us.

Both squads have been substantially strengthened in the close season. Amongst others Leeds have signed former All Black, Justin Marshall and ex-Scotland captain Gordon Bulloch. London Irish have grown their squad. Additions such as French back-rower Olivier Magne and the 14 time capped South African scrummager Danie Coetzee suggest that the Exiles may be more of a force to be reckoned with this season than in the last few. As the season starts the bookmakers (William Hill) have Leeds at 33/1 and London Irish at 66/1 for the title. Whilst no odds have yet been published I would expect the bookies to have us about even for this game.

The 2005 close season is now behind us. Twickenham beckons. It has been kind to us in recent times, Leeds have not. Make no mistake about it the boys are going to have to hit the ground running on Saturday if we are to win. It’s time not so much to ‘walk the walk’ as to ‘run the run’. I think we can do it. Irish by five.

C’mon IIIIIIRRRRRRIIIIIISSSSSSHHHHHH!!!!!!