By Oopnorth
September 10 2014

Here we go with the first home game for Yorkshire Carnegie.Are you excited? I am. After the rollercoaster where we nearly made the play-offs final whilst playing some scintillating rugby we have edured a change of name, strip, seen some good players go and come and the arrival of a new coach and we are still here. for me it feels as important as the first professional game the club played or the first win we ever had in the premiership.    

We welcome renewing rivalry with Bristol after our close league tussles of last season. Bristol began recruitment for this season back in March and have added numbers ( about a dozen), strength and quality to their squad with the most widely known being two Lions and Welsh internationals, Dwayne Peel and Ryan Jones, with the rest being from the Premiership or Leinster and a guy called Hampson from Leeds.

Last week the top Championship fixture was Bristol against Worcester, a tough start for both but informativefor the rest of us. by all accounts Worcester's strong pack were able to deal with Bristol's customary early surge and they led throughout until some neat backplaylate on won the game for Bristol. The Bristol side had about half their new players making their debut so they have more to come in. Worcester are said to have a good winger called Biggs or something but, of course, they will have to learn to pass the ball to him as the season unfolds. Two good teams and two good opponents for us not to mention Rotherham, London Scottish and the rest of those pesky Championship teams.

Oh, get onto Leeds, I hear you say. Well York-shire confounded us all by winning our first game in one of the toughest places to play, Cornwall. Match reports make mostly good reading for us with a strong performance from the pack in particular with a fit Ben Harris chomping at the bit and the backs, including new blood, doing their part. New coach Mercer will have been happy with the win but not, I guess, with the lead being knocked back for 29-6 to 29-18, his philosophy being to secure the win.

Expectations about the team for Sunday? As the team performed well against Pirates and Mercer is from an RL background where continuity is always valued I do not expect to see much change in the squad unless any of the injured second row heavyweights are fit enough.

Expectations about the crowd for Sunday? Well if the weather stays good between 3K and 4K would be welcome with plenty of stuttering "Come on Le...Ty..York" or "we are so proud we shout it out loud Neegs, Neegs, Neegs!" Expectations about the shop? Not sure that I have any but I do like the sound of the Kids For a Quid offer and the new YC team events debut. Well done the lads.

Expectations about the result? The best team will win by a close margin, preferably us.

So a big hello to our new players and any new spectators. We hope you enjoy getting more involved with Yorkshire Carnegie and look good in lurid yellow hats. Maybe we should change to orange but, hey, that is controversial.

Great Expectations

Discussion started by TykesRugby.co.uk (IP Logged), 11/09/2014 06:24

TykesRugby.co.uk
11/09/2014 06:24

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:21:07:01:26 by Gelbel.

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Wildwillie
11/09/2014 18:09

I think that you are a bit optimistic with the crowd - 2200 max.

Also think Bris will steamroller us & win by 2 scores or more.

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almostatyke
11/09/2014 18:29

Quote:

Wildwillie
I think that you are a bit optimistic with the crowd - 2200 max.
Also think Bris will steamroller us & win by 2 scores or more.

Hope you are wrong WW!

More to the point, WHERE IS THE GUESS THE ATTENDANCE THREAD?

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JohnnyP
11/09/2014 19:28

Despite the good performance last week let's write the boys off before the game is played.

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ellishicks
11/09/2014 21:52

Bris start favourites for me.
But we need to show that we can get control for extended passages of the game.

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oopnorth
11/09/2014 22:02

I thought I would try optimism. We were the equal of them last year and I don't see why a few signings extra for them will make a great difference. Jones for example did not play last week, and Peel is now a veteran. As for their other signings, apart from Lemi and Skirving I have not heard if them. As for the crowd, well I am bringing two with me so get your finger out people.

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Gelbel
12/09/2014 05:33

I think Jones is out for a while and Hampo knocked spots off Peel. Lemi is a danger - lost a bit of pace but looks much stronger.

I think a narrow win for us in a messy match. Hope Sir is someone decent because he'll need his wits about him.

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Bobba
12/09/2014 08:26

Unlike you Gelbel to sit on the fence when it comes to a prediction of the score.

For me, an emphatic win for the Neegs by a massive penalty!

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oopnorth
12/09/2014 08:28

I had forgotten Rennie who is a good open side, but I have faith in our back row from Jones, Burrows and Walker and Beck.

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Gelbel
12/09/2014 09:22

Quote:

Bobba
Unlike you Gelbel to sit on the fence when it comes to a prediction of the score.

Not sat on the fence - I said a narrow win to us in, what I think, won't be a high scoring, free flowing match.

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Rocky
12/09/2014 09:44

Heart says a YC win, head says Bristol. It will all depend on how the first 20 mins go and how our defence goes.

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Selby Kev
12/09/2014 18:10

Keeping the Faith......Leeds Tykes ( whoops! ) by a comfortable margin sending shockwaves through the Championship and surprising even ourselves!

Impressed by forwards against Pirates...think Sunday is very do-able.. .but will need a big game at 9 and 10 to find position and space.

My first game of the season so hoping for a decent turn out.

Expect Last 20 mins will be huge!

Come On Ye Leeds,Yorkshire,Carnegie,Oojamaflip,Whatsizname Tykes!

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