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| The Tuts Report | The John Brain Interview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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At half time as the
heart rate slowed to an acceptable level we were entertained once more by
the ever popular "npowerettes" The team get better each game. Out came the teams to a rapturous applause from both sets of supporters. Could the warriors finish the job or would the more established premiership team fight back and take the points. James Brown got the game underway with a towering kick which Pat Sanderson chased down. He was there as the ball dropped to earth. Gloucester knocked on in their attempts to stop him taking the ball. A good start to the half, with the scrum being easily won. The front row were still in the ascendancy and the crowd loved it!! |
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On came the
Warriors! Intent on taking advantage of this immediate lapse in
concentration. the ball was moved out wide where Lombard and Rasmussen made
ground into the visitors half. Ball retention was excellent forcing
Gloucester to continue with their "professional fouls" until finally the
referee was forced to give a penalty. This was the time to get the points on
the board and pull away. The ball was some 45 meters out, with the angle. Brown hit a beauty soaring into the air towards the South stand. The cheers went up from the South stand, which was then taken up all around the ground as the two touch judges raised their flags. We were off and running!! |
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We then had a
passage of 10 minutes where Gloucester took complete control of the game.
Keeping the ball in hand they attacked with sizzling speed. Time and again
Brown, Rasmussen, Hickey and Sanderson tackling as if their very lives
depended on it. But Gloucester kept their nerve and continued to move the
ball from side to side. Until eventually the Warriors were pulled out of
shape and the door opened for the first of two tries. Macrae feeding a
lovely soft pass to Henry Paul as he cantered across for a converted try. Warriors 10 : 13 Gloucester All was far from lost the look said it all, they will not do that again |
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Wrong. The next 3 minutes were electric as Gloucester put together a fabulous passage of play. At each phase the Warriors held firm, but were creaking as they were being cleverly pulled out of shape. At this level the slimmest of chances are taken and converted. Each time they attacked it looked a certain try but the Warriors held on. Until finally, the gap appeared and the second try was scored. A grubber which should have been safely touched down was allowed to run free for the speedy Goodrich to score. It was not converted. It looked ominous. But that is when a captain earns his bread and boy did he earn it. |
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The steel was back.
The warriors were not going to let this one slip as they upped the pace and
ferocity of their play. O'Leary was replaced by Sione Kepu who looked to be suffering leg problems he was not running free. Worcester now regained the upper hand, creating space for the big man to run into. His first run made 20 meters. But we then saw some naive play, which asks many questions. He was replaced, but was this through injury? (By this time the 17 mile walk this morning and two beers were slowly taking their toll as the photographs dried up.)
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The warriors were
now settled into the Gloucester 22 once again attack after attack was
raining down on the defensive wall and what a wall. We were then visited by
some "indescribable" refereeing decisions. One dangerous play incident which
should have been an automatic yellow was given only as a penalty with the
perpetrator not even spoken to. We then had a replica incident which saw
Collier dismissed earlier go unpunished. Who said life is fair, certainly
not in the premiership!! The Warriors however carried on attacking, the referee being forced to give a penalty which James Brown hit the post and Gloucester cleared away. |
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The pressure surely
would tell. With crowd screaming on the team on came Stephen Sparkes to
revisit last years battle where Sparkes convincingly out scrummaged Vickery.
As Vickery lashed out Sparkes retaliated and both were despatched to the
bin. But it was Worcester asking all the questions, Worcester with all the pressure. but Gloucester had all the answers. Finally a position was worked with many of the Gloucester midfield tied up the ball went wide to Delport. With acres of space to run into and Hinshelwood outside him, with the winger only to beat. Delport passed too early and too high. Hinshelwood had to jump to take the ball losing pace, he tried to cut back inside but the covers defence was too good and the best opportunity of the game was lost |
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ALL was not lost
however, we still had possession the backrow came in and Gloucester stopped
release. Up stepped James Brown and calmly despatched the ball between the
post for 3 points and at least a bonus point. Oh for that missed penalty
now! The warriors took the ball from the restart and played their way back deep into the Gloucester 22. Time was running out, the crowd were trying their hardest to lift their team and pressure the opponents with some real passionate cheering |
We had now been
camped within 5 meters of the line for some minutes. But the Gloucester
defence was massive. They also had come here to win, they were championship
material and wanted to make sure they came away with the 4 points. Under enormous pressure right on the try line a ruck was stopped by the referee and a penalty awarded to Worcester only for it to be overturned by the touch judge for some skulduggery. As the ball was kicked into touch the official blew the whistle to end the game!! |
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Observations: 1. We had just witnessed the best game of rugby ever played at Sixways. That we did not win was a travesty but we had improved yet again on the previous week. 2. The ball retention and control was excellent a far cry from that game against the Falcons in Sept. 3. The speed of play now is as good as any team we have played, giving the players more time to think and generating more and bigger spaces 4. Confidence is growing as is the desire to win for the team and each other. There were no dissenting wandering passengers. We have a team! 5. We have to learnt to convert all our opportunities if we are to turn these hard fought defeats into hard fought victories. We can not keep saying, "it will come". It has to come and come now! |
6. In defence Dale Rasmussen and James Brown were giants, tackling everything thrown at them. 7. In attack we do really well getting so far, with Lombard and Rasmussen always making ground, but we need top class finishers on the outsides with genuine pace, to get the points. 8. Chris Horsman, Andre van Neikerk and Windo are as a good a scrummaging front row as you will find anywhere in this league. Horsman was outstanding. We still have Lyman, Daly and Sparkes!! 9. The famous Gloucester backrow was put to the sword by Gabey, Hickey and Sanderson 10. Lastly in Collier and Gillies we have a formidable second row. We will always get ball, now we need to use it smarter!! |
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