Pre-Season Friendly: 14 August, 2010
Gloucester 26 - Llanelli Scarlets 6
First things first: it was a pre-season game and therefore counts for nothing, but I was heartened by what I saw from Glaws. OK, the Scarlets fielded a poor team, but it was hardly our First XV either, and while they were very limited, I just don’t get the comment from one poster about their defence being very organised – had he got the shirts confused?
My recollection is that they shipped four tries and we shipped none – in fact, it was the organised nature of our defence that will be my main memory of the game. At Friday’s press day there was much talk of new systems and game plans and if improved defence is part of that then that is excellent news.
In fact, I’m going to stick my neck out and predict that we will have a top 4 four finish this season – the other thing that really struck me at Friday’s event was the team spirit and the banter between the players and I’m convinced we have a happy squad that, in Brush’s words, really want to play for the jersey.
A pre-season game it was, but it was a competitive one – could any encounter between the Welsh and English be anything else? Did anyone notice the Welsh prop – the fat one who looked like a throwback to 20 years ago? I thought it was cruel of the Scarlets coaches to play someone who clearly had missed pre-season and eaten the conditioning coach.
Postives for me were: the Glaws youngsters looked good. Sharples, May and Mills all had really decent games. The team spirit was excellent – near the end when we held the Scarlets at bay (which we wouldn’t have done last season with the game already won) the back-slapping and shouting was great to see and hear. I thought Dave Attwood looked to be even better than last season and he really put himself about.
Dave Lewis looked much more like the player he was before his bad injury – Brush reckoned it would take a while for him to get over it, and his back problem also looked to be better – and I’m hopeful he might yet be our starting 9 before too long. He has an eye for a break and that always keeps defences honest.
I liked the look of Brett Deacon too – let’s hope that he and Big Jim Hamilton (who is truly a monster!) can instill some of Tigers’ self-belief into the squad (remember Adam Balding managed that and became our captain – he was some player until he was vilely assaulted at Wuss).
Things that were less good for me were that the centres missed a lot of tackles early on – OK it was the first outing of the season but the old story of us being a better team with Tindall in it still looks to be true. I was disappointed with Pasqualin’s pass and he did little to help Tim Taylor who for me is still firmly our third choice at 10. There was praise for Dawaduik from some people and his throwing was excellent, but there’s a bit of the Andy Titterell about him: small, quick and looks more like a 7 than a hooker.
Not much more to say really as it was, after all, a meaningless encounter but it was great to be back at Kinsgholm after the summer break. You heard it here first: Glaws to be a force to be reckoned with in 2010-11! |
