Warriors, come out to plaaay-yaay!!!

By Beef
April 28 2005

So, it comes down to this. The final game of the season. Eighty minutes, to decide if we’re worthy of staying with the big boys. One game to get it right, to justify our Premiership survival. No pressure, then…

Our Home game against Worcester resulted in a 6 – 17 loss and provided the final nail in Solomons coffin. Since then, we have been on a major emotional rollercoaster, winning 6 ZP games, losing 5, showing no consistency along the way. Killing giants one week, loosing to mortals the next. How has it come to this? That’s a question for another day. Leeds v Quins didn’t provide any safety net, the only real consolation was that neither team got a Bonus point. On such slender margins could the outcome of this weekend depend.

Much has been written and discussed about possible outcomes, if A wins by N amount and B looses to C. All we know for sure is that we need to win, to guarantee survival. Worcester have been a revelation this season. No superstars, but a team of fringe players, most with a point to prove, all playing for each other in an environment unaffected by the International scene (apart from one or two youngsters). The advantage that this continuity brings is pretty obvious and it’s showing on the pitch.

These are no ZP whipping boys. A good solid foundation, starting with the Club itself, through the Academy to the first team, has provided a plethora of Warrior players in all levels of the England setup, including Pat Sanderson as England Captain for this Summers Tour. Not bad for the new kids on the block (insert song titles here!). No team news from either team as yet, but I think we can name a fairly unchanged side from our last outing, with the obvious inclusion of AB. He, along with Corne, will want to go out with a bang, so expect some fireworks from the back row.

Who will be Fly-Half? Some say it’s a no brainer, play Drahm, he’s a professional, won’t let us down, even if it comes down to the last kick of the match. Others say it’s not fair on him or the rest of the Team to play him him, so he should sit it out. The problem is, who do we play instead? Grase hasn’t played for a few months now, so won’t be match fit, Myring is still a pup, is it fair to throw him into the deep end, in such a high pressure game? Bruce? And lose the most influential back we have at the moment? Not to mention the fact that he was fairly average the last few times he played there. No, in my opinion, play Drahm, let Bruce take the kicks.

What do we know about Worcester? Well, they play hard, uncompromising, simple Rugby. Not too much ‘Fancy Dan’ stuff, but solid forward play and good running lines in the backs. A fairly mean defensive structure will test our attacking options to the limit. If our back row can disrupt the 9-10-12 channel, we should nullify their back line enough to tire out the pack allowing a more expansive game to develop, which should suit us. The weather for Saturday is bright, sunny and warm, so no excuses for fumbles and dropsies.

As for the supporters, it’s a case of ‘Into the valley rode the 500’. We’re assured a warm welcome to Sixways, both before and after the match, but don’t expect any quarter during it! They are gearing up for a vocal explosion to match the best of FG, so we’ll have to be at our best. Unless you’re seated and can’t get round it, gather ye brave souls together, make a corner of Worcester forever Northampton! Take your flags, banners, balloons, scarves, hats and shirts. Shout, scream, sing till you’re hoarse. We can make a difference!

Can we finish on a high? We have the personnel, we’ve proved we can dog it out with the best of them. Our defence can be outstanding and we’ve seen flashes of attacking flair. Will we finish on a high? Confidence is low, pressure is sky high, job losses are on the horizon, nerves are on edge. If we can cut out the basic mistakes, stop giving dumb penalties and play simple, basic Rugby, we should be OK. If not, well, I hear Penzance is nice in the Spring……….