Hersham boys, Hersham boys ... I'm not sure that the good folks of Esher would appreciate being associated with Sham 69 but, at least as far as the rail network goes, that is where they find themselves. A perusal of the club's website reveals that it was established in 1923 by four blokes in a pub, always a good sign.
Despite having their pitches ploughed up during the war as part of the Dig for Victory campaign, they have risen steadily over the years and managed to survive the RFU's entertaining idea of a couple of seasons back that the goalposts should be moved in mid-season such that the bottom five clubs were all relegated to allow the twelve-club Championship to be formed. They bounced back the following season, winning all but one of their games, and managed to survive the relegation play-offs last season. They are clearly an ambitious club, having bought and improved their ground and have staged Churchill Cup and Womens' international games. Some bloke called Inverdale also has a link with the club, I understand.
They have been finding life tough this season, however, and currently sit at the bottom of the table having lost all ten of the matches played and garnered no losing BPs. Apart from drubbings to London Welsh and Bedford, however, (both at home) the results suggest a reasonably combative side. They do lead the Tykes in the yellow card stakes, having accumulated eight to our five. I also read somewhere that their injury list is of a similar length to ours.
It is encouraging to read that some of our senior players are close to returning to the fray, especially Big Mac, as we look short in numbers at 1 and 3. Perhaps we should try to persuade some of our vigorous hookers to do a Smit and demonstrate their versatility by moving sideways. The momentum gained from the successive victories in recent weeks has given even gnarled old glass-half-empty merchants such as me grounds for cautious optimism and many of our youngsters have begun to perform well above their pay grade. However, the number of tries conceded, especially those waved through with barely a hand laid on in anger, as well as the usual crop of knock-ons and turnovers, will hopefully guard against any tendency to be complacent against the bottom team. I certainly believe we should pick the strongest available team and, with no disrespect to Esher, look to get as close to a cricket score as we can manage. A five-point win should be the minimum objective.
The sad news is that, owing to a scheduling foul-up by my fixture secretary, come Saturday I shall be visiting the brother who lives ten miles from Leeds rather than the one who lives two miles from Esher. I wish the small but happy band who are making the trip an excellent day out and hope we bring back the points.
Preview: Esher v Leeds Carnegie
Posted by: TykesRugby.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 17/11/2011 19:06
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:20:19:06:20 by Wildwillie.
Good preview,old chap. I too hope to see our revival continue, and am looking forward to my first trip to Esher
As the song goes' We'll drive into Esher doing 45'.
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