Pre-season for Leeds Carnegie manifests itself on Friday night as a rare event - a home fixture! This week the visitors are Wasps and it is a while since we regarded the Peskies as an easy fixture. Lots of players have moved on since the heady days of doing the double over Wasps but we have a chance to welcome back "The Relegator"....
Our first pre-season game was, in effect, against premiership opposition. Newcastle have retained last season's squad for what will be a solitary season in the Championship. Carnegie, on the other hand, looks like being in it for at least a couiple more seasons. Last weekend's showing at Kingston Park showed up a number of issues which need addressing before a serious tilt at the AP can be taken seriously. Not least of these is the fitness of the players. Irrespective of whether or not they can catch a ball or make a tackle I cannot accept any excuse for the players not being fit. That is down to the management.
I accept that it will take time for the squad to gel given that we have a number of new faces this season so I expect to see quite a bit of chopping and changing. That is what pre-season friendlies are for. However if we have learned anything from the last 3 seasons we need to establish our best XV as soon as possible and hone their skills with game time.
It would be nice to beat Wasps again. it would be just as nice to see some progress from last week. The season starts for real in a few weeks and I would like to think that we could begin it with a win. First things first - let's get along to HC and welcome the new players with, hopefully, a strong performance.
Our thoughts turn to........Wasps!
Posted by: TykesRugby.co.uk (IP Logged)
Date: 14/08/2012 19:47
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:08:19:09:42:33 by Wildwillie .
Nice introduction, WW, I will be there and look forward to an enlightening experience. But dark side or sunny side up in a seat? Decisions, decisions, decisions......
I wasn't born in Yorkshire but I got here as soon as I could
Look - I'm assuming they are coming up today. Have you ever done a trip south to north on a Friday afternoon? It's never anything but a nightmare. With any luck it'll take them hours and hours and hours and they'll be as stiff as boards being on that hot, pokey coach for the duration.
Blooming heck - just saw a pig fly past the window.
You're right Gel. I did the same journey last night and arrived stiff and grumpy (and I'm a successful ex-"Rest of the World" ten a side captain - which makes me an international - so the comparison is valid).
We have nothing to fear from these experienced internationals.
Suffering on the Leeds and Yorkshire roller-coaster since 2001
Not sure the ref is quite with it but so far we're doing much better than I feared. They have a bigger bench than us so the floodgates may yet open. Good choice for our sponsorship, Stevie looking good - get your dosh to Willie if you haven't already!
I went to the game expecting a drubbing but got the opposite. Forget the final score - we played 28 Wasps players - we competed well against a Premiership side. If we play that well against Championship opposition and keep Wilson, McColl & Ford fit we'll have no trouble getting to the playoffs. Three new props played very well too. I'm very encouraged!
Suffering on the Leeds and Yorkshire roller-coaster since 2001
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