Notts Landing
By Leemingtyke
October 6 2014
Until late on Friday night myself, the boy and the father in-law had absolutely no idea we were going to this game. But after a freak series of events which, on the unlikeliness scale would be in the same sort of area as winning the lottery on Wednesday and then again on Saturday, we found ourselves wandering towards Meadow Lane looking forward to our first game of the season.
After a start to the season which is best be described as being on the disappointing side of average Ming the Merciless wielded his axe. Nine changes including a return to the club, albeit on loan, for the outstanding Jonah Holmes and first appearances of the season for Rob Vickerman and Mike Myerscough raising hopes that the injury crisis might finally coming to an end. Hopefully the form crisis would follow suit!
Both sides traded early missed penalties, Nottinghams from distance, ours from closer in and left of centre. Then, just short of halfway, Ben Harris powered through a couple of attempted tackles, looked up and saw open space. He pinned his ears back and set off with such searing pace that Sir must have considered booking him for time wasting. A while later, losing momentum at an alarming rate and with St Johns frantically reading the defibrillator instructions, he crossed the try line and expended what little energy he had left celebrating with fellow speed merchant Joe Graham who had been on his shoulder the whole way offering words of encouragement. An outstanding effort. Harry slotted the conversion 7-0 and we were in control.
The poor decision making that dogged last year is still there. A good turnover on half way (Jones or Edwards, or it could’ve been Myerscough) resulted in a penalty 20 metres further on and only 30 metres from the posts. Pilgrim, who was industrious if unspectacular throughout, took a quick tap and was hauled back by the referee. A reprieve and a chance to extend the lead but unbelievably, unforgivably we went for the corner. We won the lineout but then contrived to hand possession back to Notts who advanced 30 or 40 metres and won a penalty of their own which was easily converted and the chance of an easy 10-0 lead had been passed up in favour of 7-3. Unprofessional, naïve, simply not good enough.
A solid penalty from Harry and one from the Notts fly-half followed by a catch and drive try credited to tideswell saw Yorkshire go in 17-6 up on points but 15-14 down on players after Ben Harris saw yellow. It was all looking OK, not good but OK.
Unfortunately that was as good as it got. The second half was dominated by Nottingham and played almost entirely on the Yorkshire side of the halfway line. The less said about it the better but we conceded 2 tries from driving mauls and 2 penalties resulting from poor discipline the second of which resulted in a deserved yellow for Oli Goss for a deliberate knock on. Our only points of the half coming from Harrys boot when we were awarded a penalty which was moved 10 yards forward for some Notts back chat.
It’s not all bad. We have clearly been working on defence and our line speed and first up tackling were good, leading to many incorrect calls of offside from the Notts supporters around us. Leonards kicking from the tee was fairly solid, better than Glyns in my opinion.
That’s as positive as I can honestly be though. In the backs we lack invention and are clumsy in execution. Our play book, technically, isn’t a book. It’s a single sheet of paper containing four words – give it to Buzz; it clearly needs expanding. Some say that Superman wears Ryan Burrows pyjamas but even Buzz can’t win a game of rugby by himself, especially when the other team figures out what’s going on and details 3 players to tackle him., he was out on his feet at the end.
Harry Leonard’s tactical kicking needs work. Our kick chase was very poor but that coulve been because it was rendered pointless by the kick. Pete Lucock looks good, solid but we desperately Freddies invention alongside him. As Hax rightly says, Christian Georgiou was our liveliest back and he was only on the field for 10 minutes. In the forwards Buzz (as always), Ben Harris and Chris Jones looked good in the first half. Lee Imiolek is overweight – enough said on that. What has happened to Chris Walker?
Rumours of our demise are if not exaggerated, at least a little premature. As previously said, some good stuff did happen in the first half. I’ll say right now though that we are not as good as we were last season and won’t be troubling the play offs. This is hard to take but maybe not surprising given that we have a new Head Coach and a new half back pairing. Ming needs time but we will have to demonstrate steady improvement from now on in if he is to be given it. Someone simply has to sit down with the referees and a load of videos and find out what we are doing wrong at scrum time.
The Notts landing was a bumpy one. Unfortunately we’re probably going to lose a few more this season and, with the awkward feeling Yorkshire moniker, there are a few who are going to enjoy that.
We’re going to need thick skins and a temporary re-evaluation of expectations I think. It’s going to be a long, hard season.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:10:16:18:48:45 by Gelbel.
COME ON LEEDS.
We've been through it all together.
I saw some of the chaps at lunchtime and they say it's just a case of bedding in the changes.
Spot on about Buzz. He is a one man band currently.
Sadly I think what has happened to Chris Walker is that we now see why he was always behind Jacob for the 7 shirt.
We are not as good as last year, but as I put on another thread, expecting us to be is unrealistic. The majority of last year's squad had had 2 years together, and although we had a new coach, he had all of preseason with the squad.
This year we have lost some very good players, several more are injured. Our Coach was appointed 4 days before the start of the season.
It is not all doom and gloom. But we need to temper expectations and get behind the squad.
That was my first trip to Meadow Lane and I thought it was a great stadium with a great view. Decent pint of hand pulled ale (cant remember what it was) down the end of the stand £3 I think. Apart from the result and our performance in the second half, I really enjoyed it.
Also I forgot to mention Doc's try saving tackle in the second half - overwhelming evidence that we have been practising our defending and in that area we have definitely improved.
We do need cover for 9/10 I agree but Pilgrim/Leonard are ok.
Over-reliance on Buzz, the endless penalties given away, and players getting yellow/red carded need sorting now.
Agree with Carnegiette that the discipline has to improve.
For me though the thing that's really let us down, last season and this, is decision making at crucial times. I know that, in the heat of battle, strange things can happen but the one mentioned in the report was so basic I can't believe a professional team would get it wrong - we even had two chances with it. The blame for that would have to lie with the captain.
It's not just from dead ball situations though and its not just the captain. The whole team needs to have a better awareness of the game situation; when to attack and when to just work through the phases and keep possession.
That's where London Welsh excelled last season imho.
COME ON LEEDS.
We've been through it all together.
For me, at 7-0 up early in the first half, if the kick is easily within the kickers range then you go for the posts and build a commanding lead - it's a no brainer.
If you get more than two scores in front , then you can take the odd chance.