Optimistic For Win in Semi-Final Warm-Up
Starting line-up
By iw
January 26 2005
The Tykes return to league action on Friday night at Headingley after a three week spell involving cup competitions and will be anxious to start gathering league points to hopefully assist in pulling away from the dogfight which is starting to develop at the bottom of the Zurich Premiership.
Director of Rugby, Phil Davies, sees this as the first of four critical games which come in succession before the Tykes return to cup action. Three of the games will be against others involved in the bottom half of the league, London Irish, Worcester and Saracens, although both Irish and Sarries are six points ahead, and the fourth involves the visit to Headingley ofnorthern rivals Sale Sharks.
The Tykes, although maintaining involvement in both the Powergen Cup and the European Shield, have not won in the ZP since they beat Northampton Saints at Headingley on 5th November, sustaining five league defeats since.
The current form of the Irish side seems to mirror that of the Tykes and although they produced an away win at Vicarage Road last weekend with a near full strength side they are finding it difficult to discover their try scoring touch. The Powergen result at Watford came from the boot of reserve fly-half Mark Mapletoft who landed seven kicks from nine attempts.
Phil Davies fervently believes that the Tykes will not finish bottom of the pile and says that the team are now more focussed as a result of a gradual upping of intensity with some minor lineout and scrum changes. This period has also coincided with a regular starting place for Scott Morgan and the potential of his recent appearance at flanker has reminded Phil Davies of an old favourite, Cammy Mather, in some ways. As a result it is likely the pack on Friday will use the same personnel who travelled to Franklins Gardens last weekend. Chris Bell may come back into the equation having dropped out after training last Friday and minor knocks picked up by Phil Christophers and Diego Albanese should not affect their availability.
Looking forward to the forthcoming Six Nations when Tykes will be without Gavin Kerr and Gordon Ross, Davies has indicated that Gareth Wright will provide the necessary cover for Ross with Duncan Hodge still probably out until April. He indicated that specific work had been undertaken with Gareth to maximise his preparedness for this period. There was also confirmation that there is a feeling behind the scenes that both Iain Balshaw and Tim Stimpson are approaching maximum match fitness as a result of carefully considered personal programmes and that the best was yet to come.
Phil Davies feels that the promise has still to reach maximum but that the Tykes are heading to success as the potential of the current group of players is the best yet in his time with the club.
Having taken note of all the above the Tykes are surely in prime position to complete the first double of the season this Friday night and makes inroads into that six point gap to start the climb away from the bottom of the league and avoid the desparate scramble that could otherwise follow.