In The Beginning

ONE week to go.   Pre-season done and dusted, and a short, sharp, seemingly somewhat surreal season (alliteratively speaking) hoves into view with the visit of Bedford to Butts Park Arena at 3pm on Saturday the sixth of March.

What did we learn?

Well, we surely learned that we have a squad. Trimmed it might be, and reliant on a few loans and dual registrations, but a pretty strong squad given the circumstances.

I blow hot and cold about the whole 'loan' thing. I realise there are times, and this is definitely one of those times, that bringing in temporary cover is absolutely essential, and the system can work. Witness, for instance, the now-contracted Tom Emery for an example.

But for every Tom there's a Jacob. Short term DRs brought in to cover a hole, and being singularly unimpressive. Yes, I know the young Umaga is a decent enough outside half nowadays, and has proved himself regularly, but for us, at the time, I don't think so.

There are other successes, and others that didn't bring a helping of much to the table.

Loans, on the other hand, tend to be a little more pragmatic. Those of Emery, Voss, and Trinder for example turning into more 'permanent' (I use the word advisedly and cautiously) status.

We can view them as extended trials. Do we fit 'them', and do they fit 'us'. And probably just as much to the point, can we find some middle ground on the subject of money....

I digress.

The squad looks good enough to do the club proud. There, I've said it.

A very short time ago I was concerned that the pack was going to be badly found out. It wasn't all that clear who we had retained, and it was very obvious who we had lost – and those losses entailed some serious bulk, and not a little ability.

I think we all know where we sit with Boults, and the ever-improving Luc Jeannot, but a couple of very good props is never going to be enough, so it has been gratifying to see that the new recruits have measured up. That's an understatement. The pack has been superb to a man over the entire pre-season – against what was always going to be very difficult opposition.

Nic Dolly is a revelation. Always busy around the field, and a menace in more ways than one. And he can hit a target in the lineout. Pray he doesn't pick up an injury.

The whole front row, in all combinations has never let the side down. That's one huge box ticked in my own personal Questionnaire of Concerns.

In the boiler room, the likes of Nile Dacres (in particular) have impressed greatly, and with Alex Woolford looking motivated, and the other options tinkered with too, we should be fine.

Back row options, though, are where the club are in a very happy place. I was very pleased to finally see Tiki Nayalo mentioned in despatches after a period of time when nobody seemed to want to confirm his retention. His presence in the side has been nothing but positive in my view, and alongside the always-marauding Burrows we have a genuine weapon in the back row. Oh, and another loanee in that area is looking to be a very astute acquisition by Mr Winter too. He does seem to have some good contacts in important places.

In the backs, we have a decent spread of quality players, who have, sadly, not had all that much chance to show what they can do against extremely attritional opposition over the last two games. Sarries' famous defensive qualities are not difficult to spot, and time and again the Cov threequarters found themselves losing ground while in possession, and often, inevitably, making costly enforced errors. It was also understandable that Rowland decided to limit the squad to a Championship-compliant 23, where Sarries used quite a few more. Tired legs though, against the 29 men that the visitors used. You can't help thinking that, just maybe, one or two of that late flurry of away tries wouldn't have been completed if both sides were running on equally full gas tanks. Merely conjecture though, and nothing can take anything from the visitors' near immaculate showing.

Overlooking all that, though, you can see the makings of a very capable back division playing in Blue & White (or maybe Red & White, or Fuschia...).

At nine we now have three good options, all with their own particular boxes of tricks to play with (and if you include Tom Emery, we almost have an embarrassment of riches there).

Ten was always going to be tough. Rory Jennings is a very, very good pivot (you don't get pro French contracts if you're a mug) and was always going to be hard to replace. However, Rowland seems to have worked his Premiership-charming tricks again and brought in a young outside half, albeit temporarily, in Wilkinson who can certainly mix it at this level, and proved it on a few occasions over the last two weekends. Alongside Dan Lewis (and Fenner, too) there's good cover there.

In the threes, Stevenson appears to be the real deal. Sirker looks capable, and of course Emery has nothing to prove. Knocker needs no introduction; we all know what he can do, and Andy Forsyth can establish himself after what feels like a rather stop-go Cov career so far.

Fenner is Fenner. Always is. Solid as.

Fans are always going to miss favourites like Max Trimble, but I reckon this lineup has tries in it, and isn't going to disgrace itself in any area.

At full back, Louis Brown had a very short season at Cov last time out before the pandemic threw a wobbly, but I think we saw enough to convince us. And he's done nothing to betray that trust so far this month. One particularly eye-catching break from deep ultimately gained the foothold that resulted in Forsyth's try, and his seige-gun boot is such a useful tool to have in the locker.

So there we have it. One win against fancied Championship opposition, and two (on paper, heavy-ish, but with caveats) defeats against the annual Premiership visitors.

I'll take that. For now.

Veni, vidi, vici. We can but hope.

Pics: Nick Meredith