BSRFC v PARFC - The Blue & White Blues

Here's my take on yesterday's 16 hours to forget:   The trip up was standard away-day; decent enough weather, the usual stop en route and a couple of entertaining quizzes. Arrive at Silver Leys and get installed in the Clubhouse. Friendly folk; 6N on TV, some footie going on right outside and a 2nd XV game v Richmond on the far pitch if you're really keen. NB: It's pretty blowy and damn chilly to boot - layer up, man up, shut up.

Got chatting with a couple of ex-Plymouth Marines/Old Bill who enquired about Corps presence in the side. Fill 'em in on Seta (starting at 13) and other recent booties who have played for us. In return, am informed that the recent BS revival (were bottom-feeders until late) is down to a tidy back division that is coming together nicely with a few lads back from injury. Up front they're nothing to write home about, apparently. Also, a lot of their team have been playing together since M+Js (9/15?). Inwardly reckon that "our revival is bigger than their revival" and our lads should be able to handle what's on the cards.

On the Albion sheet there's the usual "scratch" side that we've been putting out recently; enough beans, brawn and experience spread about the field to ensure that if they all pull together, we'll be OK for a result. Points of note; Deano picked up a knock during the week, so Cam Setter is in at 12(!?), Joe Snow starts at 9 with Connor at fly half. Admiral of the Rear was Sheppy with Josh and Jordan on the wings. Looked OK, if slightly unusual in the centre.

Albi Travel took a slightly light coach of die-hards up the road and were installed next to the Albion dug-out. BS have flood lights, but no shelter. It's flat as a dab, so the stiff winter breeze is blowing diagonally across with PARFC playing into it at KO. Pitch is in pretty decent shape considering the season and considerably better ours last week.

Refer to @Albion Twitter for the gory detail, but the long and the short of it is we gave their pack of terriers a lot more than the proverbial inch and they took the whole bleddy mile - plus some. We drove in an early try to prove that we had the better pack, but didn't capitalise on it. Teflon tackling was the order of our day; they either didn't go down/slow down and they were up and running again in a flash. The whole home team was playing for each other - more blue and white bum pats than a gay disco. Not so for the guys in gunmetal. In retrospect, we should have closed down the game, ground out dominance in the middle of the pitch and launched selective attacks down the wings. (That is not my own blinding insight, more the collective ruminations of the rueful travelling support.) Their open game was streets ahead of ours, hence the dizzying try BS count. We kept playing it and at least got the 4T BP to keep it respectable in the league table. Points diff is another story...

To our credit, we kept 15 on the pitch throughout and the walking wounded didn't look too horrific. It would appear that Jordan (early casualty with a strike to the hip) may have played his last game for us. He'll be off to the RN soon and they have the last word on where he plays his "civvie" rugby. Sporting a large ice pack and a forced smile, he reported his career moves and that Sam Matavesi was NOT the star of the Parade Ground at Raleigh/Culdrose.

The home crowd were predictably pleased with their performance and not too smug about it, either. The excitement on the return trip (23.15 arrival at a rainy Home Park) was some kind of debris strike on the motorway, which took out the outer double glass on one entire window. Looked almost like someone had taken a pot with an air rifle, but there was a large dent in the metalwork, too. No shortage of cr*p littering the roads these days...

The raffle was duly run and the usual collection of bottles/choccies/tat allocated by random ticket draw. SHA copped the boobie prize of an Avon false nail set and a lime green USB lead that doubles as a bracelet. Any cross-dressing Boy Scouts who like to rave should apply to me by PM.

All in all, you didn't get a whole lot for your £50+ outlay yesterday. That's not the point. In my book, every self-respecting Albion fan should be on that coach at least once a season (and be prepared to post here afterwards). Care providing, work/health constraints aside ,of course (one "veteran" on sticks with own deckchair pitch-side yesterday). Just bite the bullet, put your hand in your pocket and write off a full Saturday. AT look after you on the way there and back, you'll meet some nice people at the other end and you could do some (more) damage to your liver/blood sugar count if the Raffle Gods smile on you.

Kevin Westlake's young lad was Albion Twitter Monkey yesterday and thus kept you all well informed. Social Services probably take a dim view of subjecting young 'uns to such trauma at an early age, but if you haven't experienced a few Bad Days at the Office, how the hell can you really appreciate the Good ones? Not heaps to cheer about, but you can't paint it all black either.

Old Elts is next away trip on 02 Mar. Basically park rugby on the far side of Smoke with a gold-plated, top o' the league team - don't get your hopes up, OK? The team ALWAYS need the vocal/visual support and the opposition get a taste of things to come at Brickfields. If you bought an Early Bird season ticket last year, you'd have also got £50 credit on the card. Buy your mate/other half the new shirt they've been banging on about, charge 'em full whack, and put the proceeds into an away game. That's all it takes.

The Dan Collier Fan Club reckon they haven't missed a H or A game in about 3 seasons. That level of commitment is beyond most of us mortals. The odd away fixture ain't such a big ask, though. If you can't track down the contact details for Albi Travel from the programme/this site/social media/word of mouth, then now is the time to sit down and have a long hard look at your life. If you do make it as an Awayday Virgin, announce it to the coach (don't call it a bus, for God's sake!) and you'll get some kind of a ragged cheer in response - (no room for shrinking violets in the travelling support).

(PS: Albi Travel have a running Away MoTM poll where attendees nominate our Top Guy for each game. The SHA choice yesterday was Matt Shepherd and I reckon there were a few more who thought likewise. Some kind of trophy will be awarded at the End of Season bash.)

See you on the road!