Dropped Robinson kicks Glaws to priceless win
Big Les - on the run
By Cherry Picker
September 26 2010
Penalties can win or lose matches, and Gloucester have been at both ends of that theory in the space of two games in their topsy-turvy start to the Premiership season. After the drab defeat at London Irish, a narrow home win over Wasps couldn't have been better timed as the team showed the Kingsholm crowd that all is not lost just yet.
Wasps scored two tries to one by Glaws, but the boots of Tim Taylor and his replacement Nicky Robinson made the difference for a 22-20 win against a side boasting one of the Premiership’s most consistent kickers in Dave Walder, who missed a long-range kivck at the end that could have given Wasps a win.
He knocked over two penalties and two conversions, but Taylor and Robinson between them scored 17 points to win the game.
It was a fitting response from Robinson to being dropped for the game, the wrong decision by coach Bryan Redpath in our view because he wasn’t to blame for the Irish defeat, but Redpath is paid to make the calls.
He told the BBC: "Nicky Robinson was confident with his kicking. He has the range. All credit to him, I am delighted for him. He and Tim Taylor did very well.
"We conceded 19 penalties against Irish and never got a chance to get in the game, but we had a bit more fire about us today. A lot of players performed well.
"The Gloucester fans are hugely passionate about the game, and it was key today that we showed them some passion. The expectation is massive every time we play here, and we are aware of that pressure, but you can't shrink from it."
With club crowds suffering at the moment and Glaws not getting off to a good start to the season, a gate of 11,377 wasn’t bad at all, and they were given the win they so badly needed.
But it was never a classic – the lead changed seven times, but there were too many errors and too many bad individual decisions.
Dan Ward-Smith scored the first try as half-time approached, but Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu scored a good try for a 16-10 half-time lead. Joe Simpson’s breakaway try gave the lead back to Wasps, but two nerveless long-range penalties by Robinson earned Glaws the win and demonstrated why Redpath was perhaps wrong to drop the Welsh international.
So the ten-month unbeaten home record is intact – just – and it’s back to the road for Glaws next weekend, a Friday night Premiership game at the Rec against Bath.
The grit and determination shown against wasps will be needed by the bucketful there. Glaws may have zoomed up to fifth thanks to this win, but Bath are looking good in second place after hammering Sale at the Rec this weekend.
It’s going to be a real test for Gloucester before they go into the two-week Amlin Cup break.
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Blimey, you're easily upset.
How about "rested", "strengthening the bench" or "giving Taylor a chance"?
NR was DROPPED and AXED, and more to the point he didn't deserve to be.
Without having stats to prove it, I would argue that players in that position win (or lose?) games more often than those in any other.