Time for Glaws to show their character

Start from scratch … that’s the message from coach Bryan Redpath as Gloucester attempt to get their top-four campaign back on track following their Harlequins hammering. His anger subsiding only slightly as the days slip by, Redpath says the performance proves no team has the right to expect a play-off place without a fight.

Saturday’s Kingsholm game against Newcastle Falcons looks one of the easier of the final games on paper – the trouble is, rugby isn’t played on paper and nothing can be taken for granted.

With one of Gloucester’s heaviest defeats in years leaving red faces right through the squad, Redpath is determined that it doesn’t happen again.

After a lot of hard work in the second half of the season earned a great run of results, Glaws need to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and start all over again.

Redpath told the Citizen: "Forget about the rubbish that's written about top four and home semi-finals and all that garbage, we're playing against a team on Saturday now – because we can't dwell on Quins – that wants to stay in the division, with players playing for contracts and playing for jobs.

"The players must understand, we've no given right to be in the top four, neither has anyone else.

"The Harlequins defeat brings everyone back down to earth, and the only thing I'm interested in now is Newcastle, Saturday, 3pm at Kingsholm.

"That's the only thing that should be in people's minds, and if people can't deal with that then that's their problem.

"But the club, the players and the group will move on."

They MUST move on.

As Redpath says, Newcastle are fighting for their lives – but so are Gloucester.

The prizes being chased by the two teams may be totally different, but one is no more important than the other. Gloucester’s form this season is better than Newcastle’s of course, but as the old cliché goes, you’re only as good as your last game, and using that as a yardstick Glaws aren’t very good.

As the season enters its most important phase, Glaws need to be at their best in every match.

● We would be interested to know if anyone can provide us with an interpretation of another Redpath quote in the Citizen: "Never forget the outside perception and opinion, just understand it, and we'll learn from internal people.”
We recognise the words, but find it hard to make sense of them. Can you?