2012 off to a promising start for Glaws
Rory Lawson
By Cherry Picker
January 2 2012
The previous 12 months might not have been the best in Gloucester's history, but 2012 has dawned with some promise that the next year could be a lot better.
A draw away to a big-spending club second from the top of the Premiership is a great way to start, especially in light of their iffy away form in 2011, and there’s more good news for coach Bryan Redpath on his budget for next season.
Saracens 15, Gloucester 15 was hardly a spectacle, all 30 points coming from penalties – five each for Freddie Burns (right) and Owen Farrell – but the weather was awful, and even the purist will have found little to keep him occupied.
Driving rain meant handling errors dominated the game, and really nobody can be blamed for that – it was one of those matches most people perhaps felt should not have been played, so Glaws can be grateful they at least got something out of it.
Coach Bryan Redpath admitted the game wasn’t pretty – he had no choice, really, but he added to the BBC: "I think we can take a lot away from the game, in terms of how astute you need to be around the contact area.
"Our scrum was good. Nick Wood was outstanding - it amazes me that he has never been considered for higher-up honours.
"We played as well as we could under difficult conditions. We've got the result and we'll move on."
And there’s more good news for Redpath as the New Year starts after he was told that he will have extra funding for his team building for next season, in line with the new salary cap regulations.
Seventeen contracts are up for renewal this year: Freddie Burns, Tim Taylor, Darren Dawidiuk, Scott Lawson, Matias Cortese, Rory Lawson, Rupert Harden, Lesley Vainikolo, Tom Voyce, Matt Cox, Pete Buxton, Luke Narraway, Akapusi Qera, Alasdair Strokosch, Brett Deacon, Mike Tindall and Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu.
Redpath would probably be happy to see some of those go to make way for others, while it remains to be seen whether Glaws will take advantage of the new rules regarding the signing of what have been stupidly labelled “marquee players” when they really mean very expensive ones.
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That said, I was surprised at the one dimensional play - was expecting more of the reigning champs in terms of an all round game. Instead the Glaws forwards matched them (special nod for the immense Nick Wood), and with conditions nullifying most back play, a draw was probably a fair result.