Newcastle v Bath, 30/04/2010
By Leipziger
April 29 2011
I was going to use the Top Gun preview today, but since the Falcons have almost secured a place in the Premiership for 2011/12, I'll leave it for a more important occasion. Possibly next week if we get nothing tomorrow.
With Harlequins having done us a massive favour at Headingley on Sunday by destroying Leeds, the Cardies remain bottom on points difference and face an almost impossible challenge to retain their Premiership status at Northampton next weekend. Almost impossible – but not quite, and nobody at Kingston Park should be thinking the Saints will just turn up and thump Leeds.
So we have two chances to beat Bath and secure survival on our own, starting at KP tomorrow. The last time we beat Bath at home though, England hadn't even qualified from the group in the 2003 World Cup never mind won the trophy, and the south-westerners have been victorious on six successive visits north since.
Of course they need the points too to keep alive their seemingly faint hopes of a playoff place, and Danny Grewcock has announced his retirement from rugby at the end of the season so the Bathplugs will want to give him a successful send-off. Not to mention David Wilson needing no encouragement as he returns to KP.
Indeed, our former prop's only try for his current club came on his first return last season! So no favours expected tomorrow.
But this is the final home match of the season, and if the unthinkable happens it will be the last Premiership match in the North East for at least a year, possibly longer, possibly ever. If that is not a reason to be there tomorrow and give our team more support than ever before, then I don't know what would be.
Alan Tait is “not going to settle for a bonus point on Saturday, because we go into every game trying to win”. A manager after my own heart. The gaffer has named the following team for tomorrow, including talisman captain James Hudson for the first time in four weeks:
15 Alex Tait
14 Luke Fielden
13 Rob Vickerman
12 Tane Tu'ipulotu
11 Gcobani Bobo
10 Jimmy Gopperth
9 Micky Young
1 Jon Golding
2 Matt Thompson
3 Euan Murray
4c James Hudson
5 Andrew van der Heijden
6 Tim Swinson
7 Will Welch
8 Ally Hogg
16 Rob Vickers
17 Grant Shiells
18 Kieran Brookes
19 Mark Wilson
20 Alex Gray
21 Chris Pilgrim
22 James Fitzpatrick
23 Jeremy Manning
The Bathplugs have David Wilson in their starting line-up, and despite the fact I would readily buy him a couple of pints if he would wear a black shirt again, I hope he goes home thoroughly miserable tomorrow. Our visitors are unchanged from last week's destruction of Wasps at Twickenham, with Tom Biggs also starting having shown last week what happens when you give him the ball. Nobody tell Steve Bates!
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I think the lads have to show a full 80 minutes of passion and throw everything into this one game and get THE result. 80 minutes of passion from all us fans would be great too!
The track's dry, the sun's shining----------
Makes things interesting for next week.
Miserati - and Proud to be!