National 1 Updates week 5 - 5th October!!

Who is looking forward to another weekend of the most exciting league in Club Rugby (doffs his cap in deference to the Prem & Championship teams) ?

Looking ahead to the Roth v Dings game:

Speaking of the Premiership, Roth welcome to the Lane newly promoted Dings Crusaders for what I believe will be our first ever game against them.

I am not going to get into the debate of our visitor’s connections with Bristol. Storty may very well say so but I couldn’t possibly comment 😂

We are a proud team but should our visitors from the South West prevail, then they will have earned it and no sour grapes from me.

However, we are very much a club on the up with our own ambitions too. Anyone who has ever visited the Lane well know the great atmosphere the shed creates, and we have taken some mighty scalps down the years.
We have played and beaten Bristol on numerous occasions, and two of my all time greatest games featured Bristol when, we beat them 16-5 in October 1998 at the Lane in a monsoon. That really was a statement win at the time. We also beat them at the Memorial Stadium 36-31 in Feb 99 but they had the last laugh when they pipped us on points difference for the Championship (then known as Allied Dunbar Premiership 2) title.

Anyway, enough of yesteryear. Today’s team makes me very proud too, now presenting for me, our best team for 10 years and our best coach since Lee Blackett.

Some people may think we are underdogs for this game, pointing to their Bristol connection and we know they are a formidable team who can cause a lot of damage as shown already. Having said that we are not in this league to make up the numbers either.

Whatever the result there will be no quarter given on the field of play, but at the end of the game there will be as always, a raucous atmosphere in the clubhouse where both sets of fans will mingle with the players & officials to enjoy the true ethos of Rugby. This sets the game apart, and the authorities would do well to take this into account when planning the future of our wonderful game. Playing in quarter/half full football stadiums isn’t the game we know and love.

Todays games are :

2pm

Rotherham Titans v Dings Crusaders

2.30pm

Sedgley Park v Bishops Stortford

3pm

Blackheath v Darlington MP
Plymouth Albion v Moseley
Rams v Leicester Lions
Richmond v Sale FC
Rosslyn Park v Esher

As always good luck to all teams, enjoy whatever game you are going to or if not, wherever you follow it, but I aim to commence updates following the 2pm start at Clifton Lane and you are all very welcome to join in.



Edited by Rothman2 - 3 hours 2 minutes ago at 20:17

Love your input Rothman.