Ac un peth arall(And another thing ..)

But before we get into the rugby, I have a major gripe with EDF (and all the energy providers, come to that). When we ask why electricity prices are high we’re told "it’s yer gas price, governor, nothing we can do about it". Then we ask why gas prices are high we get told “it’s all down to the oil price, mate, can’t be helped”.

So why is it, when the oil price is falling like a brick, I’m still paying a fortune for my electricity?

Cofnoda'r Cwpan (Cup Record)

Before last season, our record in the domestic cup since 1998 had been woeful, with barely a win over a top-flight side in seven years. Last term’s campaign started  at Leeds with a big win, featuring a Sarries back-line few will remember in years to come (including the likes of McMullen and Van de Merwe). Bristol were then despatched, but only after huffing and puffing to little effect for 60 minutes, rather  like we did on Saturday against Stains. And then we had to go to Wales….

Cofnoda yn erbyn y Cymraeg (Record against the Welsh)

Until that glorious snowy day in April when we wreaked our revenge on the Hairsprays, our record against Welsh teams was utterly dire. Before then, the last person from Watford to have seen a victory against the Welsh was probably serving in one of King Edward the First’s armies!

Even though we had a seemingly successful run in the EDF trophy last season, we still managed to lose twice to Welsh teams. The deciding group game in Wales against the Scarlets had more possible permutations than the National Lottery. Things were looking desperate twenty minutes before the end; Scarlet had a comfortable lead with a try bonus point in the bag….enter Andy Farrell, to make his most telling contribution to a Sarries match. A few quick scores (including a second try from good old P.Nulty) just got us home courtesy of a couple of bonus points in a high-scoring defeat.

That experience of losing in Wales proved invaluable in the semi-final, as we comfortably made the Ospreys look like an international team in club shirts under the watchful gaze of Charlotte Church in the Millennium Stadium.

In the two previous seasons we lost comfortably to Cardiff in the group stages, despite having a decent half-time lead at Vicarage Road in 2006. The same club also upset us twice in the Heineken Cup in 2000, opening up a big lead at Vicarage Road before a couple of late Sarries tries made for a close finish. Thomas Castaignede achieved the rare feat of being sin-binned for deliberately throwing the ball off the field, while Craig Quinnnell un-surprisingly won the physical contest against Scott Murray.

In 2001 we took on Pontypridd in the quarter finals of the Parker Pen on a very wet day in January. Struggling in the league, and having lost in the Cup the week before against Northampton, this was a must-win game to keep our season alive. An early Ponty try was set up by a young Number 8 called Michael Owen- I think he went on to become a footballer. Jannie de Beer kicked 5 penalties to keep us in the hunt, but crucially hit the post with the last kick of the match from an eminently kickable position and we lost by two points. The season fell into terminal decline thereafter.

Ein ymwelwyr (Our visitors)

We are all familiar with the assured kicking of Steven Jones, but the real playmaker in the Scarlets side is usually Kiwi Regan King, who has knocked-up 28 tries in his 3 seasons with the club. Mark Jones, Daffyd James and Morgan Stoddard are all capable of keeping our backline on their toes and we can ill-afford the slack tackling on display in last seasons encounter.

In the pack the Scarlets have spent big money to secure All-Black prop Kees Meeus on a two year contract, where he will join fellow Kiwi and ex-HairyQueen Simon Maling. Steering the ship will be Simon Easterby, now in international retirement after a glittering career for Ireland (despite being born in Harrogate)

This season the Scarlets started brightly in the Magners League, but have just lost two games in Scotland to push them back into third place. Going back further in time, they competed in the first Anglo-Welsh final against Wasps and lost out in a disappointing match. More frustrating will have been the three Heineken Cup semi-final defeats, particularly the loss to Leicester in Nottingham in 2002 when they gifted the Tigers a last-gasp penalty which only went over after hitting the post and crossbar.

So it should be a pretty entertaining afternoon-particularly if there’s a travelling male voice choir!

Saracens

15 D Scarbrough, 14 E Thrower, 13 F Leonelli, 12 A Goode, 11 N Cato, 10 G Ross, 9 M Raulini,
1 N Lloyd, 2 M Cairns, 3 T Mercey, 4 H Spencer, 5 K Chesney, 6 D Barrell, 7 A Saull, 8 B Skirving

Bench
16 A Walker, 17 C Visagie, 18 H Smith, 19 J. Wray, 20 M Wilson, 21 O Farrell, 22 R Penney

Scarlets

15 C Thomas, 14 M Jones, 13 R King, 12 G Evans, 11 N Brew, 10 S Jones, 9 M Robets
1 I Thomas, 2 M Rees, 3 K Meeuws, 4 V Cooper, 5 S Maling, 6 S Easterby,7 G Thomas,8 D Lyons

Bench
16 P John, 17 K Owens, 18 S MacLoed, 19 N Thomas, 20 S Martens, 21 R Higgit, 22 R Priestland

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