Thanks, Dom. Fine reporting there. Agree about Brake - an inspiring performance from the young man.

No Los at FB anymore now, Jim!

Well done mate.


There are some things money can't buy!

Good report.



“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

Benjamin Franklin

Tetleys Block F E143

Very accurate and thorough report Dom.
Brake did look good yesterday and Lordy is getting his stride back nicely

I dunno.

You try and share a little sunshine and wisdom by trying to discuss the surrealist map of the world, rugby reports written before the game, the love handles on the Newbury no 1, my favourite away games of this season, why I hate the Rec, why implementing SAP has proven difficult and costly,and a few other topical subjects that fly into my consciousness and you get accussed of twittering!

Let's try a new tactic next season. We all turn up, and look straight ahead, and don't say a word all the way through the game.

[insert emoticon of blue faced man making lots of zeds at this point]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:04:20:07:25:27 by Paul Flatt.

Flattie stop trying to get your edge back, the truth's out, you're a cuddly wuddly bunnikins.


There are some things money can't buy!

Good report, thanks Dominic.

Good report,good to meet you,thanks for my prize and the uni info.
Here's to the next time.
Also good to shake Mr Flatt's hand, not at all like I imagined, Mr.Flatt not the handshake,which was firm and decisive...OK so that is Mr.Flatt too.

None of us are quite like our cyber perceptions. Deo Gratias! 'Good to meet you too.

Rugby without twittering would be like a pie without pork...


Wheeere ya from?

Ear! Oooo you calling a pig???

Excellent report,Dom.And I like your hat!

desbralass
South Stand block L Row G 359

glass still overflowing

lesleyjay07@btinternet.com

My turn to compliment you St Dom - a great report which brought to life what I heard on the radio yesterday.

thats all most like i saw it - except that one half of the filed in the second half was masked from us by the " line out " of newbury officials which sesemed to get bigger as the game went on.

BTW it was blwdy cold

Thanks for the pictorial essay, Rich - much more illustrative than mere words can convey. That's a cracking picture of Brake, flanked by his back-row comrades.

Dunno about that old boy in the hat, though...

a great read, Dom, many thanks!


"It's not the despair, Saints, I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand."

Great report Dom, thanks! I love the image of Joe Ansbro as a flamenco dancer!

Good read, StDom, I missed the first two tries thanks to the queue in the bar for food, I don't think Newbury estimated the size of the visiting support, but a good game, Tom Smith was everywhere (as ever), and Matt Lord had a great game, despite having his left shoulder knocked in a tackle that I thought would see him replaced.

Are Newbury the first team to score a try bonus against us?

My sports photos
My main website

St Dom, thanks for an excellent, interesting report. A missed vocation perhaps?

Yes, indeed, Newbury are the first team to take a try-scoring bonus point.

Hopefully the last...

Good wriiting Dom, many thanks.

Great game of rugby too with Newbury showing some real class and spirit. Not at all one sided.

Good luck to Blues for the future

Good report, Dom and good to meet you on Saturday.

For goodness sake, somebody, somewhere get a video of Newbury playing against us and get it circulated to the professional teams in this division.

Tell the DoRs, it's not about beating Newbury. History shows that almost everyone in this league can do that - more's the pity. It's about coming up with a plan to take your rugby to the next level.

Saints going three tries up and Newbury reclaiming that advantage (save for a couple of conversions) speaks volumes about both sides. For Newbury it says much about their spirit and enterprise. It spoke much about their video analysis being spot on. If you run at Saints' forward defence, you will get nowhere. Run where you can get scragged by Murray, Lord or Rae and you will get scragged. There are 30+ videos that demonstrating these facts.

Get round the corner of the Saints' forward defence and we are talking about a different game altogether. It's not like the rest of Saints' defence can't tackle but distort the system and the opportunities to wrong-foot defenders are there to be exploited. Add in a commitment to support and confidence to off-load from tackles and we are talking about exciting, attacking rugby. Put the game plan into the hands of someone like Tim Walsh - no, that's damning with faint praise - put your game plan in Tim Walsh's hands and you can test the best in the league.

Walsh is set to be a casualty of the proposed reorganisation of this tier of the game. That is a crying shame. The league will be poorer for the loss of his talents.

For Saints, being pegged back by three tries in less than twenty minutes says what most of us are aware. This team will struggle at the higher level. Nine new signings may only be the start of the assault on the foothills of the Premiership.

In my view, the hats-on-wheels start, while being a great joy, was not founded on an awful lot except a willingness and an ability to run the ball. Twenty-one points in twenty minutes. Wow!

However, that was when Newbury decided to roll up their sleeves. The pack got stuck in and secured all of its own ball and put on the pressure that saw a ball ricochet from a Saints' scrum. Once the game had an established pattern, it was the Newbury pack that was marginally on top and Walsh who was dictating the game.

Unfortunately for Saints (and this ought to be a warning), they were unable to change the game on the hoof. They appeared to need the half-time break to regroup and, perhaps, receive some well-chosen words of wisdom from Dorian West. Without a 21-point cushion (unlikely to be available against most Premiership opposition) Saints would have been in desperate straits at half-time.

Had it not been for the industry of their back-row trio, Saints would have been in deficit at half-time despite the 21-point start.

The remedy was quite straightforward - stop the Newbury forwards from controlling the game by making them do their primary jobs and beat them there at the coal-face. Two forwards' tries in the third quarter were an indication that Saints, assisted by the wind at their backs, were now in control of the game. You couldn't imagine a team containing, say, Pat Lam, needing to wait until half-time to stop the rot.

There could and should have been more points scored. Spencer dropped a ball on the line; Lordy, whom I never expect to drop a ball or miss a tackle, spurned a chance to add to his try tally by not gathering Tom Smith's neat little pop-pass.

Anyway, back to my original point. Exeter & Nottingham: 5 games, 5 tries. Newbury: 2 games, 7 tries. Thank you for playing some of the best rugby we have seen played aginst us this season. Your 2 bonus points were richly deserved.

Well said OSB.



“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

Benjamin Franklin

Tetleys Block F E143

Excellent report Dom!
And hear hear OSB.

Great read (both the report and some of the other analysis).

A (very) brief report and a bit of video footage can be found here: [www.newburytoday.co.uk]