Home Win? You're having a Fecking Barf
The stop/start AG premiership fixture list resumes once more after a couple of weeks of competing in the Crap Teams Cup of European's second rate outfits, with the visit of our boggy team of Bath Rugby. Over the years, these feckers have broken a few exile hearts with last minute smash and grabs to bag the points to take back to the West Country.Who can forget the Ollie penalty at the Madstad, 34 minutes into injury time, or Elvis leaving the fecking building with a 5 pointer on his way to Wales, or Malone on duplicate occasions banging 3 points through the uprights? I remember each and every organ-tweaking event that has denied us any sort of win over the famous club from the Wreck.
Barf will come into this game with confidence restored after a fecking crap start to the season, where they lost to their fierce rivals, Brizzle and Tigers, as well as a home defeat to Saints before getting back on track.
A hard fought home win with nine players after most of them got sent off against bitter neighbours, Glaws, has proven to be the Catalyst to move this club forward. This had been on the back of winning at Sqeaky's place, with their first try scoring bonus point since 1989.
In Europe, namely the HC, the team have gone from strength to strength after battling to a hard fought away day in Leinster and also pulling away from Bourgoin in the final ten minutes to hump them 39-12, again with a try bonus.
So, we are in for a real fecking then?
Well, maybe not. The beauty of this time of the season for us exile feckwits is: WE DON'T HAVE MANY INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS. Bath, on the other hand, does.
Three of their try scorers at the weekend will not be available to play at the MadStad, two of which have proven to be the on-form lock partnership in the AG premiership this season. Grewcock and Borthwick have been playing out of the skins in the past few odd weeks, pushing the mammoth pack forward, side-ways and every which way but loose. The other try scorer was Stevens, who again has been called up for the Autumn Internationals.
With Mears and the inspirational Barkley also rested for the internationals, the Bath side are struggling to get a side out, especially in the front row. With Bell limping off on Saturday with a groin injury, and Drop-goal Malone also leaving the field with a hip injury, there are another two struggling to make the side for the trip to Reading.
That will mean Knuckles being forced to field less experienced players or players making their return after injury. Players of the stature of Fiddler, new signing Stevenson, and their final try-scorer on Saturday, Hudson will need huge games. The back row is relatively untouched and will be a threat, with Beattie, Scaysbrook and maybe the returning Lipman or Dom's cousin Zac Fea'unati forming the three.
Their backs will have to be on top form to trouble the Irish, and will probably be made up from Best, Finau, Cheeseman, Walsh and maybe Stephenson with Williams as cover.
Irish will go into this game with their eyes open and ready to compete upfront to win much needed ball for the new explosive back combos. Magne and Leguizamon will be absent through injury and international call-ups, so yet another back row re-shuffle will be had. Nick Kennedy will be available after his two week suspension for stamping at Saints, so competition for the place alongside Bob will be fierce. The fat boys are also injury free and chomping at the bit to get at the Bath pack, especially as all their fans have already written them off. Twenty-one stone tighthead Rautenbach and Skuse would be dream beefcake scrum corners, with Flav to continue his fine form, but again, alternatives and mix and match is the selector’s problem.
This game is there for the taking if LI can play for the entire game and compete with Barf at the breakdown. The girls, if good ball is made available, will have the opportunity to show how far they have come on under Smith, who will be renewing friendships with the West Country fellas. If this can be achieved, then a minimum of 4 points will be ours on Bonfire night. If not, the feckers from Barf will be taking home the win, probably with a last minute score. Please God, no!
-- Master Scribe