It is generally expected that a
good reporter shall seek out the truth and report the facts impartially no
matter what the costs or effort to obtain are. Accordingly to try and increase
the factual contents of this weeks preview I carefully levered myself off the
bar stool, donned my Katie Adie souvenir flak jacket and fought my way down the
pitch black, ice covered lane at a frozen Port E Chee to review Douglas’s
training sessions prior to this weeks away fixture against Liverpool Collegiate.
I had only a couple of simple questions for Captain Andy Malpass. “Convince me
why I should have confidence that you are going to win this week?” The reply
when it came was simple. “Because we can not afford to loose”. The request for
some detailed team news was even more quickly pushed aside. “I will tell you
tomorrow but I am still annoyed about losing last weekend” and off he scurried
to hit the tackle bags. My intrepid mission accomplished I returned to my
rightful place at the bar.
If that is the kind of attitude that Douglas can take into the game on Saturday
then it is a game they can win. There is presently little to choose between the
two sides both having suffered a mid winter slump in form. Douglas’s appears to
be down to a general malaise in that against the sides they should beat they are
not going into the game with any level of intensity. By the time they rouse
themselves the opposition is ahead and confident so it proves difficult to claw
back their advantage.
On the positive side the forwards are generally playing well and the backs have
plenty of pace and ability. Improbably this may be part of the problem as in
many games I have witnessed this year Douglas have created many breaks and
scoring changes from a long way out. The problem appears to be in the final pass
or the decision making at the point of breakdown as invariably they have tried
to force the play when it has not been on. They turn over possession which gives
the opposition the chance to clear. Maybe it is overconfidence in their skills
but at times it would be better to just slow it down, retain the possession and
allow the pressure to build on the opposition.
Team news has leaked out of the Douglas camp and the main changes to the side
that lost last week to Marple should see Richard Forster come in at hooker for
the unavailable Ian Woods, John Hill return at scrum half and possibly the
return at Gareth Leather if he pronounces himself fit in the centre. With Ben
Manuja missing this week this would be a welcome double boost for Douglas as it
would also free up Seb Journeau to return to the back row.
The news on Liverpool Collegiate is that I do not really care! As a long
suffering welsh supporter and having had to suffer the mantra of performance
against the analysed opposition against results for most of last year there are
times when all you want is a win. No matter how scrappily or luckily. That is
what I hope for on Saturday. If it is what the players expect then that is half
the battle as in my view Douglas should be the better side. They just need to go
and prove it to themselves and the opposition.
