The start of a journey.....

Okay, so let’s start with the obvious basics and then move on. When you only have 11 players rock up to an away game you are always going to be on a hiding to nothing. So firstly, many thanks to the Academy players who ventured out to Warlingham. Relying on the opposition to provide a quarter of your team is not ideal; and additionally having Forwards playing as Backs due to numbers, or a lack thereof – a feature of last season also – is always going to make our defence porous against an organised and attack minded team.

Given, therefore, that we had new players playing in the Chipstead hoops for the first time, and established players playing out of position, and some Warlingham players playing against their mates, there is no point dwelling on a 3-1 and 5-1 try count in each half (although I have to say that both our tries were deft little moments of chip ‘n’ chase magic).

Right with that out of the way let’s look at the positives. Our ball handling was good, our passing okay and we conceded significantly fewer penalties than the opposition. Our scrum was solid and our line out functional. So apart from a few “moments” (best not mentioned) overall our cohesion as a unit was encouraging.

Observations for why we lost. We were too slow to the breakdown, did not commit fully when at the breakdown, and were too upright when going into the contact situations preceding the breakdown. The more observant reader may spot a theme here.

You can moan all you like about the tactics of the opposition, the wretchedness of decisions that went against you, and in general the vagaries of your situation. But to paraphrase the great Jim Telfer these are just excuses.

It is very, very simple. Unless you can honestly look at yourself and say that you played the 100% perfect game (an impossibility BTW) then you are in no position moan about the conditions, the decisions on the pitch or the errors of your team-mates.

So where next?

Today highlighted the importance of the Sunday Mead’s sessions (and the Thursday night sessions). As coaches we need everyone in the squad to understand their worth and their role to the success of the team.

So from today we need everyone up on a Sunday; and ideally as many up mid-week as school, college and study permits. If you played on Saturday, you can still do light training. If you are injured, you can still come and observe , listen and contribute. Success comes from turning up and taking part.

Sermon over. Let’s get everyone up to the Meads next week. Let’s put today behind us and move on. As far as we're concerned. the season starts next Sunday. See you all there.