Westoe weekend preview
Mar
WESTOE travel to confront Hull Ionians tomorrow knowing that there is now precious little scope for defeat if their promotion hopes are to remain alive.
Their dramatic 41-39 defeat at Caldy on Saturday, after being 27-10 ahead and seemingly in control at half time, has added significantly to the pressure on Gareth Nesbit’s team.
It meant that they surrendered their second top place in National 2 North to Leicester Lions while Loughborough Students were able to gain ground and are snapping at their heels with a game to spare.
With top dogs Fylde so far ahead that they are virtually certain to be automatically promoted as champions, the battle for the runners-up place - and with it a play-off chance of elevation - is really gaining heat.
In which respect the Students, with 71 registered players, have really created a big - and the general feeling is a totally unfair - advantage for themselves.
The resentment felt at Wood Terrace when they successfully appealed to have their home game against the Shieldsmen postponed because a clutch of their players were in the English Universities squad has been well ventilated in this column.
For the same reason Loughborough have been able to put off their games against Nuneaton a fortnight ago and Caldy tomorrow - in the latter case until May 28, a week after Westoe’s rearranged game.
It is highly likely these two games could decide who goes into a much belated play-off contest with the runners-up of National 2 South.
While the Students will have been playing rugby continuously and so be in fine fettle, it will be an almost impossible task for Westoe and Caldy - or Leicester, for that matter - to keep their squads intact, in trim and in the mood until deep into the cricket season.
I can tell you that the Caldy officials are furious, one of them acidly declaring that it is to be hoped that the university gets the promotion it obviously is so eager to achieve whatever the disruption and disadvantage to others.
He explained: “That way they will be out of our hair and somebody else’s problem.”
It is easy to sympathise with that view, but not if you are a club striving for that second top spot as Dunes Adventure Island-sponsored Westoe most certainly is.
No apologies for this rant, but to return to matters of the day the good news is that key man Aaron Myers, who limped off after just two minutes on Saturday, is not as badly injured as was feared, although a torn ankle ligament will keep the flying flanker out for two or three weeks.
So it is fortuitous that in form Ben Morris is available to take his place in the back row.
Reflecting on the Caldy defeat when four tries were conceded after the interval, director of rugby Andy Howells said: “We know we defended badly in midfield and that is something we have worked on in training.
“But it has put added pressure on us to beat Ionians and then keep on winning. That will be a big task because there are some very tough games ahead.”
　
　
*The reformed Senators beat an over-40 team of former South Tyneside College players 19-10 in a hard-fought match at Wood Terrace on Sunday to raise cash for the Help the Heroes fund.
Lol Calvert, who helped organise it, said: “Old rivalries made sure there was a competitive edge but, really, the main event was the social gathering in the clubhouse afterwards which was a great success.”
Money from a collection, raffles and donations is still coming in and the grand total will be announced shortly.
