Ep 181 - Bears stoop to conquer as Quins are humbled in a Friday night frenzy

Transcript

Bears Beyond the Gate Podcast Banter

Speaker 1 0:00

Hi, I'm Pat Lamb and you're listening to Bears Beyond the Gate.

Speaker 2 0:09

You're listening to Bears Beyond the Gate, a Bristol Bears podcast made by fans for fans. With three season cardholders at Ashton Gate, we love the club, the game and all things Bears. This week we review yet another barnstorming away win at the Twickenham Stoop, after a second-half flourish of mesmeric, running and offloading rugby. Despite the fact that we have scored over 100 points in the last two games there, pundits still insist on referring back to the Bristol and Bull semi-finals. These guys get paid money.

Speaker 2 0:37

We also look forward to playing Leinster and La Rochelle in a Champions Cup six-day turnaround, which seems a pretty daunting prospect, but then this is where we want to be, so we shouldn't be too upset. We also discussed the fortunes of the Bears women who made it a double Blackbird weekend and then finish off with a couple of AOBs I'm Pete and I'm joined by Lee and Miles back at our spiritual home, the Bristol Beer Factory taproom, for a cheeky beer and a bit of Sunday night rugby banter. Well, boys, it's a. We haven't been here for a while. Lewis isn't here, but he did email us in the week to say that he'd left clear instructions to the staff that we were that the red carpet.

Speaker 1 1:18

Celebrities were in town, the tap was remaining open.

Speaker 2 1:21

I turned up at 645 and there was a man, a butler, on the door. He welcomed me in and he put the red carpet out and I didn't even have to ask. The nitro stout was already poured for me on the bar and in fact we should have a little shout out to Nick. He usually works over at the junction, he told me, but he was very good, looked after us and yeah, so we're back here and it's not raining, which is handy and they finished clearing up in the kitchen.

Speaker 2 1:49

So we've got no excuses, boys. But before we get into the game because it was fantastic to get back to the premiership, although, bizarrely, one game in the premiership and then we're off again I mean you know, fixture, let's not talk about fixtures. The general rugby pods can do that. You know, fixture, let's not. Let's not talk about fixtures, the general rugby pods can do that.

Speaker 3 2:07

But anyway, miles, you, you, uh, you did um text on the friday night saying you do love a friday night win don't you just just yeah, it absolutely just sets up the whole weekend and in fact I'm a bit tired this evening because I had to drive me and me and the duchess, and he could drive all the way to cambridge for a wedding last night. A bit of a late one Did you get the?

Speaker 2 2:24

helicopter then no, no, absolutely not. It's a bit too windy, it couldn't take off. Oh yeah, it couldn't take off.

Speaker 3 2:30

But today though, anyway, I had a great night, and you know I love a Friday night.

Speaker 1 2:34

And anyway at the wedding.

Speaker 3 2:35

You know you met someone, didn't you, mark? It's a small, it very small. I met a mate of my, of my uh, wife's cousins who used to live with them south wales, and wendy introduced him. He said have a chat with him. He said oh, what do you do? I'm the groundsman at the principality stadium. I said you what? I said you're gonna be cutting the grass for the big day out. He said I certainly am miles.

Speaker 3 2:59

So, uh, good lad you know, loved rugby proper welshman obviously not their current form. At the moment, I was chatting about our podcast and we've talked to all the players, et cetera, and chatting about Harry Randall whose brother, lo and behold, dated his daughter for two years.

Speaker 1 3:16

It really is a small world. It really is a small rugby world.

Speaker 3 3:19

So there we are, it's amazing who you meet at a wedding on the other side of the country, I hope that you mention to him that obviously it's a Bristol Bears home game. Yeah.

Speaker 1 3:28

And that the grass needs to be cut in accordance to the way we play.

Speaker 3 3:32

I did say that Nice and short running game. And if it's a bit wet. I did ask if he could influence maybe the roof coming on as well. But it's May I think we'll be all right. Anyway, great night. A bit tired today, but good to be back at Bristol Beer Factory. What about?

Speaker 1 3:46

you, lee? How are you? Yeah, good, been working the weekend. There is actually one thing I've got to say, though. Yeah, I too am struggling for Friday night, because do you know what? It was one of those games. I know we're going to get onto it in a minute, but my heart didn't sky if I would have taken, if I had a slightly old blood pressure monitor on my arm. God knows what reading I would have got back from it, because it was just one of those games, wouldn't it?

Speaker 2 4:11

I, I, I know and I, I know it sounds terrible because we were outstanding, yeah, but I only really felt comfortable after 73 minutes yeah, when we nailed a penalty to go, I think we, I think we went 24 points up with seven minutes to go and I was looking and thinking nah, yeah, we've won now.

Speaker 1 4:28

Which is crazy, which is just absurd, isn't it? It is Like a performance like that, and yet we still panic.

Speaker 3 4:34

I mean the comms said, the Quinns players were blowing after 10 minutes. I mean us three. We were blowing after two minutes, weren't we I?

Speaker 2 4:42

mean exactly, it's a good point. I mean there were fans around the country, you know, like gasping for breath, and it's not just the players, but yeah, and yeah, it was, it was funny, well, anyway. Well, you've been up too, buddy. Yeah, sorry, one thing I should say we are missing someone on the table at the moment.

Speaker 1 4:59

What which I should say to? The listeners is a pretty disgusting tote bag.

Speaker 3 5:05

It's a half and half tote bag.

Speaker 2 5:10

Bristol City and man City, because I wasn't thinking, and it was when man City played Bristol City. Was it last year or the year before, when it was that big?

Speaker 3 5:22

semi final.

Speaker 2 5:23

I think they put all of those bags on every seat, and then I think my daughter got given one as a present from one of her friends who went to the game. I don't know why, she's not even a football fan. Anyway, it's just like every Sunday. I'm just about to leave the house to come here.

Speaker 3 5:39

I need a little bag to put this that and the other and I just didn't think, and I just put it straight in there. My concern is what is it doing near the front of your bags? Well, it was just. I put we've got it shouldn't be easy to pick up. It should be in the bin.

Speaker 2 5:51

I'm sure a lot of people appreciate this that we've got like an understairs cupboard.

Speaker 3 5:55

That is a shambles of organisation it's got all the shopping bags and it was dark, I just put my hand in there and picked out what I saw but the point I was trying to make now you've confessed, that's good enough.

Speaker 1 6:10

I'm sure the listeners will forgive you, but what's inside the tote bag is what I was talking about, pete. What have we got in there that needs to come out onto the table? Oh, of course I forgot, hang on everybody.

Speaker 2 6:23

it is the return of the. Oh, of course, Because I mean I forgot, Hang on everybody.

Speaker 1 6:29

It is the return of the, not the space cowboy. Cliché bell Great spot.

Speaker 2 6:33

I made a big effort to bring the cliché bell and then almost forgot. So well done, Lee.

Speaker 3 6:39

Half and half back.

Speaker 2 6:40

So just for any new listeners out there because I know that we obviously get like hundreds of new listeners every week we've been sent a cliche bell, so if one of us lets ourselves, down alludes to fine margins and realize that we haven't taken the learnings, then we have to keep pressing the bell, although it's not really supposed to be. It's supposed to be a deterrent. It's supposed to be there, like on the table, to try and make us widen our vocabulary.

Speaker 1 7:11

Absolutely so good spot.

Speaker 2 7:12

Yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's there now, but anyway that's a medicine hand that is now. We've got all the important stuff sorted. Let's get onto matters. Yeah so, boys, we've, you know we've had a break from the premiership. We had a great start. We actually thought we could have been, you know we could have been unbeaten, to be fair, in that first little block of you know we should really have beaten.

Speaker 3 7:32

Sarri's and Gloucester said he wasn't happy, was he?

Speaker 2 7:35

but we weren't. You know, you take what you've got. And then we had this kind of little break of the couple of Prem Rugby Cup games, and there was one weekend where there was no rugby at all. There was some women's games. We went to a cup, one to one, didn't we Miles? So it was.

Speaker 2 7:49

It was quite nice to get back back to the Premiership, albeit this like one game, and then we're into Europe. So it was a 48-24 six try demolition of Quinns. We've been there before, in fact, all three of us have been there before, at the end of last season, and it was just, I mean, it was just a fantastic game of rugby. And I think, before we talk about some of the detail, I think you know we put a few things out on our Twitter feed during the game and it was quite nice that we got a few replies from fans of Quinns fans and even a couple of a Leicester fan and a Saris fan, all basically saying boys, that was fantastic.

Speaker 2 8:32

The rugby that Bristol were playing was great to see and it cemented, I think, what we said a couple of pods ago is that I think now one of the great things about the way we're playing rugby is that we now become everybody's second favourite club again, because I think a lot of rugby fans appreciate what we're trying to do now as a club, but we're not just willy nilly throwing it around. It's got a plan and it's taken a while. We've got to admit it's taken two and a half seasons, hasn't it?

Speaker 1 9:03

so we still get beaten with the, with the. The money bag stick, though, don't we? Which?

Speaker 3 9:08

yeah someone came on because we we're below the cap, so I don't think they can pull that anymore.

Speaker 2 9:14

Somebody did put that on and I almost replied, actually because not only are we below the cap. But when you look at who was playing on on Friday Joe Owen Academy, james Dunn Academy, jack Bates Academy- Harry Thacker, we haven't got a million pound marquee player anymore. Harry Thacker been here seven years, snapped up for the championship because, no, leicester didn't want him.

Speaker 1 9:35

Jake Warmore. Jake Warmore come from the championship. We could go on and on.

Speaker 2 9:39

Jan Thomas homegrown, although came from Gloucester, but you know, not a big name. Okay, yeah, we've got Grondona and we've got a Bill Matter, but we've got Yancey van Rensburg.

Speaker 3 9:51

Nobody wanted him. No, that's right.

Speaker 2 9:54

And Ravuvo. Okay, but I'm sure Ravuvo is not on a massive contract because he's not a big name.

Speaker 3 9:58

He's not a big Fijian name.

Speaker 1 10:05

And then Rich Lane from Bedford. So let's put that to bed. Let's put it to bed. Rival teams, now rival supporters.

Speaker 2 10:08

You can chew on mine, but actually, you know what we've done and I think maybe there is a madness, a strategy in this that we've kept under the, under the, the cap, so that we know we've got some money when we need it. And we've now signed Tom Jordan for next year and we've signed the Argentinean Rubiola by the way it looks like an absolute beast, and then we've obviously got a bit of money.

Speaker 2 10:33

If we need, we need some emergency signing, so let's put that to bed we've got more pumas than the new forest we are we've gone from. We're kind of travelling around the world. We're very much Pacific Island we are.

Speaker 3 10:47

Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 2 10:48

And now, we're the tiny. We stopped on the way South Africa and then we've nipped over to Argentina, so we're doing all the Southern Hemisphere pretty well at the moment. Yeah, we've got more.

Speaker 3 10:57

Malbec, now haven't we, which is lovely, right on the street, exactly, exactly.

Speaker 2 11:03

Anyway, boys, I think we need to talk about this game.

Speaker 3 11:05

We're putting it off, aren't we?

Speaker 2 11:07

I'm putting it off because I'm trying to savour the feeling. But we'll start with you, miles. Just give us your general thoughts on that game on Friday, your general kind of summary of how it unfolded.

Speaker 3 11:21

Well, I think, quite quickly, after about, about what? Four minutes of a don brant tribe, but people haven't seen it. I suspected it would unfold in an awful hideous way that only quins could sort of put. You know, put the knife in against bristol. However, you know, delighted that we turned it around after 30 minutes and then pretty much just dominated the game right up to 80 minutes. I mean a phenomenal, phenomenal performance by bristol.

Analysis of Bristol's Dominant Performance

Speaker 3 11:49

All caught, oh, yeah, I think when you, when you repeat a word that is quite hyperbolic you wouldn't do insects, absolutely yeah I mean it was an all-court game from start to finish, from side to side um, we'll chat a bit about statistics later on One of the best games of rugby, I think, and exciting I've ever seen Bristol play, and I think a lot of other fans from other clubs would probably say the same thing.

Speaker 1 12:18

It's just amazing. What about you, lee? I thought it was absolutely breathtaking, and I'm not one to go overboard with stuff, but I thought that that for me now I know I did put it out pre-pod to you boys that for me was a complete 80-minute performance, taking aside a couple of, you know, individual errors yeah I thought that was the 80 minute performance we've been looking for I I was absolutely on the edge of my seat for 80 minutes, and what an advert for premiership rugby.

Speaker 2 12:57

Well, two things. First, I 100% agree the marketing men at prem rugby must have been wetting themselves oh yeah particularly when you think what happened.

Speaker 2 13:07

Barf exeter was a little boring load of rubbish yesterday. Sale lester was box kicking rubbish, although fair play to sale for winning this afternoon did us a favor by beating tigers, but it was almost like rugby from a different planet. I was saying at home. It's almost like we were quins and brist, were playing with different rules. Yeah, and what I what I really liked about it was that there has been some talk that this new kind of allowing the chase kick chaser to not be impeded rule, yeah, would lead to more box kicking and fair.

Speaker 2 13:36

I mean, quins did do it a bit, but we didn't bother, we just thought we don't need that. Yeah, we barely, we didn't use that. We, we, we, we. We did what. You know what the game was designed to do, which is to to use the ball, was to hunt for space, was to pass a move, but also do all the really good basics. So that's the first thing. Um, and yeah, it was. It was literally breathtaking because I mean, I think a lot of fans on there watching it at the gate but at the at the stew, but also on their sofas.

Speaker 2 14:07

We're out of breath, probably need a bit of oxygen just to wash it so yeah, I mean, I mean, but I'm going back to your 80 minute performance thing, it's. It's a debatable point. I think there'll be listeners out there saying hang on a minute, lee.

Speaker 3 14:19

So I feel like I ought to play devil's advocate, and and I think you're right.

Speaker 2 14:25

The way we play rugby there's always going to be a few mistakes. My issue is that I think 20, whatever we were 21-18 at half time wasn't reflective of our domination and showed that we gifted well, we gifted the intercept try to. I mean that was a 14-point swing because we gifted that to Murley when we were about to score. Then we had the Northmore stripping run from his own half and we knocked on, probably in the red zone, at least two or three times so I could debate that. I just never felt completely comfortable the whole time. Now, maybe that's because we're not used like a saris fan is kind of used to winning all the time and winning back-to-back titles. You kind of have a deep faith that you're going to win a game. But there were still moments in that game I just wasn't sure. Um so, which makes me think is that?

Speaker 2 15:18

what is that the definition?

Speaker 1 15:19

and I do take all those points in hand, my my kind of theory on this, my opinion on this, is more like we've gone to Quinns away. It's a tough place to go, yeah, yeah. And if we hadn't have made those individual errors which we can't as a performance, you have to allow some individual errors I don't think you'll get an 80-minute performance that doesn't involve some errors to some degree, and it should do, because it's a competitive league and actually, like we talk about Falcons last year and that 80 points, that's not really a proper game of rugby is it?

Speaker 2 15:59

No, it's not, and actually you're right because there was ebbing and flowing on Friday, and I think you're right because there was ebbing and flowing in it on Friday. And I think you're right. I think within the context. You want ebb and flow because we want a competition.

Speaker 3 16:10

It was the skill you saw from Merle spotting that intercept.

Speaker 1 16:15

It was a phenomenal, you know, oh don't use that again.

Speaker 3 16:19

It was a great run through the spot, you know.

Speaker 2 16:21

that is why the bell was on the table. Now we're self-regulating, yeah.

Speaker 3 16:25

And you're right, merle was great. He spotted that and run it. You know you could argue it was a bit of a lengthy pass out from Marmion and even from Northmore. I thought he'd had a great game. I mean it looked a bit easy on Friday night. Watch it about today.

Speaker 2 16:47

He today. He did a good strip and then although it did look like rovovo, by the way gave him the ball. We were like he like offered the ball up, but I mean split second didn't quite get his body position you know, in that performance you're right.

Speaker 3 16:54

We want to see competition. I thought don brandt was was was great, and northmore and murley. We want really good tight games't we? But we want to come out on the good side of it. But you're right. Until you know, as Bristol fans we've been there this season we felt as if we couldn't sit on our laurels until the 76th minute, and that's why we're a bit uneasy until the game has been won.

Speaker 2 17:20

I mean. So what I thought we'd do and this is something we don't normally do we've gone away from this kind of forensic analysis of a minute by minute. Yeah, but actually I think it's worth running through our tries. Let's not worry about Quinn's. Quinn's were well beaten in the end.

Speaker 3 17:37

Yeah.

Speaker 2 17:38

And they knew they were well beaten and I think the hands up and their fans admitted their well-being.

Speaker 1 17:42

And a great set of supporters as well.

Speaker 2 17:46

But they were well-beaten because they were demolished by a game plan that is coming together very, very quickly so let's go. Our first try was well, we entered the 22. The first 10 minutes that we were saying was crazy. People are on their knees in the first 10. And we just would refuse to give up possession, and I mean, we were going from phase to phase, marmion was getting the ball away and, by the way, I think that's one of the best games Marmion's had, absolutely, he was getting the ball backwards and forwards.

Speaker 1 18:19

We were stretching them and I know it was part of the game plan and, and you know, we were obviously ready for it, quinns weren't really ready for it.

Speaker 2 18:28

Well, I mean, they tried to blitz, didn't they? But they couldn't do it.

Speaker 1 18:30

No option they couldn't they even get close enough and when you think yeah they, you know they.

Speaker 2 18:36

Anyway that was so, that was it. But of course you know we gave away the first try early on was a bit sad, bit of a shame, missed tackle somewhere, don Brant in. But you know we finally score, which was um was the classic where again, from the 22, a marmion long pass misses out as you go straight to harding and this is where we are different to other teams is that harding can act. He's a, he's a number eight and he does all the hard yards and he does all the carries and he does all the tackling. But he can also operate as a first receiver who's not just going to put his head down and burrow, and he's so mobile he pops it to Lane.

Speaker 2 19:11

He pops it to Ogre who's on the wing. Ogre breaks 50 yards and realises he's got no support and he slows down him, but that's the thinking that's such clever thinking yes, ogre holds the ball.

Speaker 2 19:23

Someone comes in and then we get a rut. We secure it and then it goes. They've they've had to come all the way over, and then we suddenly whip it out wide. It goes through the hands and then we've got Rich Lane coming fast. It was the fact. The ball is in front of the runners, rich Lane hits the space and all he's got to do draw. The man pops it to Revovo, who slips over. And that was and that was. I mean, that was a sensational try. It really was.

Speaker 1 19:47

I mean we should say, like our grade N, I mean, like you've just said, then Pete the thought process to actually to keep that ball there, to stand up, to look for support and then to give it at the right time I mean he made that look easier, that and then to give it at the right time. I mean he made that look easy.

Speaker 2 20:04

That is so difficult to do. It was crazy. And then, very soon after that, we then had the second try, which was Gab's scored his try that I'm sure he really wanted to score.

Speaker 1 20:14

You know the place that made him the place where he was an academy boy and he got a bit of pelters from Marla and the fans for celebrating too much Well for the Conte Pony celebration, for the Conte Pony style celebration, without the clapping.

Speaker 2 20:28

But I think he deserved it because it was such a great try. And I mean, do you remember it, boys? I mean, it was the one where we had a ruck close to their touchline and this is what they said on comms. And I noticed at the time that Gabs was the one that spotted it. He spotted a two on one and he told Marmion and then.

Speaker 2 20:46

Marmion actually did the right thing, which to throw a dummy, yeah, and then Gabs switches his line inside and you look at that, you think rugby so easy, you know? Yeah, and he runs in from, you know whatever half way, something like that little fist pump. That was. That was A little fist pump that was such a good try. And then Marm, he got absolutely. He got literally marmalised. Yeah, he did by somebody. That's the one when you know when you're a fullback and you know you're done, you know what's happening.

Speaker 1 21:17

You think I might as well get something out of this, and I will absolutely smash the bloke.

Speaker 2 21:21

who draws me?

Speaker 1 21:23

But it's funny though, because we talk about Gab's celebration. I don't know if you boys saw it yesterday when City marmalised Tony Cox's Plymouth or a guy. The Janners City did the same thing, mometi. He was up on the advertising audience and did the same thing, so maybe that's someone that they've talked about in the week.

Speaker 2 21:50

Yeah, maybe, so anyway, we're like having on top having conceded a try after three minutes, we're suddenly 14 five up after 18 and after 20 minutes there'd been 120 meters gained. And you know we're continuing to to threaten their line, and that's when the murley intercept happens and then the north wall. One happens and we're thinking oh, come on, boys, you know I did.

Speaker 1 22:13

I mean I did without being too critical. I did think that marmion's pass was too long at that particular moment in time.

Speaker 2 22:21

And if he was here he'd probably say mate, you try and make a split-second decision like that and he'd been doing long passes and he'd been fruitful up to that point.

Speaker 1 22:30

He would have had the confidence to do it.

Speaker 2 22:31

But in a way, I'm almost glad it happened, because it meant that we had to probably solve our way back in happen because it meant that we had to problem solve our way back in and of course, we didn't panic and this is something we've talked about and this is what pat has talked about before is that you don't panic? Yeah, you just know you're doing the right thing. You make sure you're in the right places. You don't assist them. Trust the system and this, this system, is now starting to be fairly clear. And actually our third try that was just before halftime was actually was this thing that we've talked about a little bit before, where Marmion went blind again, and then it goes out to Joe Owen on the wing and Joe Owen like gallops down that wing like a thoroughbred. I thought champion chaser, yeah.

Speaker 1 23:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 23:13

Absolutely, it was champion, chaser, and then again perfectly time pass.

Speaker 3 23:17

Pops it back into Gabs.

Speaker 2 23:18

Pops it into to Gabs who pops it into to Marmion. But to me that's the system. Is that when? Because Gabs has got this free reign, because it's undefensible, it's fluid, but it's not random? Yeah, because we've seen this with Steve Luatua against Saints.

Speaker 2 23:33

Oh, out on the wing, yeah, yeah yeah, someone goes out on the wing, and those boys are particularly chosen because we know they can hold the ball up or they can cut inside. And Joe Owen has got the speed, steve Luetour has got the nous and, of course, this has made me think all the way through this game. This is how it works with Gabs. He's almost unplayable because he's popping up everywhere.

Speaker 1 23:54

We said this week's game. It's no accident that Joe Owen ends up on that wing.

Speaker 3 24:00

No.

Speaker 2 24:01

It's there for a reason.

Speaker 1 24:03

It's all been pre-planned.

Speaker 2 24:05

You know what it reminded me of, actually? And he's not forgotten, but he's an ex-Bear. Do you remember old Ed Holmes? Yeah, when he was on the wing and he scored one and he went and I reckon if he was on the wing and he took, he scored one and he went and I reckon he'd be if he was listening to this. He'd be like what?

Speaker 3 24:19

about that one. I scored boys. It's not all about Joe.

Speaker 2 24:21

Owen, it's not all about the youngins. I did it and and again. That is part of our game plan is to to have multifaceted players who can do other things, but it doesn't like take job is and, like you say, from an opposition standpoint, how do you defend against that?

Speaker 1 24:40

it's undefendable, it's probably.

Speaker 2 24:42

It's probably, I don't I mean I don't know how much announced, but when whoever was up against, I think it was that israel. Israel, it was the argentinian suddenly sees this big forward. He probably ain't got a clue, yeah, that owen's got that in him and he's and he probably got caught cold yeah um, because he's just come back from the the autumn internationals yeah and he's, and he's thinking he's up against every toy. He's probably been told you know he'll have his hands.

Speaker 1 25:04

You know, be careful it'll be one-handed stuff because you, you like, you know, you've played football, yeah, you've played rugby, you know what your opposition number is and you, you know his weeks, uh, weaknesses and strengths. So you're playing to that man and all of a sudden, Joe Owen pops up. Wait a minute. A six foot eight for a Stoke and he can run a bit as well, this boy ain't got dreadlocks.

Speaker 2 25:27

So anyway, we were deservedly in the lead 21-18,. Not probably as comfortable, obviously, as we would have hoped.

Speaker 3 25:36

I mean it could have been a lot more and they could have had a lot less, but the stats were pretty good on our side we'd not conceded one penalty in that first half.

Speaker 1 25:46

I'm really glad you mentioned that penalty came or lack of.

Speaker 2 25:49

It's really important to us progressing it's almost like the reason we didn't give away any penalties in that first half is because we didn't really do the classic one off runner little pod of forwards, because eventually you keep give away any penalties in that first half, because we didn't really do the classic one-off runner little pod of forwards, because eventually you keep doing that phase off and eventually somebody gets jackaled or somebody seals off or somebody gets on the wrong side.

Speaker 1 26:08

We were just, we were, we were cleaning the rucks when we needed to be and we were moving the ball around and I hope that because miles has got, he's got, he's got his notebook in front of us here, right, I hope because Miles has got some good stats hang on, boys hang on. I'm going to do mine in a minute. Miles has got some good stats there. I'm hoping that Miles might have some actual in game, like how long the ball was in game the play must have been insane, it must have been.

Speaker 3 26:38

I mean, I think the problem is my watch couldn't measure it.

Speaker 2 26:41

It was that, it was that long.

Speaker 1 26:42

It was that long, yeah, wow whoever in Gavs mentioned it at the end and you're thinking like it didn't ever feel, like that ball was ever out. Couple of linebacks, but hats off to Luke Pearce.

Speaker 2 26:53

He was great on the night he kept it flowing and I think he was one of the best refs and also hats off to him for keeping up with play. I mean, if anyone should have got man of the match, it was him do you know what referees do get a lot of stick.

Speaker 1 27:05

But I'm glad you mentioned that, miles, because Luke Pearce was absolutely expanding.

Speaker 3 27:10

I thought he was great.

Speaker 1 27:11

The game flowed brilliantly even with the. We'll get onto the Tyrone Green try in a bit. Yeah, yeah, but even with that he wasn't quite sure, was he no? So he's like well let's wait and let's have a good look. No, it was really good.

Speaker 2 27:26

No, I was going to say go for it, hang on, go on. Oh, that's beautiful. Beautiful, isn't it? So, anyway, half-time stats no penalties conceded, 422 meters, 71 carries, 14 line breaks and we're only winning by three like that's the.

Speaker 2 27:41

That's my thing about the full performance but actually in a way I kind of now coming back to what you're saying, is that when you're like that you've, if you then go on and win, you know you've got, you've got a problem solver. You've got to change it. Um, so, as I put down here I've written this down in my notes multiple pants creamed. I don't know, I just say so, school boy that I really apologize, but it was, I mean, some of those tries.

Speaker 2 28:07

It was like, anyway, second half. So we come out and I don't know about you boys a little bit apprehensive. I was like, oh you know, I'm confident, but I just hope we don't overplay it and just panic too much, try too hard.

Speaker 1 28:23

But was anyone worried like it started that second half only the first couple of phases might?

Speaker 2 28:29

go first minute or two. It was we love we. I think that there was a couple of turnovers. Possession went backwards and forwards and I was thinking do you know what I?

Speaker 1 28:37

thought sorry, no, go for it I. I was thinking right.

Speaker 2 28:39

Do you know what I thought? Sorry, go for it.

Speaker 1 28:40

I was thinking, because we'd been so good in that first half and gifted them a couple of tries, I was thinking, at half-time, quinns go in and they have a good old chat in the dress room and they go we are so lucky to be still in this game and I thought they might have the proverbial boot up your backside and I thought they'd come out in the second half and whereas we'd played so well and they hadn't played so well, I thought there might be a backlash. That's what I was concerned I don't know.

Speaker 3 29:14

I reckon they just, you know, going into that first half, I just sort of confident they just run out of gas at any point in that second half and ultimately, well, it almost happened after 10 minutes, didn't it? But yeah, only four points up. It could have gone either way. But you're right, the Quinns weren't doing anything that wrong, were they?

Speaker 3 29:33

We were just outplaying them and outrunning them all over the field. And you're right. And they could have said, if you tighten up a little bit, they'd got two pretty lucky tries, hadn't they? And it could have gone either way, but yeah it wasn't.

Speaker 2 29:49

So I mean. But then quite quickly we were a little on it, we were a little bit, I think. Then we were calmed down a little bit. There was a kick through kick chase. I can't remember who did it, but anyway, we then piled on and Simon Kerrard gave away. Oh silly boys A five-year-old could have given that as a penalty. I mean, the guy basically got around Marmion coming from like behind him Big teddy bears.

Speaker 2 30:15

I mean the only thing I would say is that I would have just, if I'd been him, I would have just, I would have just said to the refs fine, I'm off. I mean it was so of course we get a penalty. And then you're thinking, oh, you know, what are we going to do here? Should we take the three? But? And we thought we'd seen some stuff in the first half, but that tap and go penalty that Bill Matter scored from, that I don't. I mean, that's the first time I seriously innovative. Yeah, and just to remind everyone, it was Marmion Thacker did a decoy run. Marmion pops it to Adge, who pops it to Harding, who then does a round the back to Mata, and then it's in. And again, it's like rugby's so easy.

Speaker 1 30:56

Why don't other teams do that? Do you know what that try happened so quick?

Speaker 3 30:59

I actually didn't know where the ball was I know for a split second I was like wait what's happened?

Speaker 1 31:04

and it was that. It was that clinical, it was brilliant it felt that easy.

Speaker 3 31:08

You're right. You'd actually expect the second or third phase forward to just smash somewhere on the line and somehow all the other teams potentially would have done, but no, just a brilliant, but do you know what that comes from?

Speaker 2 31:20

That comes from forwards with great hands, great confidence, because I mean it looked easy, but that that had multiple times to go wrong, that I mean, yeah, the timing was perfection and I think that's clearly, clearly stuff that's been worked on. And I know that Sean Marsden has been promoted to um attack coach uh back, uh, and attack coach and also skills coach, but that the skills work they must be doing him and Dave Ellis, I think, is the other guy behind the scenes is really now coming to fruition. I mean, some of this that was just that was everything about working on people's skills and we should say, like it's about time, yeah he's been, he's been

Speaker 3 32:01

there. He's been there forever at Bristol, and it's a back time. He's been there.

Speaker 1 32:03

He's been there forever at Bristol and it's a back time.

Speaker 2 32:07

He's actually getting the pull hits now well, he gets to sit next to Pat now and he's got a little earphone in.

Speaker 3 32:11

It looks good and I've noticed he's well deserved.

Speaker 2 32:14

I've noticed he's started to wear his glasses. He looks quite intellectual he does so you know, he's rising.

Speaker 3 32:19

He looks good. Next thing, he'll be allowed to be interviewed on TNT. Yeah, or by us, by us.

Speaker 2 32:26

Anyway. So, yeah, what we're saying is this is you're right, this is we're doffing our caps to the coaching. Of course we are. We are, and actually this has probably been well planned since pre-season and stuff like that and fitness and that's the other thing is the s and c side of it. We are, I would have thought, and I don't think it's a million miles away to say, to say that our fitness plan must be all about this game plan, all about knowing that we're going to be doing this sort of running and therefore, I imagine you know they're, they're planning their the training accordingly, for for 50 yard runs and stamina.

Speaker 1 33:04

It has to be, doesn't it? You don't have that game plan and, and you know, and, and not have the fitness to go with it, because we, I mean, we'd be muddled.

Speaker 2 33:12

So just from there it's like you know we we've got that then very quickly. We then have another one where bill matter offloads in the middle. So he goes into contact, but this time he offloads it out the back chicken wing to Jake, to Yatt, to Bernard. He then drills that kind of flat one out wide to flat pass out wide to Jack Bates.

Speaker 3 33:35

But what I?

Speaker 2 33:35

love about that. Again, it's the classic pass where it's just in front of the of the winger who's going at absolute, and I think even Jack Bates does a little hop and catches it and then just accelerates on. Before you know it, he's 20 yards up and he pops inside to Bernard who's doing what every support player should do is stay on the inside, follow his pass.

Speaker 1 33:57

I mean, that was the best old one too, ever it was Because it was like absolutely like absolutely, it was an absolute classic.

Speaker 2 34:04

And then we should say sorry, no, no, you go.

Speaker 1 34:07

We should say Yancey was doing that all night. All night he was doing it. It was the one two. Everywhere he was, he was starting moves, he was getting the ball back, he was offloading, he was phenomenal.

Speaker 2 34:21

So then I'm thinking, I mean, then I'm thinking sorry, phenomenal, yeah, yeah it and then I'm thinking it can't really get any better. The we've seen some amazing tries and then it gets better. I actually think the last try we score the sixth try was the santi grandona try yeah.

Speaker 2 34:41

What has got to be tried. I cannot see how there's going to be a better try. It won't be beaten and it's just because it had every element of what rugby's about Fast ruck ball, quick delivery To AJ McGinty we haven't even mentioned yet, who is unbelievable who does that double pump dummy that just destroys the Well, he almost did it twice in that same blitz, didn't he?

Speaker 3 35:07

Well, he did Well. This is what I'm saying. I mean, it was like a quadruple pump to go in that shot. I think it was.

Speaker 2 35:11

Northmore, to be fair, was just completely flat-footed. Mata hits the gap. He then smashes somebody, so he's not looking for the offload. He knows that he's not looking for the offload. He knows that he's all about quick ball. Again, we get it, goes out to AJ again, who just does the subtle list of dummies and then just then just passes to. Bernard, who then does a one-hander to it's Joe Owen again yeah, it is. Joe Owen does what every kid is told.

Speaker 3 35:37

Two forwards, waiting out on the wing, aren't they Straighten and draw your man and I?

Speaker 2 35:42

reckon. I don't know who it was who defended it, but I'd love to think it was that Istro again who's thinking? Oh my god, here we go again and he's like, and then he pops it to Santi, who does what? He finishes it like a winger. He goes low and he slides in and he just he lay there on his he loved it.

Speaker 3 36:01

He absolutely loved it.

Speaker 2 36:02

He reminded me of Gazza with the dentist chair.

Speaker 3 36:05

Yeah, it was.

Speaker 2 36:06

Because he knew that he had just finished one of the best team tries you'll ever see.

Speaker 3 36:12

I mean, I guess Quinns couldn't believe that two forwards are finishing off that move. Like, what are we going to do to get around? How can you play against?

Speaker 2 36:20

this team Deep in the second half, and we're talking about players that have been playing the whole time. So Mata had been playing the whole time. It wasn't a sub who'd done that, it wasn't Owen. He wasn't a sub.

Speaker 1 36:32

It wasn't Grondona these boys had been running and you think that was still only 55.

Speaker 3 36:39

Yeah, I know.

Speaker 2 36:41

And that was almost it was almost too early because I thought I mean it always felt like that If I'd been Luke Pearce, I was like boys just stop the game, get on the mic to the whole stage and say, should we finish it now?

Speaker 1 36:50

Do you know what? And the quints go. Yeah, we could go. If it would have been a boxing match, the referee would have stepped in long before the Quinns boys were throwing, I mean, the towel was coming in.

Speaker 3 37:00

I thought we were old but yeah, it was 45-17, I think.

Speaker 1 37:06

At that point I actually Don Brandt as well was that did. He got injured by that point because he was Marla had already gone. By then Marla had gone and we should say as well, like Marla, are we going to mention? We'll do a couple of.

Speaker 2 37:19

I just want to finish off so I was going to say that that try. I'm sure that will be clipped out by junior coaches all around the country and they'll just say this is how you play rugby right. And then, of course, that was annoying though, because after that that was when we were 28-0 up, and then I can't remember who was doing the comms. It wasn't Nick Mullins, but it was like, ooh, just out of interest oh, it was Healy and Ben Kay.

Speaker 3 37:45

No, no, no, it wasn't them.

Speaker 2 37:46

Alistair Eakin yeah it wasn't them, they were it was. Alistair Eakin. It was like when you're a comms, you've got to think of something. And he was like ooh, 28 points, bristol, anyone. I was like, are you insane?

Speaker 1 37:57

have a planet what sort of that was poor. I like it, but that was five minutes in, so there's what? 15 minutes left of the game and even though what's the point of it? It was cheap.

Speaker 2 38:08

It was very cheap, it was budget. In fact, it was village commentating, it was farm foods. Hey, come on, you can't do some farm foods.

Speaker 1 38:21

What's there in a farm foods? There isn't there. Come on, you can't what's lower than a pond food.

Speaker 3 38:24

There isn't. There isn't.

Speaker 2 38:26

Well, let's have answers on a postcard. How much cheaper it was. What's lower than a nadir?

Speaker 3 38:32

Because Quicksilver doesn't exist anymore.

Speaker 2 38:35

What's lower than a nadir In the commentating world? That was lower than a nadir.

Speaker 1 38:40

It was a cheap shot Anyway funny enough after.

Speaker 2 38:43

After that, we then give away two tries and I'm starting to think oh my god, oh my god but then eventually we got a penalty and we calmed down and we, we, as we said, 73 minutes, we were 24 up and I was like, yeah, yeah, you can take your lazy punditry, yeah, and you can stick it somewhere else.

Speaker 1 39:02

So that was it, boys. That's exactly what it was, lazy.

Speaker 3 39:04

Yeah, final score 40, 48, 24. Yeah, so we milked them.

Speaker 2 39:10

And I think the Queens players would have held their hands up and said boys, that was, that was a. You taught us a lesson there.

Player Performance and Team Strategy

Speaker 1 39:16

That's the second time you've done about three months yeah, and we could also say obviously quinn's missing some of their internationals. Yeah, I know we had genji randall out as well, but I think that even if those players were playing their internationals, I think the way we played, we would have still won that game. We would have won that game, you know, at a cancer um, I was just thinking very quickly.

Speaker 2 39:38

I've got a few, I've written a few little extras. I don't know if there's any little sort of short sharp points, anything else. We would say We've mentioned quite a lot of stuff in that. Any players we haven't mentioned, Well we haven't. Are we going to do the ratings? I mean we mentioned you know.

Speaker 3 39:55

so Joe Irwin's first premiership start and you know he's been a great performance. I'd say luck and nine out of 10.

Speaker 2 40:04

And you know, yeah, we've got to give him room for improvement.

Speaker 1 40:06

Room for improvement. For me he was man of the match. Yeah, he was. Yeah, I think so I mean.

Speaker 2 40:12

Healy gave Gabs man of the match, and I don't understand why, because I think Healy's doing us a favour by getting it out there.

Speaker 3 40:19

Yeah.

Speaker 1 40:29

That getting it out there, yeah, that he needs to be in england in the england conversation. So I think healy did that as a, as a.

Speaker 2 40:32

As a wider context I I can fully concur with him which is really unusual for austin healy to actually give us any type of praise. You got well? He replied yes, was it you that? Because we you put that on on twitter yeah, someone had said it, you'd replied and said it and then healy replied to us, didn't he?

Speaker 3 40:43

Yeah, he said I've never said that that's BS, I've never said anybody that's BS.

Speaker 2 40:48

I've never said any team is going to get relegated.

Speaker 1 40:49

I think it was Steve Hamilton, one of our listeners, I think it was, and he said, I remember when Healy first game of the season. So he said oh no, I, I that's complete bs never done, never said that. But I don't know whether he did say that or not. Um, but what I will say is there was a time where he just he just constantly gave us shit and it's nice now that he's praising us.

Speaker 2 41:16

I actually I I gonna take the middle ground on this. I actually think austin healy is a good pundit. I like what he does, he spots a lot of stuff and I actually think he just likes good rugby as well. And I think he likes teams that try and play rugby and that's why he's loving us at the moment, Anything else. Any other points, Miles?

Speaker 3 41:36

you want to mention at all. I mean I'd Adge, who had obviously a great game but got 100% kicks. Yeah, and you know some tricky ones on the sideline. So he used to turn the hats off to Adge. He was you know. Do you know what that is?

Speaker 2 41:49

That tells me what a pro he is, because he knew that game. When he didn't kick well, that probably lost us the game. He didn't rest on his laurels. I reckon he went back. I reckon he went back, I reckon he reflected and he has been almost perfect since that game and that just shows you never, ever stop learning no, because Jared Evans didn't have a great kicking game, did he on the other side, and he'll probably reflect and do better next time.

Speaker 3 42:10

Yeah, absolutely so.

Speaker 2 42:11

Yeah, I just think Adj, and just what a what a guy like. He's not even massive is he, but he defends hard and so he's just brilliant, he's exactly the player we needed.

Speaker 1 42:24

Yeah, can I just say I wanted to give a big shout out to, to someone who's probably gone under the radar a little bit um friday night, but james dunn. Yeah, I just thought you know what he was. He wasn't spectacular, he wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, but what he did do was all the basics, and without those foundation basics you don't get a win like that.

Speaker 2 42:49

And I'll add to that Max Lee, jake Walton because we needed people to keep our ruck speed up. And to me those three boys had a job and this whole thing about players doing things Joe Owen knew he had another job. He had a job to be whole thing about players doing things.

Speaker 3 43:03

Joe Owen knew he had another job.

Speaker 2 43:03

He had a job to be on the wing and, being there the back row, just do what back rowers do. But I think Dunny Woolmore and Max Laheith not only do they have their set piece job to do and that you know, you've got to rely those three. I've got a lot to do with our scrum being solid but, they also. Our clear outs were so clean and all that sort of stuff. So I actually went solid, not in a cliche way, in a technical way.

Speaker 3 43:28

That's the reason I didn't ring the bell. You went for the bell pulled back. So I think we need to mention that.

Speaker 2 43:34

And then Charitama came on, jan Thomas who came on. There was a seamless bench transition.

Speaker 1 43:39

Yeah, absolutely it was, which is brilliant, and we should say, I mean, we were gutted that, joe Batley, you know, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've, we've we've, we Alludes to. And we shouldn't, and you know lo and behold, they stepped up. Yeah, and we should mention Bill Matter, yeah, because I mean he's come in for his first game of the season and I mean to be honest, I don't think he's ever run so much and at so much pace in his life.

Speaker 1 44:14

Now he knows what we're all about, and I was kind of expecting him to be a little bit of a Nathan Hughes.

Speaker 3 44:24

Yeah, I said that to the Duchess. But then you know, I said he's Nathan Hughes, but he's got a bit of pace as well. He's got pace and he's got definitely got a bit more about him.

Speaker 1 44:30

And that's no discredit to Nathan Hughes. No.

Speaker 2 44:33

We have questioned. We did question a little bit Was he a good signing? We got Bradbury's gone. Now I can see why it was a good signing, Just from that.

Speaker 3 44:41

60 minutes His first game. He could only get better. Yeah, I mean, that's not a small game. Up against Quinns away. It was a level up, wasn't it? He stepped up and he yeah, I think we also need to mention Ravovo yeah.

Speaker 2 44:58

Mainly for the fact that we can show that we've learned our lesson from Slick, but also he defensively, you know he played a great game and he scored his try. I mean again, I don't think anybody in the Prem any 13 in the Prem is going to be that comfortable seeing him up against them as well. And the more he plays, the more he gets used to the pace of English rugby and the more that he realises that he's you know, he's got a job to do brilliant. So I was pleased with him as well.

Speaker 1 45:21

And one more I think we've all got to offer our cap to Jack Bates because I just thought he's not a young lad anymore we can say that he's been around the system long enough but I thought that what he was really good at doing was keeping that ball out wide and also just bringing other players into play, and I just thought you know he wouldn't be there, he wouldn't be our first choice player, but I thought he did a fantastic job.

Speaker 3 45:48

One more thing which the Dutch has picked up. That is the quickest and the zippiest I've seen Kieran Marmion play this season, so I'm going to doff my hat to him. He stepped up. You know a little intercept, but other than that I thought it was a brilliant game.

Speaker 2 46:05

I think that's his game of the season. Actually I think that's. I'll add my little two penneth is that there was a clear strategy that we talked a little bit before about the long pass. You know it's not always going to AJ. There's these variations. We've got so many variations and one of them is a long pass out to a forward who was basically acting like a fly off it's not a forward who's going to put his head down and go in.

Speaker 2 46:28

It's a long pass to a harding, to a thacker who is then going to do a no look, or he's going to draw and pop. And that's confusing to defense as well, because you see a forward in front of you. You're kind of expecting head down contact. But and I think he played that brilliantly and I also think we've mentioned it again is the Gabs. The roving thing is now starting to see how he is almost unplayable because we have other players that could go into his position.

Speaker 1 46:56

We've not even mentioned Yancy, because no?

Speaker 3 46:58

because, he just does what he does.

Speaker 1 47:00

But, pete, you did make a good point pre-pod about Harry. Yeah, fax, didn't you, because you know Ogre is has been immense, hasn't he, since he stepped in. But there was a difference when Faka came on.

Speaker 2 47:14

Ogre's a. He is still a young pretender and they did a little package before, didn't they? When Sarah Elgin was talking to our ground? And you see it, and it was all about his journey and he's. You know it's brilliant and he's and I'm, it's really interesting. I mean it's quite an interesting little. I learned a bit a few things that. But actually when thanks came on I thought thanks has been doing this for seven years, like, and he hasn't had the recognition that he deserves and and I'm sure he's really supportive of supportive they work together because they're so similar.

Speaker 2 47:45

But it is a bit of a. It's a bit ironic, isn't it, that he isn't Thacker's, not the pretender, thacker's, the real thing and Ogre's still got to learn. Ogre misses the odd tackle. Thacker never misses tackles. You know it's Thacker's, yeah, so anyway, I think that's a good point to finish off, so the only thing we should mention is although it's Thakur's, yeah, so anyway, I think that's a good point to finish off.

Post-Match Reflections and Acrostics

Speaker 2 48:04

Yeah, fair enough. The only thing we should mention is although it's not a Harlequins podcast is obviously the Joe Marla thing. I did actually think they over-egged it a little bit at the beginning. It was all about him and I wonder whether that was a little bit too much, that it kind of took the focus away a little bit him coming out with his kids at the beginning and then I thought he was a bit of a general Marler-esque on the pitch, bit of an idiot likes, a bit of a chat. He stamped on Harding, but I must admit he did an interview.

Speaker 1 48:32

He put his forearm to.

Speaker 2 48:33

Harding didn't make a big thing, but I don't know if people saw the post-match interview after I thought he redeemed himself. He was quite honest about why he was giving up. He made a bit. He was taking the mickey out of chris ashton about selling out and saying come on, say what you really think. Look at you now with your new teeth and your and your nice little trousers and your and your spray tan. Say it for real. And I quite like that about him because you know, chris ashton has always been like was a gobby player and a bit of a rebel, and now he's kind of become the sort of slightly sterilised.

Speaker 1 49:07

I think they have to do that.

Speaker 3 49:08

Oh yeah, he's got to earn a living you can't like you're on Phil Persaud. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You can't present with bronchial teeth and hair out of place, can you we?

Speaker 2 49:19

know that Callum Sheedy wasn't that keen on Joe Marler, but what I did quite like about that interview was that he was quite humble and he said I was rugby rugby's been so good to me when I haven't been good to rugby and I was thinking that's interesting. And then he then didn't allude. He developed that argument by saying that pre-Covid he'd always been horrible with fans. He didn't understand why fans wanted to, you know, take his photo, and and it was only in covid, when there were no fans there. He added like a revelation that no fans, no game and I think that was actually that.

Speaker 2 49:56

The fact he said that live on tv is something a lot of young rugby players have got would look at as well and learn from.

Speaker 1 50:04

I would say I mean, that's the. That's the type of thing you come out with, I guess, only with experience and looking back in, you know, in hindsight, yeah, I still think he's an absolute tit he is. Personally yeah, complete bellend.

Speaker 2 50:19

Yeah, and there's something we were saying about this. We think that something else has gone on, haven't we that?

Speaker 3 50:23

oh yeah, you know they did say why are you retiring now?

Speaker 2 50:25

and he made a joke about he'd actually retired last week. But because finn baxter needed mandatory rest. They'd asked him to like play and he said after 10 minutes I knew that I'd gone. I mean, that's what he said. Actually he knew I'd gone emotionally, physically. I I knew after 10 minutes on that game I I was gone.

Speaker 3 50:41

But but there's more to it. There's definitely someone else and we may. Who knows, who knows Anyway it's not a Harlequin's pod anyway. So anyway, great victory. Nine victories away in a row, now, isn't it? Yes, and every game, am I right, every game. Now we have won. We've won with a four in this point win this season, yeah.

Speaker 1 51:00

So, miles, you've got some stats. Hit us with the real stats, because these listeners love the stats we were just yeah, a bit of a stuff.

Speaker 3 51:09

We were just saying about being out of breath. So metres between the two teams Bristol that match were 884, queen's 990 594, which totals 1478. The closest game this weekend, metres made 594, which totals 1,478. The closest game this weekend, metres made was 923. Not even there. And the lowest was oh, look at it the sail match 346 metres between the two teams.

Speaker 2 51:38

I tell you what the ball went in a bit. It's disgraceful. It's like a different game. It is.

Speaker 3 51:43

Well, there we go. I mean, we talk about the all court running game, but and I do wonder whether those metres they fudged the stats and those metres were quins running backwards just to make it look good, really, because that is outrageous. I mean it would be interesting we look at the end of the season if that is the highest metres between two teams of any game.

Speaker 1 52:06

Maybe get my stats ahead on, but those stats I remember when we had Pierre Tao and he was doing his thing. But that's better, isn't it? Yeah, surely that was a team performance stat of metres.

Speaker 2 52:23

Everybody contributed to those. That's a team performance stat of metres.

Speaker 3 52:25

I mean everyone. Everybody contributed to those, Everyone. That's a good point. That's a good point.

Speaker 2 52:27

Love it, love it I mean it would have been more if Old Grey hadn't slowed down and gone backwards for that first try. Metres forward and backwards, Did they come off? Yeah?

Speaker 3 52:35

Minus metres. But the possession was exactly down the line 50-50. But look at the result. You know, at the end of the day you look at that you think, well, they just smashed queens at home, didn't they?

Speaker 2 52:46

I just remember something boys I feel like because we're it's a big celebratory pod. We did get three, we did get four. Acrostics come in I didn't ask for them. But you know, now people just love it and I think we need to recognize those four. So first one, really quickly dan masters. Um, we Masters, we know him quite well. We see him down here. He's got a very jaunty cap hat that he wears. Here he goes. Dan Masters, you ready for this?

Speaker 3 53:09

boys, it goes.

Speaker 2 53:11

Marmions, dummy and rib tickler. Are we daring to believe? Ravuvo proving his worth? Luke Pearce, let the game flow. Epic debut for Big Bill.

Speaker 2 53:22

Run it, run Big Bill, run it, run it run it, marla, I love the fact when they they get them focused on little issues big friend of the pod, john Phipps. He did now this. I'm going to give you a clue. This is one, two, three. This is four words four separate words, so here we go first one is a word of I'll give you a bit more of a clue word of three, like three letters, then a two letter word, then a three letter word, then a four letter word.

Speaker 1 53:51

Sorry, we just don't know okay here we go.

Speaker 2 53:57

Sublime team display, innovative rugby, easy on the eye, x-rated stuff from gaps okay, I've go with the first one. Owen, outstanding Fijian magic from Mata and Ravovo. Yeah, the away run continues. Harlequins ran ragged energy levels off the charts. Still with you. Bears top of the league for now everything to look forward to. Still great players to come back in. Thanks for reading.

Speaker 3 54:27

Six of the best. Six of the best. Oh, no, that's genius, that is class.

Speaker 2 54:31

That really is class, absolutely class. And then two more. Probably you know one of our best students, hammy Hambly.

Speaker 3 54:39

Straight after the whistle.

Speaker 2 54:40

Agreed. Get ready for this one. This is a good one. This is a good one. It's one word, it's very apt. Here we go. Marmy and outstanding Away form still on fire. Triumphant win over Quinns. Aj consistent with the boot. Debut try for Big Bill. 100 caps for Super Steve, which we didn't mention.

Speaker 3 55:03

Resilience is key. It is Matador, matador, matador.

Speaker 2 55:06

Our Argentinian little link. It's kind of well Spanish, kind of yeah, matador's in Argentina.

Speaker 3 55:12

Yeah, of course.

Speaker 2 55:14

So brilliant.

Speaker 3 55:14

That's good, isn't it?

Speaker 2 55:15

That is just. And the thing is, what is annoying is that I put a tweet out straight after the game where I put things like all that sort of stuff. Yeah, yeah, aj Brilliant, you know matter, but I hadn't done it as an acrostic and I never think about doing it as an acrostic when I do it. And someone came on and said that's the worst acrostic I've ever read and I'm like, yeah, you're right but it's not my job.

Speaker 1 55:34

I didn't think about it. Do you know what I have during the game? Yeah, I know, it's all it's processing. I'm not keen on that, I'm not keen on that.

Speaker 3 55:44

I'm too busy trying to concentrate on the game and I get these notifications up.

Speaker 2 55:49

I'm sweating. It's now no stop. It's drawing in the fans, it's generating debate.

Speaker 3 55:53

You're not even looking at notifications when you're trying to watch a game.

Speaker 1 55:57

Exactly it's skill.

Speaker 3 55:59

It's actually quite a skillful thing to do. Very skillful he's a teacher, isn't he Multitasking?

Speaker 2 56:04

Anyway, right Last, one Big friend of the pod, roddy Roddy.

Speaker 3 56:08

Jenkins yeah.

Speaker 1 56:08

How's he doing.

Speaker 2 56:11

I'm sure he's doing fine because he's good enough to send in an acrostic. So here we go. You ready for this? Boys? It's short and sharp, Brilliant, exciting a way, win, riveting, superb ball skills. Bears, it's brilliant, Roddy, it's not quite as good as the others, but it's a good start and I like it. Next time I'm going to set him some homework. I'm going to say next time, Roddy, what I want you to do is Take the learnings, Take the learnings. I'll tell you what, Roddy, I'm going to give you a work on.

Speaker 3 56:44

Next time.

Speaker 2 56:44

Work on next time I want you to try and link it to the actual game and that is that is. That's high level, yeah, and that's your challenge, roddy. Yeah, link it. So, lenster, yeah, I'd like to see one where you link it to the game a lenster acrostic, please.

Speaker 1 56:52

Yes. Well, actually, if it's lenster.

Speaker 2 56:54

It's got to be limericks, surely?

Speaker 3 56:56

oh yeah, so we should put that out here now. Yeah, we don't want to cross sticks.

Speaker 2 57:00

Next week limericks it's limericks, limericks only yeah limericks only yeah right, boys, we've got crack on.

Speaker 2 57:07

Next game is lenster. Um, we're not going to talk about lenster because we might just put a little hit out. There might be something else coming this week that will help us preview lenster. We'll just leave it at that, absolutely. I you know it's a big game. It's where we want to be. I'm sure we'll put out the best team we possibly can. But let's, let's just leave it at that. Couple of other things we need to go through before we finish. Women's game women have been playing. Obviously they've been playing well. We had Prem Cup games as well, but lost to Harlequins, which we went to see. The big miles see Miles was a bit disappointing.

Speaker 3 57:40

Got quite easily, it's all in the past, all in the past, but on Saturday.

Speaker 2 57:44

On Saturday, it was Saturday, wasn't?

Speaker 3 57:46

it yeah, yeah, yeah, gritty 1914.

Speaker 2 57:49

Win away at last year's champions we lost to Hartbury bloody, brilliant win and two tries very early tries actually went 12 and up quite quick Courtney, kate and Holly Aitchison. Back from Monaco I noticed she'd been down there and this is the world she was on. So she went from Monaco to Frenchay.

Speaker 3 58:10

Anyway, I went out one Frenchay and it was a way she got even worse, she went from Monaco to Gloucester. Well, she didn't get stuck waiting for a taxi at the end of it, did she?

Speaker 2 58:19

Yeah, can you imagine that she's?

Speaker 3 58:21

on the red carpet of.

Speaker 2 58:22

Monaco, and then she's waiting at the exit for a taxi for an hour in the middle of nowhere, the Gloucestershire country anyway. Obviously Holly did that waiting for an hour for a beer but then they then came back into it, as you'd expect, because they're a good side and we were losing 14-12 in the second half, but won the game with Phoebe Murray I think it was a little chip over and Phoebe Murray following it up, and then Amber Reid the evergreen Amber Reid was on. She nailed the conversion. So we win 19-14.

Speaker 2 58:53

That's a great win, and it also coincided with Big Dave Ward and Tom Luke, who is his assistant coach, both signing new deals. That's great, you're showing consistency, but boys, time to bring over the bacon, isn't it Well?

Speaker 1 59:07

you boys did text, didn't you?

Speaker 2 59:09

We did yeah.

Speaker 3 59:10

On our.

Speaker 1 59:10

WhatsApp group in the week and saying like great to get Dave extending the contract.

Speaker 2 59:20

But I did put time to deliver, and given the fact we saw him losing arm wrestles to virtually the whole of his team in the beer factory, he's got a bit worse, it's time to bring back the Gloucester old spot, exactly.

Speaker 3 59:31

Yeah, you're right with the, with the resources he's got HPC the link with the club.

Speaker 2 59:37

I mean he would say he did get us to the final and almost won it. Yes.

Speaker 3 59:41

And that's good enough yeah, absolutely that's good.

Speaker 2 59:44

But we want the match.

Speaker 3 59:45

We want some, yeah, and actually on that note.

Speaker 2 59:47

Next game is next week at Ashton Gate, three o'clock. Gates.

Speaker 3 59:51

Exeter Chiefs who are winning the league, weren't they In the women's game?

Speaker 2 59:54

In the women's game we're needing, you're right.

Speaker 3 59:59

So that is three o'clock.

Speaker 2 1:00:01

Saturday down at the gate, which is great, apart from one negative is that there'll be some extra fans there. Oh, okay, because I went to the last year's home game at Shaftesbury Park.

Speaker 1 1:00:14

Yeah.

Speaker 2 1:00:20

And there was a group of extra fans that, oh my God, they had the drums, they had the headdresses, they were the full cultural appropriation, boys and girls, and and actually they were all right. Afterwards there's a bit of banter, but the one thing that really wound me up was that every time anyone did a knock on, they got the drama and they started singing. She's knocked it on, La la, la, la la.

Speaker 2 1:00:37

And I just thought that's not, that's not, that's not funny. Just thought that's not, that's not, that's not funny, and it's not even. It's just so. I'm hoping. I mean they're you know they, they love their team. They're fair play to them. They're passionate fans, but let's hope there's not too much drumming that's why I always take my um, my drum piercing equipment.

Speaker 1 1:00:53

Yeah, just for those. Can you remember that?

Speaker 2 1:00:55

yeah, that couple of years ago, am I? Allowed to tell this story go tell it, tell it I think you should, we had this absolute Muppet. Sat right in front of us.

Speaker 1 1:01:07

Sat right in front of us and it was boom, boom, boom. I did tell him politely a couple of times, didn't I? Please don't do this.

Speaker 2 1:01:13

Just don't keep banging that drum. But I don't think he understood. Give me an headache.

Speaker 1 1:01:16

I says give me a migraine. He was from the depths of Devon, he must have been, he was.

Speaker 2 1:01:20

East Devon boy, I mean even.

Speaker 1 1:01:21

Paddy didn't know him.

Speaker 2 1:01:22

You know what? I can still visualise that bloke you know there are times where I wonder what he's doing now.

Speaker 3 1:01:30

He hasn't got a drum. Now has he? He's got a workable drum.

Speaker 1 1:01:32

He's certainly. Well, he might have a new drum or he's stitched it together, but yeah, his old one is no more. Got it?

Speaker 3 1:01:40

yes, anyway, we're distracted. So that's next Saturday three o'clock kick-off down at the gate. The whole of the Dolman stand is open. I've got a ticket. Good lad, got two tickets if anyone else wants to join me.

Speaker 2 1:01:52

But yeah, nice one well, that leaves us last a couple of very, very quick ones, obviously, a couple of Prem Cup games. We, we know we're in second place. Now I think we're behind bar. Yeah, there's another load of games coming in february. It'd be nice if we do get into the at least the playoffs and, and who knows, we might get some silverware. But we went. I went to the bedford game, which I quite enjoyed it. It was just kind of casual, you know, no pressure.

Speaker 3 1:02:18

And then me and mars went to the amtel rather wetptill, rather wet, horrible wet afternoon.

Speaker 2 1:02:23

It was last week two o'clock stick kickoff and then they showed the England-Fiji game, no England-Japan game, and I was supposed to go home. And then in the end I ended up staying and big shout out to Richard Beaker, two listeners who bought us pints. But anyway, the trouble was I got home. Having that I was going to be coming straight back after the Prem Cup game.

Speaker 3 1:02:42

I rocked up at home about four hours later, having had about five fights in.

Speaker 2 1:02:46

Guinnesses did. The sat down in the my armchair promptly fell asleep, started snoring in front of I'm a celebrity and then I got the proverbial. I got the proverbial how many pints have you had?

Speaker 3 1:02:57

and I was like, oh you know a couple and then I actually had to admit I'd had five and uh, and then, of course, and then you're dogged into this.

Speaker 2 1:03:05

I did that annoying thing where you fall asleep at like I don't know 7, 38. You have about an hour's kip on this, and then I couldn't get to sleep later, and then I'm lying at bread two o'clock in the morning. I've got to get up in a minute for work.

Speaker 1 1:03:17

You were lying in bread, in bread. I was lying in bed soaking up the know if that happened soaking up the alcohol. That was wasn't it.

Speaker 2 1:03:22

I was just like yeah, it was a shocker. It was a shocker bread and peat pudding anyway, and I blamed.

Speaker 1 1:03:29

I blamed Beaker for that, because he was the one who kept saying do you want a pot?

Speaker 2 1:03:32

I was like no, I've got to go. Oh no boys, no, no, love the pod love the Slating.

Speaker 1 1:03:38

The guy that bought you the drinks Slated myself.

Speaker 2 1:03:42

Yeah.

Speaker 1 1:03:45

And you're Teach.

Speaker 3 1:03:46

You're meant to be the spiritual leader.

Late Sunday Kick-Off Chaos

Speaker 2 1:03:48

I have to be off duty sometimes.

Speaker 3 1:03:50

There's a problem with those Sunday afternoon games. We're going to be in trouble next Sunday, aren't we Late kick off against Leinster?

Speaker 2 1:03:57

If we get in with some Irish boys, it could be chaos. Miles, I don't trust you. I think we need to make sure there's no empty um trolleys as the trolleys anywhere in the vicinity of ashton gate, because I don't want to be pushing you back in a trolley. That's very true on that note that's a niche reference for those. Those listeners have been with us a long time but miles.

Speaker 2 1:04:20

For those that are new to the pod. There is a story about Miles. After the European Challenge Cup win when it was, we watched it all on telly down at Tony's house.

Speaker 1 1:04:29

Miles got absolutely blathered and he got and he trusted me to take him home.

Speaker 2 1:04:35

Lee took him over in an Asda trolley. It was a pram. I know it was a pram. What am I talking about? It was a pram. But that's even more weird because what that? Like we've had this thing. What the hell was a pram doing like outside your house? In fact there's some kids somewhere never had their pram it's like I'll tell you what, though, that? Kid's thanking you because I had to learn to walk really quickly if you do believe in fate, that pram was literally waiting at, it was like Miles in, you go son

Speaker 1 1:05:05

and the fact that he fitted in it so well. It was honestly it was beautiful for me because you know, obviously you've got two girls and they grow up, it's like being a dad again to some strange old man.

Speaker 3 1:05:17

Anyway, I can visualise when this goes out, there are people listening to this. So could you just finish now. So I think on that note it's been great fun.

Speaker 2 1:05:28

I hope everyone's enjoyed sharing the joy with us. From Friday night, we look forward to bumping into people at the Leinster game, even though it's a horrendously stupid kick-off time on. Sunday. But everyone have a good week, stay safe. Look out maybe for something else to come out this week. Stupid kickoff time on Sunday, I know, but everyone have a good week, stay safe, look out maybe for something else to come out this week. Yeah, I say that with trepidation, but you never know. And every boy one, two, three.

Speaker 1 1:05:56

Come on, you bears.