Plymouth Albion are struggling to get away from the bottom half of the table after their disappointing loss to Rosslyn Park last weekend, and their match with Birmingham Moseley this weekend will see them putting all that they’ve got into getting the win they so desperately need right now.
Speaking after the match last Saturday Head Coach, Kieran Hallett was quite blunt about what happened. “In the first half we were dominant and doing everything right, everything’s loud and there’s lots of energy, but we make one mistake in the second half and it goes silent. I couldn’t believe how quiet it was, there’s only two guys talking out there so the boys have got to step up, there’s no cavalry coming, this is it.”
“The league’s showing that teams are better this year and if you give them opportunities they’re going to take them, and we’re giving sides far too many at the moment.”
According to Kieran the lads have had a good attitude and response since the game on Saturday and are even more determined to get over the blip in their performance.
After a few days to digest what happened at Brickfields Kieran added. “The frustration is that our performance was getting better and the games were tight every week even when the result wasn’t in our favour. The team were doing enough to show that they could get the results they needed to do well in the league this season even though decisions were going against them. However, with a series of losses there is always a danger of over thinking things, a bit like a bar of soap, the tighter you squeeze it the more it slides out of your grasp. I can’t say that they are not trying, but we need to try better to do the basics right and to communicate more on the pitch. When we play well together, we get the points, the problem is keeping it together as a team when the smallest thing doesn’t go our way.
There is strength in unity and what we need is to stay on task and stick together as a group, and not try any heroics in an attempt to turn games around single handily. It just won’t work. They are a very close knit team and it means a lot to each of them. That’s why it hurts so much when we find ourselves in this situation.”
Another week and another game, and a chance for Plymouth Albion to re-group as they get on the road to Billesley Common. Birmingham Moseley beat Esher last week whom Plymouth also defeated at the beginning of the season and who they will play again in their last match before the Christmas break. They are only one point behind Albion in the league so it will no doubt be another close game for Hallett’s side.
The team for Saturday includes Sean Lonsdale, dual registered with Exeter Chiefs, replacing Prop, Dan Collier who picked up an injury last weekend. Sean has been on loan to Albion before, but has been playing for the Chiefs in some of their European Cup fixtures. Coach, Kieran Hallett is also starting at Fly Half due to the injuries the team are having to deal with.
The rest of the squad lines up as follows; 15. Matt Shepherd, 14. Jordan Gott, 13. Dean Squire, 12. Connor Eastgate, 11. Jack Arnott, 10. Kieran Hallett, 9. Cameron Setter, 1. Will Norton, 2. Jamie Salter, 3. Dan Pullinger, 4. Sean Lonsdale, 5. John Kelly, 6. Dan Swain, 7. George Mills, 8. Herbie Stupple. Replacements: Lewis Pearson, Davy McGregor, Sam Fellows, Ashley Crouch and Joe Snow.
