[TeflonTed]

How good to see some good mates for a chat, and the faggots and peas were OK too.

Star turn….Vailanu….real impact…knows only one way, and it’s not sideways.

Williams has a great boot, from the tee and from hand.

Oli played very well, as did Venter and Garvey.

Shilly showed how sharp he can be, and Nanai looked really classy.

Encouraging start all round.

And wasn’t Sir good too? Didn’t tolerate yapping from either side.

[A38]

Oh dear - I more or less duplicated Ted's comments. So I have "merged" the two threads. Here's my contribution:-

Well, what do we make of this evening?

Firstly, and selfishly, it was good to get back into my usual seat amongst a number of familiar faces I've not seen for 18 months or so.

Secondly, the rugby wasn't bad at all. I was impressed by Williams' kicking - both at goal and touch finding, some slick handling and some well taken tries. And seemingly we have a line breaking No 8 - something which we have yearned for for many seasons.

Whilst we can't really make too many judgements given the kaleidoscope of selection, presumably on both sides, I do have to say that I am encouraged.

We shall know more this time next week when, I would guess, we shall see far less of a kaleidoscope, something more like the "first XV" - albeit without "the Lions".

[BehindThePosts]

Don't wish to duplicate any more of the above, all of which I agree with. Really looking forward to next Friday but think it'll be a much closer affair than this evening.

My only other reflection is that the East stand is great on a Friday evening under the lights but I prefer my usual seat behind the posts (now it all makes sense) in the North stand on a Saturday afternoon with the sun beaming down - not in my eyes

[TeflonTed]

Don't wish to duplicate any more of the above, all of which I agree with. Really looking forward to next Friday but think it'll be a much closer affair than this evening.

My only other reflection is that the East stand is great on a Friday evening under the lights but I prefer my usual seat behind the posts (now it all makes sense) in the North stand on a Saturday afternoon with the sun beaming down - not in my eyes

Just get a peaked cap.

You know it makes sense!!

[Try try again]

Couldn't be there last night - thanks for the comments. but

And wasn’t Sir good too? Didn’t tolerate yapping from either side.

Who was he/she? As an ex, very bad, ref always interested in who goes down well with tyhe crowd and who doesn't.

[TeflonTed]

Couldn't be there last night - thanks for the comments. but

And wasn’t Sir good too? Didn’t tolerate yapping from either side.

Who was he/she? As an ex, very bad, ref always interested in who goes down well with tyhe crowd and who doesn't.

I’d try and answer that if anyone on the offie had bothered to put up a report or even record the result.
Which they haven’t.

Edit…. Match report now on offie (thanks A38!)
2nd edit. Not on offie. A38 found it on Twitter.
Offie still hopeless.

[patgadd]

Dixie was running one of the touches, though it must have been hard being away from his boyfriend Wayne!

[ROLLO]

Not one scrum penalty, when did that last happen ? Yes saw Dix on the line, but cannot find anywhere who the referee was, qute impressed with him. as Ed liked backchat penalized.
Many ecouraging performances further evidence that the Cleggster is cementing his place in the squad.

[W4rriorz1980]

Cleggster?

[A38]

Question raised on Shedweb as to whether there should be concern about attendance on Friday night - circa 1600 from memory.

I don't know that I am particularly concerned. In fact, it felt like a decent turnout for what was after all a rehearsal for the season ahead - and not only for some 30 players but for the ancillary staff such as car park people, bar staff and stewards.

It wasn't a particularly big "draw" especially as there will be (another friendly, but more meaningful) game this coming Friday followed by the real thing the following weekend.

And we can't forget the Covid factor where there will still be nervousness about being in a crowd - albeit outside.

One test of supporter loyalty will be the number of season tickets sold. It would certainly be a concern if that number was considerably less than last year's.

[ROLLO]

Glos had 9000+ for their game against Ealing. Pirtaes had 1500+ against the Royal Navy.
I dont know what the capacity of the East stand is but that was the maximum number the club expected. It t seemd pretty full to me.
Glos attandance for a friendly seems very good. We need to win a few games in style.

[BehindThePosts]

Having watched the highlights I can tell you the stand was no more than half full. Yes, it's disappointing but we haven't won a league game since this time last year and not enough for many years. We need to win some games.

[TeflonTed]

According to https://www.rugbygroundguide.com/worcester.html

The capacity of the East Stand is 6,000.

[ROLLO]

If so that is disappointing. Bristol has alredy sold 10 K season tickets so it shows what sucess can do.
Our results last season were truly worful and I just wonder whether the club realised what an effect it was having on supporters. Anything over 5k for LI will be a result I think.

[A38]

I'm sure that I not the only one to have considered very carefully whether to renew my season ticket.

For me there was just enough encouragement in the narrow losses last season, JT's acknowledgement of the issues at Worcester and how he was going to deal with them and the very positive recruitment for me to renew.

There will be others who took the opposite decision to me and who did not renew. We have all heard much of what the Club has said before and many will be very sceptical that a corner can really be turned.

On reflection the attendance for Connacht was disappointing but I think it might be premature to read too much into it. However, the Club may well know better. It will know how many season tickets have been sold. It will also reflect on the minimal numbers at the party yesterday and it will have a good idea about how many will be in Sixways to see Glasgow on Friday night. If these numbers are as pessimistic as some fear then the Club will know how much of a uphill battle it faces if results replicate recent seasons' performance.

The watershed will probably be in about three months' time. We will know then if there really is change on the field at Sixways. If that change is positive, the crowds will build progressively. If the wins don't come then it will be difficult for me, and probably many others, to renew yet again.

[Latecomer]

Bristol has alredy sold 10 K season tickets so it shows what sucess can do.

Interestingly Bristol have 3 players to whom they are paying £2.1M a season between them (according to RugbyPass).
Success comes at a price, although it does make you wonder what the other 30 or 40 squad members are earning if the cap is £5.5M ?

[C.M.O.T. Dibbler]

Don't forget that 2 of the Bristol players will be designated as "marquee players" and their salaries will be outside the salary cap.

[TeflonTed]

It’s complicated though.

Although this season there are still x2 Marquee players, for 22/23 this reduces to x1. And then it gets complicated.

This from rugbyandthelaw.com :-

Lowering the Salary Cap
Of course, these salary discussions are taking place against the background of PRL’s decision to lower the level of the salary cap. On 10 June, PRL announced:

From 2021-22: • The senior ceiling will be £5m (down from £6.4m), and it will continue to be linked to the central growth of Premiership Rugby. • Home-grown player credits will be retained up to £600,000. • International and EPS player credits will be retained but limited to a maximum of £400,000… For any existing contracts that continue into the 2021-22 salary year, and beyond, their cap cost will be counted at 75% of their overall actual value, to sensibly manage the transition to new cap levels.

From 2022-23 • Excluded players will reduce to one player, except for where a club has a current contract in place for two excluded players. In that scenario, both players may remain as excluded players until the first of their current contracts expire. The decision to reduce from two excluded players to one is based on balancing financial sustainability while still attracting the best talent from around the world to the league.””
End quote.

And don’t forget that the cap goes back up to £6.4m in 24/25. All management needs to do is have suitable length contracts in place and they can pretty much support what they’ve got now.

[A38]

All management needs to do is have suitable length contracts in place and they can pretty much support what they’ve got now.

As long as they can afford it. There are those clubs who can and those clubs who cannot.

[TeflonTed]

All management needs to do is have suitable length contracts in place and they can pretty much support what they’ve got now.

As long as they can afford it. There are those clubs who can and those clubs who cannot.

Precisely. I was avoiding use of the B word.

[BehindThePosts]

Couldn't be there last night - thanks for the comments. but

And wasn’t Sir good too? Didn’t tolerate yapping from either side.

Who was he/she? As an ex, very bad, ref always interested in who goes down well with tyhe crowd and who doesn't.

For completeness, I realised that the pre match email contains a link to the team sheet which in turn lists both squads and the referees who were:
Referee: Michael Hudson
Assistants: John Meredith and Paul Dix

[TeflonTed]

Couldn't be there last night - thanks for the comments. but

And wasn’t Sir good too? Didn’t tolerate yapping from either side.

Who was he/she? As an ex, very bad, ref always interested in who goes down well with tyhe crowd and who doesn't.

For completeness, I realised that the pre match email contains a link to the team sheet which in turn lists both squads and the referees who were:
Referee: Michael Hudson
Assistants: John Meredith and Paul Dix

Good stuff BTP.
Mike Hudson is head of year at Claire’s Court …an independent school in Maidenhead.
Or at least was a few years ago. He shows as an assistant ref. on the PRL website.

Whatever, I thought he was really good.

[Try try again]

For completeness, I realised that the pre match email contains a link to the team sheet which in turn lists both squads and the referees who were:
Referee: Michael Hudson
Assistants: John Meredith and Paul Dix

Thanks BTP, I'll look out for Michael Hudson in the future