Richmondshire 10 - 18 Ripon

Guys,

Firstly let me say what a great game to watch. Ripon were an extremely fit, well drilled and well organised side. I initially thought we were beaten by a better side which is probably fair however on reflection I thought the following.

Maybe Lewis Metcalfe ought to have started at full back or at least got on at half time when we needed our quicker players on. I understand the team was picked on those who had trained but surely for a cup semi-final we should have done away with protocol.

I thought in the first half we kicked away posession too freely when we should have just kept it up our jumpers, the wind was very strong. When we did keep it to hand we used the ball very well. A 12 point defecit just proved too much on the day, our luck was out, and that became apparent with a penalty miss which Tom Ryan would ordinarily have slotted with ease.

Thought Pete for Jon was prob not the right call, we lost our best disruptive force about the ruck/tackle area, Jon did have 2 very good carries though. Lewis Fenwick might have been a better person to use as his technical ability and reading of the game is fantastic, he's also a young lad and the future of the club.

Was Tim injured when he came off as he offers us more in the counter ruck than any other player in the club?

Missed Alex Macauley's quick thinking and quick feet.

Thought the referree was consistent and had a good game.

These are purely my views and are not personal or intended to cause offence to anyone.

I think a cup semi-final and second place in the league is a massive achievement for a club on the bones of it's bottom two seasons ago. Huge well done to everyone this season from coaches and captain right down to all of you who have played/trained this season throughout all the adverse weather and cold winter. Lets take this through to the end of the season and forward to the next one.

Chin up guys it's only a game after all!

What does everyone else think?

Richie

Hmm we value your opinion as someone who contributes to the club and appriciate your gargantuan effort to train and support us in the matches that we play and not just the semi final of a cup. Again i apprieciate that you may have other commitments not being the only one that does a massive amount for the club such as Adam cox and Bev who are without a doubt unsung heroes. I believe that if you were there more and not influenced by one game obviously being conspicuously missing in other you would have a more rounded and accurate opinion.

I opened the post with the heading Richmondshire 10 - 18 Ripon

Like the heading suggests this was my view as a spectator on yesterdays game which happened to be the semi-final and therefore I feel an accurate point of view from myself.

This forum is here as a medium of speech for people to use to express views and discuss matters. It would be nice to get the members of the forum to use it and then we could get a whole "rounded and accurate" opinoin from players and spectators alike to take forward as a work in progress for next season.

Instead of swiping at me in your reply why not take the time to A. drop the pseudonym and B. give your own analasys on the game so the club can act on everyone's views and move forward.

We are a members club ran by members for members.

Richie

I'm not going to get involved in this other than to say:

**The forum is here for an open exchange of ideas
**It is to encourage members and supporters to have a voice and be heard
**It was created to be used in the club spirit

As moderator I'm not going to allow posts detrimental to the progress and development of RRUFC. This goes for anything that can be construed as divisive or insulting and also includes any namecalling or mudslinging. None of these help anyone.

If any of the issues above persist, I'll just remove the forum completely. Remember this is a searchable public forum that anyone with internet access can read, and as such members need to consider what affect their posts will have on people, the club and its reputation before posting them.

I appreciate this thread has run close to the bone of some members; if you are to reply to it, think carefully about what you say.

-Andy

I have thought at great length about how to frame my response to the original author of this forum thread. First and foremost, every one who reads the above post(s), regardless of how they perceive the comments, must understand that we live in a free society, whereby everyone is fundamentally entitled to their own opinion and has the right to voice that opinion.

The comments made were well framed; they were lucid and very possibly designed simply to provoke a response. At the risk of pandering to that intent, I nonetheless choose to reply.

Despite his right to make comment, I am very disappointed that the author has chosen such a public forum to air views of this nature, more so that he chose to level criticism at obvious individuals within the team and club and to name others without offering anything truly constructive.

As the Coach, I take full responsibility for the substitutions during the game. They were made, in my opinion, when they were needed and in the certain knowledge that with a limit of only four they were not to be squandered. In the case of all but three, they were made due to injury or fatigue at the request of the players themselves.

In so far as the selection of the squad, I find it very disturbing that the author of the above thread openly recommends selecting players who have not been at training over those who have. I recall many occasions in the past where he would very loudly criticise the coach of the time for doing just that; to now recommend just such a strategy has the smell of hypocrisy.

We are a small club, to air opinions such as those above on so public a forum risks damaging the great team spirit that has developed over this season. Had the author remained in the club after the game, rather than publish potentially damaging discussion, he would have seen that spirit and possibly thought twice about making his thoughts so public.

However, some of what was written was entirely accurate, Ripon were a class act, be under no illusion; they took their chances well. Richmondshire should hold their heads high, they played with fire and spirit and should be justifiably proud of their performance. The referee was far better than he had been at our previous encounters. Be aware that he did not know that he was refereeing a cup game until he arrived, our previous referee having been re-deployed on Thursday. Despite not being in a position to see the more contentious off side which led to the first try, on the whole he did indeed have a good game.

That said, we did lose. However, I will refrain from any further public critique until such time as the players and I get together for training, when we can discuss the reasons at length and decide, as a team, how best to move forward. I do not profess to have all of the answers, I have opinions and ideas, which I will discuss at what I believe to be the most appropriate time and place. I will of course bear in mind the ideas put forward and openly discuss them with the rest of the coaching staff.

I re-iterate, I take full responsibility for the substitutions and governance of the sideline during the game. As the head coach I also take principle responsibility for the selection of the team; it was a discussion and a committee decision but as coach overall responsibility remained with me.

Finally, I want to be very clear on one point. If any of the players, or club officials, feel that I have not carried out my role effectively or have failed in any way then all they need to do is ask for my resignation and they will have it without delay.

Having read all the posts and thought long and hard about what I wish to put, I now wish to air my views about Saturdays game

Let me first start by saying, that I am so very proud of everyone who has played and been involved with the team this season. We, in my opinion, have put the last 3/4 years of bad results, bad team spirit and so many almost seasons behind us. To get to the semi's of a cup and be placed 2nd in a leauge which we could of won if weather, fixtures and luck had gone our way, is a great achivement and made the season a sucess. I had many text messages and phone calls from past players and people watching over the weekend, telling me that they hadn't seen such team spirit and togetherness at the club for a long time.

Saturdays game was a very hard game and ripon played the wind and the Richmondshire hill very well. I don't think they were better than us, nor do I think they were fitter than us. We played some great rugby in the second half and in the 1st half just didn't quite get playing into the wind right. That is MY fault and no one else's. It was my call to play into the wind 1st, no one else made that call so it is down to me and me alone.

Selection was done on Thursday night after a well attended training session and, although the team was selected by 4 club MEMBERS, I had the final say on the team. As captain of the team if I am not happy with the team selected then I will change it. At the end of the day it is me that has to take to the field and captain the side and I don't see anyone else doing so or wanting to do so. As the team members arrived at the club on Saturday I spoke to every player in private that was either playing out of position or selected on the bench. Reasons were given for my decision and the players were given the chance to respond. Before the game it was also made very clear, in public, that every person who was either in the starting 15 or on the subs bench, of which we had 7, that not everyone would get a game and, that despite that, every person had a role to play for the team.

The subs made during the game I fully surport and I was involved in making. Myself and Andy spoke on Thursday night at selection, before and duing the game about subs and were in total agreement of the subs made. Tim had to come off with a dead arm, but Craig was comming on around that time even if Tim had stayed fit. Pete Judge also asked to be subbed and Jonny Townsend, playing the best rugby I have seen him play in years made some very strong runs and, in my mind was a like for like sub. Again Alex Watkins for Adam Cox was a sub made as predetermined call that was talked about on the Thursday night. That left us with 1 sub and in cup rugby we needed to keep it just incase we had an injury. If the game was a re-run this Saturday then I would have no problems in making them again. I, as captain of the team take full responseability for all subs made in the game.

After the game of course alot of lads were very down and myself include upset that we hadn't made the final, but after everyone had had a pint, we had time to reflect on what was as great shire cup run and had one of the best nights at the club and later at the holly in many a year. My hat goes off to the lads for the fun and party like feeling we all enjoyed on Saturday night.

We have become a very tight team and spirit among the lads is great, its a long time since so many guys in a Richmondshire side have got on so well like the lads have this season. We have won together fought together, lost together and been there for each other and when Richie, knowingly or un-knowingly, singled Mark Ball out in his 1st post the lads all gathered around and stood up for him and that can olny be a good thing. We all feel that we want to protect each other and are a team even when not on the pitch.

I feel I have given a good account of myself and should anyone wish to post a reply please do so, that is what this forum is for. I have nothing to hide from Saturday nor the days leading up to Saturday and am so very very proud of the team and ALL its players

Gareth

At last i have managed to get onto this blooming forum,Technology has a lot to answer for.
First of all what a great game on Sat. it is a geat shame that we came second, i certainly dont think we lost in any shape or form.
Everyone who played watched or supported saw a great TEAM play a good game of rugby for which i personally thank them.
Every one at the game, myslf included, becomes a coach,player.referree and pundit. We all know best we could all do a better job than the ref.but in reality at least i hope! we know that we cant.
I would like to say i have enjoyed this season of rugby,as i did last year and the year before that,and i hope to carry on enjoying it for a few more years to come.
What i dont enjoy is the back biting, cat calling,and general playground mentalityof some people who should know better,if you want to comment then please do so, but not without revealing your identity.
So come on Shire "SQUEEZE"

after thinking long and hard i know that is hard to believe dont think ive ever played and been on the winning side when we have been refed by the ref on saturday is there anyway we can check this

i'd like to put a final nail in this coffin of ours. A lot of what ritchie said did in fact say had a lot of ground, but on reflection the fact he singled out named individual players may rightly so take some critisism. On the whole ripon did their homework and played a well planned game. Certain players will have to live with the consequences of their actions throughout the game but hay-ho thats the way it goes!
but on the whole we made more mistakes than them, and at that i cant fault the result!