Better Defence The Key

MATCH PREVIEW

We wanted to start this next block of games in the right way and last week scoring seven tries, racking up 46 points and putting another five league points on the board, was exactly what we were looking for.
The consistency of our performances is still something we are hunting down, but the quality of our best moments is of the highest calibre. A by-product of this attacking quality is Garry Jones sitting at the top of the try-scoring charts with nine tries, and Lucas Eule just two behind in joint second.
The other side of the ball, however, continues to be our area of focus. We have conceded fewer than 30 points just once in our first eight games and this has been our undoing in some of our closer encounters. We know this area of our game must improve if we are to continue climbing the table.
Our forwards’ review has centred on our ability to win defensive collisions. Two of Westcombe Park’s five tries came directly from mauls, while the other three started with mauls before being finished by hard forward runners. As we travel to Old Deer Park to face London Welsh this weekend, we know this has to look very different if we are to come away with a result.
Last season’s end-of-season review focused on two particularly disappointing away performances. The team identified that, if we were to improve, we needed to score more points away from home. The difference between our points scored at home and away was over 200.
The reason I mention this is that one of those particularly difficult days was away at London Welsh. In short, mentally, we never got off the bus, and we ended up losing by one point.
Tomorrow is about playing our game on the road and delivering a performance that we are proud of.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH