Looking For Improvement

MATCH PREVIEW

Old Albanians scored their final try twelve minutes into the second half to make the score 10–31. At that point, games can go one of two ways. If you had walked in and watched the last five minutes, you would have had a hard time believing that this was ever the score.

From that point, the team wrestled back control, going on to score three unanswered tries in the final quarter and finishing the game just three points short.

Two league points against a team that nearly won the league last season could be considered a good performance, but for me it goes down as a missed opportunity. We showed our ability to score tries in quick succession, but amongst some strong defensive sets, we also conceded too many tries, far too easily. There is lots to be proud of, but also lots for us to work on.

This week is one that, as part of our end-of-season review, we want to give extra special attention to. Firstly, it is an away game, an area where we are striving to improve our performances. Secondly, it is against a team we expect to be in and around the top four.

We are not reading too much into Dorking’s result last week away at Havant. We have heard through the grapevine that they had a number of starting players missing, and we fully expect them to be back to full strength tomorrow. We know what it takes to win at Dorking and we will have to be at our physical best to come away with a result.

The Pilgrims start their preparation for their delayed start to the season with a warm-up game against Westcombe Park 2nd XV at the Marine Travel Ground. We are putting out an extended squad, and the players know that to be in contention for the squad against Tonbridge on 26 September they need to show their best tomorrow.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH