Things get serious for Westoe
WESTOE get down to serious business tomorrow with captain Gareth Nesbit's confidence boosted on two crucial fronts.
Firstly, despite a couple of uncertainties, he has a First XV squad at least 25-strong which, while only on a par with just about every other North One club, is half a dozen or so more than in previous seasons.
Which means that although two weddings mean that six players – a groom and five guests – are unavailable, Big Nes will lead out a team at Darlington (3pm) which he reckons is good enough.
And an important task it is too, in which club treasurer Alex Riddle will take a keen interest, for the winner will play in the EDF Energy National Trophy, which, apart from the prestige, is a potential money-spinner.
The vanquished will compete in the Intermediate competition which, though it provided Westoe with their greatest day ever by reaching the final at Twickenham in 2005, the financial benefit for such a hard-fought achievement was derisory.
And secondly, Nesbit, beginning his fourth season at the helm, knows that this time his team will really hit the ground running with the league campaign beginning at Liverpool St Helen's in a week's time.
The off-season rust has been shed by two hard games at Hull Ionians and Morley, both in National Three (North) upon which the Shieldsmen have set their promotional sights, allied to strenuous twice-a-week training sessions since mid-July.
He declared: "Last season we lost the runners-up place – and the play-off chance of promotion – in the first game of the season, when we went to Beverley unprepared.
"Our fitness was disgraceful and our communication on the field abject. We were mentally and physically lethargic and it was two or three weeks before we got into our stride. By then, our chance had gone."
Beverley finished second behind champions Caldy – just two points ahead of Westoe though with a better scoring record – and then sealed promotion with a play-off victory.
But it was also the lack of strength in depth that contributed to Westoe finishing third for a second successive season.
Now there appears to be back-up strength that, hopefully, will pay dividends tomorrow.
Regular scrum-half Chris Judson thought it was a vacant date when he arranged it for his marriage and invited key backs and brothers David and Graeme Haswell and front row men Raymie Elliott and Peter Tennet as guests, while lofty line-out maestro lock Matthew Muchall is at a family wedding.
Said Nesbit: "Last season, such a loss would have crippled us. Now, even without those six, we can field a fine side."
New Kiwi player-coach Ian Tolloch and scrum-half Martin Lithgo, on loan for a month from Mowden Park, impressed in Wednesday's robust clash at Percy Park, which the host club won 14-5 – winger Craig Olugbode breaking through a series of tackles to touch down for his side's only score.
Their appearances in the game fulfilled a Durham RFU requirement which made them eligible to play at Darlington.
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
