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Post by Druzik on Apr 17, 2008 0:16:46 GMT 10
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Post by Marv on Apr 17, 2008 17:26:16 GMT 10
COME ON THE SANGLIERS!!
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Post by Druzik on Apr 21, 2008 17:11:03 GMT 10
So I have returned from my sourjurne to the Wonderful Barrow and Whitehaven and Cumbria. Despit people scaring me on TRL about Barrow I really liked and enjoyed Barrow. So After a 7 hour train trip from London to Barrow, passing through great RL towns such as Wigan, Warrington. I stayed at the Victoria Park Hotel, an easy 500m walk up from the station just off Abbey Rd, very nice place, clean, good price and the the staff were really awesome, friendly and always willing to have a chat... maybe me being an aussie had something to do with it.
Anyway my Marv picked me up to go to Haven, great drive saw some of the wonderful sights of the area along the way such as the nuclear power plant and mines...impressive actually... Haven is a tucked away little town and the Rec ground reminds me a bit of the old Redfern Oval but with good seats and clean toilets. It was a freezing night though, a cold wind and drizzle didn't help the conditions and am sure the French lads were not used to it. Lezignan had a merchandise stand... well seat! Which i was glad to see though you'd need to get me really, really, really drunk to buy a flouro pink jersey. I did pick up a nice white Lezignan T-shirt, that was quite nice, but dissapointed that Haven weren't selling any jerseys.
The game was entertaining but both teams I think played fairly average... and I think the conditions were the biggest contributor to this. Now the score looks lop sides at 46-6 to Whitehaven, but it does not tell the whole story. Lezignan probably were at the Haven line as much if not more than Haven, but just did really silly things not to convert.
I saw three things that the FCL need to work on,
1. Kick offs. OK kicking the ball out on the full once, happens to the best of them, twice, OK let it slide, three times... its worrying 4 times inexcusable, basic stuff that should not happen.
2. FCL played in the usual french flair that was great to see, they threw the ball around and tried to use their quick backs and wingers... probably would have worked if they didn't keep dropping the friggin ball. So they need to learn to hold that ball. A few times the scrum half (Half back) didn't take good options and put in the wrong kicks or kicked when should have passed etc... Funnily enough the try they did score was off just a barging charge from Chris Beattie, the only time they really didn't look to throw the ball around.
3. Third is their discipline, having players sent off really hurts and they gave away 13 penalties. Now when you think about it that is 78 extra tackles that need to be made, which really takes a toll on your fitness.
There was a good scrap after the second haven try, all 26 players were in the in-goal getting involved... I got it on video so YouTube highlights here we come. Haven also were not that spectacular but they just got the basics right and that won the game. I think the local support of about 1600 also helped and the conditions as I said were really tough.
But it was a fantatsic night out, the game was entertaining, the crowd were vocal and many of the fans around me were down right confused what an Aussie was doing all the way in Haven for CC game. The "food" was surprisingly eddible for a RL match but was hot which was the important thing, the beer also good... but is there anywhere that FOSTERS has not infected. Holy crap. Its all that there was, Fosters larger. Here I was hoping for something local at the ground, and nope got Australias worst.
The drive back was througfh Ulverston and then to Dalton where I watched a video of the Wales v SAcotland WC qualifier, hadn't seen it yet, so that was good. Then got home well past midnight. The next morning found a pub, the Railway in Furness, which showed the Doggies v Sts NRL match. Then did a bit of sight seeing around Barrow. Had a good night watching the Quins v Cas game, that was cracker I thought, would not have seen it go the way it did. And then yesterday flew back from JLAirport to get back to Germany. Thanks for the lift Marv appreciate it and hope I can reciprocate the gesture if ever your in Oz.
OH yeah picked up a sweet Barrow jersey, 25th Anniversay eddition for their Lancashire Cup win in 1983.
So all in all a great trip, want to head up to Cumbria again, the scenery around there is definitely worth seeing... and underated part of England.
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Post by Marv on Apr 21, 2008 17:45:56 GMT 10
Glad you had a good time Dan i had a great weekend with some great RL too.
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Post by Druzik on Apr 21, 2008 17:54:43 GMT 10
Had and awesome time mate, thanks. Good to have someone local too... but the Barrowans are a friendly lot and it was never hard to walk into a pub, or sports store mention your aussie and talk RL or Australia.
Enjoyed chewing the fat with your dad, he has good knowledge of the game and the local teams like yourself so it was great to get some insode knowlde on that. Will hanging up the Barrow Poster at work today.
How'd your boys go on the weekend, you get out to the CC game?
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Post by Marv on Apr 21, 2008 18:08:16 GMT 10
Had and awesome time mate, thanks. Good to have someone local too... but the Barrowans are a friendly lot and it was never hard to walk into a pub, or sports store mention your aussie and talk RL or Australia. Yeah its not too bad up here  Enjoyed chewing the fat with your dad, he has good knowledge of the game and the local teams like yourself so it was great to get some insode knowlde on that. He's probly forgotten more than I know about Local RL, the proverbial mine of knowledge, like he said at the game there were 3 or 4 players in that whitehaven side he coached at Cumbria U18 level. How'd your boys go on the weekend, you get out to the CC game? No mate, I got back home around 2pm ish after stopping for Roast Dinner in Preston (a small city between Barrow and Liverpool) my brother used to live there so i know it well. Back home and ended up listening to Evo's HKR beat Workington, despite great effort by the underdogs Workington, then watching the Salford V Wakefield game at 5pm |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 21, 2008 18:18:55 GMT 10
Barrow 48-16 Hunslet Looks mlike a solid win for them. Hope they get a good draw on Tuesday. That still sounds like a day spent well, two games of RL and a roast dinner... can't beat that. I went through preston on the train up, so know ehere it is, sort of, it was the stop beofr Lancaster where I changed for the Barrow train. I still remember being put in my place at the bar with a smile... Its Barra not Barrow!  |
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Post by Marv on Apr 21, 2008 18:43:09 GMT 10
Barrow 48-16 Hunslet Looks mlike a solid win for them. Hope they get a good draw on Tuesday. Thats it Hunslet are in our Division but they are a poor side who have been hit with finacial trouble, I hope it comes good for them in the end, there a good old club. Yeah Leeds, Bradford, Wigan or Saints in the next round please!! That still sounds like a day spent well, two games of RL and a roast dinner... can't beat that. I went through preston on the train up, so know ehere it is, sort of, it was the stop beofr Lancaster where I changed for the Barrow train. Yeah it was a sound day, I even enjoyed the drive, listening to Aston Villa V Birmingham City F.C on the radio, and listening to John Prescots struggle with Bullemia  I still remember being put in my place at the bar with a smile... Its Barra not Barrow! I know! towards the end of the weekend you managed to drop the "W" TBF even my misses calls it Barrow!! not Barra, then shes not a commoner like me! |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 21, 2008 18:56:31 GMT 10
Yeah that prescot saga was funny... just wouldn't have picked it would ya, I just love how he called himself a twit! Priceless weekend. |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 22, 2008 1:25:04 GMT 10
I have updated the website with pictures from the game on the weekend. here. |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 22, 2008 2:10:25 GMT 10
Just going through the video... um not sure that I would want to put the fight up as the Lezignan player could get into a bit of trouble... not sure who it is but he flattened a Whitehaven player! Too bad the ref stepped in and stopped it. |
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Post by HKR AWAY DAYS on Apr 22, 2008 5:51:50 GMT 10
I too was up in 'sunny Cumbria' to watch Rovers at Workington. Really nice locals who welcomed us. We put out a pretty strong squad and came away 68-12 victors. Apparently we have given our half of the gate to them as well, which was a nice gesture. Hopefully we get Barrow away so I can drink Marv under the table whilst our lads beat Barrow on the pitch.  |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 22, 2008 16:05:16 GMT 10
Well here it is the video from Haven. It was a frigin cold day so its not all the game, but still some nice clips. at 2.58 there is a good little scrap in there where the french winger si sent off. Judging from the passion in the crowd, CC is alive and well. Enjoy |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 22, 2008 16:06:33 GMT 10
I too was up in 'sunny Cumbria' to watch Rovers at Workington. Really nice locals who welcomed us. We put out a pretty strong squad and came away 68-12 victors. Apparently we have given our half of the gate to them as well, which was a nice gesture. Hopefully we get Barrow away so I can drink Marv under the table whilst our lads beat Barrow on the pitch. Oh mate nice work. I just got the Haven game up on You tube. Nice win by your lot. You'r having a pretty good year this year aren't you. Great to see. Evo you doing the CC final this year? |
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Post by Druzik on Apr 23, 2008 16:43:04 GMT 10
Round 5 Draw
hull kr-hudds
barrow-wakey
dewsbury-oldham
bulls-catalans
wigan-whitehaven
widnes-hull fc
quins-leeds
saints-wire
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