This weekend sees our intrepid team travel to the resort town of Bournemouth. We are playing Verwood, which admittedly play 12 miles from Bournemouth but cant play on their own pitch due to a game of cricket. So, Dorset bound we are, Verwood and Stoneham have met many, many times, and has always been very different games. Over the past few years the games have been very tight. in 2009/10 season we tied for the season 1 a piece both home teams losing, and the same occured in 2010/11, with the home teams losing, so how will we play at a 3rd location. We will see, both teams will be playing a rotating squad utilising as many players as possible and seeing where the teams are at.
As for me, it will be my first official game as captain of this club, and i am relishing the prospect of captaining the team for the game, but as well, captaining the team for the season, we have had some new players come into the squad since i last wrote in this blog, and they will only bolster what is already a strong side. Selection is increasingly becoming more and more of a headache for the management team, we are looking at training and thinking what is the best possible combination in the front row, or at half backs or in the back row, instead of thinking well who can we slot in there? it is a great problem to be faced with, i hope that people will understand if they are substituted or left out of the team, as captain i will speak to every player if they are to be dropped, or if they are on the bench, and i aim to do so before we announce the team, one concern i have as a captain is that Stoneham has but one team with only 21 match day places available, we currently dont have enough for a 2nd team but we are getting ever closer, what we need to do is retain players in order to expand into another saturday side. So, what i guess i am saying is that we need every player to understand that if not selected or if they are selected on the bench, it is not a reflection on them, we just have more players than we are allowed and as a result we will give priority to those that have been at training, after all they will know the game plan.
Back to Saturday's upcoming fixture, targets for the game:
- Complete plays according to the game plan
- Make 1st up tackles in defence
- communicate effectively
- WIN!
Sounds silly setting targets for a game, but really does help to focus players. I have one concern over this upcoming fixture, yes, it is a training game, but, i dont want my guys getting into the mentallity that it is a training game, doesnt really matter if we win or lose, WRONG, every time we take the field this year we must have the, and i really cant think of anything less cliched, "Eye of the tiger", we must be aggresive, passionate and committed to put our bodies on the line, because believe me Verwood will want to impress their coaches and put one over on us. There is no love lost between the teams, we are very equally match last seasons results were, Stoneham 14-10 Verwood, and Stoneham 19 - 31 Verwood, one match a piece, this year though Verwood are, like us, expanding, and they will want to prove just how far they have come since we last met, I, personaly would like to show them that Stoneham is not to be underestimated. BUt, we will see, we have a strong side out, we have new players that are as yet unproven in the fray, and people in new positions, all i can say is, it will be an interesting curtain opener for the season, and i am throurghly looking forward to it. COME ON STONEHAM!! IT STARTS HERE!!!
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