Jump to content
IGNORED

All things Bristol Bears


Barrs Court Red

Recommended Posts

For the first time ever at Ashton Gate I felt completely detached from the action, I even moved into the Lansdown stand to see if it would help, it didn't.

There was a decent crowd but in all honesty it was like no one was actually interested in the rugby, it was like watching a training session rather than an extremely important match.

I used to go up to the memorial ground quite regularly and never once did i feel like I did today, today was my first rugby match at Ashton Gate and maybe that had something to do with it because it is so different to what I am used to? 

The most annoying thing was having to stand up every 30 seconds whilst someone got a beer. I did like the rugby pint glasses tho. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, CityCiderEd said:

Went down today with my freebie ticket.I will never moan about a boring football match again as it was bloody shocking.The standard of rugby from Bristol was really poor and the atmosphere was crap as well.The only plus was that I could take my pint to my seat and drink it with no problems.All I can say to Steve Lansdown is save your money because in the championship next year the crowds will be cut by half.

You should have sat in the middle of your row.

I didn't need to get up for anyone during the match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Like my response to Phantom, it was not - it started because of another passage of dreadful kicking.

Ok, I'm not saying there weren't boos. It's just when I first started going it confused the hell out of me too when 'boos' were heard during the game. 

Actually I'm very surprised the rugby crowd are so patient with the situation, if Robinson were a football manager I would dread to think the abuse he would be getting, but no way would he have lasted that long I suppose. I like many others much more knowledgeable than myself was hugely surprised he got his contract renewed, big gamble and even bigger mistake. I think we should have gone for Mike Ford as he was available at the time, not sure what he is doing now or if he is an option?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RedM said:

Ok, I'm not saying there weren't boos. It's just when I first started going it confused the hell out of me too when 'boos' were heard during the game. 

Actually I'm very surprised the rugby crowd are so patient with the situation, if Robinson were a football manager I would dread to think the abuse he would be getting, but no way would he have lasted that long I suppose. I like many others much more knowledgeable than myself was hugely surprised he got his contract renewed, big gamble and even bigger mistake. I think we should have gone for Mike Ford as he was available at the time, not sure what he is doing now or if he is an option?

Ford is off to Toulon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first ever live Rugby match yesterday, was about 12 of us so it was a good day and enjoyed the fan village, thought it was a better atmosphere in the village than football matches. For some friends it was their 1st New Ashton Gate visit and they were impressed.

The actual Rugby was awful, it's not for me and can't see me going again.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin
12 hours ago, 29AR said:

Apologies if already touched upon but the cards are really stacked against an upcoming championship team. Because they do not know they are promoted until after the playoffs they are so far behind in preparing to try to deal with the gulf. 

Not completely true, as well as the season before deals are done with certain players a long way before the end of the season and only come to fruition on promotion etc. 

As for yesterday Stringer is still a class act and it was his speed and reading of the game that kept Bristol on the back foot for long parts of the game. 

One sad thing about Bristol they have approximately 54 players in their squad, I'm not sure if any of them would get in any other premiership side! 

One thing that may save Bristol is London Irish are financially screwed at the moment and are not interested in going up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went to the Bath game the week before (another free ticket courtesy of a friend) and felt quite confident off the back of that performance yesterday, even though we lost. But yesterday was shocking, embarrassing even. Sale were a pretty average team but played us off the park. We were second to every ball, every breakdown and just kicked aimlessly. There is no way in the world that I would pay the £30+ odd that it would cost to watch usually with the state of the team currently, just couldn't justify it but hopefully that changes. Real shame but it seems a complete overhaul is needed. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, phantom said:

Not completely true, as well as the season before deals are done with certain players a long way before the end of the season and only come to fruition on promotion etc. 

As for yesterday Stringer is still a class act and it was his speed and reading of the game that kept Bristol on the back foot for long parts of the game. 

One sad thing about Bristol they have approximately 54 players in their squad, I'm not sure if any of them would get in any other premiership side! 

One thing that may save Bristol is London Irish are financially screwed at the moment and are not interested in going up

Is this true??? A real glimmer of hope if they stick with that?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, RedM said:

Damn. Well I said I didn't know much but at still the time I thought he might have been an option.

It's really the wrong time to be looking for a new head coach/director of rugby. In my view the change should have been made in the summer but perhaps they hadn't anyone lined up and decided to stick with AR. A pity that they didn't go for Lancaster before he went to Leinster, he might have been a good fit and a realistic appointment.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This match was my (and the wife's) fourth and final attempt at getting "into" the rugby. What an awful waste of time and effort. Has anyone actually timed, the time that the ball is actually in play! 

This kicking the ball back to the opposition, when you've struggled to get hold of it in the first place, just don,t get it. The whole atmosphere around us was of resolve that Bristol would again get easily beaten, and that was from the opening minutes. Never again, sadly. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, phantom said:

Not completely true, as well as the season before deals are done with certain players a long way before the end of the season and only come to fruition on promotion etc. 

 

Indeed, but they are largely few and far between and not the players that will typically get you competitive. The right players have their sights set higher than a Premiership-elect team; especially when Bristol were perpetual playoff losers. The right players to bridge the gulf certainly don't hold off and wait and see whilst other premiership teams are compiling their squads. Hence why Bristol in particular has become a retirement home.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, Ashtonboy said:

This match was my (and the wife's) fourth and final attempt at getting "into" the rugby. What an awful waste of time and effort. Has anyone actually timed, the time that the ball is actually in play! 

This kicking the ball back to the opposition, when you've struggled to get hold of it in the first place, just don,t get it. The whole atmosphere around us was of resolve that Bristol would again get easily beaten, and that was from the opening minutes. Never again, sadly. 

I suspect you are not alone in feeling this way.  What I would say though, if things improve on the pitch in the next few years and you do have the opportunity to go for free, just give it another try. 

My introduction to football was during the Osman years - I could of easily not gone again back then.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Ashtonboy said:

This match was my (and the wife's) fourth and final attempt at getting "into" the rugby. What an awful waste of time and effort. Has anyone actually timed, the time that the ball is actually in play! 

This kicking the ball back to the opposition, when you've struggled to get hold of it in the first place, just don,t get it. The whole atmosphere around us was of resolve that Bristol would again get easily beaten, and that was from the opening minutes. Never again, sadly. 

That isn't really supposed to happen!

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was shocking but I think most football fans will find it a hard watch. After the clock had run down at the end of the first half it took 3 attempts and 5 minutes to complete a scrum just to get the ball into touch and for the players to take a break. Sums up rugby for me and is the reason I'm not a regular.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, ChippenhamRed said:

Interesting. Shades of our 2015 summer then? (without wanting to open that can of worms again!)

I very much felt like i was watching city under the last few months under Cotts. Little errors costing points, no confidence going forward. The crowd felt like they had just given up. I am surprised how tolerant the bristol fans were because if city were playing that badly the crowd would have been more on there back!! We sat near the dugouts and what i couldn't get over is the amount of non playing staff involved.  2 water attendants, a medic and physio for each team who looked like they wanted to go on at every opportunity, a bloke with a towel and a bloke with the kicking disc plus 2 blokes to keep track of the multiple substitutions. No wonder it was stop start all the time. The only thing i would take is the timing system. Why cant the same system be used in football where the ref stops the clock and it is clear for everyone.  Then once the time is up the next time the ball goes out of play, game over. What do people think?

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Redsi2 said:

I very much felt like i was watching city under the last few months under Cotts. Little errors costing points, no confidence going forward. The crowd felt like they had just given up. I am surprised how tolerant the bristol fans were because if city were playing that badly the crowd would have been more on there back!! We sat near the dugouts and what i couldn't get over is the amount of non playing staff involved.  2 water attendants, a medic and physio for each team who looked like they wanted to go on at every opportunity, a bloke with a towel and a bloke with the kicking disc plus 2 blokes to keep track of the multiple substitutions. No wonder it was stop start all the time. The only thing i would take is the timing system. Why cant the same system be used in football where the ref stops the clock and it is clear for everyone.  Then once the time is up the next time the ball goes out of play, game over. What do people think?

I think it might work better in football that is does in rugby (ball actively in play for say 80 minutes). At the rugger I noticed that the clock ran down during the long "pauses" setting and retaking scrums, kicks etc. In fact I kept checking to try and find a time the clock was actually stopped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Redsi2 said:

I very much felt like i was watching city under the last few months under Cotts. Little errors costing points, no confidence going forward. The crowd felt like they had just given up. I am surprised how tolerant the bristol fans were because if city were playing that badly the crowd would have been more on there back!! We sat near the dugouts and what i couldn't get over is the amount of non playing staff involved.  2 water attendants, a medic and physio for each team who looked like they wanted to go on at every opportunity, a bloke with a towel and a bloke with the kicking disc plus 2 blokes to keep track of the multiple substitutions. No wonder it was stop start all the time. The only thing i would take is the timing system. Why cant the same system be used in football where the ref stops the clock and it is clear for everyone.  Then once the time is up the next time the ball goes out of play, game over. What do people think?

Interesting thought, but I wonder how long a 90 minute match would take if the game stopped when the ball was out of play?! It could be a long afternoon!

Anyone know how long your average 80 minute rugby match actually goes on for?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, JBFC II said:

I've been going regularly this season and I have to say this was the worst performance of the season, we lacked any sort of commitment going forward and seemed to kick the ball away at every opportunity. I hoped we may win a game for once but it looks like we may do a London Welsh

My mate (a rugby fan who cant afford the tickets) came with me and he couldn't understand why they didn't run it more - every time they kicked it straight down the throat of the sale lot and allowed them to come forward.

they looked like a team with no belief and more than a little out of their depth. Sale effectively tore them a new arsehole at their liesure!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Well you did ask for the average...

I would say for games with a fussy ref and easy access to  video replays you can end up with around an extra 10 minutes.

OK, not quite as much as I thought. I watch 6 nations and the TV reviews seem to be numerous and long! Be interesting to see what it would add to a football match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...