Playing Advantage with Dave Kent

This is turning out to be rather a miserable end of season, commercially as well as on the pitch. Three heavy defeats since I last wrote, today's home match the only home game after 8th March, and a long bank breaking journey to remote North Walsham to end the season next week. What unsatisfactory fixture scheduling. Please do not consider this to be in any way a criticism of the RFU.
A victory for us next week should see North Walsham relegated, and I fervently hope that that is what we achieve. Of course I always look forward to Lydney victories and I have absolutely nothing against North Walsham, but 6 hours on the road to a remote outpost in rural north east Norfolk does nothing for us financially or on the playing field. To be fair, it is worse for the East Anglian side, who have to travel to us, to Bridgwater, Dings, Clifton as well as their expedition to Mounts Bay, a journey bad enough for us let alone a club 260 miles further away.
The three defeats were disheartening, but there were features that we could take some encouragement from. Against Mounts Bay and Ealing we were competitive until half time, and at London Scottish after a nightmare of a first half we actually won the last 50 minutes 12-7. The London Scottish scoreboard records minutes played as well as points, and with increasing desperation I noted London Scottish points keeping pace with minutes played all the way to the 29th minute, by which time the score was London Scottish 29 Lydney 0. Our second half comeback, like the even better revival at Canterbury earlier in March showed great spirit and character, and along with the brave performance to come away from Mounts Bay with a losing bonus point these will be the things that I will remember from this season.
To celebrate the last home match today there is live music at the Club tonight. The Ian Luther Band from Chepstow will be playing their brand of acoustic & 70s rock. Admission free.
Also, please support the United XV next Wednesday (16th April) in the Senior Combination Cup semi final against the winner of tomorrow's match between Drybrook and Berry Hill.
Today's quiz: Which are the five countries that have finished 4th in the World Cup? And who did it twice? Answers on a piece of paper, and hand in behind the bar before the end of half time. A bottle of wine for the first correct answer. The answer to the last quiz was Harlequins and Blackheath, and congratulation to David Voysey, who won the last two quizzes.