Believe in the Dream ! : Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:32 pm
What do you want to see on Sunday - what does it mean to us ?It's nearly here. Since the draw was made it has been on our minds... if we have been hammered in a league game, this shining light and glimmer of hope has softened the blow. The Challenge Cup. Wembley. The Cup Quarter Final...and it's at home, I can't remember the last time we were at home in a Quarter.
We are the underdog on Sunday, not only for the game, but to win the cup outright. Everybody wanted us in the draw, our front row has been crippled, our Cas lads have been mixing with our most experienced players. Every other team will have wanted Cas, an easier tie to get to the Semi. Every other supporter of the teams left in would have been willing for the 'easy' draw. Now, it's US against THEM. Form has no bearing on a cup tie...what matters in a cup tie is who wants it most. Not only our 17, but us in the stands.
I hope...when the crowd builds as the team warm up we can sense that buzz. You usually can when everyone is up for it. The buzz, the singing as the team warm up, the clapping and roaring as they approach the Wheldon Road end...and this before a ball kicked in anger. When they come out, you can usually sense it. When the team clap the crowd for their welcome onto the pitch, they can sense it too.
I want to see us get stuck in, hard, from the first tackle to the last. Aggression, controlled aggression. Meet them and knock them down, we know where they will come and that's down the middle, straight over the top of us. We have to stand up to them, not be bullied, not give away stupid penalties. Our defence will win or lose this game. I hope to hear the crowd fully behind them when we defend our line, it's not just the 13 that will be defending it, we will too.
We need to do our bit. No good being stood for the first half in relative silence and then getting behind them in the second half. No good standing in silence if we go 12 down. It's US against THEM. We will be under pressure and we may well go behind. But it lasts for 80 minutes. I hope to see our players slapping each others back after every big hit, celebrating their knock ons as much as a try. The visual impression that the players are together, we all are.
We demand from our players heart, commitment, fight, desire and the will to win for 80 minutes. We can inspire them as they inspire us. If the 17 players and the 7 or 8 thousand followers walk down Wheldon Road with the right attitude, we win. Simple as that. Forget refs decisions, or knock ons or disallowed trys - if we have the right attitude and the will to win, then these things can be overcome.
Believe in the Dream !
