Luke Narraway
Narraway back, Big Les dropped for Bristol game
Luke Narraway
By Cherry Picker
November 20 2008
Lesley Vainikolo is dropped, rested, left out, overlooked AND not picked for Gloucester’s Premiership game against Bristol at Kingsway on Friday night, but Luke Narraway is back in the scrum after injury. Returning to something like their real form in winning at Sarries last weekend, Glaws will be hoping to continue the improvement in the Friday night derby showdown.
Luke Narraway
November 20 2008
Lesley Vainikolo is dropped, rested, left out, overlooked AND not picked for Gloucester’s Premiership game against Bristol at Kingsway on Friday night, but Luke Narraway is back in the scrum after injury. Returning to something like their real form in winning at Sarries last weekend, Glaws will be hoping to continue the improvement in the Friday night derby showdown.
And coach Dean Ryan (right) hopes the win at Vicarage Road will bring the crowds flocking back, too.Kingsholm hasn’t been filled this season, and Ryan reckons that is partly down to his team’s inconsistent results, though many might argue that it’s more to do with a shortage of entertainment and the cost of watching professional rugby at a time when many people are having to cut back.
"I hope we get a big turnout. I hope we get people behind us," Ryan told the Citizen."I always say our part of the bargain is to make it worthwhile watching and some of the stuff has not been our best.
"But hopefully we can continue in the vein of Sunday, get a result and get people behind us."
Ryan knows, of course, that a winning team will always attract good crowds at Kingsholm – one that wins with a bit of panache will attract even more.
Big Les’s switch to the bench after scoring his first try of the season at Sarries and the return of Narraway are the only changes for Glaws.
Matthew Watkins gets the wing berth, and on Narraway’s return for Alasdair Strokosch, on Scotland duty, Ryan said: “For such a significant game it is great to have someone of Luke’s calibre back around the squad.
“He is an international quality player and his enthusiasm will be very important.
“Against Saracens we looked more like the side we were last year and I think that was key. We had tried to build some protection around what we thought the new law variations would offer and although we didn’t want to change the way we played, we probably lost sight of the things we are good at.
“Last week we made a conscious effort to get back to what we know and at the same time use some of that protection. For a good proportion of that game we managed it and now we have to build on it moving forward into this game.
“We are a creative side and we have seen an uplift in that – we now have to keep improving it and moving it forward.”
Ryan has described Brizzle as a very competitive team ... but they are still bottom. However, games between the clubs have a great history, of course, and there’s every chance that with good weather, the crowd will be the biggest of the season.
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