OVER the last few matches, Dean Ryan’s direction of the team has begun to show – and blossom.
The first team and the Cavaliers’ change in style and the general attitude of the squad has been glaringly different in recent weeks.
The confidence and unity has been evident as they have notched up seven tries in two games and they very nearly took a second try bonus point in as many weeks. Both of those performances came against two very good sides – Exeter Chiefs and Bath.
The only real negatives taken from the game against Bath were our inability to convert our kicks into points and Sam Betty’s yellow card. Had we hit the target from the tee it would have put an entirely different spin on the outcome, while as a result of a new directive issued by the RFU, the outcome of Betty’s tackle became inevitable, but it could have so easily gone our way.
After all this, Saracens away doesn’t seem such a bleak prospect. Mathematically we can survive the drop and if we get the breaks a win is entirely possible at Allianz Park.
We are so very nearly there and although it may be a little too late for this season, next season feels like the start of a new era.
By Martyn Jones