Ep 205 - Bears win ugly in the ding-dong derby

Pete, Miles and Lee pick through the narrow win against the Chiefs as well as previewing the upcoming fixture against Gloucester with help from Ed Price from the Cherry Jam fan pod.

There is also the usual excellent contributions from listeners and a bonus section on Bennard Janse Van Rensburg's post match interivew with Clare Thomas.

Finally, we finsh off with a big, big Goat, an update on the work of the Supporters Advisory Committee and pay homage to the game's look-a-like cam effort.

Slight apologies for the length of the episode, but to make it more manageable chapter markers have been inserted to allow for 'structured' listening!

Let us know what you think!

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_05 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Austin Healy, the voice of Rugby, and
you're listening to The BearsBeyond the Gate, which I'm not
going to be on.
You're listening to Bears Beyondthe Gate, a Bristol rugby
podcast made by fans for fans,with three friends who love the
club, the game and all thingsbears.
This week we talk over thenarrow victory against Chiefs.

(00:22):
Miles said last week that it wasgoing to be a ding-dong derby,
but was it more ding than dong,or was it just a bit of both?
Either way, it was an ugly winwith quite a few talking points
on and off the field.
The next game is Gloucesteraway, next Friday night, and
it's going to be another tripfor the flag.
The Cherry and Whites haven'thad the best of starts, so we
hear from Ed Price of Cherry JamPodcast Fame, who gives us the

(00:46):
lowdown and his thoughts on howit may go.
All this and more, I'm Pete, andI'm joined by Lee and Miles for
a cheeky beer and a bit of rugbybanter at our spiritual home,
the Bristol Beer Factory TapRoom Studio Bar.
Well, boys, Chiefs came intotown.
Um and Miles, you went out oftown because you were a little

(01:07):
bit you were a bit scaredbecause you heard that there was
a massive coach coming fromColumpton.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 (01:12):
When the opposite way down the M5.
Exactly.

SPEAKER_05 (01:14):
Was your pecker down or was it up?
Pecca down, I think.
Pekka was down.
But we faced the fire, didn'twe, Lee?
We faced the Columptononslaught.

SPEAKER_06 (01:24):
We faced the onslaught head on.

SPEAKER_05 (01:25):
Yeah, and uh of course we we sat with your mate
Paddy.
Yeah, we certainly did.
Well for the first half atleast.
For the first half, Paddy cameand sat next to me and Lee.
And Lee came and sat next to meand me.
Paddy and Lee came and sat nextto me.
And then second half, theydidn't come back.

SPEAKER_06 (01:42):
We went we went wandering.
Yeah, but you were watching thegame.
Yeah.
We we we um we we kind of wellPaddy wanted to have a look at
the different like the viewsfrom the different parts of the
stadium.
So we did a little stadium.
Well what other view did you getthen?
Uh well we saw the uh theBristol uh beer factory uh kiosk
outside.
Uh so we we kind of saw a lotthe inside of that.

(02:06):
Um sports bar action.
But the most important thing wasPaddy enjoyed the hospitality
that we provide in Bristol andbeer's free.
So yeah, I didn't.

SPEAKER_05 (02:14):
You didn't go, I thought I saw two people, lonely
people, sat on their own in theattio in the second half.
That wasn't you and Paddy, wasit?

SPEAKER_06 (02:21):
It could have been I I honestly can't remember at
that point.
So I I'm actually referring toyour notes, Pete, as we as the
guide me through the pod today.

SPEAKER_05 (02:29):
Every now and again I have to send Lee some notes of
what actually happened.
You mean where about where hewas?
Yeah, when pad only when Paddy'sin town.

SPEAKER_06 (02:36):
But to be fair though, even when I watched the
full game, you still need tosend me the notes, don't you?
Yeah.
Because my yeah, my memory isnot great, as we all know.

SPEAKER_05 (02:44):
And Miles, you I I was joking.
I mean, you you weren't missingan action, you were with us
spiritually, and you did manageto get the game in, didn't you?

SPEAKER_04 (02:50):
Absolutely, went down for my uh mother-in-law's
80th birthday bash weekend.
Obviously, obviously couldn'tmiss that.
Rock and roll.
Rock and roll, exactly.
Well, once once in a lifetimeweekend, what was it, a tea
dance and bingo?
Yeah, something like that.
No, lovely weekend in NorthDevon.
Luckily, there was a huge TVwith Discovery Plus and TNT.

(03:10):
So managed to lock myself in aroom with the Duchess and my
brother-in-law and watch thegame uh on playback full yeah,
so it was great, brilliant.

SPEAKER_06 (03:20):
Well, we I don't know, does that sound a bit
antisocial for an 80th birthdayparty?
You bugger off for two hours andwatch rugby.

SPEAKER_04 (03:27):
Not really, they did the the the rest of the family
were just in the swimming pool.
I mean the other half live.

SPEAKER_05 (03:33):
It is his mother-in-law, so obviously she
didn't really care if Miles wasthere or not, really, to be
fair.
So I think he probably used thatto his advantage.
She waited for his back to turnin and then the shampoos came
out.
Exactly.
But anyway, boys, it was anotherwin.

SPEAKER_06 (03:46):
And uh sorry, can I just say you classed it as an
ugly win?
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
And I loved that.
Yeah.
I loved that because that wasthe sort of performance, the
ugliness.
There's a beauty in theugliness, I think.

SPEAKER_05 (03:58):
There was, and I and I think we all agreed that,
didn't we, during and well,after the game for sure, when we
actually had the points, buteven during it, we were saying,
you know, this is a we're underthe kosher, we've got a lot of
things going against us, butwe're the boys are really trying
to problem solve this andthey're they're really digging
deep.
And actually, you're absolutelyright.
It was probably more fun thatgame watching it live than it

(04:20):
was perhaps you know watchingthat 10 try kind of thriller
again or 10 try trouncingagainst Newcastle a few seasons
ago.
It was it was tight.

SPEAKER_04 (04:28):
It was, I mean, I must say it wasn't fun watching
it on TV, but you're right, itwas an ugly, unconventional
style of play and a win on theBristol front.
Like you're right, somethingthat which we rarely see, isn't
it?

SPEAKER_06 (04:40):
Well, I think a lot of neutrals wouldn't have
thought that we'd had thatperformance in us as well.
I mean, I don't know if we did,actually.

SPEAKER_04 (04:46):
Yeah, I I I I mean yeah, we'll talk about it, but I
don't know how we carried offthat sort of win, but
ultimately.

SPEAKER_05 (04:53):
No, I think I mean I think we kind of assumed, I
mean, we talked about this lastweek that we would, you know, we
would play the normal way, um,and we would try and play
expansive rugby and we'd try andget a foothold in the game and
not kick it much and all thatsort of stuff.
And and I think you know, wwithin five minutes one of our
our wingers was off for an HIA.

(05:14):
We then had to get someone elseout in and then then someone in
and uh you know out of position,and then we had someone else
come in.
I just think that ultimately ourbat line ended up being a kind
of so patched together and noneof them having necessarily
played much together ascombinations that I think we
were forced on the pitch reallyto go back to a bit more of a

(05:34):
basic, sort of ugly, dirty,forward-dominated game.

SPEAKER_06 (05:38):
Well, do you know what is if Pat has this big
ethos on uh having players thatare versatile, and I mean there
was that was really proven onSaturday that we had players
stepping into position.
At one point, Pete, we werelike, But who's on the wing now?
And do you know what I mean?
You just you didn't know, butthey but that is the beauty of
versatility is that the you knowwe've got players that can play

(06:01):
in different positions, and westill made it work.
I I I loved it, I thought it wasbrilliant.

SPEAKER_05 (06:07):
Well, uh, we uh before we carry on to talk a
little bit more about it, we dolove it when we get un sort of
heralded uh contributions fromlisteners.
And this week I didn't put out ashort, sharp summary.
I I I just thought I'm justgonna see you know what
reactions come in, and and wedid get a few reactions in from
our kind of standard people, andI and I will probably talk about
those a little bit later, but wedid get a a kind of sp a a voice

(06:32):
note from one of our longtimelisteners who we meet a lot down
the pub, uh Dan Masters, and hehe felt obliged.
I think he was so moved by thegame and what he experienced
that he felt kind of he feltcommitted to send us a voice
note, and I I feel like I haveto play it.

SPEAKER_06 (06:49):
Oh, he was in a good place, wasn't he?
It was good it was brilliant.

SPEAKER_05 (06:51):
It was a good place.
So, what I think we'll do now iswe'll play Dan's little voice
note that he sent us from afterthe game, and uh and then we can
carry on talking.
So uh here it comes.

SPEAKER_02 (07:04):
Uh Bears Beyond the Gate, it is uh Dan Masters, uh
Spaniel Masters here.
I am sat outside of the lovelyjunction, little Bristol Beer
Factory Dunction, looking acrossthe docks, the Matthews in front
of me.
I've got a nice pint of uhVienna flight as uh discussed by
you on the pod.
Just want to say what a greatgame of rugby we had today, so
very tense to win it at the end,like we did.

(07:25):
Fair play to Wordsley, hestepped up, put his hand up and
said, I can kick that boss,don't worry, you leave it to me.
Fair play to Fitz, he stood hisstood his ground, he told the
ref that he was right.
Of course, he's always right.
How the ref could not see that,and nice to see that Rosie is uh
turned someone over for us foronce.
It's my first time uh doing alittle voice message to the pod.

(07:45):
I'm hoping you can uh put thisone out.
I won't swear, I promise.
I've had a few, but happy days.
Um missed you guys down.
I didn't see any of you downthere today.
Although I think I saw Lee in uhin the beer factory, but um
didn't get a chance to sayhello.
Uh next time I want to see allthe hankies waving.
Where do we go, Hankeys?
Happy days.
Take steady boys, ta-da.

SPEAKER_05 (08:04):
Right, well, there you go, there was Dan.
Um that was that was very good,wasn't it?
That was very concise, veryeloquent, I thought.
And um mind you I feel I need todeal with one issue first.
Oh you mentioned the hankyes.
Yeah, yeah.
And of course, this is herolisteners will know this.
That I have promised herolisteners a hanky for

(08:25):
contributing to this amazingequipment.
Uh, but I've just realised Ihave absolutely no idea how I'm
supposed to distribute thesehankies.
So I think we the hankies willhappen, but I kind of got the
impression Dan really wanted oneto wave around at the game.
So I'm gonna have to have alittle think about this.

SPEAKER_06 (08:42):
Maybe it's got to be like sports bar or just that is
like this.

SPEAKER_05 (08:44):
I think sports bar after a couple of the next home
game will bring a like uh a sortof tub and I'll just say to
everybody if you want a hanky,there is it, it's in the corner,
and this is the certain locationthat if you are listening to the
pod, you know where it is, andif you're not listening to the
pod, you won't know, and it's upto you in your own time and your

(09:05):
own sort of uh ability to go andfind a hanky, and if you find
it, that's great, because that'sabout as easy as I can't think
of any other way of doing it,not particularly.

SPEAKER_04 (09:13):
And we better get it done before flu season's over,
otherwise, no one will wantthese hankies, will they, Pete?
And can we just sorry we don'tyeah, don't spread your germs to
other people who want thesehankies.

SPEAKER_05 (09:21):
But I think more importantly, and hankies are
important, of course, in fluseason, as Miles pointed out
from a health and safety pointof view.
Uh, more importantly, Dan uh hadyou know, he was it was a sense
of satisfaction, wasn't it?
Is what we were saying early on.
I think he he was obviously satthere with his point of view at
a flight, feeling pretty goodabout the game and uh feeling
that the boys had really dugdeep.

(09:42):
Um, you know, he pointed out theissue with the yellow card being
rescinded and the TMO coming toour our uh help for ones.
Yeah, quite um, but I think itwas that it was like we were
saying normally we're buzzingwhen we score bonus points and
we score five tries, butactually, Lee, like you were
saying, at the ground there wasa real kind of buzz of it was
nerve-wracking at the end, weknow we were we were game, we

(10:04):
had two minutes to game manageour way, and we were all kind of
thinking, oh, we'll never do it,and we did it quite easily in
the end.
And even though little SamWorsley still needed to nail
that kick, because as we werepointing out, if he had he even
though it was in the red, if hehad like if it if he had come up
short and they counterattacked,they could still the ball was
still live.
So it was a really satisfyingfive satisfying feel at the end.

SPEAKER_04 (10:26):
I mean, did you did you boys think that we would
pick and go for the whole lasttwo minutes?
It was really odd on the TV.
I thought this is we've donethis in the past, uh attempted
game management, but there's noway we're gonna we we're gonna
attempt this for two minutes andsomething will go wrong.

SPEAKER_06 (10:43):
But ultimately, we did well, didn't we?
Yeah, and won the game.
And we we should pick up SamWorrisley as well, because I I
think I'm right in saying he isa Devon lad, isn't he?
Because I I'm I'm pretty surehe's got um maybe a younger
brother who's who's maybeColumpton or that way.

SPEAKER_05 (11:00):
Literally, every it's like everybody is related
to somebody for Columpton in theworld, it does seem that way,
doesn't it?
It's like it's not it's not likethe heart of Africa where the
human race died, it's Columpton.

SPEAKER_06 (11:11):
But um I mean I'm sure he would have absolutely
loved that, and it was a ballsykick at the end, wasn't it?
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (11:16):
And also, I think in the context that he had quite a
tough season last year becausehe was thrown in last year as
well when we had our injurycrisis, wasn't he?
And had a few tough games, andyou know, he did get a little
bit of pelters on social media,like wrongly, obviously.
Um so I was pleased for the lad.
He looked really pumped when hewhen that he was really punching
the the air when it went over,and that like the big boys, the

(11:37):
forwards came up.

SPEAKER_04 (11:38):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 (11:39):
And I saw Bats give him a massive bear hug, and
yeah, Rubiolo.
This is a guy that's been 80minutes with the all blacks and
he reckon and 80 minutes withthe Sapphas, and he he came up
and gave him a big hug becausehe realised that they had set it
set up that but he still had todeliver.

SPEAKER_04 (11:54):
Great for his confidence.
Uh and I think you know, we'llchat a little bit uh in about
the sort of team next week, butum, we need him, don't we?
We need him to be on form, weneed him to be uh, you know, uh
really confident and to be ableto nail those little kicks.

SPEAKER_05 (12:07):
I mean he came he came on in 46 minutes when Bates
went off for an HIA.
So he had a good he was there,yeah, he had a good half, so it
wasn't just a kick.
And yeah, I mean it looks theway it is, it looks like he is
gonna have to start againstGloucester, which is uh because
he is our probably now our onlyrecognised 10 that was
available.

SPEAKER_06 (12:24):
Yeah.
Well, I mean Gloucester areobviously gonna target him,
aren't they?
I mean, so we we need to put asmany things in place to protect
him.
As many a brick wall, yeah,pretty much.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (12:34):
So um, yeah, I mean, so let's just think about the
game.
I mean, it started off uh itstarted off relatively
positively.
And then they mucked the firstkickoff of the game.
Yeah, and then we got a penalty,and we were all saying, just
take the points.
And guess what the boys did?
They took the points.
Yeah, Jordan goes we go 3-0 up,and uh, you know, and it and

(12:55):
then then I think they then gotanother penalty quite quickly,
annoyingly, but then Slademissed it and it drifted wide.
So I was thinking, oh, you know,maybe the uh the force is with
us a little bit, and then wekind of there was quite a lot of
um sort of it felt a bit like astalemate for a while.
There we we were kind of probingand we were doing that thing

(13:15):
that we always do where we'rekind of sprinting it wide, doing
the phases, we're trying tooffload it, and we made a few
mistakes on and off.
It was the classic, there was afew drop balls, and I was I
remember at the time thinking,uh, is this really gonna work?
You know, they're Chiefs seemquite set, you know, they seem
defensively, they're they'rejust gonna do what all these
teams do, they're just gonnaforce us into mistakes, and I

(13:37):
was thinking that, and you knowwhat happened as as I was
thinking that suddenly we breakdown the blind.
Bill Matter, I see Bill Matterrunning the hundred metres in
about 10 seconds, with JoeBatley kind of screaming behind
him, and uh and we score.
And of course, I felt really badbecause I thought, yeah, that's
the whole point of the system,isn't it?
You probe and probe and probeand probe, and then you find and

(13:59):
then you find a weakness, andyou find the biggest man on the
pitch, and and they and it was aclassic because then I looked it
back on replay and it was abrilliant, brilliant little bit
of play.
We had a it was a tip-on passfrom somebody who drew the man,
tipped it on, and then StephenVarney bit in because of it, and
because he bit in, Matter wasleft, and he and it was just

(14:22):
very much the bears' way.
Um one thing I'd say thoughthere has been a bit of a trend
for tri-scorers across all teamsto do these big sort of ash
slash swallow dives.
How are we gonna rate Bills?

SPEAKER_04 (14:38):
Well, he's a big man, he's a big unit, isn't he?
Um I don't know, it'd take quitea lot of effort to sort of lift
himself above a metre off theground, in my opinion.

SPEAKER_06 (14:49):
Yeah, he was he was probably the one player in the
team you'd think wouldn'tattempt that, you know.
He'd because I mean he'd likeyou say he is a big old unit.

SPEAKER_05 (14:58):
I I thought it was averagely done, it was five out
of ten.
Because I felt I could see Batsscreaming behind him, like Bats
was like punching.
And now I think Bats was saying,do it, do it, do it.
Ash splash, ash and Matacouldn't help himself, and then
just as he was about to pushoff, he thought about Pat.

(15:19):
He wasn't committed to it,wasn't he?
I think in his mind he thought,if what happens if I drop this,
even I'm scared of what Pat willsay if I drop it.
So he kind of pulled Coach Pat.
So he kind of pulled out.
I thought it was a it it was ahe pulled out because which in
in in a lot of ways is obviouslyquite sensible.

(15:40):
Very sensible, yeah, yeah.
Very sensible.
So anyway, so what done, Matt.
Well done, Bill Matter.
It was it was a great, it was agreat try.
And actually at that point, Iwas thinking, oh well, this is
it now, you know, we're gonnawe'll uh I thought I felt
confident then, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 (15:54):
I d I didn't ever get that feeling.
I I've I think it was becauselike you said, the the the
Chiefs were quite they were setup to kind of nullify a lot,
weren't they, as well?
And I I I just kind of still gotthat feeling, but maybe another
try in quick like quick success.
Well that's what I felt.

SPEAKER_05 (16:12):
I thought we might score again, and I thought I
just I don't know, I just felthaving been a bit kind of
negative in my mind, saying, Oh,we're not gonna find space, then
we suddenly found it, and Ithought, oh yeah, come on, have
faith, have faith in the system,trust the process.
I was shouting to myself, trustthe process.
And guess what happened?
They went and scored.

SPEAKER_07 (16:33):
They did.

SPEAKER_05 (16:35):
And of all people, it was like slayed.
Oh, I know.
There was a bit of controversywith that try, I thought, and I
don't think that much was madeof it.

SPEAKER_06 (16:43):
It was a lot, Pete.

SPEAKER_05 (16:45):
Well, you could tell those people that didn't see it.

SPEAKER_06 (16:49):
Tell all I don't know what it's what it looked
like on the TV, but I mean forus, there was I mean, it was
such a forward pass, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_05 (16:56):
No, what the fuck was it not that?
No, it was the crossing.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
It was Daffid Jenkins got in theway of Jack Bates, I thought.
And it looked pretty obvious.
Yeah.
I looked at it back on um on thereplay, and I still thought it
was pretty dodgy because I thinkMark, who sat in front of us,
said, Oh no, it was fine becausehe was behind him, but I don't
know.
I looked at it and I thoughtBates was drawn into was going

(17:18):
to try and tackle Slade orHammers or some of them, and
Dafford Jenkins got in his way.
And I was thinking that's gottabe the definition of obstruction
if you stop him making a tackle.

SPEAKER_06 (17:28):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (17:28):
So anyway.

SPEAKER_06 (17:29):
I mean, I I do think actually, I mean, I'm I'm I'm
not one to blame referees, evenwhen but I did think some of the
officiated uh the you know waspretty shocking on Saturday.

SPEAKER_05 (17:39):
My only caveat to that is that as a as an
officiating team, you couldargue they did quite a good job
because they actually got thedecisions right eventually.
Yeah.
And if you say the TMO is partof the team, you're right, he
did step in and the ref acceptedit and and the ref was brave
enough to to rescind that try.

(18:00):
This is the try in the secondhalf, rescind Fitzy's yellow.
But what's the other counterargument to that?

SPEAKER_06 (18:07):
Oh, I mean, I I I wouldn't say it was brave
enough, it was so it was soobvious, wasn't it?
I mean, he couldn't what elsecould he do, really?

SPEAKER_05 (18:14):
I mean, it was there was a sense that also the touch
judges were trying to ref thegame a bit as well.
Yeah, and I don't know.

SPEAKER_04 (18:20):
I I think you're right, and listening to it on
the TV, I mean the TMO was sortof you know assisting Woodthorpe
quite a lot, and that was quiteapparent.
So you know, I I I don't know,you're right.
The the pace of the game, we arenot referees, is so fast.
Um, but you're right, as a team,things have to be picked up if
missed, and perhaps we'll we'llwe'll give him a bit of slack

(18:43):
because the right decisions weremade by the television match
effective.

SPEAKER_05 (18:46):
Matthew Carley was one of the Linos.
Yeah, and at the end of the day,Matthew Carley is a top
international referee, he'sinternational, and I I'd imagine
it is quite difficult for himnot to get involved when it and
he has got a young lad.
And I I mean these guys have gotto get the experience.
I mean, Woodthorpe has donequite a few of our games, and he
he's obviously like next in theline in the conveyor belt of

(19:08):
English refs, but it I don'tknow, putting someone like Carly
with him, he like on one handyou say it's yeah, it's great
mentoring, but on the otherhand, it's like he's it's got a
busybody on the sidelines.

SPEAKER_06 (19:18):
Well, I mean that's the thing.
I mean, Car you know, Carly, Imean, we all know we we know
four well.
I remember the WASPs years ago.
But Carly, he does like to getinvolved, doesn't he?
Even when sometimes, like, youknow, yeah, taking a back seat
is is probably you know, justlet the referee, you know, run
the game.
I mean he's he's got to learnanyway, somehow.

SPEAKER_05 (19:38):
So well, he definitely learnt a few things
on Saturday.
Absolutely.
Anthony Woodthought.
And let's be honest, we've donethe league a bit of a favour,
you know, it'll be a better reffor it.
Yeah, absolutely.
And we and we won.
So I've got to have meetings.

SPEAKER_04 (19:48):
They have meetings on the Monday, don't they?
So they'll they'll say whatdecisions went well and didn't
go so well.

SPEAKER_05 (19:54):
Yeah, I mean he did give us a few as well.
I I I think I don't know, it'sjust really I I just find it
difficult talking about refsbecause it's a really difficult
job to do.
And these boys have have got tomake split decisions initially.
And then if the TMO can come inand say, I mean, I didn't look,
let's be honest, I didn't spotthat those three blokes came out
of the line out and then to thenthrow them all.

(20:15):
No, no.
So we didn't spot it.
And I and and like you mightsay, well, the ref's supposed to
look at it, he's looking atother things.
He's looking at has the jumpergone early, has he landed?
Is there any interference?
Is you know, there's a lot ofthings they're looking for.
I I'd say the only thing isprobably the Lino should have
seen that really, the that morethan the rest.

SPEAKER_04 (20:30):
I think so.
Anyway, so anyway, I guess atthat point it was still, you
know, we were still one pointup, were we eight seven to
Bristol, even though we'd aslave discord on 29 minutes.
But calamity then, wasn't it?
At 30 minutes.
Because we sadly sadly lost TomJordan, didn't we?
Um I mean, so for what were wegonna say about this?

SPEAKER_05 (20:53):
Well, first off, the context was that we were pumping
their line, and uh this was onewhere we uh Fitz went blind as
Mars went on the when Fitz wenton the run side, on the blind
side, and he he did a chickenwing out the back, and it was a
bad pass, and whoever was there,maybe Peppers or would have

(21:14):
dropped it.
So they got a scrum, it was aknock-on.
And I'm pretty sure, and somelisteners out there may correct
me, but I'm pretty sure it'sfrom that scrum that Vincent,
the number eight, picked theball up and ran at Jordan,
sidestepped him and then gothit, smashed in the face.
So actually, it was kind ofthere was context that it was

(21:35):
our attack, almost scoring, thatled to the scrum, which led to
their possession, which led tothem having the ball, which led
to them side Vincentsidestepping Jordan, which led
to him smashing him in the face.
Anyway, you were gonna say, whatdo you think then, Lee?
Was that a red?

SPEAKER_06 (21:51):
It's it's a tricky one.
I I I think probably on thescheme of things, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I I like you say there was youcould see how it happened, but I
think yeah, ultimately the rulesare the rules, and I think
that's yeah, I think you'reright.

SPEAKER_04 (22:03):
The rules are the rules, he was too upright, and
the mitigation was that he didattempt to rap, and that was
Anthony Wintor's.

SPEAKER_05 (22:09):
Because I thought he was upright and he went up as
well.
I thought he was quite it couldhave been even worse because he
didn't, he he was he went hewent up, the force was up, which
is dangerous.

SPEAKER_04 (22:19):
Yeah, but I know, but it did feel like it was just
shoulder to shoulder when theydid it on the replay.
So I I I think it was prettylucky, but I I was explaining to
the Duchess, I think this is thenew sort of 20-minute red card
that they went to see thisseason, and you know, ultimately
we didn't have a man off for thefor the rest of the entire game.
I mean, and that would have justruined it.

(22:40):
Um, extra Chiefs fans might feelslightly aggrieved that this has
come in, but I think it makesfor a better game in my pin.

SPEAKER_05 (22:48):
We all know what I mean, you can't feel aggrieved
about a rule that exists.
You've all got to accept it.
And it wasn't a straight red, sono.
I think I I think it was fairenough, yeah, yeah, to be
honest.
I think Jordan would hold hishands up and say, I mean, at the
end of the day, he went high.
It doesn't matter if you getsidestepped, no, no, you're
supposed to be going low.
That's the whole point.
And there's still a lot ofplayers are still going high.
And I know it's hard, and I knowif any players are listening,

(23:09):
they'll be like, Well, you whatdo you know?
It's like, I know, but you know,you do train, like you know, I
don't always, you know, when Imark in my geography books, I do
put the stamps in the rightplace to say well done.
I don't put them in the top ofthe margin.
I mean, they like you say, theyBecause you do it in training,
but they train to go low, don'tthey?

(23:30):
So I mean, yeah.
So so we agree that it wasprobably a good rep, but of
course it compounded.
We like we're almost gonnascore, and then suddenly we're
down to we've lost ourplaymaker.
So it was a pretty bad end tothe half.
I suppose the only and then theyum then they scored two minutes
later, didn't they?
So they scored, which is alwaysthe way.
So then I'm thinking, havingbeen quite confident in the

(23:51):
first quarter, thinking we'll itwill ease away in this game.
Now I'm thinking we're under thepump here, this is gonna be a
nightmare.
It's 20 minutes as well.
And actually, 20 minutes doesactually feel like quite a long
time not having a player on.

SPEAKER_04 (24:01):
I mean, that was that what's that that was 30
minutes, and yeah, half time wewent in 14-8 down, didn't we?
And it did feel like yeah, it'sit's a long time till we've got
a new man coming on.

SPEAKER_06 (24:12):
Did anyone have visions of you know when Chiefs
came down a few years ago andthey kind of played that sort of
game against us and they beatus?
Yeah, did you did was anyonelike stuck getting a little bit
worried then at that point?
Because I certainly it was inthe back of my mind.

SPEAKER_05 (24:24):
My only issue was I didn't think they were that
good.
No.
No, so I wasn't it's weird.
Like I look back and I think Iwasn't if it had been like, you
know, I'd gone to that Saracensgame, and after five minutes,
whatever it was, and we were40-nil down, I I knew 100% knew,
that the only thing I had tolook forward to was us not
conceding 50 points, and we did.

(24:45):
Yeah, so that was a different Ididn't feel like that at half
time, I still felt somehow thatwe were gonna pull it out of the
bag.

SPEAKER_04 (24:53):
I I agree, I think neither team were at their best.
Uh I think you you went down thegate yesterday and saw it, but
you you're right, there weremistakes being made on either
side.
We made plenty of knock-ons.
I mean, uh the defensive set wasgreat.
We I I pretty much think we wesort of stymied um Bampo and
Brown and and Faye were both sopretty well, very good point,

(25:14):
which have been their deadlyattack in the last two games.
So to the fact that neither ofthem scored, defensively we were
great, but the attack theyweren't great either.
Um and I you know, fair result,and you're right, uh they didn't
march on and score another four.

SPEAKER_05 (25:30):
It's funny you say that because I I think I I must
be on.
You know what?
I'm actually on ExtraSupporter's Facebook group
because ages ago I actually wenton there to ask if any fans
wanted to come on.
Oh yeah, I remember that scene.
And the admin let me on, and Igot feedback from their fans.
Yeah, and both most of the fanswere saying that they were
pretty annoyed with their ownteam, they should have won that

(25:52):
game, and they felt that theyhadn't played to their strengths
at all.
Right.
That they had and they theyshould have got it out to the
wingers a lot more.
But then the counter-argument isI think our boys like Pepper,
Lennon, Revovo, when they wereall no, they did a good job
against them.
They we really did, we reallyfocused and really shut them
down.
Yeah, yeah.
So we talk a lot about defence,and the irony was when we were

(26:14):
totally or lack of defence.
Well, well, but the irony wasthis week where we didn't have
any sort of cohesive unit, wedefended really well.
Yeah, I know.
So this is and it's funny thiswhole thing about defence,
because last week at Saris, itbecame everyone's talking about
oh, we need an you know, what'sthe defence, what's the
structure?
And I thought, you know what, Idon't know.
I don't really like how do youcoach defence?

(26:36):
Are you coaching how to tackleor are you coaching what to do
in certain situations?

SPEAKER_06 (26:41):
I mean it's it's like formations, isn't it?
It's like what when we haven'tgot the ball, obviously, you
know, you've got your formationyou set, and but it it was so
gritty.

SPEAKER_05 (26:50):
I I did love it.
I thought I thought it wasgreat, and it kind of shows that
also defence isn't just astructure formation, it's a it's
a it's a it's a kind of peace ofmind, isn't it?
It's an ideology.
It's uh you know, it's it's likethey say when you know if you're
if your kid gets stuck under acar, you find the strength to
lift the car up.

(27:10):
Yeah.
Like this thing.
It's like in the Hulk orsomething.
Well you know what I mean, butI've heard this.
Like if you if you know you finda power from somewhere, and it
was almost like that's what wedid.

SPEAKER_06 (27:19):
The one thing that I loved as well is is every player
had each other they all had eachother's backs.

SPEAKER_05 (27:26):
Yeah, yeah, I think you're right.

SPEAKER_06 (27:26):
And it and that kind of that that will stand us in
good stead, you know, going intothe season.

SPEAKER_05 (27:31):
Uh especially since you think some of these players
like you know, Max Pepper hasonly just joined, he's he's not
integrated.
Carrington, even though he wentout, he only lasted like two
minutes, but we haven't got acohesive really Oscar Lennon
Oscar Lennon's come in from onthe red eye from like the US.

SPEAKER_04 (27:46):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 (27:47):
And he's you know, he has been here before, but you
know, he they basically rang himand said, We ain't got enough
kit, can you just bring your oldkit with you?
Even though it's got Haboo andtwo good international.
So it's quite even better.
That's what I'm saying.
It's brilliant that we hadn'teven really it was almost like
they was just like, boys, we'vejust the defensive structure for
today is fight for your lives.
Yeah, nothing more, just overthe line.

SPEAKER_04 (28:09):
Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 (28:10):
So anyway, so I you know, I thought, I know, and I
saw Rob Baxter said afterwardsthat he was actually really
disappointed that they didn'tscore in the first 10, 20, 15
minutes of the second half whenthey had ascendancy over us, and
they they didn't really theykind of just didn't, you know.
We and we then you know, we Ithink we then realised that the
only way we're gonna win thisgame now is we have to we have

(28:30):
to dominate them up front, wehave to get stuck in.
And that was the moment, theturning point almost of the
game, and and and I'm not sayingthis just because it's him, but
Dunny comes on, yeah.
Dunny comes on, Santi Grandonacomes off, who's uh a genuine
open side, yeah.
But Dunny comes on, goes goes inthe engine room with Rubiolo,

(28:52):
big Pedro, and uh he comes on,he goes, Hola, Pedro goes, hola,
and he's go and then Dunny getshis GCSC Spanish out and just
says, Let's go to work.
And then Bats goes at six in anaccent like hello, alo.
And and Mark, who is yeah, looksa bit alo, hello.
I bet Spanish is like, no, Dunnyjust looked at Pedro in the eye

(29:14):
and he said, Vamos, vamos, let'sgo.
Anyway, Mark sat in front of us,who's a scrum noise, he said to
me, Bats at six, that's gonna besome power going through that
scrum.
Guess what happened?
Scrum penalty, yeah.
So we got a scrum penalty, thenwe I think thinking it through,
we then kicked Worsley, then putin an unbelievable long kick.

(29:37):
Yeah, and we and then Dunny gotit on the line out and we rolled
an Augre score.
Now, if that's not a turningpoint, you tell me what is.

SPEAKER_06 (29:46):
Oh, yeah, I mean um well, we know Dunny's playing
for a for a contract, don't we?
And he has been so consistentthis season.
I mean, it's great.
First of all, that obviously thesurgery's all got.
Well, um, and it is brilliant tohave a fully fit and functioning
Donny back into that side, andhe it he did make a difference.

SPEAKER_04 (30:07):
He was like a man possessed.
The minute he came on yesterday,he brought on some liveliness,
grunt, and you're right.
You know what?
I like to thought he had hisshow.

SPEAKER_05 (30:15):
I like to think, I think Donny thinks you know, he
said we were gonna he he wantshe wanted a response.
He said to me at Sarry's we gotresponse.
Do you think when he came on hesaid I promised those boys?
Yeah, promised Bears were on thegate and me on that and he said
I can't let those boys down.

SPEAKER_06 (30:29):
Yeah, and he did we were his inspiration, yeah,
yeah.
And you could see it as wellafter when he came in.
He came well out after the gameboys.
He came to see us, Dougie cameto see us, and I I did get neck
ache looking at Joe Owen aswell, because I didn't realise
he was taller than he is talllad, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (30:49):
I didn't realize everyone's taller in real life.
Like eight I said Avon Boschofflast week felt like twice my
size, even little Max Pepper.
Poor old Paddy needed astepladder to chat to Joe Owen.
He did.
Anyway, we're digressing.

SPEAKER_04 (31:02):
So anyway, so so we're so we're 1514 up, aren't
we?
At what 57 minutes, which isyeah, I bet you're thinking,
well, we we'll push on from herepotentially.
Um, you know, we've got allwe've got all our men.
Did we have all our men back onthe pitch?

SPEAKER_05 (31:16):
No, because guess what happened?
Of course we didn't.
We no, we did, we had everyoneback on because um Lennon then
came on.
Yeah, of course.
Lennon came on for Jordan, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (31:25):
So uh and then Lennon was 15 on the pitch, but
not not in the right position.

SPEAKER_05 (31:30):
We had Lennon on the wing because he didn't have
time, they hadn't really workedout him him and Kira Marmion
hadn't had time to do rockscissors rock rock paper
scissors to find out who wasgonna go scrum up.
So Lennon goes on the wing,suddenly he gets like a he gets
it popped, he's got a yard toscore the try, and he gets held
up because someone's natural oneof the chief's forwards comes in

(31:52):
with his finger and lifts him uplike that and says so because
anyway, so we then so that was abit annoying, and then what
happened after that?
You see, you boys, that's why Imake these notes, because I know
what happened.
Shall I tell you what happened?
They then broke and Pepper gotcarded for a deliberate
knock-on.

SPEAKER_04 (32:09):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (32:09):
And actually, when you go back at it, you think he
took one for the team therebecause guess who was going to
be at the end of that pass?
It was Fayo Boso.
Yeah, and actually he probablyhad a he probably got a run in.

SPEAKER_04 (32:19):
We still definitely was that we did have a man back
on the 20th.

SPEAKER_05 (32:24):
Oh no, it wasn't a penalty try, but the thing was
he had he he probably it anyway,so he he trotted off.

SPEAKER_04 (32:30):
Well, anyway, well we did have three scrum afs on
the pitch at that point, soyeah.
So we needed one, he needed one.
We needed one of them off,didn't we?

SPEAKER_05 (32:38):
It's a bit village to have three on it.
But anyway, that's what hethought.
So that was the problem.
Um so Pepper's off on a yellow60 minutes, wasn't it?
Oh and this is where this iswhere you you know why I think
we're then down on the line, andthere's a scrum, and there's and
this is where I think this isthe moment the forwards realised

(32:59):
that this game was only going tobe won by them because Klosker
started scrapping.
I definitely remember Kloskerjust started scrapping with
somebody from the handbags, andthen and then he got he got
subbed.
He didn't spend miserablewalking off and then he got
subbed, and then walked.
I think Jake came on orsomething.
No, Charitama came on, and thenthey got a scrum pen.
And he's always and Mark again.

(33:20):
Sorry, I've name check Mark saidthis to me.
He said, Why is it that theyalways bring like your
replacements on just about whenyou're about to have a scrum?
Surely you just like wait, like,and then you know get through
it.
And it's a bit like line outsthey sometimes bring forwards on
just about go line out, and youthink anyway, so it was a great
tackle at some point there withfrom Fitz as well, wasn't it?

(33:42):
Yes, remember that brillianttackle, and then of course, this
was what all then led up to theywere pumping our line.

SPEAKER_04 (33:48):
I mean, we were defending like lions, but then
uh I mean on TV, I mean it wasyou know, Pepper went off from
about 65 minutes to the end ofthe game.
They were pumping our our tryline for the full 15 minutes.
Uh and I don't know, I know wellwe'll we'll chat about the the
DeSillo try.

SPEAKER_05 (34:04):
How well how well we defended that with Alan well I
mean we did everything then wentoff, and now we think that might
have been an injury thingbecause I'm sure he didn't want
to leave.

SPEAKER_04 (34:14):
Yeah, some little little ankle thing.

SPEAKER_05 (34:16):
They were pumping inevitably, you know, you a
couple of penalties are coming,and then of course we're
thinking that's two pens.
It the worst scenario try, youthink they score, and we get a
yellow card as well, and lo andbehold, it appears that they
score, and not only is it yetit's fit, see, and you're
thinking like our hero, but thiswas the whole thing, and I guess

(34:38):
a lot of people have read aboutthis now or seen it on telly.
But the for those that are youknow our listeners in out of
Mongolia and the Chiefslisteners, and the chief
supporters will put themstraight.
And let's just just let's talkthis through nice and clearly,
yeah, for the Chiefs fans.
Miles, you were watching onTelly.
Do you want to do it?

SPEAKER_04 (34:56):
Well, it wasn't clear, it wasn't clear real
time.

SPEAKER_05 (34:58):
Was it even clear on telly?

SPEAKER_04 (34:59):
Uh we had no idea what it was.
Yeah, anyway, yeah, when the TMOpulled it back.
I mean, ultimately, um we wereabout to get a yellow card, and
you're right.
I I said I said we might as welljust let them try, let them
score out on the periphery, youknow, uh on the edge, and they
might miss the kick.
Fitzy did take down a man, hejust pulled them down, so you
know, letter of the law, yellowcard was the correct decision.

(35:22):
But um TMO said, Oh, you know,Woodthorpe is gonna just look at
the look at the line out, slowedit down, and before, is it
Yandel?
Was it number two?
Before Yandel even threw it in,three not one, not two, but
three Chiefs uh forwards in theline out, stepped out of the
line out, uh, and in effectprepared to you know uh push

(35:46):
their man forward over the line.
Highly illegal.

SPEAKER_05 (35:49):
I mean that's but they they even they even then
put their arms around each otheras well and then started
running.

SPEAKER_06 (35:57):
I mean, chiefs always play on the edge, don't
they?
Yeah, on the they're very muchon the borderline before that
was miles, yeah, mile gallondays.
But yeah, that even for themthat was But you have to
question the line out.

SPEAKER_05 (36:07):
Do you not even spot that?

SPEAKER_06 (36:08):
Well, but I mean I we didn't spot it in the stands.

SPEAKER_04 (36:11):
You have to question the training ground move that
they thought they could even getaway with that.
Stepping out the line out, threeof them to propel their man uh
literally with two metresmomentum over the line.

SPEAKER_05 (36:25):
It's almost like when Rob Baxter was interviewed
about it afterwards, and he kindof admitted it, but it's almost
like he's saying, I told thosebastards to cheat, but not like
that.

SPEAKER_04 (36:35):
Not so obviously like did they not understand
when it was cheating when it wasslowed down, it was so obvious
that they stepped out before thefor the number two even threw
into the line.

SPEAKER_05 (36:47):
Because let's be honest, that is what a top
quality team can do.
We know that the all blacks at CSarah you cheat, but you don't
do it obviously, you do itbecause the refs have only got
so much time to make decisions,so you do it and then the
moment's gone.
But that was bad.
Those boys, I I reckon actuallythey are gonna that video review
tomorrow.

(37:08):
They are stirring the Chinese.
They're gonna be like stood upin front, but like standing by
backs in front of everybody, andthey're gonna have to apologize
for their for their poorcheating.
In the old days, they'd have hadthe ruler on the backs of the
legs, wouldn't they?
I think I imagine it's stilllike that down in Devon.

SPEAKER_04 (37:26):
I reckon.

SPEAKER_05 (37:27):
I mean, I I think I don't think liberalism has got
down that far here, is it?

SPEAKER_04 (37:30):
Do you think punishment is?
They get their soft malletschopped off.
Could be.

SPEAKER_06 (37:35):
That's even worse than the ruler.

SPEAKER_04 (37:37):
I think they But am I right, boys?
You you weren't clear why thedecision had been rescinded,
were you?
No.

SPEAKER_05 (37:42):
And they didn't say anything on the I thought the
whole thing was that they'resupposed to tell us now on the
on the on the And you know whythey didn't tell us?
Because I don't think we had aproper uh we weren't being
filmed properly by TNT, were we?
We were uh we were we were a redbutton job.
Yeah, you're right.
And we were on Discovery Plus.
Obviously what it was so theydidn't they didn't have the kind
of comms in the stadium.

SPEAKER_04 (38:02):
Yeah, so thank goodness for the TMO.
Correct decision, and then Fitsiwas back on.

SPEAKER_05 (38:06):
And then we've talked about it, but let's
finish it off.
Then we talked about thisearlier on, you know, we are
we're still we're still worriedbecause it was only a free kick
after all that.
You think you could at least heowed us a penalty like that?

SPEAKER_04 (38:19):
I mean we we were only one point up and anything
could ever happen in the lastten minutes.

SPEAKER_05 (38:24):
And I think I think what happened was we we we
obviously then had to give thempossession back because it was
only a free kick.
They tack Yancy Van Rensburggets a hold of non-penalty, we
then go deep, we get anotherpenalty, and it and it almost
seems like the penalty was forit was for um back chat from
Ethan Roots.
Yeah, yeah, because he did theall the handles.
Ref was not happy and I and I'veslowed I looked at the reason.

(38:49):
It was that, it was, you'reright.
That's good, but any more ofthat snippy snip type.
I watched the the highlightstoday and I s I paused it as it
came into that ruck, and I couldsee the two and I couldn't
really see anyone really sayingobviously one of them just said
I mean I I spent what he said,but he must have said something
pretty bad, yeah, and uh and itmust have been quite personal to

(39:11):
the ref that imagine like youknow well, you're a blind fucker
or something, something likethat, although yeah.
Family show, yeah.
Family show.
Oh, yeah, apologies.
Um but yeah, anyway.
It was and then of course we'vesaid this, we we got the pedal,
and then I thought, you knowwhat, we're gonna we're good
now, and then Worsley slots itjob done, everyone's happy, we
all go and get a few beers, yougo out with Paddy, you you knock

(39:35):
knock knock back a 1010-year-old Bush Mills, and then
his wife comes, and then hiswife comes and picks him up at
your flat 8 30 in the morning onSunday.
Oh no, perfectly planned beauty,perfectly planned, perfect
weekend.
Well, look, boys, I think we'vedone the game justice, but we do
always get um a few listener uha few listener uh contributions.

(39:56):
We've already had Dan Masters,but I I feel like I want to whip
through a few more.
Um and uh the first one we hadone from David Shellcross, very
simple acrostic.
Are you listening?
Yeah, go for it.
Single word acrostic, so youshould be uh follow this on.
It goes like this resilience,effort, vindication, enormous

(40:16):
review, strength, appeal,leadership.

SPEAKER_06 (40:20):
Revealing?

SPEAKER_05 (40:22):
Reversal.
Reversal.
Very clever.
Uh Hammy Hambley, poet laureate,obviously came in as he does.
I mean he's he's cut he's nowhe's now contracted to do a poem
within five minutes of the endof the game.
Because on his contract.
Um he oh hang on Oh, this isalso uh an acrostic, but uh one

(40:44):
with sentences, so concentrate,it's two words, all right.
I'll give you a clue.
It's a one, two, three, four,five, it's a seven and word and
a four word.
So here we go.
The Bears made it hard forthemselves, officials at sixes
and sevens, under pressurethrough ill discipline.
Not a pretty win, but a win.
Chiefs take nothing from thegame, expect harder games to

(41:07):
come.
Derby spoils are ours.
Brilliant from Worsley and thedying minutes.
Right already.
Ashton Gate's still a fortressthis season.
Considering injuries, this is ahuge result.
Kudos to the team.
Bounced back.
Bounced back.
Love it.
Love it.
Nice poet laureate.
As as per the contract, welldone.
Yeah, absolutely.

(41:27):
Top marks again.
Anthony Baxter was back on,cycle fan.
He was very negative last week,very upset last week, I think,
for the Sarri's game.
Well, I don't blame him.
But he's come back, and uh hisone is is not a lacrostic, it's
just a short, sharp summary.
He said, much better dog today.
We did win that.
How did we win that?
Must keep 15 on the pitch.

(41:47):
So it's short sharp.
That was a lot of dog.
Didn't understand how we won.
We need to keep people on thepitch.
I think everything's a validpoint there.

SPEAKER_06 (41:54):
Well, absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 (41:55):
I kind of think that was probably the plan to start
with, but uh Bristol Nick,Bristol Nick, Nick Howell, you
both.
Oh, we just spent a couple ofhours before the game.
Yeah, he said at Bears Beyondthe Gate about yesterday.
Think the boys turned adifferent corner today and took
us to the edge of heaven.

SPEAKER_04 (42:14):
That sounds like a beard, a beer fact you should
put on.
On the edge of heaven, I think.

SPEAKER_06 (42:17):
Drinking with me is obviously the same sort of
feeling.

SPEAKER_04 (42:19):
Do you know what?
We I've said on the edge ofhell, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_05 (42:22):
Couple of hours with you.
I promise I will come back toNick.
I was thinking about this, whatyou've mentioned.
I we we should get Lewis tocommission a Bears Beyond the
Gate brew.
On the edge of heaven.
Edge of Heaven.

SPEAKER_04 (42:32):
That that is that is an amazing.
You got you a next one.
That is the next that is a nextbeer.

SPEAKER_05 (42:38):
They do small batch brews, don't they?
The edge of heaven.
I tell you what, if they well,edge of heaven.
Well, or beyond the gate.
Or just beyond the gate.
Anyway, we digress.
Sorry, Nick.
I was halfway through yourshort, sharp summary.
So let's start again.
Think the boys turned adifferent corner today and took
us to the edge of heaven.
I thought we might be prayingfor time, but I enjoyed that as
much as last Christmas.

SPEAKER_06 (43:00):
What the song?

SPEAKER_05 (43:02):
Yeah, I guess so.

SPEAKER_06 (43:03):
I've always put I never I never I never saw Nick
as a as a George Michael.
And it says actually talking toGeorge Michael, we did slate me
for my shorts.

SPEAKER_05 (43:12):
Yeah, he said one for Lee and his shorts.
Yeah.
I was wearing shorts as well,but I couldn't get there because
of the traffic.
So you would have seen doubleshorts.
You escaped.
I escaped.
And then uh finally, um finally,our friend um Deb's from King
Sham, Deb's from K Town.

SPEAKER_04 (43:27):
K Town.

SPEAKER_05 (43:28):
She came back in, she said, Bears beyond again.
I noticed the fans, normallyvery critical, are quiet today.
No doubt they'll pipe up if welose next week.
And then she goes, not namingnames, mind.
Well, I'm gonna name a name.
Miles.
I wasn't even there.
Yeah, no, you're the criticalfan, you see.
She's always because I reckonshe she sees you the VRI and

(43:51):
you're like, oh devs, you know II guess talking of critical
fans, uh, an atmosphere.

SPEAKER_04 (43:57):
I mean, on TV yesterday it seemed a little bit
flat.
That's because we were it was atense game.
I mean the crowd was what justover 15 and a half K, which was
I I I felt a little bitdisappointing for a Saturday
afternoon derby, but I guess itwas tense the whole game.
Am I right?
Same from the stands.

SPEAKER_05 (44:14):
Yeah, we did what we did when it got when we needed
to bristle, we we saved ourbristling for the key moments.
And I think and actually youwhen Woodthought was going for
the I mean, looking at thescreen with the team area, there
was we were bristling for for alight.

SPEAKER_06 (44:26):
Yeah, I I I absolutely get where you're
coming for.
I think it was one of thosegames where the tension was
palpable.
It was palpable.

SPEAKER_04 (44:34):
Yeah.
I mean, I might say on TN on theTV, I could hear Simba Cam, and
I was I was thinking, head inhands, I was worried about Lee's
mental health while that was.
Well, he wasn't there, wasn'the?

SPEAKER_05 (44:45):
He was in the bar at the time, so he didn't miss it.
So there we are.

SPEAKER_06 (44:48):
I actually got out, no, I walked out because Simba
Cam just I don't blame you,mate.
I don't blame you.

SPEAKER_05 (44:54):
We're rambling on, we're rambling on.
So uh thanks for all of those.
And there's but we have got onemore, one more contribution that
I want to play.
And it's it doesn't happen veryoften, although it should do.
But we always said that whenBernard Yancy Ran Rensburg gets
mad of the match, we're alwaysgonna I'm always gonna snip in
his post-match interview becausehe's just so much fun listening

(45:17):
to him.
He hates doing it, and he hatesdoing it, but he he loves but he
has been raised in the world ofrugby cliches, and uh so I he
was interviewed by Claire, whowe all do.
And I know she's quite Marmite,and a lot of fans don't like her
commentating.

SPEAKER_06 (45:35):
I can't call her Marmite, because I love Marmite.

SPEAKER_05 (45:37):
Yeah, but I mean Marmite is some doing that.
You don't like Claire.
So not at all.
So anyway, I I I I couldn't bebothered to clip Claire out of
it.
So I think but I think you needClaire in it as well for the
whole the whole postmatch.
So what we'll do, boys, is uh Ithink we'll have a quick listen
to the legend that is BernardYancy Van Rensburg.

SPEAKER_00 (45:58):
How on earth did you win that?

SPEAKER_01 (46:00):
Oh, I can't I can't tell you exactly.
Uh uh credit to our forwards foruh defending what three malls
and scrums and everything inthat last ten minutes when
Nexeter was on our five thewhole time and you know keeping
them out from scoring.
Uh and yeah, I mean that'sthat's the game changer.
So yeah, great credit to ourforwards for keeping them out.

SPEAKER_00 (46:24):
Equally, a lot of rejigs needed in that back
division, you at the heart ofthose.
Not just one rejig, butconsecutive ones.
You had about nine scrum halveson the pitch at one point.
Take us into the conversationsthat were happening in the
huddles.
How did you go about figuring itout?

SPEAKER_01 (46:39):
Yeah, uh obviously that's really unfortunate.
You can't do anything about umthe injuries that happened in
the in the first two games.
Um Coach Pat always says uh allscrum halves at Bristol Bay's
are international wingers aswell, so that's why we had three
of them out there today.
Um I think it's it's justobviously people playing out of

(46:59):
positions again today, you know,with with Tom Tommy going off
and Batesy going off as well.
You know, we we're swappingaround the whole time.
It's just every time we get abreak, we we we try and connect
to each other, you know, uh aslong as we try to be on the same
page and and know what what theguy next to you is gonna do, you
know, we'll will be a little bitmore tight race unit, so that's

(47:22):
uh that's what we're trying todo.
And then in in the breaks, youknow, try and keep it calm, try
and connect to each other justto stay as tight as possible.

SPEAKER_00 (47:30):
How were the belief levels out there?
Because it didn't feel from upin commentary, and based on
Pat's reaction, perhaps from hisperspective, too, as though you
had that game one until yourturnover in the 78th minute.

SPEAKER_01 (47:40):
Oh, yeah, it's it's it's one of those things, you
know.
The last 10 minutes, every timewe had idle, we said, boys,
we're not gonna give up, we'regonna keep fighting.
And uh uh every opportunity thatthat I get in and around that,
if whether it's a tackle,whether it's trying to go for
the ball, whether it's trying todo a counter arc, I'm just
trying to give him our all forthe team, you know, to give us

(48:01):
the best opportunity to win thegame.

SPEAKER_05 (48:03):
Okay, Miles.
So there's uh the legend that isJansey van Rensburg.
What do you think of that?

SPEAKER_04 (48:08):
I thought not the legend that is Claire Thomas,
the uh the queen, the queen ofcliches, literally into being
the king of cliches.
I mean, literally, I take my hatoff to that man.
He is the hardest, the nicest,the most South African African
that we've got in the BristolBears.
Absolutely love him.
Uh and he's I guess he's a he'she he's a man of fairly few

(48:31):
words, and he needed a littlebit of prompting by the you know
TNT commendator, but but fairenough.
Uh you know, he he basicallybigged up his team, he he's he's
not just a one-man band, uh youknow, uh and you're right, he
played amazingly, and wewouldn't have won that game
without his sort of uhresilience, as it were.
Um but yeah, it's just hisdescription.

(48:53):
Coach Pat I love for Coach PatCoach Pat.

SPEAKER_05 (48:56):
I could just see him sat at the front, like in their
meetings, he's in the front row,in he, right at the front, and
then when black puts it, he'sputs his hand up Coach Pat Coach
Pat, pick me, pick me, CoachPat.

SPEAKER_06 (49:08):
Legs crossed.
Well, one thing I would say isuh I love the fact that he
didn't go down the yeah no routebecause yeah, I was you know did
he start with a listen or lookat the beginning?

SPEAKER_05 (49:20):
Oh not sure he did.
Listen, don't know about it.
It was actually ironically,wasn't one of his most
cliche-ridden post matches.
There was a couple of beauties.
There was in and he's there waswhen he said I like to get in
and around them.

SPEAKER_06 (49:30):
In and around them.
Yeah, I I loved the fact that hegoes, Oh, yeah, and he's got you
know what I mean, he's he's likereplaying it back in his easy
loved one.

SPEAKER_05 (49:39):
But he just looks so grateful that he's being asked,
like he's like a little like arabbit in the headlights, but
he's kind of like oh, he's likewhen you make a little year
seven do a presentation and theydon't really want to, but
they're kind of quite pleasedthat they've been asked.
He did smile the whole interviewand fair play, love him.
Absolutely.
And he did I mean he did creditto the boys, he did, which is a
standard.
I mean, that's just a standardphrase across the whole of

(50:00):
Bristol Bears rugby, innit?
Credit to the boys.
He didn't take the glory,Michael saying, absolutely,
isn't it?
Yeah, absolutely.
He didn't take the glory, hedid.
He praised his teammates,rightly so.
He did a great job.
So there was there was Yancy.
Anyway, you're listening toBears Beyond the Gate at Bristol
Bears Podcast, made by fans, forfans.
You can get in touch with usthrough our various social
platforms or even email us atbearsbeyondegate at gmail.com.

(50:24):
Well, boys, we've got uh anothergame, thick and fast.
It's Gloucester away.
Um they've not had a great startto the season, but before we
have a little think about thatgame, I managed to grab a little
chat with a big friend of thepod, Ed Price from Cherry Jam,
their fellow fans podcast.
He's always very good, very uharticulate.

(50:45):
So I had a quick chat with himthis afternoon and uh to find
out what life's like at the M5.
And this is how it went.
Okay, so it's great to welcomeEd Price back to Bears Beyond
the Gate.
Uh he is the head honcho ofCherry Jam Podcast, the
Gloucester Podcast.
Um so, Ed, you had a bit of a atough day yesterday down the

(51:07):
wreck on many levels.
Uh, I think you were 28 nil downat one point, which is something
that Bears fans can uh canrelate to.

SPEAKER_03 (51:14):
So um, yeah, what how was it yesterday?
Hi, Pete.
Yeah, no, um, thank you verymuch for having me on again.
Um, I always enjoy um uh uhspreading the cheer uh whenever
I get the chance to come on theuh on the pod.
Um yeah, so it was it was a itwas a tough day.
I mean, the no Gloucester fankind of expected anything other
than a defeat.
I think if we'd managed tosnaffle a bonus point, that

(51:36):
would have been seen as a bigvictory.
And probably we should have doneactually.
Um we did have a fewopportunities in that second
half and and just ourhorrendously awful line out is
um it keeps uh causing usproblems.
Um yeah, 28-0 down.
I mean, ironically, we were 31-0down to Northampton the week
before.
Um, but um yeah, any chance of acomeback this time were was

(52:00):
really not in not of thequestion, to be honest.
Um I know there's a bit of afight back in the second half,
helped very much by Finn Russellbeing a bit of an idiot and
giving away a stupid yellowcard.
Um there's a few bright points.
I mean, I thought Will Josephwas was very good.
If anybody hasn't seen thechance to see his solo try, um
pretty remarkable finish there,and he was also instrumental in

(52:22):
setting up losses second.
Um it's just yeah, it's it'sthis season so far has been
pretty abject, um very averageup at sale and got beaten up.
Uh Northampton, you probablywould have seen it was just
chaos in the first half, managedto get back in front and then um
forced it up at the end.

(52:42):
Um for uh and to be honest, I inno way did we deserve to really
win that game.
It was uh it was Northamptonalmost capitulating that um gave
us an opportunity there.
And then last yeah, it's thefirst time I've been to a
Gloucester game, really home oraway, where I've actually gone
and thought we have absolutelyno chance.
And it that that was how bleakit was yesterday.

(53:02):
There was a lot of Gloucesterfans kind of thinking if we can
keep it below 40 points, we'llwe would have done well, which
we did.
Um and yeah, if we could havegot a bonus point, it would have
been nice.
But just overall experience,it's been a decade since I've
been down at the wreck, and I'mit I'm not be rushing back to go
again.
It's a dreadful ground, umpretty average people.
Um, no atmosphere, and that wasreally remarkable.

(53:23):
I mean, I I you think for a sideas good as Bath R, and it hurts
me to say that they're awonderful side, they've got some
fantastic players.
Um, and Finn Russell wasimperious uh at times yesterday.
There was no atmosphere.
You could have heard a pin drop.
I actually did hear the burgervan in the first half.
Um it's it's a dreadful place towatch rugby.
I mean, I know they've got theirthey've got their um planning

(53:44):
permission in, and I think wewere mentioning before we
started recording it, it's gonnawhen they do get it all sorted,
it's gonna be a benefit to notjust bass supporters, but all
supporters of rugby who decideto do go to hand there again.
Um, you know, 15 minutes it tookme to get out the out of the
stand yesterday.
So from a health and safetypoint of view, Krakkie knows
what happens if there's anemergency.
Just a dreadful place, dreadfulplace.

(54:05):
No redeeming features orqualities at all.
Wow, so it was it was worth themoney then.
Thankfully, I I got a freebie.
So I uh that's and that's theonly reason I went.
It was a freebie, it was afreebie through uh my
brother-in-law, who very, veryluckily works for um the the
title sponsor of the Prem.
And um he gets entered into aprize draw, so we got tickets
for it through him.

(54:25):
But yeah, I wouldn't be spending100 quid to go and watch to
watch rugby there and jog on.

SPEAKER_05 (54:29):
So so you do mention that you've had a bit of a I
think you said abject start tothe season.
And yeah, um, I mean, obviouslyyeah, interested Bears observers
will know that you you lost afew players over the summer.
I mean, is that is that the mainreason why you think you've
started slowly, or or are thereare other factors?

SPEAKER_03 (54:47):
I I do think that the the player turnover is
definitely has an impact.
Um, you know, we by the end ofthe season, we were playing good
rugby throughout the season.
I think there was a lot ofcontinuity.
Um and we were we were probablymissing a little bit of depth in
in the in the back three.
That's probably where ourbiggest weakness was at the

(55:08):
time.
Uh, and what we've done now iswe compounded that by having no
depth at all at back row.
Um uh or we do have depth, but Iwouldn't I wouldn't say they're
they're really sort of a lightfor liking quality.
And um, you know, that I thinkin the front row, a bit like
bears have got an injury crisisin a few spec in a few uh spots,
our front row, we're down to ourbare bones already.

(55:30):
Um and and that includes somereally you know, there's there's
certain certain injuries youthink, well, what the hell are
they doing in training?
Um there's other injuries andand and and absences which are
far more serious and worryingthan the likes of um uh Jack
Singleton, who it sounds likehe's been stood down for having
a cardiac event, and the nospecifics around it, but
obviously we wish him well.

(55:51):
But yeah, it's just it's justbeen it seems like the the
players we brought it in,they're struggling to bed in to
the system.
Um the defensive systems are allover the place.
I mean, it was dog lug centralat times against Bath.
Um, so um it's heightened up inthe second half, and I think you
got we have to give them creditthat they do seem to be able to
adjust, but we're giving teamstoo much space and too much

(56:14):
time.
And I think the other the otheraspect is obviously we've we
brought in um uh Ross Byrne fromfrom Leinster, and there are big
things expected, uh, and he justseems to be a bit off the boil.
And when and and when your packis getting beaten up a bit, and
I said the line out's justappalling at the moment, but if
you're getting if you're gettingnot a lot of forward ball or or

(56:36):
good quality ball, any fly askgoing to struggle, but when
you're coming into a team new,there's new combinations, um,
we've not really had any sort ofsettled side yet this season.
I I think that that's having abig impact.
Um and and you could combine allthat and then a lack of
confidence, it seems to be bethe big problem as well.

SPEAKER_05 (56:56):
So uh it seems to me that that what you need is a is
a nice easy game to get yourselfback on track.
So uh Friday, the Bears arerolling into town again.
Uh and and I would say that uhwe're we may be fairly short of
a few players.
So genuinely, uh do you actuallythink that this could be a good
game for you, kind of under thelights, the shed on shed baying

(57:20):
for blood.
You know, Bristol kind of had areasonable start, but but
definitely there for the taking.
What how do you see it going?

SPEAKER_03 (57:27):
I I think I think if I was gonna choose one of two
sides to be playing at thispoint, I think Bristol would be
one of them.
Um just because of the sheernumber of injuries and the total
and that's a decimation of yoursquad.
I mean it's it's horrible.
Um, but as a as a neutral and asa you know, as someone who's
who's obviously we've got youthis on Friday, it it's good
that we're not gonna have toprobably face Re Summit and a

(57:48):
lot of your other betterplayers.
Um and I do have generalsympathy here because you know
Gloucester aren't that far offin terms of our injury.
I think we've got 16 out orsomething like that.
It's absolutely crazy ourselves.
We've got so many players out.
Um, I think that the differenceprobably is that a lot of them
are fringe players, whereas alot of the Bristol players are
uh are kind of key core playersthat you're you're you're

(58:08):
missing.
Um obviously last season we dida real number on you, and I
would say that if we can getclose to the to the levels we
hit last season, I I think I'dbe comfortable in us in picking
up a win.
I think the problem we're facingat the moment is we're giving
tides far too much space.
I mean, let's say the last twogames we've given a 31 and a

(58:30):
28-nil head start to theopposition.
We can't do that against Bristolbecause Bristol will put 50-60
points on us despite yourinjuries, because you're you
know you're that type of team.
Um I think I think um again thebr probably Bristol winning a
scrappy tight game againstExeter probably will do them a
good.
Whereas Gloucester are kind ofstill playing the very, very

(58:50):
expansive open game, and yeah,we could maybe nick it if we win
seven tries to six.
But I I would prefer to play abit more of a measured game um
and and play in the right areas.
We seem to be still playing alittle bit too much barbar's
rugby at times.
Um but yeah, it's it's I I meanif as I say, Bristol Bristol

(59:10):
would always be a challenge, butI think it's gonna be uh from
our point of view a case ofgetting our mindset right.
I think people expected, myselfincluded, against Northampton,
for us to to roll them over.
There we had a very, very sortof weakened second string side,
and we just got blasted off thepark in the first half against
against Northampton.
I I would say if we go into thesay with the same mentalities,

(59:31):
oh well Bristol have got loadsof injuries, um, they're down to
their bare bones, this should bean easy game.
We'll get turned over.
We have to go in with the rightmentality, we have to go in all
guns blazing.
And and because I I do worry ifwe don't beat Bristol on Friday,
um, we've then got extra away.
And I know extra are veryrelatively average, but at the
moment, but we've got a horrificrecord against Exeter um uh i i

(59:55):
away at Sandy Park, and which isa difficult place to go at the
best of times.
And I I just think I don't knowwhen the wind coming, where the
wind would be coming from.
Um I think we've got Quinn'ssort of early December, maybe,
mid mid-December or somethinglike that.
I think that's the next oneafter that, after because you
got the Prem Cup and then umEuropeans and stuff.
So I I just yeah, I it's I Istruggle to see where we would

(01:00:16):
get a win from.
So the massive.
I would argue if if we want tohave any sort of uh anything at
all in terms of of later in theseason, um, we need to win on on
Friday night.
And I mean the thing isobviously, Pete, you know, both
of you and me we we might becalled up at this rate with the
number of injuries that we're uhthat we're experiencing.

SPEAKER_05 (01:00:37):
Well, you did say they're short in the front row
in both uh.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:41):
Yeah, I mean they did they'd have to be very
desperate to call me up into thefront row.
Um I think I think there wouldbe probably about there's gonna
be eldo pensioners who are gonnabe ahead of me to get.
I was just thinking of all aboutweight, you know, and and heft.

SPEAKER_05 (01:00:53):
You're a pretty slim sort of guy.

SPEAKER_03 (01:00:55):
That's very kind of you.
Thank you, Pete.
Thank you very much.
That that was the reason Iwasn't gonna get in the front
row.

SPEAKER_05 (01:01:00):
Yeah, um, well, uh it's gonna be, I think it's
gonna be an interesting game,and uh no doubt we will uh we
will talk about this uh on thepod after we've inserted your
little bit of audio.
And uh I'm sure if you're youwant to hear what we say, then
tune in to Bears Beyond the Gateon Monday and uh find out our
thoughts.
But I really really appreciateyour time.
Um, it's always good to talk toyou.

(01:01:22):
I know our listeners very muchappreciate hearing from
knowledgeable opponent fans, anduh we look forward to well,
we're coming up actually onFriday, so we we may well see
you in the Pelican again like wedid last time.
Um we're taking our Bears Beyondthe Gate flag into the shed as
we did last year.

SPEAKER_03 (01:01:41):
So it got hidden pretty quickly though, didn't
it?

SPEAKER_05 (01:01:44):
Although I've got to say, I did go to the I I did go
to the toilet in the first half,came back and then held the the
the flat the Bears Beyond theGate flag up facing the shed and
got roundly abused, and that wasexactly what I wanted.
So it was uh it was a good itwas a good laugh.
Anyway, on that note, I will sayuh bid you farewell and uh look
forward to Friday.

(01:02:05):
Yeah, may the best team win.
Thanks, Pete.
Absolutely, cheers, Ed.
Right, so there you go.
That was uh that was Ed.
Um gave us a pretty honestassessment.
I think the irony is thatthey're in a pretty bad way, but
the irony was that he said thatprobably we were one of the
teams they would quite like toface next Friday, given our kind
of still.
Well, we're in a worse way,yeah.
I don't well, I'm not sure in aworse well, who knows?

(01:02:26):
But anyway, injury we have got,I think, as we know, our back
line.
Although I think forward wise,the glimmer of hope for us was
that he was pretty down on thetheir set piece, their line out
apparently looks terrible, andtheir bat row he didn't have a
lot of time for.
And and actually I would saythose are our two massive
strengths at the moment.
So that's got to be the targetareas for our only strengths at

(01:02:48):
the moment.
Yeah, I mean I I think I I thinkwe're gonna I think we're gonna
play a pretty dirty, ugly,forward-dominated game.
I I don't necessarily think it'sgonna involve a lot of kicking,
but I just think we're gonna bedoing we're gonna be able to
folk the forwards are gonna stepup and and and dominate, and
that's that's the way it's gonnago.
So on that note, I reckon weshould just have a quick chat
about what we think the team islikely to be, which of course is

(01:03:10):
a changing movable feast becausewe don't quite know about
injuries and who may be comingback.
But who do you think the anymajor changes from our starting
uh 15 this week for next week?

SPEAKER_06 (01:03:23):
I mean I I guess the one that stands out is is uh
Superman, Mr.
Superman, Lua Tua, because um wedidn't really know why he wasn't
yeah, he wasn't on the injurylist.

SPEAKER_05 (01:03:35):
Do you think he's gonna come in at 10 then?
Yeah, probably.
And to be fair, he's good that'swhy he was away.
I saw him at Grevel Smythe Parkpracticing his spiral kicks.
That's why Pat gave him the dayoff.

SPEAKER_06 (01:03:46):
Yeah, I mean I I don't know.
I could see maybe if he's youknow, maybe I don't maybe I'm
not normally wrestling, but Iguess he is of a certain age
now, in rugby terms.

SPEAKER_05 (01:03:55):
But so he he could be he could come into the back
row, couldn't he?
I mean Grandona is obviously aseasoned international, but it's
almost like we just needsomebody who's been there, seen
it, and done it over manyseasons.
Yeah, yeah.
So I do think maybe fluster awayin there.
Yeah, yeah.
My only caveat on that is that Ijust wonder whether the whole
when Dunny came on for Rubiolaand we had Bats at six, whether

(01:04:16):
we we start with that as a as acombo because it's just a power
combo.
I like it.
Get a lot of scrum pens, youknow, get a few line out, get a
few balls.
There's a bit of filth in there,a bit of filth.
Yeah.
And bats is I reckon bat I don'tknow whether how much bats has
ever played in the bat row, buthe just I just feel like if
we're keeping it quite tight aswell, he could be uh that could

(01:04:37):
be a you know, I don't thinkthat was ever in the plans, but
after that second and finalquarter, I just wonder whether
Pat would look at that and thinkthat I like the sound of it.

SPEAKER_04 (01:04:47):
Well, I like it.
I mean it I mean if Ed isworried about their scrum, then
we should just dominatementioned about Row absolutely,
and we haven't as we know wehaven't got many backs in the
correct position then.

SPEAKER_05 (01:04:57):
Fitz obviously guaranteed starter matter.
So I quite like the idea ofmatter at eight, fitts at seven
bats at six, and then you know,then you've got and then Dunny
and Pedro, you know.
Um actually quite excited aboutit.
Yeah and then uh let's just hopethat if Genji Should we end it
there?

SPEAKER_04 (01:05:15):
Just play a game of just forwards.

SPEAKER_05 (01:05:18):
Well, I mean one of our forwards for everything,
isn't it?
There's an argument to say JoeOwen might end up at outside
centre, right?
He's got the late, he's got thegas.

SPEAKER_06 (01:05:26):
He definitely has.

SPEAKER_05 (01:05:27):
So I think that's right.
I think I think forwards that'sour one big thing.
Could be wrong.

SPEAKER_06 (01:05:33):
Um I mean it would be nice to go there and play
that type of game as well,because I mean we've it's it's
not the you know the besthunting ground for us, is it?
No, you know.

SPEAKER_05 (01:05:42):
But you see, so I've got these I've got these images
coming to my mind already of oflike bats picking and going, and
then Dunny coming in, pickingand going, and then batter
coming in, picking and going,and then Fitz coming in, chicken
winging it, and Ogre's there,you know, that just like pick
and go, pick and go, punch,punch, punch.
Yeah, do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_06 (01:06:01):
I can see um Calavetti scoring a try there as
well.
I really can.
And I just allowed.

SPEAKER_05 (01:06:06):
And I just I've got this idea of then Rubiolo just
hitting rucks at speed.

SPEAKER_06 (01:06:11):
And Dunny just almost boiling.

SPEAKER_05 (01:06:15):
And I I've got this image.
I've got this image of anotherlike mall defence or another
mall, and then Dunny just turnedinto Rubiolo and they're just
they're just fist pumping likethat.
Bringing the continentstogether.
Do you know what?

SPEAKER_06 (01:06:31):
I think Dunny's gonna score a try as well.
I feel like I feel like I reallyfeel like Dunny's it's yeah,
it's gonna be set up for Dunnyto go ahead and front of the
shed.

SPEAKER_05 (01:06:40):
So I think that's that's that sort.
And then anything in the backs,I mean the backs is like we're
not even sure who's gonna beavailable, and if they're gonna
be.
I mean, we obviously know Marmyand Haskell 10 probably's
Worsley, unless Louatua fanciesit.
Or maybe they put a call intoJohn Offoa, come back.
Um Yancy Van Rensburg, obviouslyBernard at 12, 13.

(01:07:02):
Are we gonna have to put Revolvoback at 13?
Because I can't, unless Batescomes back, I can't think of
another 13.
No, I don't know, to be honesthere as well.

SPEAKER_04 (01:07:10):
Maroney.

SPEAKER_05 (01:07:11):
Oh, well, of course, yeah.
Yes, Miles, well done.
Yes.
So do we throw him in?

SPEAKER_04 (01:07:15):
Needs must.
I mean, he's been playing.

SPEAKER_05 (01:07:17):
We just say and we just say to him, look, mate,
Matteo, um, we're not reallygonna play an expansive game, so
all you've got to do is smashanything that you see in front
of you.
Which you'll love doing.
That is a great show.
Yeah, and and I think on thatbasis we won't we will play a
very basic game.
Yeah, and it will have to and itwill smash them in defence and
and let's let's not muck aroundtoo much with kind of chicken

(01:07:39):
wings round the back looping.
If we're not sure, just boot itdownfield.
Yeah, who have we not asked?

SPEAKER_04 (01:07:44):
We've got any out and out wingers.

SPEAKER_05 (01:07:46):
Well, Boschoff could come back in and Pepper, but but
not what we might classify whowe would have said right at the
beginning of the season.

SPEAKER_06 (01:07:53):
But then if Moroni's playing in the in in the sense
of the water, well Revovo wouldput on the wings because we've
got like Thorley potentially tocome up against, and we I think
he's dangerous, so and then butwe see Crystal Loder.

SPEAKER_05 (01:08:06):
Well, Elisalde, I think 100% all day of every day
of the week.

SPEAKER_04 (01:08:10):
Lena, we don't quite know, he was maybe not fast.
Lena's got to be close.
Fast forgy pitch, isn't it?
Yeah, yeah.
Not unforgiving to say theleast.

SPEAKER_05 (01:08:19):
I mean, I think I think they'll put Revolvo up
against well, yeah, becauseThorley is dangerous, he's fast.

SPEAKER_04 (01:08:25):
Yeah, but Loader's been good as well.
I mean, they're not the thebacks are and load I think
great.

SPEAKER_06 (01:08:30):
Although Loader, I think Loader got schooled by
Arendor yesterday.
Ben Loader is not the playerthat I thought he would actually
train on to be.
He's great.
Don't get me wrong, he's a greatplayer, but I actually thought
he was, you know, potentially hewas gonna be a big, big star.
Yeah.
And I don't think and we've gotwe've got to say as well,
obviously, because Gloucesterlost a few big players, haven't

(01:08:53):
we?
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know what I mean.

SPEAKER_05 (01:08:55):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I think we've got to be we'vegot to be conservatively
optimistic.

SPEAKER_04 (01:08:59):
I mean, we were yeah, we were schooled last
year, aren't we?
Yeah, primary school teaching.
Uh uh, and 100% we've got towe've got to turn that around
and go up there and show them,you know, that we can win.

SPEAKER_05 (01:09:11):
I mean, when when you know, last that lastly, when
you know that our Bears Beyondthe Gate flag put more of a
shift in than any of the playerslast year, you know it was a bad
day in the office, don't you?

SPEAKER_04 (01:09:21):
So we may not need to roll out the flag this year.

SPEAKER_05 (01:09:24):
Oh, we'll definitely roll the flag out, Mars.
I did it, but your take.
Do you know I've not told youwhat your job is?
You've got to I've told you,I've tasked you that you're
gonna hold the flag up and walkthe whole length of the shed,
not just a little section yet.
Yeah.
Anyway, so I think we're donethere.
So we we could we'll find outwhat happens when we go.
It's gonna be fun.
In case you didn't realise,yeah.

SPEAKER_04 (01:09:44):
In case you didn't realise, if you know, two-thirds
of us will be be at the shed onFriday night with a few few
other listeners as well.
The flag flags coming.

SPEAKER_05 (01:09:53):
Yeah, the flag's been, and actually we should say
the flag has been to Glastonburysince the last time it was at
the shed, it's been toGlastonbury, and it's been to
Australia.
Australia.
So uh fair play to the flags, Isay.
You washed it beef.
Uh yeah, yeah.
Yeah, gave it a little wash.
So, anyway, um that's it.
So I think we've got last littlebit, finish off.
It was like a little bit of AOB.

(01:10:13):
I I'd written three things down.
I'm gonna we Dunny and Joe Owencoming to see us in the sports
bar rather than us going to seethem, was a definite plus.
But then when they came to seeus, it then made us realise how
pathetic and small you are.
Like how puny is like don't usethe word puny very often, but I
I just felt so puny againstthem.

(01:10:34):
And I just thought I almost saidto Dunny, mate, love it, just go
now.
Just kneel down and just go.
We look pathetic amongst you.
Anyway, so that was that.
Any goats, boys.
I mean, like massive goats.
Oh yeah.
Oh, go on.

SPEAKER_06 (01:10:46):
Pete, you have this one.

SPEAKER_05 (01:10:47):
You are so me and Lee at halftime were coming
down, we we're going, andsomebody comes out of a beer
queue, he was that angry, cameout of his place in the queue.
Yeah, said willing to he wantedto, he said, I've got a goat,
I've got your goat off myfurious, and I can't I can't
remember his name.
He'll know who he is.
He didn't really want to tell mehis lane, he he was an anonymous
fury, but he basically, cut along story short, he'd ordered a

(01:11:09):
home shirt online six weeks ago.
Not only has he not had it, hehasn't even had any like
correspondence.
Now I know that you know thesethings happen, but it's just a
fact.
Now I don't know whether that'sthe same with everybody out
there, but this is a this isevidence-based gotary that this
bloke said I haven't and I don'teven know how to get in contact

(01:11:30):
with anyone to find out.
So if anybody is out there atBristol Sport, there's some poor
bloke furious that he hasn't gotmaybe more than one poor bloke,
yeah.
So maybe I mean it sounds likethey kind of got more stock in
now.
So hopefully by the time thiscomes out, he'll he'll have his
his shut.

SPEAKER_06 (01:11:48):
I mean it is frustrating, isn't it?
Because like you can see peoplebuying them in the club shop,
yeah.
And then you know you've beenwaiting at the time.

SPEAKER_05 (01:11:54):
And I reckon if Tom was here and we looked Tom in
the eye and said, Tom, it's notgood, is it?
That he would admit it and he'dsay, Look, I'm sorry, boys, you
know, something's gone wrong,I'll sort this out.
So well he was nothing if nothonest, was he with us?
Absolutely.
So that is a massive goat, andthen a cut, but then an
anti-goat.
I don't know what we everdecided what the opposite of a
goat is.
That what something gets mygoat, but what doesn't get my

(01:12:15):
goat.
Anyway, roast tinted spectacles.
Yeah, give it a go.
So uh a couple of things thoseof you that that read the
Bristol Rugby.net forum wouldhave seen that somebody's come
on from the uh the supportersadvisory committee, they've
obviously got some new membersand they've had a meeting
already.
And actually, he said that Iwanted to report an update of
the meeting, and and we wediscussed, and a couple of

(01:12:36):
things the club have done isthey've agreed that they're not
gonna have smoke anymore.
It's always it's gonna be flamesnow because a few people
complained about the smoke.

SPEAKER_04 (01:12:43):
Well, no smoke this weekend was there?
No, no, no, no, it was flames,it was flames, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 (01:12:46):
So that I think that's it.
I think the smoke just a a lotof people said it was a bit
ironic where it said no vapingand there was a massive smoke.

SPEAKER_06 (01:12:54):
Me and John Phipps were disappointed in that
because you know I it I don'tknow if you guys read it in the
week, but we we posted he postedon um X on Twitter that he loved
the smell of it because itreminded me of the old uh the
old pop gun.

SPEAKER_05 (01:13:07):
I did read that, yeah.
Yeah, um, but then also about amillion people said it gave them
asthma attacks, so that was thedownside of it as well.
Anyway, it's gone, smoke's gone,and also it did kind of just
linger for quite a long time andwe couldn't see the game, so
that's gone.
So fair play.
Uh second thing, they've decidedthat they agreed that there
shouldn't be any kind offrivolous interludes when

(01:13:29):
there's a serious injury,because we did make the point
that when AJ's Achilles went,they then used air, they played
they did air guitar camp.
And and I think that's beenaccepted that that was wrong,
and they're gonna agree thatthey will they'll only do that
when there's kind of naturalbreaks in the yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah.
Okay, and then the third thingwas a lot of fans have said if
you're in the dolman, you can'tsee a shot clock because the the

(01:13:51):
only shot clock is in the otherscreen by the Attio, so
everybody else can see it.
Southstand, Attio, andLandstand, but we can't.
So the club have acknowledgedthat that is a problem, and
they're looking at how they'regonna get a shot clock under the
screen by the Heineken.

SPEAKER_06 (01:14:05):
I mean, personally, I wouldn't I'm not that bothered
by that.

SPEAKER_04 (01:14:07):
No, I know that's not massive, is it?

SPEAKER_06 (01:14:09):
If it if it got really low, then you know I'm
sure the Southstand would go,ooh, I mean we'd know somehow.

SPEAKER_05 (01:14:15):
In fact, in some ways, it's better to have not
southstand could be our shotclock.
Yeah, and they they've got tolike think so.
Actually, forget about thatclub.
Don't get a shot clock.
Just count, just get theSouthstand to count.
No, yeah, yeah.
So Southstand, that's yourchallenge.
Next home game, I want to hearyou counting.

SPEAKER_04 (01:14:33):
I think that's sufficient.

SPEAKER_05 (01:14:34):
Yeah, and then finally, it's not really a goat,
but um look a like he can wasback on again.
Oh, yeah.
Did you you it was second half?
Did you see it?
Was it any good?
Do you know it was?
Yeah, it was Alan Carr.

SPEAKER_06 (01:14:44):
It was Alan Carr.

SPEAKER_05 (01:14:44):
But but he's already been off for the something
before because he looked like hewas so much I almost thought it
was Alan Carr.
If he hadn't been in thetraitors castle, I would have
thought it was Alan Carr.
Right.
But the bloke was, but the wayhe looked at the camera, you
said you you knew that that hethat had happened to him before.
Maybe not the rope, butsomewhere he'd already been he

(01:15:06):
was I reckon he actually was anAlan Carr looker like and earned
money from it.
He was that good.
It was so but what he shouldhave done, he like he blew it
because he kind of coily smiled.

SPEAKER_07 (01:15:16):
He should have done a big old Alan Carried, he
ruined his main man.
He should have accepted it.

SPEAKER_05 (01:15:24):
He had 15,000 people, he could have done a
whole oh Alan Carr does.
So anyway, fair play to whoever.
I'd love to know who's doingthat.
Like how somebody is there somepoor student, but then students
don't have that cultural depthto to know what people look
like.

SPEAKER_06 (01:15:42):
It's got to be someone moral and wise like us,
us.

SPEAKER_05 (01:15:45):
I reckon it might be Rich Berry, because he's he's
sorted out, he's done all of hissafeguarding, he's done his
chats, and I reckon they give alittle monitor, and his job is
to scan the crowd for anybodythat looks like anybody, and
then gets it up to the mediaboard.
It would fit the bill, wouldn'tit?
Because maybe it's part of hisuh his his remit.

SPEAKER_04 (01:16:02):
I mean, that's let's just say on a positive note, and
laughing aside, it's great thatwe have the supporters advisory
groups and that they that theclub have engaged and that
they've made some changes whichfans have agreed, been agreed.

SPEAKER_05 (01:16:15):
So yeah, full marks, full marks, absolutely.
Well, I think on that point weshould leave we should leave it
on a positive note.
Absolutely.
So have a good week.
Those of you that are going upto the shed will uh we'll we'll
all shout out the flag.
Look out for the flag or lookout for us and give us a big
hearty hello.
Um, have a good week, and mostimportantly, or stay safe, and

(01:16:36):
most importantly, one, two,three, up.