We played better, not sure we played much better.

It was a horrible game for the most part. Union played in the way it was about 4 years ago when teams just played kicking Tennis, booting the ball up and down the field in hope of one of the backs making an error or making a slight bit of territory. You can't play against a team like Saracens like that. A lot of people don't like their style of Rugby as they aren't flash and don't run in the tries like Leicester or Harlequins, but they're very solid and we seemed to be trying to play them at their own game. We lost, evidently. Our try was superb and the refereeing was shocking, but it was just aimless kick after aimless kick which lead to nothing. Cipriani doesn't seem to have done anything of note yet, which people on our forum seem to disagree with. I'm still waiting to be won over by him though.

The attendance was disappointing, the amount there was even more disappointing. There was never 7400 there. I've already said this on the Salford forum but basically, to put it short - we had roughly 7000 seats at Edgeley Park that were in the Bronze and Silver categories. At Salford there's just one stand for those 2 brackets and it holds about 2000. The rest of the seating is Gold and is £47 a game. The West Stand (the big, smart one) has been absolutely empty for both games so far. Our hardcore fans seem to have gone for standing or managed to get a seat in the East Stand which isn't as expensive.

Until they sort the prices out then I think we'll see some more figures like that. We apparently need 7,500 a game to break even, can't see that.

London Welsh have increased their crowds and no doubt their spend (probably by more)........but they have increased their crowds, which is what was under debate.



It'll be rolled out as "it's the olympics fault" or something like that, but in reality, they'll be scratching their heads wondering why. I would say they have yet to understand their place on the pecking order of club sport........which is below soccers 3rd tier and that they need to sort out their pricing structures. To a certain extent, they need to stop believing their own hype.....just because the RFU can fill twickenham, doesn't mean that Exeter v London Welsh will create the same interest. When I was home last week I noticed that tickets for England v FIJI were on offerfor 40 notes each.....even the internationals will start to struggle.




You were debating the crowds at a union club....I simply pointed out that fans in glass houses should ease off with the stone throwing. I am a die hard Broncos fan, but even I admit that London Welsh have crowds we would kill for.

Very rarely watch Union but do watch the All Blacks. Tuned into the Australia v All Blacks game today and switched it off at HT. Thought it was very boring!

Went to London Irish v Mont de Marsan today with a union-loving friend. One-sided anyway, but amazing that even when there's a match full of tries, it's so inferior to League. And the schlock, cod Irishness of the thing was insane- like being trapped in a semi-open O'Neills in Basingstoke.