Oh....

Harlequins 38 - Gloucester 9
I switched off my transistor radio with ten minutes to go, played a Jedi mind trick on myself so that I would forget I followed Gloucester and buried myself in a book. I feel terribly sorry for those who travelled any distance to watch the city surrender against the bottom club in the league who were reduced to 14 players for most of the match. I feel that plenty of the Gloucester team know that they won’t be at Kingsholm much longer and have given up, an unacceptable state of affairs for professional athletes at a proud club like ours. Perhaps some were trying their hardest but were woefully short of required class. I would suggest that only Simpson-Daniel, Boer, Balding and Brown of today’s starting fifteen can glance furtively at 05/06 and consider first team rugby for the Cherries. The rest can concentrate on the ‘A’ team league or shove off elsewhere to any club daft enough to pay them. I had been sucked gradually into a ‘Seti Kiole is folk hero’ mindset recently but listening to the commentary today I am aware, sadly, that my beloved club has signed somebody who is incapable of playing rugby football at any real level. Sitting here now, I feel strangely nostalgic for the Tai Glassie era. Perhaps the All Blues or Pilning will sign him up. I’m embarrassed.

I am off to see American Music Club at the Birmingham Academy this evening and hope that their world weary torch songs will act as some kind of cathartic release for me.