His players were achingly fit and gagging for action after over five months out, Chiefs are blessed with a big squad and what a great – and very different – test of a team and club to ‘go again’ in a big competitive game just a few days after their latest game. Bring it on.
Such views are frowned upon a little these days and the RPA rushed out their playing minutes protocol this week but Baxter, cutting edge in many ways, is also a little old school as well. He took part in the last ever midweek ‘friendly’ between Gloucester and Pontypool as a replacement in 1995 although those mighty clashes were the least friendly games imaginable until the combatants compared war wounds in the bar afterwards.
Back then Baxter will have left the family farm in Devon soon after an early lunch to arrive at Kingsholm and after the obligatory post-match beers it will have been the early hours before he got home. Forty winks and it was time to milk the cows.
Regular midweek rugby could be good for your mental health. By Monday morning all the post-match inquests and recriminations from Saturday were over, instead of obsessing and over- analysing what had just happened you were busy planning for a new game and challenge on Tuesday or Wednesday night. And then when the midweek game was over thoughts automatically turned to Saturday.
Physically it also had its plusses. Very few midweek games, if any, for Pontypool would even come close to Ray Prosser’s Monday night fitness sessions that the players were spared by playing in midweek.
Esta historia es de la edición August 23, 2020 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición August 23, 2020 de The Rugby Paper.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.
