Hi Tony
I still hold out some hope for Biarritz (maybe it's a blind belief) but Bordeaux, Brive and Oyonnax are no great shakes and I sincerely believe we won't be relegated ...
As far as the fusion is concerned ... I think it's the only viable option for the Pays Basque.
Pietersen was one of the players of the Season in the Super 15 and he hasn't become a bad player since his move ... he just needs a bit of time and a different style of play.
Here's what I've written on the Rugby Site's article about Biarritz ...
http://www.therugbysite.com/blog_po...urce=email&utm_term=Read the full article now
I hope that you are right but cannot believe it.....in any case, we sturggled to avoid relegation last season and have not been competent never mind good for serveral seasons now on a consistent basis. I almost hoped we would not win the Amlin as we have in the past been able to win one off matches and this has blinded, or at least allowed them to hide behind it, Blanco and his cohorts to the deficiencies of their managment abilities leaving us where we are now. In addition, even if your dreams came true and we stayed up, we cannot improve whithout the change at the top, the middle and bottom of management.
I agree that injuries have been pernicious this year and one has to ask why....I do not know the reasons but perhaps too many players playing too often and certainly carrying njuries for to long before getting proper treatment?
Iain Balshaw, Imanol Harinordoquy, Fabien Barcella.................these guys would not have made a significant difference due to their advancing years but are pretty good standbys. However, can we afford to keep them on the salaries that they must be receiving on the back of their career history? Is it good use of funds?
Magnus Lund, , Aled Brew,,,,,,,,,,,,,these guys would be on more reasonable salaries but again would they have made an appreciable difference. Lund has been replaced by Fono and Furno and Brew is only as good as Thomas and, perhaps, Buruto.
Arnaud Heguy, Ben Broster and Raphaël Lakafia............these guys are good but have only missing for a couple of the games....mind you Heguy could do with learning how to throw again!!
I am not sure that any of the first five guys would have affected where we are now had they been fit.................as for Pieterson......he missed five tackles in the first game and his kicking was woeful and did not improve in the next although did not see much of the Grenoble game. Surely the style of playing has no effect on this but would agree he has to understand it if he is to become an attacking force! With Traille at 12, no one really sees the ball anyway!!
Incidentally, He only played 38 games in the last two years in SA.....................bit different now he is back in Basque land!
For BO to become a sustainable quality club again, I believe that Blanco has to hand over the reins, the club has to totally re-organise its structure, ethos and playing staff and, in the long term only Fusion is the answer...................a spell in Pro2 may not be so bad IF the restructure is done as a matter of urgency now to ensure that we do not stay down for more than the one season!!
