Team down but not out

Press, 30 May 1983, Page 6

Team down but not out

Members of the University B rugby team were deflated but not dispirited after losing to Hornby on Saturday to acquire a record they could well do without It was the team’s ninth straight loss of the season in the senior grade, and extended the losing streak by University B sides since mid-1981 to 38, surpassing Sydenham’s gloomy run of 37 in the mid-19705. It was a thoughtful gesture by the University club’s president, Dr Brian Molloy, to visit the players in their dressing room at Denton Park after the match and give them a message of encouragement A philosophical Mr lan Hall, the team’s coach, said the players’ lack of experience in senior rugby counted against the team as it strove for success. Only four or five members of the side bad

played senior rugby before this winter, and it was a measure of the combination’s comparative rawness that both locks were aged 19. “This was a game we were keen to win,” he said, referring to the Hornby fixture. “But we get into points-scoring situations and can't sustain the pressure.” Asked if the players were aware of the unwanted record, Mr Hall replied: “Of course — they read the newspapers.”' ‘"Hie psychological effect of these defeats compounds itself over a period, and you start to believe that you can’t score tries or kick goals. “It is not a lack of willingness that counts against us, but a lack of hardness and experience. “But we will just keep hoping — there are more games