IT’S a derby double for me this weekend, but in the second of those games at least, I’ll be trying not to think of it like that.
At Trowbridge, we’re heading to Corsham in Southern Counties South on Saturday afternoon.
But as far as I’m concerned, although we’re in close proximity geographically, it might as well be Sherborne or one of the other Dorset destinations.
Derbies are often intense affairs, but I think it’s really important we don’t get involved in any sort of local arm-wrestle, because it takes your eyes off the bigger picture of the season.
As for the other derby of the weekend, well, that’s one game I always look forward to.
When I stopped playing I always said Bath versus Gloucester was one of those games I just didn’t want to miss.
As luck would have it, with it being tonight, I will get to go and see what should be a very interesting game.
In recent years, the Bath-Gloucester tussles have been really pleasing on the eye, with both sides looking to play positive rugby, which is great to watch.
But personally, on this occasion, if I was the Bath coach I think I would just settle for winning the game.
To me, Bath’s front five just look too strong and I believe they have got to play to that advantage.
If Bath invite Gloucester to play festival rugby, they will feast on it and the home side could run into problems.
Gloucester produced a backs-to-the-wall performance in their Heineken Cup defeat at Munster last weekend, but had they not done so, they would have been facing a walloping.
Bath, with all due respect to Bordeaux and the Dragons who they have faced in the last fortnight, have not had that same intense experience and, dare I say it, have had it a little easier.
Bath need to play this derby game on their own terms.
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