On-form Dalziel wary about talking of promotion

Mar 18 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

On-form Dalziel wary about talking of promotion

DALZIEL Rugby club’s honorary president, Willie Talbot, has urged his club to cool any talk of promotion and instead concentrate on their next league game against East Kilbride this weekend .

Three wins on the bounce have seen the Motherwell club close the gap between themselves and second placed Dumfries to just nine points with a game in hand as both sides seek to follow champions elect Howe of Fife into Premiership Division Three.

Talbot also believes the controversial decision to forfeit the club’s Cup tie against Kirkcaldy has proved vital in the side’s recent revival – with the prospect of a match against giants Glasgow Hawks in the National Shield competition a mouthwatering one should they negotiate their way past the next round.

“It is the same group of players and the same coaches but they seem to be performing much better now,” Talbot told the Wishaw Press this week.

“But the proof of the pudding will come in the next few weeks.”

He continued: “Club president Gordon Turnbull is ever the optimist and feels that if we win our remaining games with a bonus point then we can overtake Dumfries.

“However the feeling has to be that we concentrate on our own game as it (promotion) is not in our control just now.

“The players do not look too far ahead and the coaches set them small targets during games which helps them focus.”

Dalziel produced their best performance of the season at the weekend thrashing Royal High Corstorphine (RHC) 49-10 at Carrick Knowe, scoring four tries in each half.

Talbot said: “It was an unexpected result against RHC as they have had the Indian sign over us in the past five or six years, certainly away from home.

“There was a feast of tries and it was great to watch.

“RHC had a big support and they couldn’t believe we were a National One team after our performance.”

Dalziel went eight weeks without playing a league match during December and January.

But with the milder weather allowing Dalziel to string a run of fixtures together, it is no coincidence that they have now hit the ground running and are beginning to peak at such a vital stage of the season.

Talbot added: “The continuity of our game and the pace was too much for RHC and the boys have managed to eliminate minor mistakes which have been costing them games and bonus points.”

The SRU were severely criticised for forcing clubs to forfeit their outstanding Cup fixtures due to the unprecedented backlog of games at the turn of the year.

But Talbot feels it has worked in Dalziel’s favour saying: “Forfeiting the Cup game has allowed us to focus on the rest of the season and the league.

“In past years the season would be dead at this time.

“Now there is a real spring in the players’ step.”