At last, after eight months of glorified warm-up matches, the real rugby is nigh – or the Silly Season as it should be known given the faulty logic that underpins the entire play-off concept.
The Championship, or at least its first stage, came to an end last Saturday and confirmed what everyone knew in September, specifically that Bees, Moseley, Esher and AN Other RFC, are the most likely candidates to be relegated.
While no-one can be certain of playing budgets, it is pretty clear the Birmingham duo and promoted Esher started the campaign with the least resources and that one from Plymouth, Rotherham and Doncaster would join them in Pool C.
In the end, it is Graham Dawe’s redoubtable Devonians who complete the line-up and they have already demonstrated their intent by demanding Moseley and Bees go to Brickfields on a Friday night.
It wouldn’t surprise me if they’re planning to open a few farmers’ gates along the A38 just to make the trip a little more difficult. And it also wouldn’t be the biggest shock if the two West Midlands clubs reciprocate. Bees-Plymouth at 7am on Monday morning anyone?
Such tactics, if indeed that’s all they are and there is not an inarguable business case to be made, are fair game – you do what you do to stay alive and should be allowed that privilege.
However, condensing a 22-game programme into just six matches with at least 50 per cent of a club’s funding at stake, is not the most helpful way when it comes to building a sustainable business.
No-one can argue that Bees and Moseley are not the weakest side in the league this year, nor that Esher – who actually finished above Plymouth – should not feel pretty miffed about being tarred with the same brush when they finished 16 points clear of the bottom of the table.
Nor should they be happy that advantage has been reduced to three points, derived from the number of wins they harvested, mostly when the sun shone.
If the desperation for meaningful fixtures requires the RFU to haul up the drawbridge at some arbitrary point then so be it, but don’t lay waste to what’s gone before – that’s in nobody’s interest.
Except perhaps the team that finishes bottom only to be given an undeserved leg-up.
