Pirates ahoy!

So we got relegated!

The week before was awful - full of tension and nerves and gossip and following the message boards online just made it worse, full of the what-ifs and what-will-happens. But on the day it was actually very calm.

We arrived at the Gardens and onto the terrace as normal on a bright and sunny day to watch warm-up and gossip with all the regulars. And then as the match went on and the scores came through from Worcester, it was still calm and just got a sort of sort of resigned nod of acceptance from everyone that this is what they had expected. I think when it came it wasn't a surprise and was just a continuation of the stuff we've seen on the pitch this year.

So National Division 1! - I'm actually really looking forward to it and in a perverse kind of way am excited about going to new places like Cornish Pirates, Plymouth Albion, Cornish All Blacks and even London Welsh which will be much easier to get to! And it will be quite pleasant not to watch Wasps and Tigers and Bath and Sarries....need I go on ha ha. It is a shame for the club and to be honest things seem to be an awful mess behind the scenes. Let's just hope it's the kick up the butt they need to sort their lives out, get a strong coaching and management team in and get us back up to the Prem next year for our next attack on Europe.

I mean - from European semi-finalists to ND1 in a week - you couldn't make it up!! :)