Drawbridge is up for cup challenge (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Drawbridge is up for cup challenge

1:00pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Headlines By John Boyman

EXPERIENCED second row Steve Drawbridge says that Basingstoke RFC must win the Hampshire Cup so they can put the horror of losing last year’s final behind them once and for all.

’Stoke went into last year’s final at Down Grange as heavy favourites to win the title for a third straight year, facing a Gosport and Fareham side who had spent the season playing two divisions below them.

It should have been a rare highlight at the end of what had been a terrible season that included relegation and some heavy defeats. Instead, it was another dreadful day, with ’Stoke failing to perform and losing 23-19.

Basingstoke host another lower league side, Tottonians, in this year’s semi-final at Down Grange on Saturday and Drawbridge, who played in the 2011 final, says ’Stoke are determined to reclaim the cup.

“The Hampshire Cup is something we need to put to bed so we can move on,” he said. “Losing the final in the way we did last year summed our season up.

“Even if we cannot get promotion in the league, the Hampshire Cup is something we want to focus on and win.

“We need to be careful because we learned in the final last year that you cannot take anything for granted. We have got to concentrate and take our opportunities when they come.”

This year’s ’Stoke squad is a completely different animal to the one that struggled so badly last season – and Drawbridge puts the change in fortune squarely on the shoulders of new head coach James Croker.

“The way James and his team are doing things is brilliant,” Drawbridge said. “They are teaching people how to be better players and people want to come and compete for the shirts.

“It’s good going to training and everyone is together, heading in the right direction. Last year there were a few prima donnas around but this year, if they are still here they have changed their tune.

“I am really enjoying my rugby and it’s going pretty well, especially considering what happened last year.

“I do not see why we should not be able to get promotion. We certainly feel that we are good enough and could compete when we got back up to the level above.”

One thing Croker has definitely changed is the club’s attitude towards the second string team, the Dragons. The new coaches have made it clear that good performances for the Dragons will provide a potential springboard to the first team.

Drawbridge is one of the players who have benefitted from this, having twice forced his way into the first team from the Dragons this season.

“There is never a feeling that you are wasting your time playing for the Dragons,” he said. “People are still watching you, training is really inclusive and there is a clear pathway to the first team.

“At the beginning of the season I was maybe not as fit as I could have been. I got into the team but then got injured and had to fight my way back again.

“It was annoying but quite good at the same time because it showed how many second rows we have fighting for the shirts. Hopefully that competition is what will help the club to survive over the next couple of years.”

Having worked his way into the side, Drawbridge is currently enjoying a decent run in the second row – but he knows that he cannot afford to rest on his laurels.

“I feel things are going in the right direction,” the 33-year-old said. “I’m not the finished product just yet and am still working hard physically to get a bit better.

“One thing I do have on my side is a bit of experience. I feel that my head is in the right place and I am in a position to help others get there as well.

“When I was younger I would allow my mind to wander during a game. Now it is easier to keep focused. If I do something wrong I can recover mentally and stop it playing on my mind.”