Guinness Premiership Week One: The Reaction

They know more than I do, so it's probably a good idea to let you know what the people who matter thought of this weekend's games:

“Last season we created opportunities but we didn't have the nous to finish them off. But the players are getting more confident about scoring now. We spent all last season trying desperately to get a try-scoring bonus and didn't get one. So to get one on the opening day of the new season is a very big bonus for us.”  Bristol head coach Richard Hill can't believe what a difference a summer makes.

“I think by the standards that we set ourselves that was an unacceptable level of performance. I'd like to apologise to our supporters who paid good money to watch this match. I think that everything that Bristol did came off and I thought that we were out-muscled and out-mauled."  While Worcester director of rugby John Brain can't believe what he's just seen.

"We have laid a few ghosts to rest with this result, but it was only the first game of the season. No trophies are handed out at this stage.”  Martin Corry inexcusably forgets about the Middlesex Sevens.

"We were under pressure in the line-outs, and the penalty try and yellow card late on made a big difference.”  But apart from that it went like clockwork, Philippe Saint-Andre...

“He stood on someone's foot, but he will be fine - he is just a bit fed up that it happened on his Gloucester debut.”  Dean Ryan allays Iain Balshaw injury fears.  Good thing it wasn't Marco Bortolami standing on someone's foot, that'd be two players injured.

“Our kicking game was not as good as it should have been, and we gave Gloucester a lot of ball. We had a good preparation for this game, but we seemed to be flat throughout much of the match.”  Bath coach Steve Meehan sounds just plain pissed off.

''We were comfortably in control without ever playing well. We contrived to almost give it away. You have to pick up your points where you can. No doubt there will be times this season where we play well and get beaten so I can't complain about the result. But I can complain about the performance."  Paul Grayson has his cake, and looks determined to eat it too.

''It is a team game''  Short and sweet, John Fletcher gives his reply to anyone claiming Jonny Wilkinson lost Newcastle the game.

"Bringing Dave in to work with our kickers was just commonsense. He got left high and dry from his last position and he has come in and has been terrific with our guys."  London Irish director of rugby Brian Smith, pleased to have profited from the RFU throwing out the baby (Dave Aldred) with the bathwater (everybody but Andy Robinson)

"It wasn't the fact we lost in the final two minutes, it was that we didn't execute things the way we wanted. We didn't mix our game up very well. Our performance wasn't up to the standard that they expect from themselves.”  Someone's going to suffer, Dean Richards will make sure of that.

"We scored two good tries. There were always going to be mistakes though because it was first-game-of-the-season syndrome."  Ian McGeechan gives me an idea for explaining away the poor quality of my reports.

"We need to play for the full 80 minutes."  Alan Gaffney bemoans the Saracens tendency to leave after playing an hour, and resolves to buy his players some watches.