On the eve of the new rugby season, we have a look at the Green & Whites and why you should get yourself down to the Lady Bay Sports Ground this season.
Overall last season was a largely forgettable one for Nottingham as the finished 9th in the RFU Championship. Due to London Welsh going out of business, they were never in danger of being relegated but they never really challenged for the play-off places either. At one stage Nottingham lost nine games in a row but finished the season in some style, wining their final two games while putting 46 points past both Rotherham and London Scottish.
In preparation for the big kick-off, Nottingham have been busy recruiting some new players:
Sean Scanlon - Irish Fullback, joined from Doncaster Knights
James Penman - Kiwi Front Row, joined from Darlington Mowden Park
Danny Qualter - Irish Second Row, joined from Connacht
Aniseko Sio - Samoan Prop, joined from Leicester Lions
Rory Burke - Irish Prop, joined from Munster
Alex Crocker - Scrum Half, joined from NTU
Tiff Eden - Fly Half, joined from Worcester Warriors
David Langley - Prop, dual registration with Wasps
Looks like some good transfer business with a couple of players having PRO12 experience and even a little international experience too.
Pre-season has featured defeats to Premiership clubs Newcastle Falcons and Northampton Saints, although the latter, a 32-21 reverse was far from embarrassing. A comfortable win against Ampthill rounded out Nottingham's preparation. How prepared they are for the season should be answered when Yorkshire Carnegie visit Lady Bay for the first home game of the season. Since being relegated in 2011, they have been consistently in and around the end of season play-off picture, losing last season's final to London Irish. A good result would fill the Green & Whites with hope for the rest of the season.
If you've never been down to Lady Bay before, you should go to a game this season. The atmosphere is fantastic and unlike at football, you're allowed to drink a beer while you watch the match. The club has great links with the local community and it's a really family friendly night out. So, get yourself down there under the Friday night lights, it's not just men with funny shaped balls.
Nottingham's first home game of the season is on the 8th of September. We will be posting regular Left Line-Out columns throughout the season
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