“I’d do anything for these boys” said University of Gloucestershire number 8, Dan Page even after his team were thrashed by local rivals Hartpury.
The Gloucestershire University rugby team were beaten 55-0 by a well drilled Hartpury side at Plock Court on Wednesday.
First year student Page, who attended and captained Pembroke College, played a full 80 minutes for his third game in a row after coming straight into the first team after joining the university.
Gloucestershire will face the same Hartpury side, at Plock Court again next week but in the cup.
Page said: “it was definitely a hard one to take, getting a thumping like that against a big rival is always hard especially when you don’t get any points on the board.
“I think they played us off the park and I mean completely outplayed us and that’s always a hard one to take especially when you feel like you’re not getting the opportunities to play well as a team.”
However, the Welshman who used to prop for the Scarlets Academy team insisted that the fortunes of his Gloucestershire side could change quickly with a few easy changes.
He said: “For next week we need just a bit of want and a bit of desire. I think boys need to get off the line, get in their faces and not give them the time to play with the ball.
“If we fire up with our line and make some big shots on their big players then I think we will have a completely different result.
“The game will be a lot more two ways than the game that we just played now.”
Despite the Gloucestershire team losing all three of their opening games – against Hartpury, Cardiff Met and Cardiff University it seems that the group are starting to understand how each other play.
With a squad of less than 50, the University sides struggle to compete against the huge BUCS Super League sides seems almost inevitable but Page insisted that there are benefits to having a smaller group.
He said: “I have settled in quite well.
“We’ve got a good brotherhood amongst the boys and when I say that there is a real sense of togetherness, so overall I’m really happy.”
