A Letter To Season Members From Free Jacks Assistant Coach, Will Webster

March 12, 2024

Hello The Free Jacks Faithful,

It was fantastic to get back to the Fort on Saturday and to see so many friends, family, and fans fill the stands. It was a pleasant surprise to see the Massachusetts March weather being relatively kind to us as well, contrary to what we’ve been used to in home-openers in seasons gone by. 

Our performance on the field, whilst excellent in patches, was well below our expectations and standards and as coaches, support staff and players, we will carry that hurt and disappointment with us. It was a reminder that for every team we come up against this season, we will be met with their best, which is something that should bring the best out of us. 

In review, we felt we played with unquestionable intent but our accuracy around decision-making and game control was not up to scratch. Old Glory provided us with a real challenge at set-piece and for much of the game, we were unable to hold our own. For a club with a proud reputation around our physicality and forward pack, our pride has certainly been dented but the response of the playing group has been excellent this week. We feel we’ve learnt our lessons and will be a better team as a result of the experience. In many ways, it felt like a repeat of our round 2 performance in 2023 where we lost to San Diego. Whilst inexcusable, we need to ensure we respond as well as we did last year and continue our growth as a team. 

We’re thoroughly looking forward to getting back to Fort Quincy on Saturday at our St. Patrick’s Day festival. A huge element of our existence as a club and the team fortunate enough to represent New England is helping to grow rugby in the area and share in the joy that our great sport brings. This was so evident after the game on Saturday when numerous fans came over to share their experience of their first ever game of rugby- it serves as a great reminder of what makes our club so special. 

Thank you for your loud support, encouragement and loyalty on Saturday and we look forward to giving you a performance that you can be proud of!

Will

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