Adventures of Sinbad: We're all keeping our feet firmly on ground

CONSISTENCY is the key now – for me personally and for the squad too.

I feel as though I am in decent form, but I've got to play well regularly now, that's the challenge.

It's great to feel in good nick, but once you get that feeling you really want to hold on to it and sustain it.

Things are pretty similar with the team at the moment.

We've played well in fits and starts this season so far, and we're focused on improving on that.

I don't think I'll be able to judge how I am playing really until I can look back over a more reasonable period of time.

And again it's the same for the team.

We've had a decent start, but things have only just got going.

It was a great win against Leicester at the weekend, but we must not get carried away.

We haven't achieved anything yet, and unless we knuckle down and keep working hard to improve then we certainly won't achieve what we want to.

It was definitely a great result over Leicester – we've beaten a team that will definitely be in the top-four at the end of the season and will be challenging again for silverware.

But it's only one game and Nigel Davies has been keen to keep everyone's feet on the ground.

Although we won on Saturday, we could quite easily have come out the wrong side of the result.

We didn't and that's a massive confidence boost, of course, but we can't get ahead of ourselves.

There are still plenty of things for us to work on, and we've got to ensure we continue to take our game forward.

Quins will provide threats from all quarters

SNAPSHOT plays, quick-tap penalties, counter-attacking and offloading all over the place – that’s what Harlequins will throw at us on Saturday.

Everyone knows what Quins are all about these days – they are a very dangerous side who have threats in every department.

We know exactly what we’re in for at The Stoop and it’s an exciting challenge – because we basically want to do to them what they want to do to us.

We’ve had some tough games up there in recent times, but I don’t think that will have too much bearing this time.

Obviously a lot’s changed at Gloucester during the summer – but more than that, there’s a great confidence and belief among the players.

No one will go up there with any of those frustrating days in their minds – we’ll just be looking to do everything we can to get another result.

Coaching ability isn't necessarily everything

SOMETIMES when things go wrong at a rugby club coaching knowledge and ability does not complete the equation for a solution.

Bryan Redpath is a good coach, I’ve no doubt of that.

But in some situations how you handle problems and how you react to them can be more pivotal.

Obviously I don’t know the ins and outs of the situation up at Sale, but decisions on change cannot be based purely around coaching ability.

Dean Ryan’s coaching credentials were never in doubt in his time at Gloucester – in fact he is a real rugby tactician.

But towards the end of his time it was clear a change was going to be needed really.

Maybe that’s where Sale are now, but whatever the situation, I think it’s sad it’s come to this.

That’s the reality of professional sport, but it doesn’t make it any less cut-throat.