DAN AND MATT’S ‘EMOTIONAL’ LAST GAME
ANDY WHITMAN TALKS ON HFM TO RETIRING PLAYER-COACHES, DAN BAILEY AND MATT SNEATH, AHEAD OF SUNDAY’S COUNTY BOWL FINAL AGAINST LEICESTER FOREST. KICK OFF IS 2.15 AT VIPERS IN BLABY

If this is officially their last game, certainly in charge as player-coaches, how do they think they’ll feel?
DAN: All good things come to an end but It’ll be nice to go out on Sunday with all the boys and hopefully get some silverware for the Club. And it’ll be a nice way to finish off our playing careers with Market Harborough and our rugby careers because we’ve been playing for a long, long time.

ANDY: Matt what are your thoughts leading up to Sunday?
MATT: I’ll be a bit emotional. I’ve been involved with the first team since I was 17, apart from my fifteen minutes of stardom at Northampton Saints....22 years in the first team. Mixed emotions really....a bit of relief. I don’t think the body’s going to take much more as it takes me til Wednesday to get over Saturdays now. I think we’ll both be a bit emotional but we’ll see...

ANDY: In the time you’ve spent at Harborough can you think of any particular highlights over the past 6 years?
DAN: When I first arrived I think we won back-to-back promotions in 2008-9 and 2010; and then 2010-11 finished second in the play-offs and had a chance of a third promotion - but we narrowly lost which was disappointing. But from there I think we’ve got stronger and stronger and we’re very unlucky this year to finish third and not get promotion. But hopefully next year, if the boys carry on, they’ll definitely be looking for promotion.

ANDY: What’s it meant to you Matt?
MATT: It’s a great club with some great characters and a great place to be involved . I’ve probably put the Club before a lot of things in the last 22 years but I don’t regret any of it. I’ve played with some great players down there, like Nick Allsopp, Robin Blades, Richard Allsopp who took me under their wing when I first got in there at 17. They were like I am now, just wanting people to come through and love the Club and be involved in it like they were. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it really....so no regrets...

ANDY: What’s rugby meant both of you as individuals?
DAN: I think the friendships you make along the way, the players you player against. However hard rugby is you can have a beer in the Clubhouse. I just think it’s a fantastic game and you learn a lot.
MATT: Rugby’s brought me a lot... great friendships. We’re still playing against lads that we played County Colts with; and great friendships within the Club as well that we’ve made. We’re all married to one another’s sisters and best man at each other’s weddings. It’s just like one big family really.

ANDY: Let’s look forward to Sunday’s game. What’s the team news?
DAN: Selection for Sunday’s been very easy. Since Christmas we’ve been flying in the league and everybody’s been making themselves available. Ed Bale comes back this week after being suspended and goes to full back. Chris Owen goes to the wing; and the pack’s very strong and much the same, so very easy this week to go with that side and hopefully it’s going to be strong enough to win the cup.

ANDY: And what do we think of Leicester Forest, what are our chances against them ?
MATT: They were in our league up to a couple of years ago but then the league got re-structured; but we beat them twice in that season. Hopefully if we go out and play the way we’ve played the last 3 or 4 weeks, I don’t see it being a problem to be honest. It’ll be hard, it’s always hard against local teams and obviously they’ll be stepping up their game as well because it’s a cup final. We’ll see how we go - but I’m quite confident that we can bring the silverware home on Sunday.
ANDY: Thanks from everybody involved with the Club and in Harborough for everything you’ve done over the years. Very best of luck in the Final on Sunday and let’s hope I can talk to you afterwards for HFM celebrating a big win.