This defeat relegates us to third in the league and mathematically out of the Title Race. Oh dear! Once again we showed that we are not the sum of our parts, we have some good individual talent but as a team we really struggled. After the first ten minutes you would have been forgiven for [...]
This defeat relegates us to third in the league and mathematically out of the Title Race. Oh dear! Once again we showed that we are not the sum of our parts, we have some good individual talent but as a team we really struggled.
After the first ten minutes you would have been forgiven for thinking the final score line would definitely be in our favour. Henry made a great break, Pup almost got clear but lost the ball in contact and Bobby slipped up off the back of an attacking 5 meter scrum. Our only reward was a Pup penalty.
We actually put together some of the stuff we had worked on in training and didn’t over commit to the rucks and had pods running off the half backs. Our lineout spluttered but our scrum was fantastic, what we really lacked was that final pass and an ability to release our speedy backs in space.
Midway through the half Gades got some territory but we managed to clear our lines, no thanks to Henry. Henry doesn’t often appear on the BM’s radar so I was particularly pleased to witness his pathetic kick. He at least turned to his teammates and immediately said “I’ll bring my case to training”.
Correct.
Tank made a battling forty yard diagonal run but not for the first time an opportunity went begging with a botched pass, it was frustrating but we were still on top in terms of territory and possession. As we entered the last 10 minutes of the half a poor clearance kick was gathered by the Gades scrum half, Healy. He evaded our one chaser and then set off into open territory, he linked with his support and we found ourselves out flanked down our left wing and their centre and Captain cantered in for a pretty soft try.
Renegades then gathered some momentum and forced us into defense with some strong running from Jack’s Rookie. In fact Jack’s Rookie was probably Man of the Match and a constant thorn in our side.
Playing at inside centre he is a big unit who is also capable of offloading in the tackle and twice in the half we got lucky when his centre partner dropped his pass with the line at his mercy. The half ended with a Pup penalty and we went in at the break 6-5 up.
Andre came onto the wing and made an instant break up field, he found Jack who was then in a straight sprint for the corner with a Renegade Prop Forward. You know by the final score line who won the race.
Jack your case on Thursday please, the prop is deceptively fast and may even have had an angle on you but if there was any doubt that you would get caught you should have put a move on him to halt his progress……and besides I enjoy fining you.
We continued to press forward but a stray (cheating) boot stopped a free kick move after Dunlop had set it up. The ref apologized for missing it but that didn’t stop the frustration as we started to give away penalties, firstly Nails, rightly so for stamping then T and then Church who can both feel a bit hard done to. Anyway the resulting 80 yard loss of territory ended with a lost lineout that was spun to Jack’s Rookie who ran through weak midfield defense to set up an easy run in for his centre partner. 12-5 down. Hendo, the Gades fly half, slotted a drop goal and with Jack’s Rookie finding a lot of holes the Gades suddenly started to stretch out a lead that we didn’t really look like clawing back.
Tank provided a rare second half highlight with a nice chip followed by a thunderous tackle but other than that the rugby was being played by the opposition and not us. Healy nicely gathered his own grubber and scored under the posts and then with a few minutes left their backrower scored out wide.
Our humiliation was not quite complete. Gades had thankfully finished scoring on us but that didn’t stop us from making life harder on ourselves. The final few minutes saw a flurry of substitutions and in the confusion Donal and Dunlop went off and Adam came on. Hopeful that we are that Adam will be good, I don’t think he is yet up to being as good as both of them put together. As our Captain and Vice took their seats on the bench next to each other in a depressed state the other 14 on the park played on. It was only when a scrum was awarded that the bright pair of Bobby and Nails realized we were
missing someone. We informed the bench who immediately substituted Devrae for Jahbari. A bit more scratching of heads went on before we came to the conclusion that we were still missing someone!
Donal eventually figured out that he had not been substituted at all and sheepishly rejoined the game. Boydie, you were running the bench so you are guilty but you cannot take full responsibility so you can share a case with Donal.
So a game that overall reflects our season. A great start that we never really built on followed by moments of good and really pretty bad rugby. Very disappointing considering the potential/experience in this side.
Still it’s not all over just yet. Police next followed by Mariners and then we can concentrate and go out and win the Nicol Shield which we haven’t done for a while.
All debtors please bring your beer on Thursday. The club is filling the fridge on Tuesday as we host a training session for the students of Mount St. Alison, it would be good to have numbers on Tuesday!
See you there.
BM
The beers are on Jack!!!! In his third season for TRFC our flying youngster has finally got off the mark and he did it in style scoring two really, really good tries. Jack you are to bring two cases this week to celebrate and with this contribution you become TBoB having already received one fine [...]
The beers are on Jack!!!! In his third season for TRFC our flying youngster has finally got off the mark and he did it in style scoring two really, really good tries. Jack you are to bring two cases this week to celebrate and with this contribution you become TBoB having already received one fine on the first weekend of the season. Congratulations.
A great result but we once again took our time to get going. Possibly this could be put down to the pathetic “Teachers” call instigated by Donal at the beginning of the game that had the team giggling rather an pumped just before kick-off. Whatever the reason we struggled to get out of our 22 for the first 15 minutes but when we did….well look out! Here comes Jack!!
It’s fair to say that however courageous our Captain is, a Hooker he is not! We really struggled in the scrum but with the inexperienced prop Lubin and our complete novice Dunlop at hooker it was hardly surprising but on our first visit to the Police 22 we finally won a scrum and with Harry Andrews executing a training ground move to perfection he found Jack moving like a train who cut a perfect line to the posts to score his first try for TRFC. Pup converted.
Police fluffed a penalty attempt which was comically caught by Lubin in-goal who then ignored the shouts to ground it and instead felt confident in running the ball out 104 meters through their entire on rushing team. Of course he got nowhere near but he took everyone by surprise and we managed to clear or lines. Puppy then slotted a penalty for us but then the Police scored. For some reason the BM has blanked their score completely from his memory but does remember going into halftime only 10-7 up.
At the beginning of the second half Police brought on their latest South African behemoth. This boy is a big unit but if anything it galvanized Teachers into stepping up their defense with Church, LT and Paddison to the fore. Teachers pressed hard in defense and didn’t let their dangerous runners have time on the ball, forcing mistakes and turnovers. Both Porter and Morrison who shared the scrum half duties had good games harrying the new monster at the back of the scrum and it was just a good feeling on the park knowing that the whole team to a man was committed to the game.
Police managed to break out early on but the threat was snuffed out by a fine chase back and tackle by the speedy right wing Andre Landy.
The new Saffa nailed Bobby whose immediate reaction was to take out his annoyance in a huge tackle on the Police fly-half. Henry followed this tackle with one of his own shortly after on the hapless fly-half apparently breaking his ribs and taking him out of the game.
The oldest man on the park, Harry Andrews was having a stormer and it was he who set up the next try by stepping inside his opposite man before delivering his trademark over-the-head alley-oop pass to Puppy. Pup had a lot to do but with his low slung centre of gravity he burst through several tacklers and made 20 metres before dishing a pass to the on rushing Jack who once again chose an exquisite support line to go untouched for his second.
Police didn’t give up the fight but Teachers were beginning to dominate the contact areas, Church was absolutely magnificent, diving on loose balls with no regard for his own safety and he lined up the new monster a number of times for some personal treatment. It was Puppy who finished the game as a contest when Harry again released the youngster on the right wing, Pup out sprinted the defense before neatly stepping inside the final man to score a great individual try which Nails converted.
We could have got a bonus point try but Bobby saw to it that we didn’t! With a 13 man overlap outside him he took the ball into contact and threw a forward pass. Bobby, you will be sharing your case with Harry, the two of you had excellent games but the BM learned later that you both, who happen to be the two oldest in our team, had warmed up for this crucial league game by playing an entire game of rugby beforehand for the Bermuda Barbarians. Boys your geriatric joints are not up to two games in a day, fatigue had clearly set in when Bobby butchered the bonus point, Harry you has a great game and did nothing wrong, I just don’t like you! Share a case.
Bibbler, welcome back, please bring a case. I almost forgot about you but your disciplinary record is now creeping up on you and we went down to fourteen men for 10 minutes due to your wrestling throw on their half back.
This was a really good result for TRFC, the old boys played great but the plaudits have to go to all the youngsters. Forbes and Andre were great in defense, Aldo was up to some tricks in the pack and Puppy and Jack were outstanding in offense.
Here are some stats from the game:
- A nice blend of youth and experience in our starting XV, 5 players over 35, 7 players under 23!!
- At one point there were 11 Bermudians in the TRFC XV with Nails the only foreigner in the Backs
- 1008045 – The number of minutes Jack had played for TRFC without scoring a try!
- 14 – a correction, the BM has reviewed the tape – this was the size of the overlap that Bobby butchered.
- 6’5 and 260lbs with a Saffa accent – the size of Church’s newest tackle bag. Yes Mate!!
The undefeated Mariners this week. See you at training.
BM
We’re back, the 2011 season and our 50th Anniversary year has begun! New venue, new kit, new Captain and a new team (well almost, we still have a sprinkling of fossils trying to slow the game down). Unfortunately it’s the same old BM and it’s time to stock the fridge. As is tradition the season [...]
TRFC - YES MATE - Great support for the 1st game of 2011 in Warwick Academy
We’re back, the 2011 season and our 50th Anniversary year has begun! New venue, new kit, new Captain and a new team (well almost, we still have a sprinkling of fossils trying to slow the game down). Unfortunately it’s the same old BM and it’s time to stock the fridge.
New venue, new kit, new Captain and a new team !!
As is tradition the season starts with the Sandys Boat Club Tournament when we play all teams in half hour games. TRFC had Police in the first game and we found ourselves behind early as they kicked two penalties. Police kept the score for 29 ½ minutes but then with the final play of the game Scott who had been in a depressed state up until that point mourning the Aussie defeat to Ireland ploughed over from 10 yards out. Dave Porter kept his nerve and kicked the conversion to steal the victory away from the Po Po. The BM cannot recall all the details from such a long day but the first game was notable for our poor passing. Puppy was certainly guilty but the fact that he is actually passing it at all is to be applauded so I am not going to fine him.
Jack on the other hand will not be so fortunate. Jack was a member of a select group that was flown all expenses paid to the Serevi 7’s Camp this summer where he tells me he spent literally hours a day practicing his passing. Jack, Mr. Serevi or the BRFU Treasurer for that matter, would not have been too happy with their investment had they watched your pass to the 6’2” Patrick sail 4’ over him straight into touch. In fairness Jack got better and better as the tournament progressed but for that shocker you can get the first case of the year. Congratulations!
Master Paddison avoided a fine......
Mr. Paddison I am putting your grubber down to the side effects of taking steroids but please be aware that it was noted and we don’t want to see any more of it. Onto the Gades. Having spent a full 30 minutes in retirement Harry Andrews played in this one. It was a pretty one-sided affair with TRFC finding holes all over the park. Henry scored the opener. Nails got the second after a nice run from Tank and Puppy got the third. That was all in the first half. I know Porter was the beneficiary of the tight 5’s hard work with a pushover try but I cannot remember how much we added to the scores in the second half but we did make a handful of changes and new boys Coleman, Mike and Chris made debuts for the club. That means only one thing. Beer! Because this wasn’t a full 1st XV game then I won’t fine you a full case, you three need to bring 12 beers each to training this week please. Nails your fluffed drop out is going to cost you too, the fact that Renegades fell for your cheeky drop out a second time does not redeem you, you can bring a case.
The final game by coincidence turned out to be a final, bringing TRFC and Mariners together as the two undefeated teams. Mariners have picked up a couple of useful new half backs who steered their heavy pack int
Great game Puppy .........
o good positions, they got two early penalties and then scored from a catch and drive at a line out to lead 13-0 at the half.
Midway through the 2nd half Mariners kicked long but good work from Jack and then Puppy released Andre Landy for a sweet try on the left wing which Pup then converted. Teachers then piled on the pressure and when Puppy again popped up off Porter’s shoulder to scythe through close to the posts with only minutes left on the clock we thought we’d won the tournament. (Assuming we would make the conversion). This is where the controversy began. While TRFC players and supports celebrated the Ref disallowed the try. Puppy had dived untouched into the try area then bounced to his feet, throwing the ball high into the air to celebrate. The Ref deemed Puppy not to have grounded the ball. This seemed a strange decision considering Pup wasn’t trying to play cute and grab a few extra yards towards the posts and that there was absolutely no contact with the opposition who may have tried to hold him up. All very bizarre and as you may appreciate this did not go down very well with the players or large TRFC support. The game ended shortly afterwards and there was definitely a feeling of being robbed.
Support was great but Dessie did get a bit boring.....
Despite this sour end to the day a lot of positives can be taken from our performances. Three and a half cases of beer to be exact. The lads played well, obviously a little rusty but our youthful Backs have a real bite to their play now, the pack matched everyone in every facet bar the Mariners driving maul. Our squad is big and healthy and if you were to pick out two players whose games have improved massively over the off season you would have to say its Big T and Jack. Maybe Waisele Serevi does know a thing or two after all. Renegades this weekend. Denton Hurdle game the following week. Lots of competition for places. See you all at training. BM
Click here to see the days photos