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2008/09 Match Reports
4 April 2009 Tries: Phil
Black, Martin Smith (2) Luke Grose (2) Ken Thomson, Alex Lowth I left writing this report for a long time, mainly for the league tables to be updated, but I think if the truth be known it was because it was I didn't know what to write in the last match report of my Captaincy. So let’s keep it simple and factual. We kept on doing what has become a habit, winning, but making it a hell of a lot harder than it needed to be. We let OD's score at times when we should have been stamping our authority on the game, we let them breech our defence when we should have been laying siege on theirs, we took our foot off the pedal when there was an awful lot more work left to do and we started celebrating our seasons work 30 minutes before the final whistle... All that being said it was another victory that was never in doubt. It was a very hard worked victory made all the harder with the blistering heat and Les trying to get himself a ten minute breather. As it turned out it was one of OD’s forwards who got to put his feet up for a bit and should have gone for the remainder of the game shortly after his return to the fray. There is not a lot left to say that hasn't already been said in the bar after the game. Luke and Martin threatened the Oppo every time that they got ball to hand, a huge part in that must go to Paul Harper who spent the game not knowing whether the ball coming to him would be on his toes or over his head! But I think after playing more than a few games together with me at nine and Paul at ten we have an understanding, he moans about the quality of my passing and I just don't listen!! A huge thanks too for the forwards who had an average age of 40 odd, who without them then the backs wouldn't have had any ball to work their magic with. Thank you all for a season to remember not just for me, but the guys who come and watch us week in week out in some diabolical weather, and sometimes glorious sunshine. See you all at annual dinner where I dare say we will blow the froth off a few cold ones. .Semten
28 March – RBSRFC 36 Beccehamians 4th XV 6
Tries: Luke
Grose , Jerry O’Sullivan, Jack Marshall, Simon Jordan & Martin Smith Another win on this extraordinary Season that sees us cement top spot for another week. The opening minutes of the game saw us take the lead with a penalty from Luke, only for Beccs to do the same shortly after. But as other teams have found to their cost we are no longer the team, who if you keep coming at us we will eventually roll over and give up the points. So as in previous weeks we started to impose our game on the opposition and once again watched it pay dividends. Apart from another penalty from Beccs in the first half their side of the scoreboard remained untouched for the rest of the game. We changed ends 8-6 up and never looked back, running in a further four tries. Some of them straight from the training ground. A big thanks to Joe for dragging his brother Simon along, and managed to get among the tries. Also thanks to Alex for coming along, it was obvious Luke and Martin would only know decent rugby players. Thanks to Tim Timmins for coming along to keep Bret and Tony company, we had agreed we would only use him if desperate so don't feel too sorry for him. So Simon scored to show Joe how it's done, Luke and Martin once again pop up and nick a try each with myself chipping in to make it three tries for the back line, only for Jack to nick a consolation for the forwards! So 3-2 to the backs!! Seriously the forwards this season are the reason the backs have had so many tries to their name. Time and again on Saturday they, once again, bossed the scrum, stole line-out and seriously competed in the loose around the park and set up a great platform for the backs to show off their skills and put a spirited Beccs side to the sword. Lets hope we can see this season give us the reward we fully deserve with atop or second spot finish. This will be made all the easier if we finish the season next week with a win at home to Old Dunstonians, other fixtures and results need to have the desired effect. That said if we were offered the season we have had so far at the beginning of the season I'm sure we would have all jumped at it and took what was on offer with both hands. Please try and make the last training session of the season this Tuesday, and make the game against ODs more enjoyable with a win.
See you all
next week
14 March – RBSRFC 33 Southwark Lancers Rugby Club 12
Tries Luke Grose 3, Martin Smith 1, Sam Ross-Wilden 1 Well what can be said after a game like that... We didn't have the best of starts and we let Southwark dictate to us in the opening exchanges, which led to them taking the lead. This seemed to spur us on and it wasn't long before we clawed our way back into the game, and eventually take the lead. This was all done with great work by both the forwards and backs linking up together and defending as a team. We made our way up the park and were beaten back on numerous occasions but we stuck at it and were rewarded with a lovely move by the forwards, I say forwards, but one man in particular RUFUS led the way by carrying the Southwark pack and several of our forwards at least 20 yards, and when the time came instead of putting the ball down to claim the try that his efforts had deserved he unselfishly off loaded to a grateful Sam Wilden to claim the score. This game was far from won and it took gargantuan efforts from everyone, and no one was found wanting everyone held their ground and was a part of the process going forward. This led to Luke claiming another hat-trick, repetition surely!!! And Martin getting another try for his efforts. Thankfully we had a large squad with us on this day as we needed nearly everyone near the end, sorry Dan, but as promised you will definitely start the next game. Phil left the fray along with Les, Sam and Gareth but the incoming players Joe, Kenny, Cameron and Wedders did not allow the already high standard set to slip. I think the performance on Saturday allows us to have a little bit of a swagger about us, we didn't have it easy and were made to work hard for this result, but once we made the breakthrough we were not going to let them back in. The backs as usual were on top of their opposite numbers, and the pack were, as I'm sure anyone who was there would agree head and shoulders above their oppo in set pieces. So much so that when a lineout uncharacteristically went astray they opted for a lineout even though Wedders chose a scrum on their behalf. All in all a good day at the office that left us beating our closest rivals HOME and AWAY, and to add insult to injury in the BOAT RACE later on in the bar. We know have two games left which if we win one leaves second place ours, and if we win both and other results go our way we can win the League outright.
So on this note please can you all make an effort to train next Tuesday and
hit the ground running the following Saturday and end this season on a massive
high.
UPDATE PHIL BLACK and LUKE GROSE have both been outed for spewing up on Saturday Night. A few of us should have been in the same boat, myself included, but I think we are made of sterner stuff. Maybe we should have taken a leaf from the man who led the way and doesn't get enough credit. He single handedly won us this game as well as the game last week had two swift halves in the bar before sensibly leaving, and no doubt saved two old ladies lives on the way home, stopped global warming and found a cure for cancer, let's give it up for RUFUS. Enjoy the week off, and see you all next Tuesday. Semtex "The Glue" O'Sullivan
7 March – RBSRFC 62 Park House FC 3rd XV 12
Tries Luke Grose 2, Phil Black, Martin Smith 4, Alex Lowth 2,Dan Mahoney 1, What the difference a couple of hours make! At the start of the day we had a squad of 17, but with Wardy calling off ill, and Dave Egan going AWOL we were down to the bare bones of fifteen. So you only need 15 to play rugby I hear you say. That is true but both Wedders and Steve Griffith who both kindly made themselves available at the last minute had already said they were going to be late. Wedders luckily arrived before KO. I arrived at Lower Sydenham at the agreed meet time only to be told Park House were already changed and out on the field warming up, an hour and a quarter before KO. No worries we still had a big squad and were looking forward to do battle! Then Wardy texted and said he has a stomach ulcer, and THE ALIENS wouldn't give Dave his phone back so we, or should it be I, started to panic! We went out to warm up but I must admit my heart was not in it and I said to Twiggs "Why do we bother?" Wedders arrived and the game kicked off, and it was clear from the off that Park House had come to avenge the defeat we inflicted on them at their place earlier in the season. They arrived at rucks and mauls full of intent and were making a good fist of it until the first scrum, and the subsequent scrums went back at a rate of knots! From that point on it was a result that even though we had to work hard to achieve it was never in doubt. Lineout ball was taken on a regular basis, forwards rucked well and the backs carried on as usual racking up a ten try haul. It was a shame that we had a couple of momentary lapses in concentration that allowed Park House to score, but to be fair it was nothing less than they deserved. They showed up, fronted up and gave us a tougher game than the score suggests. Some performances around the park were just a pleasure to be part of, watching Luke and Martin take on their opposite backs reminds me of watching a couple of other, lets say senior players, Alex and Phil in their heyday in the proper Kent leagues. I'm sure they would agree that their mantle is being handed on to two young lads who make the game look easy. Gareth slotted in well at full back, and is looking to play next week! Jacks hand off was I'm sure all would agree was first class, I hope the guy was wearing a gum shield, if he wasn't I bet he will from now on. Special thanks must go Wedders for playing again at hooker even though it is under protest. Steve Griffith who turned up after a round trip from Southend to Heathrow. Richard Bunton who literally rolled back the years and had a great game at number 8, carrying the pack around the park with him. Also he bought along Gareth who played a stormer at full back and dug us out of a right hole. And Paul Devine who took part in his first rugby game, stick with the training mate you didn't put a foot wrong. So going back to the beginning of the report "Why do we bother?" I'll tell you why we bother, because on days like this when it all goes according to plan you can sit in the bar afterwards and a professional sanding machine would not remove the smiles from our faces. We only have 3 league games left, starting next week at home to Southwark Lancers followed by Beccehamians and Old Dunstonians. That is three more performances like we put on Saturday to end a Season that started well, got better, faltered a little and is starting to gather pace once again, to end the season with one hell of a p!*"? up! Please put in the effort to get down to the ground on Tuesday for training and lets end this season the way we started it, on a high. SEMTEX 28th February 2009
Askeans 2nd XV 10 - 33 RBSRFC It made a nice change this week to find that Askeans 1st team had taken players from the side we were playing rather than the other way round. The down side to this was that they now only had 11 players. With the league points secured we arranged to play a friendly game of 13's. Richard and Sam kindly volunteered to play for the opposition. Fortunately for Joe it was now just a friendly as he had gone walkabout having accidentally decided to tour every rugby club in South East London. He eventually turned up 5 minutes from time but in good time to irritate some women in O'Neil's. Thanks also to Tim and Isaac who added a player to each side just after kick off. The game itself was pretty dismal as was our performance. We should have used this as a springboard for the next two weeks but we lacked commitment, effort and concentration and only just did enough to win the game. If we do the same next week we will lose heavily. On the positive side the scrum looked good, Luke ran in a couple of nice weaving tries and Alex ploughed over from a yard out. Dan M also finished well from a good passing move and I scored from inside our 22 although this was at a time when no one could be bothered to chase. The most that we can take from this game is that it was a run out but we need to be far more focused on Saturday if we intend to finish the season on a high. Phil 14th February 2009
Beckenham 5th XV 22 - 3 RBSRFC A bare bones side took on the Beckenham select side and lived with them for the first 40, turning around 5-3 down at half time. The second half was a different story, due to an injury to myself the scrum went un-contested. Which probably suited Beckenham more than it did us as they used the static scrum to launch continuous attacks at our back line. Our backs put up great resistance in the only way they know, attack! And were unlucky not to score on more than a couple of occasions. My post match rant was probably over the top considering we were playing a side from a division or two above us. But the sentiment is still the same, we need to train together to get any positive results in our last five games. We haven't turned into a bad team over night but I do think we need to take a long hard look at ourselves before the remaining fixtures and ask ourselves if we really want to be at the top of this League when the final whistle goes in April? If the answer is yes get to training and support the boys who go week in week out, there are only 8 training session left so lets make the most of them. Semtex 31st January 2009
Dartfordians 5 - 87 RBSRFC
Tries: Jerry
O'Sullivan, Phil Black (2), Dan Mikes mate, Joe Jordan, Luke Grose (5), Martin
Smith (2), Paul Harper We were in danger of not fielding a side early in the week, but thanks to Guys coming out of self imposed exile, Mike Wallis, leaving looking for accommodation for another day, Martin & Luke, switching their work schedule, Paul Wedderspoon and playing on the day you return from a week drinking and skiing, Paul Harper. This was a game which we could not lose, and as it happens this was never in doubt from the first to the last whistle. We have been on the end of beatings like this in the past so to write a big report here bragging about how great we are would be totally inappropriate. So I will put in things that need to be said:-
Depending on when you get this it would be safe to say that training is off this Tuesday! Semtex 17th January 2009 Old Brockleans 17-17 RBSRFC
Tries Matt
Phillips, Martin Smith, Richard Bunton Well was it two points saved or two pints thrown away? Having such a large squad has helped us out no end this season, and without it we would have had to scratch Saturday’s fixture. With four of the regular starting back line missing, it was time for squad members to stand up and be counted. It was good fortune that left us with a big a squad as we had Saturday with Southend having a fixture cancelled and leaving Steve Griffiths available to play for us. Also thanks to Matt Phillips for turning up and for Richard Bunton playing despite nursing a thumb injury. I hope Andy Ruocco (leg), Les Giblin (arm) and Mike Ruiz (???) are all ok. After getting to Old Brocks over an hour before kick off, we had a great warm up and watched as Old Brocks come out in dribs and drabs and have a fairly sad effort at a warm up. Then we started to believe our own hype and thought that once kick off happened Brocks would lay down let us tickle their bellies and swan off up the South Circular with four points under our arms. But nothing could be further from the truth and they came at us like a team that didn't want to get a royal stuffing like we handed out last week. They threw everything at us for the opening five to ten minutes and were unlucky to go behind to a break away try from Matt Phillips, who thankfully dotted down under the posts to allow an easy conversion. Brocks regrouped and started to come again only to be once again put to the sword by Martin Smith. Two converted tries left us trailing at the break. And a penalty just outside the 22 left us five points adrift, which to be fair Brocks thoroughly deserved. Some very dogged tackling on our own try line saw us hold up two try scoring chances to keep us in it. And when the ball found its way up the hill to the Brocks try line, for possibly only the second or third time of the half, it was duly dispatched by Richard Bunton to leave us level. OK if I had scored at least one of the conversions we would have walked away with maximum points and this match report would be carrying a different tilt to it. But if one had been scored it would have only papered over the cracks that are there for all to see, but can easily be repaired by sorting it out on Tuesday nights. We have a great big pack who did what was expected of a pack at set pieces, it bullied them in the scrum and it stole more line out than it lost, but it wasn't aggressive enough in the loose. This was shown up when they went down to 14 men after their loose head tried to take Les's arm off with his size 10s, and we failed to score! The Guy put his boot on Les right under the Refs nose and only got a yellow card, which he got away lightly with. Unlike Dave Egan who got a couple of reds!!! after getting a kick straight to the crown jewels from their fly half, which also went unpunished. The backs didn't have the game they are capable off because most of the normal starters where away, but those who played are as equally gifted but didn't know how each other would play because we don't train together. I know it sounds like a broken record but we need to get to Lower Sydenham on a Tuesday night. We do not get trained into the ground, and we could try things out under match conditions with more personnel. If this does not happen the Season that has promised so much will end like all the Seasons in the recent past, with a whimper, and talks and stories of what could have or might have been. Just for the record out of the 18 players who turned out on Saturday and the 11 who responded and said they could not make the game, only 5 were at training (before 7.30pm when a decision was made to cancel it) so can we please spark the interest again for the run in to the end of the season. Rant simmering, but not over...... SEMTEX 17th January 2009 RBS RFC 69 Orpington 3rd XV 0 Tries
Jerry O'Sullivan, Alex Lowth, Luke Grose,Chris Dickinson (3), Martin Smith (4) Once again from a squad of 18 we start with a team of 15 with players turning up late, and some not turning up at all, cheers Wardy! But once the whistle went normal service was resumed with, if you could ignore the first 10-15 minutes, an emphatic beating of Orpington seconds. Who to their credit didn't stop trying themselves until the final whistle. After telling all visiting skippers to our club about the imaginary try line in white and the real one in red, I fell foul to it myself as I fell on a ball I carefully dribbled from outside the 22 and duly scored three metres from the try line luckily Dan Mahoney was on hand to scream at me that I was short, being a rather rotund fellow one roll over soon made short work of the three metres and we took a well earned lead. Once we finally found our feet in the scrums we started to do what the backs had been doing from the off and getting the upper hand on the oppo. A scrappy first half saw us turn around a good twenty points clear and the consensus was that we would keep Orpington to nil. No one was carrying any serious knocks and we turned around as we were. Paul told me he was carrying a strain and that he would give himself 10mins and bring on Marcus. A good call I thought as by Paul's own high standards he was not having the best of times with the ball anywhere near his hands, so I left that call with him, but as with a couple of calls during the game he changed his mind and took Phil off instead! Marcus wasted no time in getting into the fray, and set up a couple of tries for Luke and Martin. And was unlucky not to score one himself, but did proceed to put one on a plate for Alex who would have burst into tears if he had not been given the pass as he covered half the length of the pitch on Marcus's shoulder. A special mention must go to all the back line who played great stuff and helped themselves to 8 of the 10 tries on offer, imagine how many they would have got if Paul had packed his hands in his kit bag! All in all another good day for the RBS fan club who stayed on the sidelines to watch in bitter cold winds. Lets all get down to training and try to put this performance against the teams a little higher up the table. SEMTEX 13th
December Thanks to Rad and JC for turning up at such short notice, and as usual thanks to all who say they are going to turn up and do! That rules Alex out then!!! Special thanks this week must go to Goff and Jack who stood in the freezing rain to watch us once again put a big W on the board against an Orpington side who had more than the one first team player they claimed to have on show. This weeks win was made all the more special in the manner we went about doing the job. The forwards after getting a bit of a wake up call in the first scrum got their act together and on a regular basis took ball from the opposition feed. Disrupted the line out at every opportunity and even when the call for a four ball was called more often than not landed the throw in the swirling wind. The backs as usual went about taking the opposition apart from the off and didn't relent until the final whistle. We finished the game, a whole 14 minutes, with 13 men on the field (12 if you can count the last 30 seconds without Mike Ruiz). Steve Twigger would have been a proud Coach had he seen the way we implemented the rucking training that he has put us through the last few weeks, as we ground out the last 15 minutes by just taking the Ball into contact and recycling it to do the exact same thing again. We managed to lose possession only 3 times during this period but each time managed to get it back and take it back to the beleaguered Orpington players. Despite the awful weather and the shoddy way we turned up late and unprepared we have ground out another fine victory that keeps us nicely placed third in the league before the Christmas break. So here's looking forward to the 9 league games we have left next year and lets see if we can improve our position in the league by one or two places! SEMTEX
15th November After a week of trying to get a team on the pitch, the never say die attitude returned with a vengeance and 18 players made themselves available. Thanks to Chris Ansah and Alex Lowth for showing up and playing for the first time this season, but special thanks to a secret player who can't be named in case his wife reads the match report. Lets call him Dr Freddie, she'll never guess! The day started as expected no real warm up because the kit was in Croydon and the team were in Lower Sydenham! When we set a meet lets meet at that time, all this I'll be at the pitch dressed ready is not good enough. This isn't a personal attack on anyone because three people did it on Saturday. On to the match thanks to Nick for turning up and playing hooker for us, cheers to Rufus for convincing him to play. Some great play in the first half that left us changing ends in the lead was completely undone in the second half where we as a team decided we had done enough and that allowed Beckenham to get up a head of steam we could not quite extinguish. We were bossing the set pieces right up until Les had to leave the field injured again, its always the fit athletic types who pick up these injuries! And with no fit front row available we went to uncontested scrums. This should not have had the effect that it did because our backs were still causing problems and the forwards were nicking line out at will. But as is our Achilles heel, we sniffed victory far too quickly and went to sleep. If it wasn't for some great tackling in the backs and the forwards, who had to change formation numerous times due to blood replacements and injuries to Peter Ward, Les Giblin and Alex Lowth. That said we have been putting into practice what is being preached at training, at no point did anybody pick up from the base of a ruck and leave themselves isolated. It was always calmly dealt with, either by a sympathetic pass or grabbing a team mate and taking it to the oppo. What we do need to work on in training what decision to make when the opposition are raining in on top of you. Again this isn't directed at anyone in particular, but we kicked away two tries to Beckenham on Saturday that they would never have got if we ran it straight back at them. A lovely try by Martin Smith who pinned his ears back and left half the Beckenham team in his wake to score under the posts, so it was easier for Luke to score the conversion. And two tries from Paul Harper and stand in scrummie Richard Bunton should have been enough to give us the spoils, but wasn't. So lets gather again the next two Tuesdays and put it right against Old Dartfordians on 29th November. See you all at training SEMTEX
8th November: Askeans cried-off
1st November: RBSRFC 29 - 24 Park House FC 3rd XV Tries: Luke Grose, Jack Marshall & Martin Smith (2) Cons: Chris Dickinson (3) & Penalty After struggling all week to find a hooker we finally took to the field at Park House with a squad of 18, Sam Ross-Wilden stepping in at the last minute to play hooker. Sam not only stepped up and made sure we had a front row, but in my opinion played the best 80 minutes of rugby for RBS since he joined us, and that is not just blowing smoke up him to see if he'll play next week. Before we even had the toss taken, I was asked by two of their players if it was true that we had beaten Southwark Lancers? The answer to that as we all know was YES! and as of Saturday morning Park House were third in the table, literally making us the team to beat these days. Now I know we all have a laugh about it in the bar and long may it continue, but the only way we are going to stay where we are and get anything out of this season is TRAINING. So please come on Tuesdays and try to do a little bit extra yourselves and who knows where we might be in the League this coming March. As is becoming the norm for us now we took the lead and didn't give it up all game. That is not to say we had it all our own way, far from it, Park House had a big say in how the day went and but for some strange refereeing decisions could have taken the points. They had a try disallowed for their man stepping in to touch in the dead ball area, even though the ref was some way off. That said we had some decisions go against us, none more so than the try awarded against us when the Park House player dropped the ball over the line, just like Phil Black last week, but claimed he couldn't see it because of the position he was in. But was able to disallow Mike Ruiz a try claiming it was held up despite being in almost the exact same position!!!! With the wet weather it was always going to be a day for scrummaging, and as with most of our previous games we moved the opposition pack around all day. If their two props spent more time actually scrummaging and not trying to slip their bindings every time the ref changed sides they would probably have had a better time of it. But they would not be told and as a consequence they lost balls against the head on a regular basis, the most telling being a put in on their own 5m line that was nicked for the umpteenth time by Sam and a pushover that was touched down by Jack Marshall rounded of their poor day. Tries also from Luke, and the by now familiar brace from Martin would have seen of lesser sides. But Park House were in no mood to lay down and let us walk away with it, and kept up the pressure right to the very end. A very different side to the ones we have been put out in previous seasons soaked up this pressure and held on for another well deserved win. All praise must go to everyone around me on this day as the effort was 100% going forward and (no cliches) even better in defence, it seems we have finally got the taste of victory after gorging on defeat for so long. So once again thank you to everyone who played on Saturday, even Richard (4 minutes) Bunton. And apologies to you all for having to carry me for 80 minutes, I don't need telling that was probably the worst game I have had for RBS in years. Maybe I need to follow my own advice. See you all Tuesday. SEMTEX
25th
October: Once again a strong squad to choose from, despite four people crying off from Friday - Saturday. But my life is getting easier as I still had 18 players to choose from, thank you all who did turn up and sorry to Andy for not getting him a lot of playing time. On to the game, a few people had been scare mongering by reading Lancers website and looking at their league position, first with 3 wins from 3. But when put into context it was two wins over Beckenham Vs, Dartfordians IVs and a two score victory over Orpington who we beat ourselves not 6 months ago. We set ourselves up nicely with two unanswered converted tries, thanks to Luke and Paul, in an evenly contested first half. A half which was to end 7 minutes early due to a severe clash of heads leaving Les laying on the ground with pins and needles around the neck and shoulder area. With a twenty minute delay while we waited for an ambulance to get Les to hospital, where thankfully he was given the all clear later that night, we let our minds drift and our bodies go cold. So when we finally started the second half Southwark seized their opportunity and ran in two relatively soft tries given the way we were playing up to that point. As they only converted one of their chances we kicked off two points to the good, and with a change of personnel in the pack started to take the game back to Southwark. As with most of the afternoon we continued to take a lot of ball from them at their own set pieces in the scrum and line out which led to our backs having wave after wave of attack, but credit where credit is due Southwark held us up and refused to lay down. That was until some great hands led to Phil Black to break free and make a lunge for the line only to drop the ball. The resulting scrum led to a stolen ball and a push over try. Imagine my surprise when after passing the white wash and waiting to see Richard Bunton who was having a steady game at number 8 appear and ground the ball it was Mark Jelinek who managed to steal a march on him at flanker and take the points on offer. Another injury this time to Dan "my ankle again" Mahoney, led to another enforced change with Moses entering the fray and getting to grips with the pace of the game almost straight away with a couple of good runs and more importantly some nice covering tackles. Still Southwark pressed and some great defending from ourselves this time led to us not only keeping them out but also putting together one final effort and scoring, courtesy of Martin, in the dying seconds of a game that seemed to get longer every time someone asked the ref "How long Sir? When the final whistle did come it bought an end to Southwark Lancers unbeaten start to the season and left some of the older players among us to look around and bask in the glory given to us by a set of younger, fitter players who if we had got our hands on a couple of seasons ago we would not have found ourselves in the position we have been in in recent seasons. So once again a big thanks to all who turned up, continue to keep training going and force the non-attendees to fight for their place on a Saturday. SEMTEX PS Paul Harper has asked me to point out that the scoring pie is not a true reflection of who has scored the most tries, as Chris Dickinson has gained points by taking conversions and penalties. Point taken but it is a scoring pie and not a try scoring pie, so pipe down. As everyone knows Phil will be top try scorer, I know this because he tells me he has been every years since he has been with the club! 11 October 2008 RBSRFC 24 - 8 Old Elthamians We started the day on paper in the usual way with 17 players, but started the match with 15! Do not call me on Friday, (or any other day) and say you are available and then not show on the Saturday. Add to that not to have the decency to call and explain why you didn't show, Chris Ansah! Wardy did get dragged out oh his flat by the fire brigade so we will let him off, yes he is ok! We started the game in much the same way we finished last weeks, disrupting line out and winning more than our fair share of all the rucks and mauls. This led to us taking a well deserved lead through Odie, who scored under the posts. (Missed con. O'Sullivan)!!!!! We didn't keep the lead for very long and some very poor tackling let OEs score the equaliser in less than 5 mins. We kept taking the game to them with some good work from the pack who didn't let OEs get a sniff of any thing in the first 40. Getting some good fast, clean ball to the backs allowed them to open up OEs defence on numerous occasions, only for us to run out of width and not re-cycle the ball back in field. (A training session in the making!) The second half was a different story with the backs stepping up their game and the forwards allowing themselves to take their collective feet off of the gas. This led to RBS scoring a further 3 unanswered tries, through Paul Harper (2) Chris (fly half), and OEs only getting a penalty for their troubles. Despite the scoreline we did not have it all our own way in the second half OEs kept on pushing and some good defending by ourselves and some strong scrummaging on our own 5m line kept them tryless for the second half. It is to OEs credit we had to defend our lines so feverishly in the dying minutes, and although credit has to go to the pack for keeping them out, it was our own fault for not getting around the park and keeping them out of our 22 that led to the late surge of pressure inflicted on us. That said there was some very good positives to come out of it. A fine debut by Luke Grose who was unlucky not to score on several occasions, mainly due to some strong tackling from OE defence and on one occasion due to a wayward pass from the otherwise exemplary Paul Harper. Chris again had another storming game at 10 linking up well with rest of the backs. Thanks must go to Steff and Odie for turning out for us again, without them we would not have been able to field a side. Also thanks to all who stuck around from John Cass FOCR and was entertained with a great win for RBS, who seem to have got the bit between their teeth again like the last few games of last season. Long may it continue SEMTEX 4 October 2008 Old Alleynians IVs 24 - 31 RBSRFC What a week, first we start with a squad of 18 again! Then it goes down hill, Rufus cries off with joggers nipple or some other pain in his chest. Matt Phillips is killed in a car crash, but rises from the dead like Lazuras, only to get a stiff neck and can't move his head. And Alex Lowth was vapourised by aliens, this is just a theory as he hasn't answered his mobile or e-mails since Saturday, but if he hasn't been why wouldn't he answer his calls, SPOOKY! So we take off to Old Alleynians where once again we are told the opposition do not have a front row, or more likely their front row see ours and don't really fancy it... We kick off 15 V 16 (I'll explain later) un-contested scrums. We nick a good 70% of their line-out and are having the better of the forwards and backs around the park but can't seem to put any real daylight between them and us. Twiggs opens the scoring for us, even though it does look like Tim Dunford had his hand on the ball as it was grounded. The try came from some good line-out work with a catch and drive from just outside the 5m line which try as she might the ref didn't want to give but in the end relented. It was from then on that all decisions went OAs way, including some outrageous rolling mall decisions she got wrong, to the most blatant piece of cheating I have seen on a rugby pitch since Neil Back made Peter Stringer look like a school boy No. 9 all those years ago. Even the members of OAs were embarrassed for the way the ball that was propelled forward in a way that would have befitted an American football game, and the ref had the cheek to call it level. When members of OAs told her it was forward she reluctantly called play back and awarded us the scrum. In between all this Chris, Phil, Wardy and Sam (oops nearly dropped it, oops nearly dropped it again) Ross-Wilden all crossed the whitewash to leave us getting a result we shouldn't have been in any worry of losing. Had we had contested scrums it would be debatable if OAs would have even got on the scoreboard. It was only some slack play from the back of static scrums and some poor covering tackles out wide that allowed OAs to get their scores, but it is something we can work on at training!!!!! So thank you to all who turned up to play, thanks to the ever present John Cass on the touchline. Hopefully all of you who are carded in the future are shamed into turning up or at least having the decency to call me (not you Rufus), but I will not hold my breath. SEMTEX 27 September 2008 Old Dunstonians 25 V 13 RBSRFC For a change we were the Squad, 18 of us! who were on the pitch first, warmed up and eager to go. Then the referee informed us that Old Dunstonians only had 13, and no front row, and that it looked like we would get a walkover for the first game of the season, but would we stay and give them a game. It was agreed that we would give them a game and we changed our squad around, a luxury we never had in recent seasons, due to the fact we would have uncontested scrums. Then the ref informs us that not only do ODs now have 15 but they also have a front row, game on! Some poor decision making from positions all over the park, not to mention my own kick being blocked on the 5m line by someone who looked blatantly offside and converted into a try by the same person, saw us 12 nil down very quickly. But like the latter end of last season we battled back and got two very well worked tries by our centre pairing of Paul Harper and Phil Black. Add to that a penalty by myself and we looked good at the break at 13-12. The second half led to some more poor decision making, that had a knock on to some poor tackling and in turn led to ODs running in 3 more, this time unanswered tries. Only some poor handling stopped us scoring more tries of our own and some poor tackling at the lineout let them get at least on of their second half tries. There was some great rugby played at times followed by some less than impressive stuff that we have been known to provide for our long suffering support. Thanks to Paul Harper for once again getting us out of a hole with the aid of his never ending supply of friends who play in the backs. Thanks to Les and John who led vocal support for us on the side lines. Thanks to Wedders for postponing retirement for the fifth year in a row and also to Twiggs for the same in at least the last 10 years! And finally thanks to Dan Stokoe, Peter Ward and Peter Young who when informed of the uncontested rule thought they were starting, only to be told 10 minutes later that they were to be on the bench, thanks for the supply of water and in giving your all when asked to step into the fray. Please lets try and get down to training on a Tuesday and blow away some of the cobwebs that seem to be sticking to the back of our shirts from last year, and try to get a bit of a run going starting next week to Old Alleynians Regards SEMTEX
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