By “Nutta”
Well what a day it was. Tolkien must forgive me but “Spears, they were shaken! Shields, they were splintered. A sword-day it was. A Red Day it was, as there the sun set!” And then we sold some Colts. But that’s another story for another day.
Welcome to the match reviews of Round 9, the day the Blue Mountains Goats came to Canada Bay to tread the hallowed turf of Drummoyne Oval. After a two week lay-off given the artistic vagaries of the Sydney Suburban 1st Division draw this year, anticipation was high to get back on-field and have a gallop about in what was shaping as a beautiful day in the typically harsh and forbidding Sydney winter (?!?!?). But at the same time trepidation was there just below the surface regarding performance levels given the layoff. Would the lads hit the ground running for Veterans Day? Or would the rust get the better of us and give the Blue Goats the sort of cracked-door invitation they so often need and take to get in and run amok?
With the heroes of years and premierships gone by steadily building on the hill and the bridge to the Can Bar for Veterans Day, the show did unfold…
5th Grade (Halligan’s Cup). Won 31-0.
Did you know there are 34 teams listed in the Halligans Heroes competition? With Blueys listed as 3rd on that mammoth ladder with 4 wins from 6 starts, the Red Heroes were somewhere down the bottom with zero wins from 2 starts. So despite the healthy numbers and clear enthusiasm on display in the warmup, it was clear that the cards were stacked against the Red Heroes. However with the weight of Veterans Day expectations upon them, and ball-playing club legends such as Hamish ‘Fly Boy’ Beattie and Tom ‘Homer’ Hayes gracing the park and bookending the scrums, who knew what poetry was about to unfurl?
The 1st half was quite entertaining to watch and ended amazingly well balanced as the clearly talented but frustratingly unfamiliar Red Heroes couldn’t find their rhythm against the Blue Heroes less expansive but clearly far more cohesive rhyme. Accordingly the 1 pie and one sauce lead to the Reds at oranges only continued the poetic theme. However such balance was dispelled in the 2nd session with a final score line of 31-0 rather bluntly summing up the gel that kicked in as both the Reds execution settled and general Oz-Aerobics fitness shone through.
The win set a fantastic tone for the day and moves the Red Heroes to 15th on the table with 1 win from 3 starts (not bad on a table of 34 sides). B&F acknowledgements went 3pts to Yanek Fochesato for his 1 pie and 3 squirts effort, 2pts to Robbie ‘jack rabbit’ McDonald and 1pt to Sean Bennie.
2nds Colts (Red Raddlers) was a forfeit from Forrest (aka Warringah) so 28-0 win. Well done lads!
4th Grade (Judd Cup). Won 15-10.
Coming into the match as 3rd on their table on 18pts with 4 wins from 6 starts, the Red Jugheads foray against the Blueys was shaping as a must-win to put some distance between them and the middle of the table, consolidate some performance and stay in-touch with the competition leaders (Mossy and Colleagues).
Intriguingly, Supercoach Heller had decided to roll the dice a bit and employed the 1331 game shape for the second time this season in an effort to spread the portly Blueys pack over the field and so fatigue them and pick some holes. And the early indicators seemed to confirm the wisdom in that tactical nous given the Blue Mountains lads who rolled off the bus and took the field were indeed as portly as expected. Accordingly, comments from Supercoach Heller were that when the lads played their shape and kept the game mobile and the ruck efficient, the results were plain to see. But when the match bogged down or went to outright competitions of size, strength and one-on-one power (like scrummage and lineout), the Blue Goats certainly had the upper hand. Accordingly, all reports were that where we did well was in maintaining our shape in general play. And our tries were clearly attributable to the game shape which the lads had been diligently training, and in-which the confidence became apparent as the match wore on.
The lesson in that? Trust Supercoach Heller and trust the system.
In retrospect, it was a hard fought battle, but one that had no niggle and was played in good spirits. As such the 15-10 win was one to be duly proud in with pies to Ilaisa, Charlie Yeomans and new-boy Jordan Dehaarte, but no successful squirts of the sauce bottle to plump them up. And it must be acknowledged that the Blue Juddies, who contained a fair number of Blue Heroes as well, hung around to share a beer afterwards. That’s rugby. Best & Fairest points went as follows: 1pt to Oscar Sobb, 2pts to The Row for holding up in-front of a significant weight disparity and 3pts to Tim Balshaw.
The win consolidates the Red Jugheads at 4th on table with 5 wins from 7 starts on 22pts, hard on the heels of Waverly who are 5 from 8 on 24pts (but who have yet to run their bye). Hunters are 1 win from 7 on 5pts. So whilst Hunters at home are a different beast, the upcoming match this weekend must be seen as a must-win to keep chipping away at the table.
3rd Grade (Whiddon Cup). Won 50-12.
Coming off the layoff from such a gutsy win against Colleagues, the Red Widows were keen to put the record straight after going down to the Blue Goats earlier in the season. That loss had stung because it was so completely self-inflicted and their only loss of the season to-date. And so to say the expectation among the Red Widows was high to put in an all-game performance against the 2nd placed Blueys, such would be an understatement.
Accordingly, the Red Widows fairly flew off the blocks and bagged the opening pie in under 5 minutes after a ruthlessly efficient build-up of pressure in the Blue half. What was notable in that pie though was that whilst the lads were happy, there was none of the Yahoo and Showboating palaver of weeks gone by. This post try celebration was notably different. This was all business. And that was to set the tone for the balance of the match.
And so, bolstered by the likes of Joe Colley who gobbled up front-foot ball and managed to create and complete opportunities seemingly at will, it quickly became apparent the Blue Goats were not going to match the red Widows pace or intent and in no time the Reds had bagged a further 2 pies , all duly sauced by Nick ‘flash boots’ Scully to keep the score board rolling. Comments from Supercoach Scully was that the match then turned into a display of outstanding execution of game plan in every facet. The Pigs controlled the lineouts, the scrums, the mauls and chopped the heavy weight Mountain Goat runners down consistently, preventing them from establishing any rhythm or rhyme in their play. Harry Stanton provided wonderful links to the backs, Doc was winding back the clock with some huge run metres as well as some bone crunching tackles, and the side overall set about their tasks with such will that at times the Blue Goats physio was their busiest person on the field.
Continued probing of Supercoach Scully for feedback didn’t disappoint with his comments becoming effusive around “the dominance of the Forwards allowed the Backs to get the Ferraris out of the garage and on to the autobahn” and he waxed further lyrical about ‘long range tries’, ‘skills arsenal’, ‘sublime substitutions’, ‘continuing onslaught’ etcetera. Basically, this was the Red Widows best team performance of the season so-far and yet the lads all still knew they have another gear in them. And so all enjoyed the spoils of victory.
With a double-pie to Harry Stanton and a fat-man hat-trick of pies to Steaming Joe Colley, Best & Fairest points were difficult to judge. But ultimately acknowledgements went 1pt to Nick Scully for fine kicking and breaking a 3yr try-drought, 2pts to Stu Hammond whose support work was tireless and 3pts to the Joe ‘pit stop’ Colley who is clearly pushing his barrow back up the grades.
The win leaves the Red Widows atop the table with 6 wins from 7 starts on 28pts, equal with Waverly at 6 from 8 on 28pts (but with their bye yet to hit). Hunters are stone motherless last, but the red flags are waving that this weekend is no trifle and a merciless outing is needed to consolidate the Thirsties status prior to another bloody weekend off before facing the big guns of Waverly and Mosman on the road to finals.
2nd Grade (Burke Cup). Won 26-17.
Coming off a loss to Colleagues, the Red Burkies were 2nd on their table with 4 wins from 6 starts and on 20pts whilst the Blue Goats were adrift at 3rd last with 2 wins from 6 starts and 11pts. So whilst the opportunity was clearly there versus the Goats to nail a win and a bonus point along with a healthy top-up to for & against, the Red Burkies were keen to be clinical and avoid any goat headbutt and a banana-skin result.
Comments from Supercoach Mick were that the lads put in a good first half with three pies with two squirts of sauce but were disappointed to allow the Goats a pie of their own. But 19-5 wasn’t a bad score line at oranges. Pleasingly the early 2nd half continued with the general Red dominance continuing, but the Red Burkies were struggling to convert the pressure and get over the line in the face of dogged Blue Goat defence. Accordingly whilst the Reds snagged another pie, the Blueys came back into the match and jagged two pies and a squirt of their own. Among this Goat fightback, the Red Burkies penalty count crept up, the handling fell away and a lot of the Red option-taking was suspect, particularly where courageous ball running was employed where judicious kicking would have yielded greater return. However the Red lads held on and kept the Precious. And so whilst disappointed we didn’t score more points in the second half after the early pie, Supercoach Mick was begrudgingly happy with the defensive effort displayed in the face of the possession-drought and the fact that we had another bonus point win.
Best and fairest went 1pt to Josh Flannery, 2pts to Evan O Connor and 3pts to Alex Wilmore.
The win has the Red Burkies at 2nd on ladder with 5 wins from 7 starts on 25pts behind Colleagues on 7 from 8 and 31pts. But again, Colleagues have yet to eat their bye. Interestingly Hunters are 3rd on 5 from 7 and 22pts (bonus pts being the difference). So The Red Burkies have much on the line this week in Joey-Town.
1st Grade (Kentwell Cup). Won 29-25.
The Red Kentwellians approached the game as a turning point for their season being 5th on the table at 3 wins from 6 starts and 16pts. And for flavour, the Blue Mountains Goats sat atop the table with 4 wins from 6 starts on 22pts. And with the day so-far all going the way of those in red, expectations were high and the stage was set for a Veterans Day classic to unfold. A win here would be a Drummoyne clarion call over the competition whereas a loss, somewhat expected when mid table meets table top, would be difficult to overcome both on-table and emotionally.
And so it was most welcome as the Red Kentwellians started well, dominating possession and territory. However the Mountain Men proved no muppets and were the first to jag not just one pie, but two pies, both duly squirted. And so half time loomed at 14-0 to the Glue Goats. However quick reactions and a well-timed toe-through against the run of play led to a late half Red pie and so a score line at oranges of 2pies to 1pie ensued.
The 2nd half proved to be a fascinating tussle to watch with both sides collecting 3 pies each, including a crucial Red Pigs Pie to replacement Alex Wilmore at about the 78th minute. But in the end, it was the Faeries who had the last say (as ever) as the squirts of conversion sauce on the pies proved to be the difference and Leave It To Saul with his 2 squirts proved the differentiating factor in the final score of 5 pies and 2 squirts to the Reds and 5pies only to the Blues.
The impact of the win for the Red Kentwellians is deceptive. Yes, to beat the table top is massive and the faith it should put in the lads hearts is not to be underestimated. But the Reds are still 6th on table at 4 wins from 7 starts and 21pts whilst the Blueys are still atop at 5 from 8 on 28pts. But in that 5 teams above the Reds are 3 teams who are yet to eat their bye. So the table is crowded at the top and as the byes bite, the outcome will be equalising. Accordingly the coming weeks are crucial and the upcoming clash against 3rd placed Hunters (5 from 7 on 23pts) is shaping as a doozy.
1st Colts (Barbour Cup). Won 42-7.
To celebrate Veterans Day, and also so the wee buggers could not escape the Colts Auction post-match, the Colts had the privilege of the last-match, late-day kick-off. And they did not disappoint with an ‘up in lights’ performance to match the top-billing scheduling and the accompanying power bill.
Coming into the match the Red Barbourians were 5th on their table with 3 wins from 6 starts on 15pts. And the Blue Goats were right on our lads back door step with 13pts. As such this was a critical day in shaping the prospects of the season ahead. So a clinical effort was needed to take everything away from the match the Red Barbourians had to. Comments from Supercoach Maybank was that the Colties preparations had all this in-mind and the focus was intense with the word of the day being, literally, “Intent”. And that intensity showed from the opening whistle, duly blown by my long time personal friend Referee John Coleman, and the first pie of many so-gorged was snaffled in the opening few minutes.
Supercoach Maybank then channelled Supercoach Scully in waxing lyrical and his post-match comments were filled with exhortations about the Colts emphasis on playing hard, direct rugby so as to earn the right to then play expansive open rugby. And the poetry continued with reflections on how the Red Barbourians were always moving the point of attack, to stretch and pull the Blue Goats big-boys about the paddock to test their fitness and pick the holes to exploit.
Supercoach Maybank comments did also match SuperRef Colemans feedback that an even greater scoreline would have been achieved if the Red Men had not leaked field position more than just several times via poor discipline. But the Red Wall held firm with the Billy Goats raiding the Red Line at least a half dozen times but only snagging one solitary pie of the penalty variety.
Best & Fairest went 1pt to Pat Musillo, 2pts to Liam Doyle and 3pts to Oscar Smith.
All up it was a good win. 6 pies all squirted was a fine display. It allows recent momentum to continue gathering as the Red Barbourians head towards the business end of the season. To that end, the Colties are now 4 wins from 7 starts for 20pts and 5th on table. But again, 3 of the top 4 are yet to eat their bye. And in that mix, Hunters are in 4th spot, also on 4 from 7, but on 22pts (courtesy of +2 bonus points). So the table is top-jammed and the approaching semi-final composition will be decided by wafer-thin margins. With that in-mind, I am bound to point-out that the 2 slices of cheese served to the Reds during the match only adds weight to both Supercoach Maybank and SuperRef Colemans comments that while the Red Barbourians clearly ‘have the goods’, much of their good work is undone by ill-discipline. Accordingly I guess it’s no surprise that no Colty has yet claimed the prize offered near a month ago of a case of beers for the first Colt who can tell me what law 6.5.a is and can explain what it means.
So there you have it. In what was also a magnificent day of caps and acknowledgements of long-time club servants, we saw the Kentwellians get back on their winning ways and highlighted the day with Colts turning in a fantastic performance to cap out a Red Wedding Day in front of a deeply congratulatory crowd. As such we retired to the Can Bar in the Pavilion above the Central Dressing Sheds and enjoyed an ale or three over the Colts Auction and subsequent festivities…
Boire le vin.
Nutta.
#dirtyreds #deeperthanblood
For the other rounds
Round 01
Round 02
Round 03
Round 04
Round 05
Round 06
Round 07