One Eyed Slant on 1st Grade Warringah 23rd August It’s always a long trip to the southern suburbs of Brisbane and today was no exception. However, once there, I must admit that Rat Park is a good place from which to watch a game, especially when the sun belts down on the Eastern hill – or at least I remember it that way. After a somewhat careful start the Rebels took a 3 – 0 lead. Through Blackie’s boot and good use of a tail wind field position was well achieved – let’s hope this wind turns with us at half time! The forwards continued their good season performance with strong up front work and a no backward step attitude, rolling the ball up the field and making use of a good structure. In addition there was well controlled recycling of the ball which presented a problems to the Rats. Knuckling down to the task at hand the Rats started to apply their trade in a similar fashion, which was making for a good even and entertaining game. The Rats kept up the pressure with possession and sensible play and their 5 pointer came but there was no conversion of the try; Warringah 5 Sutho 3. The try by Warringah did not appear to faze the Rebels as they stuck with their game plan of playing tight rugby in the forwards and using the wind at every opportunity. This sensible and controlled play eventually saw one of the Scrounger Twins – Izzy – cross for the equaliser and Blackie duly converted Sutho 10 Warringah 5. Again this made Warringah, who thought they made have been in for an easy afternoon’s Rugby, step up a cog or two. Battling against the good play of the Sutho forwards and running into just about a gale force wind the Rats eventually found their way over the line to take a 12 – 10 lead and then extend that to 17 -10 just before the break. Moving their play away from our strength in the middle of the field they were able to penetrate out wide and start to rack up the points on the scoreboard. In what proves to be one of Sutho’s continued nemeses throughout the season – the half time break – saw the Rats open the second half with the intent of containing and then dominating our boys in the second half. With the wind now at the Rats back there was a real challenge to the boys to hold out the Green & Whites. Warringah skipped away to a 24 – 10 lead with the weight of the wind being a contributing factor. Undaunted the Rebels held their heads up and continued to make it tough for Warringah. Scoring was kept to a minimum in this half and with two unconverted tries, 2 minutes before full time and one right on full time saw the Rats win the game, after a great tussle, 34 – 10. Next week the final game for 1st Grade for the season; Sydney University at home. It is also the swansong for long time stalwart of the Club James McCormack. I encourage everyone to turn out to see this game and especially farewell Macca in a big way after his long and loyal years of playing with the Rebels. One_Eyed Points 3 Points – Nick – a tireless effort in the front row keeping “the bastards honest.” One_Eyed Eastwood 16th August This game started similar to last week’s game; fairly steady and not a lot of incisive attacking or hard defence by either side. Right from the start it seemed that both sides were heading towards a game of going through the movements of the 80 minutes in front of them. But wait … the all too familiar opening of a number of games during the season occurred … an early 5 pointer to the Woodies. A glance across the park realised that the Rebel backs had again been hit by injuries where substitute players, out of position, were going to apply their trade and be called upon to fill alternate positions according to the play at the time. Both sides seemed to settle after this and were satisfied to take the ball up only to be halted by the opposition, but the intensity of previous weeks’ games just did not appear to be there. The main excitement, early in the game, was provided by our Super 14 Mazda Man – George Ayoub. As popular as ever George was continually “cheered” on by all with each blow of the whistle. On more than one occasion Macca quite rightfully had to discuss the state of the nation with George. As the game progressed The Woodies were happy to sit and wait for the time to become ripe and attack when the opening became available. Their nuggetty 11 certainly became a bit of a handful as he went looking for work on the inside and his bustling style of running was approving difficult to handle. In hand with this was the running of the Super 14 9 for The Woodies – Josh Holmes – who started to take control of the field and either ran the ball or distributed as he liked. Woodies 12 Sutho 0 as Josh Holmes scored the first of a treble. Then the familiar play of the Rebels began to happen – the forwards flexed their muscles and the rolling maul began with slow but sure progress to the Woodies line with Macca scoring one of his customary style of tries – head down and here I come. Then Blackie, from the all too familiar position of the sideline, slotted the ball between the sticks. Woodies 12 Sutho 7. Unfortunately two quick tries to Eastwood saw them jump to a 22-7 lead, in a game which had been starting to develop into a see saw battle, before those tires. Not to be outdone the Rebels went on the attack and Terry once again showed his strength with determined straight running and bursting through a number of tackles went over n the corner; up steps Blackie for the usual sideline kick. Away walks Blackie with the usual result of his sideline kicking this season – another 2 points. Woodies 22 Sutho 14. Play recommenced with this appearing to be the half time break score, however, Eastwood had other ideas as with some fancy footwork and hand work they scored a converted try to take a 29 -14 lead to the break. As has been the case this season the orange break, and subsequent recommencement of play, has not been kind. Eastwood restarted the second half very quickly and began racking up points on the board in haste. With what seemed to be within the blink of an eye the score had ballooned to Woodies 48 Sutho 14. There seemed to be no rest for the scoreboard attendant, which eventually caught up with George as he appeared to pull a fetlock and called it a day; Assistant Referee from 2nd Grade game stepped into the breach. Plenty of spectator comments came over the fence with an unfamiliar “… we want George back” – no doubt this touched George as he was heard to comment “…I’ve never heard that in all my years of blowing the whistle.” Given the game was quickly escaping, the Rebels continued to show some gritty determination and ensure the Woodies knew they had been in a game. Again the forwards took control with Nick eventually working his way over but Blackie was unable to convert from wide out this time. As the clock wound its way towards the 80 minutes Eastwood continued to score with 62 – 19 appearing to be the full time score. To their credit the Rebels continued to press on and Benny Long was rewarded with a 5 pointer just on full time. Final score Eastwood 62 Sutho 24. The wash up of the game was an all too familiar scenario; crucial tackles missed and today for some reason a number of intercepts were taken by the opposition, which when taken by Eastwood was down in Sutho’s territory and left their runner with an open line to cross. Next week the longest road trip of the season to Rat Park. One_Eyed Points 3 Points - Front Row of Nick, Dan and Guy for being so dominant and leading the way.
One_Eyed Penrith 9th August This was a game that was to see if the Sutho season could be lifted by turning the tables on the old foe from the lower Blue Mountains. A game which has always been traditionally close and left hanging in the balance … twice we have beaten Penrith after the bell in the last couple of years… so what was the outcome going to be, given the performance of the Rebels to date this season. The game started at a fairly steady flow without too much of note happening. Simple basics by both teams saw Penrith camped in the Rebels half for much of the opening stanza. There were some solid hits happening in amongst the “piggies” and it didn’t appear that too much love was being shared on the paddock. Both sides seemed to stretch the rules as far as possible yet the Rebels copped most of the punishment from the Mazda Man, without much coming the way of the Rebels in return. Inconsistency? Penalties in the early part of the game really had an affect as some of the Rebels had to temper their efforts, which in one case appeared to downgrade and thwart the quality of the game performance of the player involved. Penrith was first to record points crossing for an unconverted 5 pointer. This seemed to lift the Mountain boys who stepped up their intensity and went on the attack, talking it up as they went. At the same time the Rebels fell back into their one on one habit of tackle “reaching” rather than “driving,” which allowed the Emu backs more latitude to work with than they should have had. Dividends were coming Penrith’s way as they made progress with the ineffective Sutho tackles (sorry boys I call it how I see it). Eventually the Emu’s 15 chimed in to pierce a gap and head to the line …. Only to drop the ball over the line and blow a certain 5, if not 7, points. Was this going to be the turning point? Several minutes later Matt T takes the ball within the Sutho 22 metres and starts a long sprint up field. The breakdown comes and it appears that the opportunity has gone … but no, play continues and a good quick well directed pass from Matt A sees Nick crash over for the equalising 5 pointer. With play restarting Terry was proving a pain in the backside to the Penrith defence as his bruising runs were taking a toll on their defence … on more than an occasion or two Terry was leaving a trail of defenders in his wake. The downside, unfortunately, was the lack of support to further Terry’s great running. Penalties, penalties, penalties, continued to go against the Rebels as the long and short arms seemed to point in one direction only. This often saw Macca have a midfield conference with the Mazda Man. Eventually Guy was asked to take a break on the basis of repeated infringements. The remainder of the half saw the play fairly even, until Penrith crossed as the half time bell was sounding … not a great way to end the half, given the impetus that had occurred since the Penrith 15 had dropped the ball over the line. With e start of the second half play was settling back into something like it was before the Emu’s just scored on the break. Terry was continuing his rampaging runs … but still little support was evident. The scores were brought level after Kane made a dash down the far sideline, with the ball being recycled well to see Kane backing up to score wide out. Then the familiar cry from the stand …Go Douglas! With the score at 10 – 10 Luke was unable to add the extras so the game was being set for a good finish. With the rules being stretched as far as possible the intensity grew and the Mazda Man was called upon to take some tighter control of the game but the penalties continued to be a one way street in the main. Frustration began to creep in as Penrith started to make their way up the field and eventually convert their progress into points to see them skip to a tidy lead. Finally the camel’s back was broken as the Marquess of Queensberry rules were brought out with the outcome being 3 players sent for a rest; 1 Sutho and 2 Penrith. The crowd was amazed that the prime instigator of the melee (including an incident not 5 minutes beforehand) did not receive his orders, which would have only left 12 Emu’s on the field. Not a great spectacle to see but a lack of control was brewing the whole game and the lopsided penalty tally (and misses) was continually stretching the on field friendship. A minute before time Luke scored and quickly converted to see the Rebels trail 27 -20, but as time ran out Penrith put the bal out to seal the fate of the game. Maybe the game result was fair on the scoreboard but some constructive discussions were certainly happening in the Club after the game to suggest that the untoward lack of control had contributed to the Rebels downfall on the day. At home again next week against the Woodies 3 Points Terry – by the proverbial country mile.
One_Eyed Gordon 2nd August As expected it was always going to be a hard game against one of the competition front runners at their home ground. Added to this was the number of injury woes which Sutho had to work around with all regular first graders outside the 9, sitting on the sideline. Be that is may once the ball was in play it seemed someone had forgotten to tell the backs that they were playing well above their grade. Their commitment and early intensity saw them hard at it matching the Gordon backs. In the meantime the up front machine was doing their usual bullocking work and showing their skills, which obviously made the Highlanders send the ball wide at every opportunity possible. Time after time the Sutho backs were able to repel a number of attacking forays to the point where Michael Ashby made an impressive 30 metre run to take the ball out of the 22 metre zone. This type of run was particularly encouraging to see and I’m sure it helped lift all on the field. Then there were the real head scratchers – the number of times that the Mazda Man penalised the team feeding the scrum; both Sutho and Gordon suffered this fate on more than one occasion. I would love someone to tell my why a team that feeds the scrum would infringe and lose the ball when winning the scrum is about a 99.9999% assured. Oh well the head scratching continues. It finally happened that the very impressive right winger from Gordon broke the nil all deadlock, with their 10 converting from close to touch; Gordon 7 Sutho 0. With the ball back in play the Rebels were undeterred and got straight back into to making Gordon earn every inch of the field that they gained, whether in the backs or forwards. A second try came to Gordon from some very tidy and effective ball work along with the 1st Grade experience of their backline. With 17 minutes to half time Gordon 14 Sutho 0. Unfortunately in the next 17 minutes Gordon skipped to a 26 -0 lead, which in hindsight reflected the normal pattern of the play throughout the season of the Rebels “going to sleep” for a short period and paying the penalty. However, as a big picture the quality of play by Sutho, up to that time, was probably better than expected given the injury problems mentioned earlier. The half time huddle seemed controlled and quietly spoken (unless the batteries in my hearing aid had gone flat). This probably suggested that the guys were performing particularly well – just ignoring the score – and were taking their opportunities as they arose. Looks like a short nap was taken immediately after the restart as Gordon scored whilst I was looking for a warm place to watch this half of play. The deficit grows. A quick wake up talk by Macca, in goal, sees the Rebels back on track to some of the good Rugby they played in the first half. Working their way down field with some judicious kicks, well timed runs and good defence on Gordon finally saw the forwards crushing toward the Gordon line. At one stage the forwards seemed to spend an eternity on top of the Gordon line but without any reward. Well done to Gordon boys who actually showed some super defence as the quality of the forward play was great to continue the relentless pressure. Finally the ball was sent to the new outside centre Terry (was interchanging with Matt T subject to field position and play). Running on to the ball at good pace, along with his customary forceful straight running, he made his way over the line with a last second slight deviation to put he Rebels on the board. Steve duly converted to send Sutho to 7 points. As the game progressed the Rebels seemed to be playing a much more settled and steady style of play making the Highlanders, again, earn every inch of the field they wanted to gain. As fate would have it Gordon did manage to score on several more occasions but there were some superb moments of good covering defence; Chucky taking out their good right winger from behind who seemed certain to score and Tim (becoming a habit) taking out the same winger. Reflecting on the full-time score of 43-7 would suggest that the Rebels were clinically dissected; however, this was not the case as though the Rebels were outgunned in the backs (no disrespect fellas) Gordon was made to work for all points they chalked up on the board. Back home next week against Penrith where we will be hoping for a turn of the tables from the 1st round at Nepean Oval. One_Eyed Points On a difficult afternoon a number of players caught One_Eyed’s eye and made it difficult to allot the points. With the shuffle of some players throughout the game and the stepping up of some of the lower graders to play a full 1st garde game a number of factors, such as these were taken into consideration. 3 Points Shared between Michael McLeod and Tim both for an extremely busy performance; the former kept his counterpart in check fairly well along with making a number of incisive runs. Tim for his efforts of controlling our game at the pivotal point on the field and his covering defence when needed.
One_Eyed Eastern Suburbs 26th August On what is turning into a very cold winter, for more than one reason, the season woes continued with East’s scoring whilst we were all still settling in to watch the game. Now that we settled in a new 8 was noticed for Sutho – no, it was the flying Macca (still leading the Club’s try scoring sheet) who was playing the roving role this week. All the early part of the game was well contested with particularly tight play amongst the forwards, where a good contest was developing between both packs. Some 20 minutes into the game Guy left the field with Macca moving back to his more customary position – having a conversation with the opposite no 2. Not long after Jack succumbed to a rib injury and also left the field. East’s must have brought the Aerogard as we were starting to fall like flies! Before he did retire his good form of the last couple of weeks was on display again, so his loss was quite significant. East’s seemed intent to methodically work their way up the field and when required they put their foot to the floor to cross for the 5 pointer. Unfortunately the East’s kicker brought his best pair of kicking boots and continued to convert all tries as time went by. With the half time hooter sounding Sutho was trailing 24 – 0. No doubt the half time discussion was perhaps focusing on the forwards play where … all so close but yet so far as East’s line just could not be crossed, even though the Rebels were playing to their strength of the forwards rolling with the ball tucked in close. Second half started in a similar fashion to the first half’s pattern; East’s being patient and working the ball forward, with very few chances for mistakes. The scoreboard was rolling over slowly in East’s favour – now 40 – 0; with 20 minutes to go. Then the all too familiar 2008 pattern of Souths came into play as the Rebels turned off with The Beasts running in a further 24 points before the bell sounded. After the Beasts last try a rather questionable attempt at conversion was taken by the East’s kicker – turned his back on the posts and attempted to back heel the kick over. I would only hope that East’s coach took him to task on this. As the bell rang at 64 – 0 a reflection of some try saving tackles by Blackie and Tim came to mind – this score could have been a lot worse except for some outstanding covering. With a lot of effort and intensity displayed by the Rebels it seems to continue that the little things keep slipping by;
Off to Gordon next where a real test on the surprise packets of the comp will be taken on at Chatswood. One_Eyed Points 3 Points Shared between Blackie and Tim for their defensive efforts.
One_Eyed Northern Suburbs 19th 2008 As the combatants took the field I thought we had a guest celebrity to blow the whistle … Telly Savalas … but no it was the Super 14 TMO George Ayoub. Before realising it was George, I wondered if Russell Crowe would front up to lend support for the Rugby “Souths.” All this celebrity glitter running through my head … better get back to earth and have a Sutho ’burger, that’ll help gain my composure. George blows the whistle and the fracas begins; similar start to last week the power and muscle right from the start … I hope no one tramples George, given that he is shorter than Rob Chrystie - bet you never thought you’d hear that Rob. Some reasonably attractive Rugby was eventuating with possession fairly even and the good progress made by both sides when in possession. Early in the piece it became very evident that the 14 for Northern Suburbs was going to have a nightmare of an afternoon as Jacko was carrying through on his great form over the last couple of weeks. Changing direction on a 5c piece and evading a number of would be tacklers saw him create a number of early opportunities, but unfortunately the scoreboard, young Mr McKay, remained motionless. Both engine rooms were testing each other seeking the chink to gain the upper hand; not too much to boast about by either as the contest was pretty much even. It was evident the ball would have to be sent wide for either team to obtain any real field advantage. The Red & Blacks probably realised this point first with the creation of an overlap, after some questionable defence, with a 5 pointer under the bar and the conversion sailing onto the warm up park. Off we go again and the North’s take the same strategy of going wide, after a few settling phases of up the middle play. A notable difference between the two sides is the defensive pattern; North’s defence is in our face as soon as the ball is cleared from the scrum/ruck and the advantage line is hard to reach whereas our defence sees North’s getting to and beyond the advantage line on most occasions. The pressure of this soon told as North’s cross again – oddly up the middle – and the deficit is 14 – 0. To not have a point on the board seemed a little cruel given some of the attacking execution … but the execution does not finish until the Mazda Man signals to the sky and blows his whistle. The North’s second 5 pointer obviously jolted a few heads as the defence was stepped a notch or two and some good hits, along with Telly correctly catching North’s throwing a number of forward passes. Was there are turn around about to occur? With North’s on the attack a few super close in hits saw them lose the ball, with Sutho then start the hard yards to work the ball away from their line. Deciding to send the ball wide, Matt sniffed a slight gap and away he went to send the Rebels heading towards the Coffee Van end of the ground. The “Scrounger Twins;” Terry and Izzy, were following like shadows looking to take the off load with the former of the two receiving it. As usual Terry is at his best when running a bee line for the oppositions end rather than detouring across the field. Linking with Izzy the ball finds a home with Luke running on to a well timed pass to see him take on the defence and sprint to the line for Sutho’s opening score. Blackie pots the conversion and the game is on; Sutho 7 North’s 14. Young Mr McKay jumps to his feet and quickly posts the updated score. Right on half time and the pressure is on with North’s pounding the Sutho line –but the defence holds fast with a turnover and a Sutho hoof boots the ball out of the park to send both teams, to the orange break, and the spectators off to the bar for a top up… and One_Eyed to the Coffee Van. The bell rings for the teams to take the field and George starts the game again. A mirror like opening, to that of the first half, sees the tussle that was halted by the half time break now continue. Using the ball in the forwards to grind their way up the field the Rebels eventually send it wide. On these occasions each time it arrives in Jacko’s hands he continues to cause problems at whom he decides to place in his path. His foot work is pretty to watch and it seems there is no easy way to read what his next step will be; just ask a couple of the North’s outside backs that were marking him. As good as this sounds, and better to watch, the North’s’ defence was eventually able to quash the attacks time after time …. Bugga!!!! Then woopsy doodley dandy dee the floodgates opened for some unknown reason – North’s monstered the Sutho defence and ran in a number of 5 pointers to skip to a 40 – 7 lead. In a total state of shock, as were the coaching staff and spectators, the Rebels finally regrouped and started to play Rugby again; but the horse had well and truly bolted. Not to be outdone Sutho decided to have the last say with Tim making a great run down the grandstand side of the ground; Craig in support. With the defence closing Tim took the odds to the chip and placed a well weighted and timed kick for Craig to swoop through and score wide out. Blackie is taking a kick from touch – again! With the full time bell sounding Blackie’s kick hits the upright and the final score is Sutho 12 North’s 40. As I walked up the Club stairs to drown the sorrows I scratched my head wondering what happened in the second half, black hole period; up until then it was a great contest. But as Blackie later said, in his after game speech, the team let themselves down and that pretty well sums it up. One_Eyed Points 3 Points Jacko; 1 Point George Ayoub; One_Eyed Parramatta 12th July 2008 Plagued by a number of dropouts the Rebels team that took the field this week certainly looked a lot different than that from last week’s West’s Harbour game. That said, once the ball was in play the resolve of the 15 Sutho players became quite evident … we’re here to mix it with you boys from the West. As the ball left Blackie’s boot the forwards were off down field to ensure the Parra boys knew they had a good afternoon’s work ahead of them. Right from the start the tough stuff was on, with some very in close “Howdy Do’s” happening; no quarter asked or given. There was no particularly outstanding Rugby on display and it took a penalty from Parra to get the scoring started. Not long after the Two Blues were across the line through some fairly strong stand up off-loading to their support; Parra 10 – 0. Just like a child’s playground the game see-sawed up and down with both sides throwing the ball about. One main difference with the defence became evident; Parra made it difficult for the Rebels get the ball across the advantage line where they generally managed to do so. Our clean up defence came to cut their attack down. On the occasions that Sutho did manage to penetrate, and there were a few, a wayward pass was sent to the Parra supporters over the touch line after Michael A had gone infield for the off load pass for what seemed to be an open run to the line. The two scroungers Terry and Izzy seemed to be all over the park; Terry with a number of very strong straight runs causing the Parra defence a deal of problems and Izzy being his usual pesky self. In unison with this were a number of jinking runs from Blackie, which was turning their defence inside out on occasions. Along with this was Jacko who, like last week, was running the angles and lines to find the gap on several bursts, only to be cut down with desperate ankle taps/tackles as a last measure. Oh so close on so many times! Not long before the half the sponsors section of the spectators wet wild with frenzy as the Two Blues crossed for a try, which according to them probably went further forward than the famous French forward pass in the semi final of the last World Cup. Insult to injury, the try was converted. Going to the break without a score to their name the Rebels may have been a little unlucky on a couple of occasions but… you make your own luck and seize the opportunities. Not long after the second half stared the Rebels were facing a 24 – 0 deficit. Things were not looking all that bright… including the weather. Rumour has it the coffee man made a fortune! Then almost to the same minute as last weeks game, the Rebels picked up and started to play some more attractive and constructive Rugby to see them cross wide out, with Blackie converting from the sideline; Rebels 7 Parra 24. All the hype seemed to indicate that the Rebels were at it again, giving away a big start and being further behind that Walla Walla (an equine of the past the old timers would know who gave away monumental starts but still managed to win) – were we in for a repeat finish of last week? The Rebels were working to another great finish with some punishing and incisive runs. The Parra defence did not appear to be as effective as the first half. Close on many occasions and being held up over certainly didn't help the cause too much. In hindsight I needed to take of the shoes and socks off to keep count of the number of times a 5 pointer could have / should have been scored. All not to be though as the scoreboard attendant (Mrs H) remained motionless. Then with a very deft off load, from their 12, the Two Blues skipped to a 31 – 7 lead. But to their credit the Rebels continued on their comeback trail as they crossed for another 5 pointer with Michael chiming in as the extra man to set up Ben R crossing in the corner. Though well practised at kicking from the sideline Blackie should have used his 7 iron boot rather than the 9 iron, which saw the ball fall just short of the cross bar. Pressure mounted with Sutho continuously pounding the Parra line as the clock wound down – held up on a number of occasions. Should a penalty try have been given when the Parra forward was invited to have an early shower? With the full time bell sounding the score Rebels 12 Parra 31. Another game at home next week against the red and blacks of Northern Suburbs One_Eyed Points 3 Points:
One_Eyed West Harbour 5th July 2008 As Steve Irwin would have said Crikey! … I didn’t even have a chance for my posterior to warm the seat as Blackie sent the ball sailing when the Mazda Man said go, West’s made a break down the touchline, a penalty try awarded and Tim was invited to have a rest for 10 minutes. Time to catch my breath I thought …too much happening in such a short time; just as well I had my early sustenance of a chilli hot dog (burp! – pardon me). Blackie sends the ball sailing again and a little bit of sanity prevails with the play taking on a much more composed style of flow. Woops, did I speak too soon as West’s go over again not long after; West’s 14 Sutho 0. Away we go again; West’s were slowly taking control and finding the necessary holes to penetrate the Rebels defence. Sutho defence was both good and a little scrappy, which unfortunately presented some well taken options by the Pirates. On some occasions the Pirates were well and truly decked and on others it was like a hot knife through butter; the outcome another try and a penalty which jumped West’s to 21 – 0. To make matters a little more frustrating the Rebel’s attack was reasonable but a number of knock ons, spilt possessions and ordinary off loads saw the build up to possible points go down the drain. Not long before the half everything came together with the strength of the Rebel forwards working their way to the line and Tim finally sneaking across; half time West’s 21 Sutho 5. Looking at the first half West’s deserved their lead, as they took their opportunities when presented, but in general play they were certainly not a 16 point better side by any stretch of the imagination. In essence, Sutho through some lapses of concentration and poor execution brought about their own deficit rather than good play on West’s part. As the break was taken One Eyed took a break to get a hot coffee – the Concord fridge weather had begun to arrive. The Mazda Man said go and off we went into the second half. Right from the outset there seemed to be a bit of an improvement in the Rebels approach to the game. But alas, was I dreaming as West’s ran in two quick converted tries to leap to a 35 – 5 lead. …and then, and then like Lazarus (no not Glenn Lazarus – the biblical one) the Rebels started to be cohesive in their attack, whilst increasing their defence performance. Gone were the dropped balls, knock ons, missed tackles (a notable one by Jacko – worth bottling this one Jacko - saw their 6 hit the deck like a sack of spuds who after the hit left the field for the rest of the game; coincidence or planned departure; my opinion Jack did a good legal job with the hit), silly options … it seemed like an aura of confidence had come over them. I had to check the score though… yep they were still behind 5 – 35. Somehow I don’t think this score was a worry to the boys who obviously had other ideas on how the rest of the game was to span out. This was none better exhibited by Izzy who same out of the ground from somewhere to clean up a West’s kick through and put the ball in touch to save what appeared to be a precarious position. Anyone would have thought Sutho was defending a small lead the way he came across the field and then displayed his ability to find touch with his hoof. With the forwards paving the way, then the backs taking advantage of the forward play the progress up field seemed to be coming a lot easier and smarter; then the Rebels went over with Blackie lobbing it over from the sideline; West’s 35 Sutho 12. Attack after attack with patience and persistence had the Rebels crossing the line several times to see the score West’s 35 Sutho 24. At that stage the Rebels had a superb aggressive attitude and with each roll on, with 20 minutes still to play, a thriller was on the cards. From behind my seat I heard a number of West’s supporters comment … “this game is far from over.” They could obviously see the swell, which the Rebels were building and did not feel overly confident about a Pirate’s win. Back to the game and Macca had his forwards gee’ed up advancing up the field again with tightly controlled play. The ball was finally being treasured by all Rebels! A series of phases towards the Parramatta Road end finally saw the Rebels go over again and then like a bolt of lightning it seemed there was a Cricket Umpires Convention within the Sutho supporters. Was it Billy Bowden, Darryl Hair, Steve Buckner or Simon Taufel … it was the finger being raised, not signifying out but the attainment of the bonus point for the 4th try; it had been quite some time coming and some time since the Rebels 1sts had scored a bonus point. Back to the West’s supporters behind me “…see I told you the game wasn’t over.” With the target being whittled away to jump in front, the momentum was right on with Macca once again urging the boys forward and a come from behind win – after being down 5 – 35 – was not beyond them the way Sutho was now applying themselves to the work that had to be ground out.. The Rebels continued their relentless pressure and scored again; West’s 35 Rebels 31 –again Blackie pops it over from the sideline. Then, all the budding Winston Churchill’s appeared with the V for Victory sign …. no, it was the two point bonus sign – 4 points the difference … and time very limited. The enterprising play continued with Sutho on the front foot again and seemingly heading towards another try. Whilst it may have appeared the ball was being thrown around with gay abandon it was being controlled where the support was ever present and only desperate West’s defence was holding the “Candy Stripe” wave from continuing their second half scoring spree. Then oops … the Pirates scored against the run of play and we’re now chasing down a 9 point lead. Despair! There goes the second bonus point …. spectators view, but the players had a different opinion! The forwards got to work again well backed up by the backs and we had a game on our hands again – I think it was Macca’s second 5 pointer for the arvo - West’s 40 Sutho 36. Once again I hear the West’s supporters “… where’s my vallium, my heart can’t take this.” With West’s restarting play Sutho stuck to their guns of strategically working their way up field, again with good control of the ball; highlighted with sensible decision making and support, support, support. Looking menacing and heading towards the West’s 25m West’s winger, Nic Reilly, took the odds to the intercept with an overlap against him and away he went untouched to the other end of the field. West’s 47 Sutho 36 … there goes our second point again! A discussion with the West’s supporters, after the game, highlighted how impressed they were with the Rebels second half display. It seemed they were more than comfortable that the game ended when it did as they realised another 5minutes would have probably seen a different result … but the Rebels need to condense their game into the given 80 minutes for future success. Back home next week to face the Two Blues – a repeat of the second half performance against the Pirates, should go a long way towards a win against Parra. One_Eyed Points A bit of a quandary this week as the second half really made it difficult with such a high standard by all, however he we go A number of other players were worthy of mention but I’ll put my head the chopping block and leave it at the above One_Eyed Manly 28th June 2008 Right from the outset Manly made it quite clear they came to revenge their first round defeat. Their intensity was obvious with their commitment to both attack and defence; the Rebels were not going to get a “social” afternoon. Sutho, however, had their own slant on this and they matched the Marlins early in the piece with some healthy defence. I did note some early head scratching, along with some extended social intercourse, and thought woops we’re in for an afternoon of rule interpretations here … a guest Mazda Man from overseas. Then again Macca may have just been explaining the way of the Aussie bushman … now I was scratching my head. The Marlins were on the scoreboard first with a 7 pointer. Not to worry, the Rebels are playing at a good even tempo… a few incisive sorties only to see the Manly defence quash the attack. Once again Manly crossed for another 7 pointer and the familiar score of 14 – 0 was semaphored on the scoreboard. Been there done this I thought (down 14 – 0 in the first round and eventually won 23 – 22), so now is the time to get moving boys. Stumble, stumble and we’re not putting the ball carrier down or ceasing their progress enough to make a contest. When the Rebels did hit hard enough repossession of the ball occurred but unfortunately this was all too infrequent. The old saying goes that the referee is right even when he’s wron…, wro…, wro…. ah you know what I mean. With a Marlin and a Rebel in a one on one race for the ball … streets ahead of everyone else … both flopped for the ball together and yep the Mazda Man who was lagging behind was some how able to determine that the Marlin had grounded the ball … what great eyesight I thought – much better than Superman’s; the outcome Marlins now 19 – 0. Not long after the Marlins were over again and the Rebels went into the break 0 -27. Whatever was discussed at the break seemed to have an impact immediately on Sutho, after the restart. The Rebels appeared to have revved up the gears in enthusiasm and commitment. An attacking foray on the Marlins line, which seemed to last an eternity, eventually apexed with Macca doing his usual impersonation of a steamer roller to cross the line, with Blackie steering the 2 pointer over the bar. With that try Macca now joins Mourad as equal top try scorer for the Club, for the season. Rumour has it that Mourad was quickly back on to the bookies to further lay off the contest between he and Macca. Soon after the Rebels were on the attack again, but once again they were repelled by the Marlins. Then twice in one afternoon the Mazda Man leaves everyone agog, but this time with the Assistant Referee in tow. With Manly on the charge around the half way some particularly strong defence by the Rebels took the Manly 14 out over the sideline …. much to the displeasure of the 14. Up he got and started it. Then over came Chucky to settle things down and pull payers apart … blow me down Chucky gets penalised! Maybe a word of advice for the future let the fight continue … no only kidding. Chucky you did the right thing as far as we sideline critics were concerned. The intensity really became paramount with both sides then starting to put in hard… but fair. The Rebels went on the attack and again it seemed things were being set up for another steam roller performance. Attack after attack was again knocked back by the Marlins and then … one small error, which saw their 14 (of all people) bolt about 75m untouched to out the final seal on the match. Some good play by the Rebels but their continued punctuation of lapses in concentration and execution thwart their season. Final score Manly 44 Rebels 7. Off to Concord next week – lets hope the wind doesn’t blow a gale as I freeze very easily. One_Eyed Points 3 Points One_Eyed Randwick 21st June 2008 With a dearth of representative players back Randwick was always going to be a harder game than normal. With the likes of a Wallaby, Aussie A and 7’s players returning so what a spectacle the game will be from the Myrtles…bugga! That said the game certainly didn’t start in a way that appeared to faze the Rebels. They mixed it well without taking too many backward steps. Indeed it appeared they were on their game and right from the outset the extra starch (is that Luke’s new nickname?)in the backline seemed to be making a distinct difference. With his mixture of running and kicking the Randwick backs seemed in two minds fairly early as to what he was going to do…. only he knew. Randwick was on the attack within our 22m but some very tenacious and committed defence held the Wicks at bay. With the Wicks being repelled the attack moved to the other end of the field where a penalty by Blackie kicked the Rebels 3 – 0 clear. Here we go for a real entertaining afternoon I thought, as Randwick started the game from the half way. Once again the Wicks were on the front foot and it was up to the Rebels to show the grit previously displayed. Some old, and very experienced, heads (struth how old is Jorgensen and he’s still playing) in the Myrtle got together to see them cross the line not long after and with the ball flying above the cross-bar the score read 3 – 7. To their credit Sutho did not let this deter their performance as they still continued to mix it in a very competitive manner. As has been the case recently Sutho has started strong but begin to falter once the opposition stick their nose in front. Today appeared to be different as their efforts remained at a good level and the play was up and down the field. Some incisive running, support and simple play saw Luke touch done under the cross bar and when Blackie kicked the ball out of the ground; Rebels 10 Randwick 7. This is more like it I think and hopes were high for a very competitive game. The Wicks continued to throw the ball around in their own inimitable style and the fruits of their labour eventually came down to another 5 pointer out wide. The conversion goes over and the Wicks jump back to the lead 14 -10. Sutho retain their composure to start pressing the Wicks 22m and then an unbelievable smash on Blackie from a Myrtle blur took our 10 right out of the game for a couple of minutes. Without a stoppage in play Randwick pressed up the field……however Andrew was going to have a bit to say about that. Showing a clean pair of heels down the right hand line he took off any eluded a number of would be tacklers before scything his way infield to off load with the ball eventually taken by Michael Ashby; first game in 1st Grade and (I think) his first touch of the ball saw him race in under the post untouched. Good support to what was an outstanding run by Andrew. With Blackie still trying to recite the alphabet to Jock Luke steered the ball over to see the Rebels 17 Randwick 14 and 10 minutes to the break. Four minutes to the break……. and the Mazda Man strikes; Izzy is asked to go and start cutting up the oranges for half time. Boy did this turn things around. From the time Izzy left the filed until returning at the 4 minute mark into the second half Randwick scored 28 unanswered points; Rebels 17 Randwick 42. A classic example of getting a team on the ropes and belting them into submission the only way to do it; putting the ball down over the line. Randwick then turned it on with some of the veterans turning back the clock as they played a little bit of razzle dazzle rugby with simple solid running then perfect support for the ball carrier to off load in what seemed unplayable circumstances. I was starting to look for the Ella’s as it was just the way they played the game – the ball never died and no-one got tired because the ball did all the work! Unfortunately the carnage continued with the final whistle sounding at Rebels 17 Randwick 64. One_Eyed Points 3 Points Back to Forshaw next week to face the Marlins - looking to maintain our perfect win record for the season over them. One_Eyed
Sydney University 14th June 2008 Well the yearly sojourn back to school, for a day, happened and as it occurs every year I come home none the wiser, in terms of advanced education. And I come home feeling like Ben Turpin (famous cross-eyed silent screen movie for you young ‘uns) after watching the game at a 45° angle from the stand. Jock, I could be around for a neck job….. no not a hanging, just a massage. The game started at a good pace and the proceedings seemed to be fairly even. The only thing that Uni enjoyed was probably better field position and when Sutho did get the ball the up ground progress seemed a little more laboured than the Students. Wow, what a long kick and the ball is so close to the stand…hang on the baby Students are on the side of the field messing around. This would never happen at Sutho I thought. Now I have to concentrate on the right ball to watch. So here I am looking sideways with my eyes almost crossed and having to pick the right all to watch – talk about adverse spectator conditions. Book me in Jock! Anyhow back to the game which is still toing and froing up and down the field. Early signs seemed to be imminent that the Outside Centre for Uni was going to cause more than a few problems; his speed and line running was causing a few headaches out wide. As the game progressed Uni appeared to have a distinct game plan to run the ball wide, away from our forwards, using all the power from their backs and forwards to do so. Clearly our forwards were causing problems to the Uni attack as waive after waive of their attack was being denied any real progress. Terry was causing the Uni defence no end of problems clearing showing his forte of straight running would cause any team in the comp a few headaches; many a tackle was broken and only last ditch defence saw him finally taken down. Izzy was acting as a real scrounger and was vigilant after the loose ball “crumbs” that were on offering. Kane was ever present throwing himself at any Uni jumper that moved. Uni’s solution to avoid this type of confrontation was to go wide, and on occasions over the top. Uni were first to score after a well worked movement saw their 10 break the line with the support player receiving then scoring. The conversion put Uni 7 - 0 up. This didn’t deter The Rebels as they plundered the other end of the field with some good running, passing and sensible play. Terry’s running even had Uni spectators commenting on the quality of his display. It looked like an equaliser was about to occur when Blackie had made a good run, then off-loaded, only with the ball spilt metres short of the line. A possible 7 – 7 score line down the drain. The play see-sawed up and down but again Uni seemed to enjoy the better part of field position which eventually paid off with another 5 pointer and respective conversion. Uni are now leading 14 – 0. Again, Sutho went into the Uni quarter but came away pointless with another last minute breakdown in play through basic errors. Probably just as well that Hawkeye and Donny well away from my earshot as I’m sure I would have been embarrassed by their expletives. Boys, twice the points had been there for the taking, but zilch was the return … trying too hard, lack of concentration – who knows what? A possible 14 – 14 score line gone down the drain. Well it looked like going in at this scoreline at the half... oops spoke too soon Uni scored an unconverted try just before the break; Uni 19 – 0 lead. Gotta say the game can be cruel as a more realistic score deserved to be 19 – 14. Yes, the guys faltered at the last hurdle but all the signs were there that they could have scored it’s just a matter of putting the icing on the cake and crossing the line when it’s there for the taking! Though down by the 19 – 0 margin, when starting the second half, there was nothing to say that Sutho could not get back into the game if the final touches were put on their play in the second half. After all, if Uni scored 19 in the first half why couldn’t we score 19 in the second? Some enterprising and entertaining play saw Sutho move up the field and with a set move Marc Leadbeater crossed for his first try for Sutho. A well worked move with the ball sticking to hands as it should – the result a 7 pointer. Could Sutho get back in the game …. only time and determination would tell. The play continued up and down the field with some good play by both sides, which was punctuated by events that had me groping for the Rule Book; both sides seemed to receive unjustified penalties. I gotta say that the “Not Releasing the Ball” interpretation still has me confounded, as it did when I watched the Pommy U/20 roll the Aussies on Sunday morning. There needs to be some definitive rules applied than what are presently applied, as it is definitely only an interpretation and not a hard and fast rule left to the Mazda Man in the middle. Perhaps the Assistant Mazda Man/Lady (we had a young lay running one of the lines) should be given extra responsibility in helping with this law and intervene when necessary. Anyhow back to the game. It suddenly seemed that the wheel had somehow fallen off as Sutho, in the short space, really let the game slip away through some poor handing in their own quarter. From memory I think three converted tries occurred when we dropped the ball, trying to run it out of our quarter. Lack of communication? Lack of application? Lack of eyes on ball? Lack of….I’ll leave it up to you, but the outcome really hurt and realistically the boys did not deserve it though the bottom line is you pay for errors that you make and Uni certainly proved this point. With the lights coming on it was turning dim in both the game result and the available day light. A few Uni spectator eyebrows were raised when Izzy accepted the Mazda Man’s offer of an early shower (yellow card) with only 6 minutes to play … particularly when he had just about a faultless game. Full time had the scoreboard attendant semaphoring 48 -7 to Uni but a much more realistic result should really seen Uni with a maximum 15 point spread at most. They were certainly not a 41 point better side on the day; but they were the better side on the day. One_Eyed Points 3 Points: A further award this week of minus 10 points to the Uni Ground Announcer for his continued sardonic comments; Decorum a good word to look up and perform your duties by Mr Ground Announcer Off to the lovely seaside suburb of Coogee next week to see if the table can be turned from the Round 1 result One_Eyed Wet Weather 7th June 2008 Waking up earlier than usual on game day I kept pondering who this team Wet Weather (WW) was and which area of the Rugby world they represented. I thought they must have been a late entry to the competition but the worrying factor was they had no previous performance to read about so they were obviously an unknown quantity…maybe. Looking out the window the sky was overcast with the definite threat of rain in the offing. Was this WW a good team in the wet, just like a good mud runner at the races, or were they only a dry park performer. Time would tell. Not being comfortable with an unknown opponent, I decided to Google and see what I could find. The first reply that came back from the search was particularly worrying as it said Wet Weather dampens family spirits – did this mean they were good enough to decimate teams, in any uncontrolled manner, which then made the opposition families feel very down; not happy about this one as I’ve left enough games this season feeling down …. I continued my search Next I came across Wet Weather closes ground. My consternation grew. Was this WW team a violent team where spectators were not allowed entry? Do I need to check with the police, anti – terrorist groups or even ASIO. The search continued. The next entry was quiet intriguing Wet Wether ideas. Great I thought, I might get some insight as to how they play and who they really are…better let Hawkeye know about this one. Back to the worrying bit when I see Wild Wet Weather causes havoc. I’m fairly certain now they must be a problem team where caution is the safe avenue by not announcing them in the draw too early. Maybe this team will be right up Outlaw’s path where he’ll be throwing his muscle around to subdue this wild lot. Now the next entry had me wondering. Are they a like a Barbarians team that just travel the globe as they received a mention in the Drummoyne District Rugby. Then I read Wet Weather brings relief to Queensland … they must be a globetrotting team; at Drummoyne, then Queensland and now Forshaw. The next entry really spooked me as it said Precise Wet Weather forecast… is this team so good they can actually predict the outcome of the game and from the previous information I have no doubt they must predict they will win every game no matter what ….better get back to Hawkeye! Struth you talk about diversity and adaptability…Wet Weather great fishing… what the heck can’t this team do? Better let the ref’s know they may need to do a body search on this team looking fishing knives, hooks, sinkers or who knows what. Is this where the term Barbarian emanated? So after reading all this, what conclusion did I come to about this team called Wet Weather? Try and imagine this…. We have some type of team comprised of monolithic giants who are kept in locked cages between games, hence their non-announcement just until game time. When let loose they go on an uncontrolled rampaging spree wreaking havoc and destruction wherever they go. Must admit that I never determined what happened to any of the Mazda Men who blew the whistle at their previous games….dare I ask? They apparently take the field secretly adorned with all types of paraphernalia which helps their causes; fishing knives, hooks, sinkers and other fishing equipment …. only thing I couldn’t find was whether they carried guns, rifles, mortars, knuckledusters, iron bars etc…again I better not ask. One thing that may not appear menacing, which they use is the magic wand for their prediction making, but then again I could not determine how they used this stick and in what direction it was used. As for their globetrotting how do they manage to play in so many different places? So this unruly gargantuan side was supposed to play at Forshaw…. I’ll put a stop to this somehow. I had to find their weakness. Somewhere in my research I recalled reading that Wet Weather was not music to anyone’s ears, including Wet Weather itself. Ah ha, that’s it; get as many copies of Rebel Yell ready at Forshaw and let them know what they’re in for. I sat and waited and waited but no game ever eventuated….thank God for Billy Idol and the Rebel Yell anthem! One_Eyed Points No contest this week as Billy Idol is streets ahead See you all at Sydney Uni next week One_Eyed Warringah 31st May 2008 With 2nd Grade leaving the field with their first win of the season under their belt (well done boys) I thought this sets the platform for a hyped up performance from 1st Grade. Then clip, clop, clip clop…. out came the two steeds with the rest of the Rebels with what appeared to be a hunger in their eye. Blackie kicked off and no sooner had the ball come back to earth the game was on … at a fairly frenetic pace. There was quick ball movement and up in your face defence by both sides. It didn’t take long to see the players gasping at each breakdown … I thought someone must have spread the word this was being timed as a 7’s game, or the bar was running short of after game refreshments, so they were out there to belt each other as quick as they could and get off. Only a short time had elapsed and I was getting tired just watching …. how long can this pace be maintained, scratching my head whilst devouring a Sutho burger? The Rats jumped to a 3 zip lead through courtesy of a Clint Eadie penalty. Not to worry I thought (I love these Pthyonisms’) as the footy being played was good to watch being both entertaining and constructive. Then one of the best Club tries, I have seen in years (of course I’m biased), was put on by the Rebels. It probably went the length of the field. I did lose count of the sets of hands that touched the ball during the movement…it was probably better than any of Beethoven’s movements! That’s how good it was. Support, support, support was the name of the game in how the try was scored…the final pair of hands belonging to Ben; his initial try in the top grade; very pretty to watch boys. I believe the coach even cracked a wry grin, whilst riding the ball down the field with each pass and catch as it went. But wait there’s more; another 5 pointer not long after and no prizes for guessing who decided to stamp his authority on the game early – Macca – 5th try in 3 weeks. I think I saw some of the backs go green with envy with Macca’s tally going up, week after week. Maybe Hawkeye should consider sending him out with a 1 in front of his number then the backs can claim his tries. Rumour has it that “The Beast from the Middle East” is thinking of laying off on his bet of being top try scorer for the season now that the rampaging Macca is in the groove. We’re now looking at a 10 – 3 lead for Sutho and a promising result may be on the way. The Rats knuckled down to their task and struck back with the half time break reflecting a lead of 13 – 10 to the visitors. My knees went wobbly, as the bell went, as half time breaks haven’t been very kind to Sutho so far this season. The half time huddle, amongst us experts (yeah right!) on the sideline, was of the opinion that this game could definitely be won with the same application as shown in the first half…we just hoped the players knew it. With Sutho now running into a slight breeze the game recommenced after everyone had devoured their oranges and whatever else was on offering. This half seemed to start at a gentler pace than the first half...is it any wonder as I’m sure the message was given to play at a steadier rate and tighter composure (tiredness would definitely settle in) to ensure the back half of the game would be played with sufficient petrol in the tank. The Rats skipped out to a lead of 20 – 10 through some ill discipline and perhaps lack of concentration … but Sutho was still in it … or was I starting to see the beginning of what has happened too consistently throughout the season. And then it happened…… do not attempt to touch your TV Sets as you have entered the Twilight Zone (or maybe in this case the Rugby Zone) with aliens seemingly taking over – which side I’m not too sure. If it was Warringah then they stepped up about 5 gears in their play. If it was Sutho then, as sad as I am to say, there were just 15 individuals out on the park not a team of 15 players. I’m not convinced it was the former. Sutho just seemed to start playing as individuals rather than the team which scored the brilliant first half “Tickle Try.” Casting a glance to the coach I thought the ambo’s may have to be called as some type of medical emergency could have been looming. Thank God Don was there to support him, but them again Don may have joined him in whatever ailment may have been about to strike. It seemed to be, we kicked off they scored, we did a drop out from the 22 they scored, they ran at us they scored; basically they had the ball in their hands they scored! What’s happened – it must be the Twilight Zone where all the surrealistic garbage occurs. But wait there’s more…up to now we had not had a yellow card, for the first time this season! Maybe the extra player was getting in the way. It seemed that Sutho was chasing the ball everywhere but getting no where very fast. Some very small pockets of play did go our way – are we coming out of the Twilight Zone, I thought – particularly when Izzy crossed for his first try in the top grade. Unfortunately these were only fleeting moments. But it was all too late as the Rat Machine had completely overpowered the Rebels with the final score running out to 52 – 22. If you had only stayed at the game to half time and were told the full time score there’s a good chance you could have rightfully used some good Aussie expressions to declare that could not have been the truth. This week sees a break in proceedings – wet weather weaken set aside by NSWRU. On return, 14th June, it’s off to University One_Eyed Points The classic cliché applies here – it was a game of two halves...what a genius I am! 1st Half Everyone stood out as the team was moving around the field as a unit so it was difficult to suggest that there were any standouts. 2nd Half Holy macaroni; was it the same team, because they had the same numbers. As good as the team was in the first half the opposite applied in the second half. 3 Points Each Hawkeye and Donny for surviving the game without medical attention being required.
One_Eyed
Eastwood 24th May 2008 As I walked in through the Eastwood bar I looked up to see the first leg of my Melbourne Quaddie go down to the rank outsider of the field - $91.70 a win. This is promising I thought as it’s the day for favourites to get beat….. so realistically with Sutho being the underdogs for the day, I was hoping the run of outs for the Rebels was on the way out! Right from the outset it was clear that Sutho had come to be counted, as they matched the Woodies in every facet of play. Not getting too over excited as the boys had started this way on a number of occasions, I bided my time to wait and see what would unfold. A penalty down was soon equalised by Blackie 3 – 3. Whether by instruction or on the spur of the moment decision it was evident Jacko and Denis were looking for work and often crossed the field to support the play and make the extra man, which caused Eastwood a few problems. Good enterprising stuff! But then some quick ball movement saw the Woodies expose what has been our Achilles’ heel – the flank, so the first 5 pointer went to the home side. There was no capitulation by Sutho or easing of the even tempo they had set themselves. Playing to their strength of late, Sutho rolled towards the Woodies try line with Macca crashing over to score his third try in two matches. With Blackie just off beam from the sideline Sutho trailed 8 -10 and were well in truly in the hunt for a win. An unconverted try saw Eastwood skip to a 15 – 10 lead. Then the all too often pale coloured card appeared and Sutho were down to 14 just on 5 minutes before the break. I think I might have to high jack the ref’s gear before the game and remove all traces of any red or yellow in his bag. Yoiks this means he might run around topless as the Mazda shirt contains these colours too – maybe not a good idea. The Mazda Man blew the whistle for the end f the first half and the huddles formed for both teams. With an extended stay in the bar at half time – just to watch the Moonee Valley gallops I fortunately or unfortunately (haven’t figured out which yet) missed the opening couple of minutes of the second half. On my return Eastwood had skipped to a 22 – 10 lead and looked ominous. Maybe there should not have been a half time break as Sutho’s game control was much more composed before the break. I’m fairly certain I saw some type of liquid - maybe juice – coming from the ball, while Sutho was in possession. Rather than biding their time Sutho appeared to be squeezing the ball at every play to attempt the impossible – score from every phase. As funny as it sounds it appears they are trying too hard on occasions, which appears to be causing the breakdowns that occur. Let the ball do the work – it doesn’t get tired, injured or receive yellow cards! I must have missed something because that bloke “Will” must have run on the field for Sutho, as Eastwood began to score at will for a while and they skipped out to a handy lead. Thankfully the reigns were tightened and the Sutho defence halted the scoring spree. The rolling maul came back into action and yep the Try Scoring Machine (TSM - Macca) was at it again – try number 4 in two games. Adam Mourad might have to start looking over his shoulder, for top Club try scorer of the year, because at this rate Macca will fly past him and give him a cold as goes by on his try scoring rampage. Even with this try Sutho trailed by over a dozen points but did not hoist the white flag. Eastwood marched on and racked up another couple of tries. However, they really had to work for these points as Sutho kept their heads up plugging away at any chink they could find. So committed was the team that even after the bell they kept holding Eastwood out from cracking the 50 point barrier and worked so hard that Grant ended up running the length of the field – I’m sure that’s what he said – to score the final 5 pointer for the day. There were a number of things to like out of the game; Macca and Blackie usual standard, Outlaw – welcome back from injury – caused havoc whenever he had the ball; the young guns Micah and Israel put in big efforts right to the final whistle. On the down side we copped a few injuries which had a number of Rebels having early showers; Princey, Chubby and Rob. Trudging out through the Club I though I’d looked at the last leg of the Quaddie results and I thought I could hear the bookies cheering from Melbourne – Johnny Knoxville won the last at about 40/1! Hmmmm…it had been outsiders day at the races but not for us at Millner. Back to Forshaw next week to take on the Rats One_Eyed Points
One_Eyed
Penrith 17th May 2008 When you go to Penrith you’re always looking for quick ways to get there being such a distance to travel. However, though long, the trip is relaxing…especially when you’re the passenger and not the driver. Both driver and I were eagerly looking for a turn around in the results of late to ensure the trip back to the Shire was a pleasant one The game seemed to start rather sedately with both teams just throwing the ball around and not doing anything too spectacular. Sutho took possession after short time and just worked the ball gently up the field with what appeared to be a game plan to play the basics and take the opportunities as they arose. It didn’t take too long for the dividends to be semaphored as Dennis scored wide out after a number of phases. This is good I think… good sensible passing, ball security good, backing up, direct running up the field (cross filed running only exercised when absolutely needed), recycling the ball…. Hawkeye and Donny had obviously drilled them hard during the week. With what seemed all the time in the world Blackie began to run rampant (was this an omen as I had the hard earned on Rampant Lion in the Doomben Cup at 33/1). He was giving his Penrith opposite number all the problems under the sun; running the angles and slicing through or jinking back inside at the last moment. It looked as though Blackie had joined Elliot Ness’ boys – The Untouchables – his running and decision making was that good. Penrith no doubt took notice of this and started a similar tactical ploy; but with some extra strategies to boot….. two trained Plovers came swooping out of nowhere and began to “fly” interference across the field at player height. Not just once but on a number of occasions these nuisances swooped, as Sutho began to run the ball…what a great ploy! It seemed the Penrith team had come prepared as they apparently had a (or maybe two) plastic surgeon on the field. Terry went down like a sack of spuds and didn’t move…not like Terry at all. After the dust had settled Jock indicated that Terry’s nose had been adjusted Down Two then Left (just like the Bozz Scagg’s Album – the end of his nose was pointing directly at his right ear) – well and truly broken. Some sideline action by way of repairs and maintenance were in order to get Terry going again. On went Chubby. After taking just about the limit of blood bin time, Terry trotted back on. Off went Chubby. It wasn’t long after that the Emus plastic surgeon got to work again – this time adjusting the facial expression of Harks. So off the filed he came leaving a lovely shade of claret here there and everywhere. On went Micah. Penrith made some ground and a glaring blind side error by the Rebels, from a Penrith feed 5 metres out, reaped them their second 5 pointer. A quick wad up the schnozz and a new jumper…on went Harks. Off came Micah. Play continuing all the time with Sutho toughing it out with all the disruptions that were occurring. Most notable were the successful rolling mauls where the forwards really showed their superiority in this department making good ground each time this tactic was employed. Eventually the tough ground had been covered and Macca squeezed his way over. Woops off comes Harks again…he’s sprung a leak. On goes Chubby. With less than ten minutes to half time Harks decided to put the feet up until after the break. Half time and the huddle forms with Hawkeye and Donny politely instructing the boys on the reminder of the game plan no doubt. In the meantime the wind had decided to swirl, which we thought would be in Sutho’s favour in the second half. Another successful Penrith tactic, I thought, change the direction of the wind. Dark storm clouds also began to gather – do these bugga’s have a warlock up here to help them along or what!. Back after the half time break…Harks trots out…and Chubby stays off. Away we went and Penrith started to take control, or Sutho lost control; haven’t worked out which one it was but the things were turning for the worst both on and off the field. The Penrith boys seemed to relish the conditions and continued on the ascendency with Sutho struggling to maintain a sense of the game plan…..or so it seemed. All with the exception of the rolling maul, which worked very well for Sutho throughput the whole game. Penrith jumped to a 24 – 10 lead but it seemed a little incongruous given the way Sutho had been able to manage the ball at the front of the field with the mauls. Mention should be made at this stage of the efforts of Izzy – his first game in the starting 15 – his scrounging efforts in the close work did not go unnoticed where he became a continual pest to the Emus. Hark’s is off again and his nose looks like it’s calling full time for the day. On goes Chubby – I started to think we need to get a turnstile installed. Kane was presenting his usual enthusiastic game but earned the ire of the Mazda Man who told him to go and have a ten minute cuppa. Looking at the season thus far you gotta feel for the back 5 as they have earned a number of yellow’s; not through dirty play but all for over enthusiastic play which is part and parcel of their positions, of living on the edge, when contesting the ball. Now the lights were being turned on, the cold wind is coming from Blayney (as it normally does) and the rain was starting to spot the field. With such great playing conditions Macca managed to find his way over the line again… been sometime since he’d achieved a double. 15 – 24 with not long to go…could we get another score, a try would have been ideal, to get 2 bonus points. ‘Fraid not the ref said he was getting too cold so full time was blown and Penrith scored their second successive victory over the Rebels. What started as a promising game for Sutho ended in a nil return …but worst of all was the long drive home in the rain… and Rampant Lion being pipped in the Doomben Cup at the long odds of 33/1. On the road again next week to TG Milner to face the Woodies. One_Eyed Points 3 Points Blackie for slicin’ and dicin’ the defence and proving to be handful for Penrith all round. One_Eyed Gordon 10th May 2008 First impression on entering...what a great turn up for Ladies Day. Similar to last week there were a few late withdrawals; Dan Palmer off to South Africa to help set the Stormers straight as a late call up and Macca through injury. What a perfect day for Rugby – sun’s out, weather’s fine good playing conditions and Sutho players looking to give their mums a winning Mother’s Day game. The game seemed to start at somewhat a frantic pace with plenty of kicking and running, but probably a bit more the former, particularly by Gordon to ensure the game was planted well and truly in the Sutho’s half. The Gordon 10 seemed to be on his kicking game right from the word go and continually found long yards with his deft left foot. The first chink in the armour came from Sutho when the left channel was totally left open and the Gordon hooker strolled over untouched. Woops there’s that problem again I squirmed….not marking up out wide. On very few occasions the play ventured into the Gordon half so the majority of play (seemed like 80%-90%) was in Sutho’s territory. When the ball came Sutho’s way there was some good aggressive play, trying to work it away from the danger area but on too many occasion it was coughed up or not secured when taken to ground, as Gordon all too often stole the ball. To say the least, the ball security left a lot to be desired. Gordon’s defence also managed to get our runners going across the field rather than running straight up the field. Needless to say this left for easy pickings to stifle out attack and the ground being made was done in a very hard way. It seemed that the guys had their minds on other things; had they forgotten their Mother’s Day present, had they not organised Mum’s special lunch – you can only assume there was something amiss as the structure of the play – attack and defence – seemed to be all over the place. With the half time break I hoped that Hawkeye was pointing out what happened at Manly, when down 0 – 14 at half time. Yes, this was a bit further behind but …never say never. There was plenty to work on and I’m sure this was relayed to the guys in no uncertain terms. The only way was up….I was hoping! Whilst there was some slight improvement and commitment in the second half, for a short time, Sutho eventually faltered back to the first half execution; ball security missing, not marking up in the outside channels, cross field running when in attack, pinned down for the majority of the half in our defensive zone. Gordon appeared to be managing the field with authority – an ingredient that was from Sutho’s game. One of the biggest differences in the filed management was Gordon put the ball into touch whereas Sutho didn’t! Once into touch Gordon became very predatory in their quest to regain the ball, all within a good strategic position. In the end it was a run away victory for the Highlanders at 0 – 57, a team which Sutho seems to have problems coping with over the last couple of years. Talk about having the wood on us! Anyhow I hope all the Mum’s & Ladies had a great day on the day arranged by Allysa B. It’s off to the mountains next week to face Penrith, who also managed to lose by the same unusual score of 0 – 57 to Sydney University. One_Eyed Points 3 Points OE Eastern Suburbs 3rd May 2008 As I walked in the first thing that struck me was that the 1st Grade would be the decider for the day in Grade supremacy; 4th Grade won, 3rd rd Grade drew and 2nd Grade ran second. So, the scene was set. Prior to the game there were a numbers of omissions to the 1st Grade team who were meandering around the ground; Andrew B – pinged his “hammy” at Northern Suburbs; Tim Small – still out with broken hand and Outlaw – was he having withdrawal symptoms now the filming for Gladiators has finished? Obviously a number of 2nd Graders were stepping up to the mark to take on the Beasts. However, I did note the presence of the cranky little bugger who annoys the benchies each week – I didn’t know he had a passport to leave the Shire! The East’s team trundled out and I thought there tweren’t too much different in size with their forwards, all built like the proverbial outhouse, so I thought Macca and boys would have their hands full today. Then out jogged the Rebels and the most notable highlight was that Terry had spent some time in the coiffeurs’ chair this week to have some colour put through his locks……maybe this is the biblical Samson theory… I think strength in his hair and nothing can defeat him. The Mazda Man blew the pea and away we went; East’s coughed up possession pretty quick but they showed the tenacity of their proposed defence for the afternoon, with a great solid hit for Sutho reciprocate the coughing of the ball. East’s threw the ball around well to keep the Sutho’s defence on the backfoot but the boys were up to the task and kept knocking them down, which saw the game pretty much see-saw for a time. Then all too often, (I East’s Coach did his homework), the vacuum effect came into to play where we were left short on the outside channel and East’s finished the job off; 0 – 7. Then oops a penalty; 0 -10. Normally I’d turn to the fast food, for solace, but I thought a change of tactics might be in order – off the to the caffeine van, which actually was quite tasty and warming, and thankfully brought that change of fate I was hoping for. Blackie made a great line run to see him slice their backs but, and I nearly choked on the caffeine, the ball went to ground with the last pass and the line yawning for the 5 pointer to be scored. Fortunately, not long after, the redemption play occurred and Dennis held the ball to go over wide out 5 -10. I always thought caffeine was good. Things appeared to be turning and the boys were knuckling down and when Darren popped over a penalty things became interesting; 8 – 10. Did I speak too soon as East’s careered away down the wing with their 11 seemingly cantering in to score… but a blur coming a cross the field took their winger out …it was Blackie; sensational effort! Talk about never giving up. The break was taken with what seemed to be a reasonable position, only down 9, in terms of the field position and possession that had occurred during the first forty minutes Not long after the break Terry was invited to have a rest (probably doing too much work) by the Mazda Man, this had only come about because of his enthusiasm to be in the thick of play….perhaps a little too early on occasions. No doubt his visit to the coiffeur had given him some extras spark, not that he really needs it as his play has been of a good consistency so far this season On to the second half and the intensity of Sutho’s play seemed to wane a little with the ultimate price being paid where questionable decisions and plays were taken and eventually East’s punished these errors with a number of second half tries. The Beasts begun to run away with the game and built a 40 – 11 lead with only a short time to go. However, Macca was going to have the last say and in his usual style scored a 5 pointer not long from the end. So, what was the wash up?
Next week is Ladies Day back at Forshaw Park and here’s hoping to turn in a winning result against the Highlanders – the Sydney version that is not the NZ version. One_Eyed’s Points 3 Points 2 Points 1 Point One_Eyed Northern Suburbs 26th April 2008 Bang, Thwak, Kapow…its 0 – 5 after one and a half minutes. Gazzangle, Crunch, Gwambo … 7 minutes gone and 0 – 12; no I’m not watching Batman; maybe I am, because it’s a horrid start at North Sydney Oval. Struth, I thought, I’d better leave and come back in and maybe things will change. Better still, I’ll grab a banger sanger as the waft of the cooking (the onions did the trick) seemed more pleasant than what I was seeing. The temporary departure and return, with sanger in hand, seemed to work as the Rebels stemmed the tide…but it’s gotta be the worst sausage sandwich I‘ve ever had (sorry North’s but I call it as I see ….er taste it). So I thought fair trade off; improvement by Rebels for the sake of the putting up with inferior food…oh for a Sutho Hamburger. After the early shell shock Sutho settled down to play a bit more composed and defensively upped the anté. Thank heavens I couldn’t have faced another one of the sausages. The play became pretty much pedestrian, up and down the field, without too much attacking flair by either side, to speak of, for the remainder of the first half. The only exception to this was the incisive runs occasionally made by the long legged North’s fullback who probably took strides the same length as Phar Lap. I was thinking of lodging a formal protest that players like this should wear hopples to allow defensive sides a little easier time in trying to tackle this type of player. You just about had to drive into his gut and slide down his legs every single time ‘cause you would get his two legs together attempting to take them both at the same time. A penalty from Darren eased the difference a little to be 3 -12 at the break. Neither coach could have been satisfied with their teams’ effort in the 1st half – but I must admit the ref probably just about had the best performance of the half. Does that tell you how well the sides were playing? Time for a decision; to be or not to be for …wait for it... a sausage sandwich; nope I’d already suffered enough in the first half, so why tempt fate. Maybe Hawkeye was gunna get the boys gee’ed up enough to turn their performance around, so I didn’t want to miss it by having to go to Royal North Shore with a sausage sanger overdose. The shrill of the whistle broke the silence and off we went for the second half with hopes high that Sutho was going to work their way back into the game. Both teams seemed to start the half cautiously with patience and control being the optimum words….except for that long legged bugger! It seemed the game was developing into a game of chess with both sides just waiting and probing looking for that chink, which would provide the necessary opportunity. Unfortunately the North’s boys seemed to have been coached by Boris Spassky (Chess Grandmaster), at half time, as their efforts proved superior. Whilst the score suggests a blowout, it really didn’t eventuate that way. North’s took their opportunities when presented and put points on the board. Were we looking at a game where Sutho was not going to score a try, for the first time this season? Tongues were wagging amongst the supporters. Just as North’s skipped away to a handy lead it looked grim, then out of the blue Craig scored wide out about 2 minutes after North’s had crossed for their 5 pointer. Was there a glimmer? Was there going to be a Sutho onslaught to finish the game? Am I being the eternal optimist for a grand fight back and eventual win… you betcha? It wasn’t to be as North’s finished the game well in front when the whistle blower called time. Crunch time starts next week with East’s at Woollahra where the Rebels need to step up and take control of the game Man of the Match James McCormack – for the second consecutive week his efforts were outstanding and even taking the time to ask the ref if he was enjoying the game. Special mention to Matt Trouville and Kane Douglas both of whom seemed to work tirelessly. One_Eyed
Parramatta 19th April 2008 I really can’t remember the last time I went to Two Blues Park, when the wind didn’t blow or there was no rain, or just plain cold – what a miserable place! Anyhow the game started and the immediate impression I had was that LJ Hooker and John Greig Real Estate were the guest coaches for the week. Talk about position, position, position; the field strategy became very obvious from both coaches…..we will play the game in their defensive area and sweat on mistakes. An early penalty to Darren saw the Rebels jump to 3 – 0. Oddly enough, it took some time to see the chinks but it finally happened when the unstoppable Macca took on the Parramatta line and proved superior….as usual. With the miserable conditions prevailing Darren missed the conversion from the sideline. 8 – 0 don’t get too excited I think, we’ve led in 3 games and managed to stumble to the wrong side of the ledger on each game. Up and down the field the ball went and up and down in the air the ball went just waiting for it to come down with a bit of sleet, or something similar, on it. Both coaches had their team stick to their game plans. Finally Parramatta struck back with their own 5 pointer and a conversion from the sideline; a real see-saw match was developing. Not long before the half Dennis made a great break and off loaded to Andrew who made the good decision to back himself and out sprinted all to the line….under the posts. Thank you said Darren and proceeded to pop the ball over for a 15 – 7 lead at the break. The team was met with enthusiast support as they left the field for the half. Given the conditions and the fact the cross wind was not favourable, the result for the half was good…… cross wind in our favour for the second half I though, you beauty. The conditions were becoming so bad I had to a have a coffee; not even a cool drink or one of the Two Blues banger sangers would suffice. Back to the field, with a hot coffee in hand, and the second half was on and immediate change came to the game. Parramatta was very aggressive in the field position strategy and seemed to have it all over the Rebels, particularly with their return of our down field kicks. They made continuous good ground to see the Rebels going backwards and being pinned down within their own half. Where did the wind go? Or what else had changed? Slowly but surely Parra began to close the gap… horrible thoughts of the West‘s game came back flooding back. Unfortunately the gap not only closed but Parra leaped frogged us and it looked like it was happening again. A mighty penalty attempt, from within our own half, saw the ball just fall under the cross bar… what difference would that have made if the score had gone to 18 – 17, to the Rebels, with little time to play? We’ll never know. The rest is history as Parra claimed the winning points for the day The Club Management may like to consider a number of things (or all)
* For the non golfers Trevor won the US Masters, after leading all the way – a monumental effort. Clearly the team has shown they know how to play attractive and productive Rugby, once the lapses disappear and the real killer instinct is evident there will be more to celebrate. See, I told “…youse all…” (apologies to Jeff F) that Two Blues Park has always been a miserable place. Man of the Match James McCormack – I’m sure he doesn’t have a reverse gear or know how to give up; outstanding Captain’s performance. North Sydney Oval is the place to be next week to see the team get back on track. OE
West Harbour 12th April, 2008 Well, as the old saying goes “…I ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Do you reckon I was rushing around the ground looking for a fat lady or even someone prepared to cross the gender boundary who possessed a little bit of weight – I must of lost a couple of kilo’s but all to no avail. Being up 20 – 5 and seemingly in control…. I was even prepared to give up my Sutho Hamburger just to find a fat lady. An encouraging start to the game and Sutho were well structured and ran the ball well, whilst moving up enthusiastically in defence. We were picking up where we left off last week against Manly, I thought. The ball was used judiciously both in the hand and also seeking good field position with Darren sending it downfield. Support was good, lineouts with Macca on the dollar to the two tall timers; Kane and Dan (with the shorter 6’3”ers chiming in from time to time), angles were more than evident (thank God for Pythagoras) and the set pieces were on the improve. A series of good sustained attacking play finally saw Terry backing up, as usual, to score under the post, which sent Sutho to a 7 – 0, after Darren popped it over for the extras. Not long after Craig R made an attacking foray, from within Sutho’s own 22m, and saw him off load with a well executed inside flick to Outlaw who charged up the field…. no-one was going to stop him, or so I thought. To West’s credit they somehow scrambled in defence to quash what appeared to be a certain try. West’s infringed on a number of occasions, which saw Darren continue his perfect count for the day, with his boot. The Rebelette Cheerleaders were doing their part each time Sutho scored as was the guest Cheerleader on the far side of the ground, who actually seemed more exuberant than the Cheerleaders, on occasions…I wonder why that was so? A lapse in defence realised a try, out wide for West’s, so the stage was set, 20 – 5. The defence, or lack thereof, for this try was totally uncharacteristic for the way Sutho was playing….must have been a forward pass somewhere – mind you there were a lot of those all day. Sutho should have been at least 30 points at the break but no doubt the half time cup of tea was all encouragement and just to tidying up a few loose ends. Er did I speak to soon! Back for the second half and, firstly, someone needs to be accountable for not paying the Harbour Toll to get the quality of last week’s second half defence, against Manly, back into the Shire. I reckon that Manly should be sharing their points with us, as the defence we left behind at Manly Oval obviously contributed to the Marlins slicing up Randwick. Although the half started well with Sutho scoring first it all went downhill from there; with some very critical turning points scattered throughout the half, which never really helped the cause of the Rebels;
So two small points realised a 14 point swing in favour to West’s; it can be a cruel and complex game After the game I was glad to see Donny stop Hawkeye from jumping over the railings, or were they just having a quite tear, or beer, together….. heads up Hawkeye it will get better. Just remember that the average age of the team is around the 22 mark….except for grandad Macca… so there is plenty of good raw material to work with Man of the Match Timmy Small – for running the field and controlling the game until injured. See you all at Two Blues Park next week OE Manly 5th April 2008 It’s never a very pleasant trip battling the traffic through the city and across the bridge in leaving God’s country to go to the north shore. Right from the outset the trip was bad as I couldn’t find a TAB, on the right side of the road, until I reached Balgowlah and then the limited parking surrounding Manly Oval was very stressful as I missed about 15 minutes of the 2nd grade getting dizzy driving around and around in circles. Bad omens were evident! Moving towards this game we knew it would be tough as Manly had proven their fitness and match condition by taking out the Kiama 7’s (Sutho lost 14-19 in the semi’s to them). So, this game was expected to be harder than the previous week’s game against Randwick. Entering the ground you always get that immediate semi-cross eyed effect with the ground at the angle to the stands (just like Sydney University); we always tend get the dubious calls correct but the man in the middle never seems to get it right – maybe the game should be refereed from the stand then everyone would be happy. A couple of minutes to the start of the game and out came the teams with Sutho resplendent in their new major display strip of Ocean Monarch…was this a good omen; playing by the seaside with long time sponsor and supporter Harry Peter’s seafood company emblazoned across the jersey. This idea was soon dispelled as we were staring down the barrel of a 6–0 deficit after 5 minutes. Not long after this jumped to 14-0 down, with some dents in the fence piping where my forehead slumped, each time Manly was scoring so quickly – does Medicare cover these kind of injuries to supporters I thought. For a minute I thought I was watching a game of touch when the Manly No8 scored their first 5 pointer. He took our kick through not far from his own 22 metre and then romped his way up the field to score in the corner. Horrid thoughts of the Kiama 7’s came flooding back, where Manly jumped to 19-0, and just managed to hold us out. But nah, I thought, this is the long version of the game and we have time to settle and work our way back. I also considered that Hawkeye was lulling the Manly XV into a false sense of security full well knowing how the boys could come home like a steam roller; that funny little bloke at Tuesday night training is working wonders driving the boys into the ground …with the condition being there at the back end of the game where it counts. Mind you Sutho played the false game pretty well, dropping ball after ball then committing rule indiscretions repeatedly…..but then. Just before the break Sutho was putting great pressure on the Manly line with what seemed about a 100 phase play (was 15 actually...I’m great at exaggerating) with good controlled and patient Crusader style execution. The Crusaders wear red, Sutho wear red, the Crusaders wear black and Sutho wears black. So if we’re half as good as the Crusaders then we can’t lose. Not long after Andrew B charged under the posts from some good solid lead up work by Terry A, in particular. A simple kick for Blackie, in front, for a change. After the break the plan seemed to blossom as the ball continued to be thrown around with control and the defence was driving their attack backwards, behind the advantage line. It looked like the steam roller mode had cut in with Sutho taking no prisoners in both attack and defence. Lucky the ref didn’t have a blue jersey otherwise he may have ended up a target as well. All afternoon I had noticed these two Tiger Moth planes flying very low overhead, which Darren K must have seen as well. Soon into the half he’s put up this enormous Garryowen, which I figured was to knock these annoying planes out of the air. But no he landed the ball in the defence’s no man’s land for Rudds to charge onto and show everyone as clean set of heels as Miss Andretti does each time she struts her stuff at Flemington. Catch me if you can he said and away he went with Blackie rubbing salt into the wound by converting from the sideline! The score was now 14-14. The tide had turned and Sutho was still knocking |
