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First of all, the there was the trip down…the team, being so large, had to come down in stages, four flights in total over three days. This was partially due to the fact that a lot of guys have different schedules; but mainly because no airline in their right mind would want that many rugby players on the same airplane. Bad enough having to deal with a planeload of visor-wearing, vest-sporting, tour-group-being-herded-around-like-sheep ajumas. Pink-hatted Survivors? There needs to be a line drawn for sure. Upon arrival, we had our traditional group-therapy session on the City Garden’s rooftop – soon followed by the traditional later-in-the-evening group-therapy sessions that Manila is more renowned for. A few of our more energetic, but distinguished, gentlemen apparently partook in this cultural phenomenon - cultural interaction being a key part to every rugby tour. In the morning, we took to the field with our already large tour group ‘swelling’ to an even larger number… Day one on the pitch saw the Survivors pitted against very tough opposition. In our first game, the tired Survivors took on the 2-time & soon to be 3-time Cup champion British Club of Bangkok (and Japan, Tonga, New Zealand…etc…) A combination of playing against a very formidable opponent plus being still half-asleep ourselves, led to a unceremonious 41-0 drubbing at the hands of BC. As it happened, however, the game proved to be a good wake-up call for the team, as we went on to play some of the best rugby our team has played in Manila in the seven years this captain has gone there. Our second game was against the heavily-favored hosts, the Manila Nomads. After a lackluster first half, whose end saw the Survivors at a 12-0 deficit, the team came back with one of the strongest seven minutes of rugby we’ve ever played & won the game 17-12 on a last-second try by our future PM. Although he tried his best not to score it…stumbling & almost falling down 5 meters short, he managed to stay up and drive it home (eerily foreshadowing a similar performance by him later on in the tour), giving us the comeback win. Our third pool match saw us face the Tequila Mockingbirds – a Hong Kong based team, who we beat 15-10 in a rather anti-climatic finish to the day. When all was said and done, the Survivors were headed into the Plate competition on day two. Saturday evening saw us have our annual Manila team dinner, at our customary Chinese restaurant…and, as has also become a strong team tradition, the boys lucky enough to be on their first tour with the team were treated to one of the local culture’s culinary delights. This cuisine-based cultural interaction can prove to be a bit tough for the uninitiated, but surprisingly most of the boys seemed to have no trouble downing the local dessert. A few boys ended up with some egg on their face (and stuck between their teeth) & one had to be continuously persuaded (threatened?) to swallow…perhaps not the only time over the weekend that occurred but still somewhat of an oddity for rugby-dinner conversation. After the fine meal, the team made its way to the more familiar surroundings of Burgos & went off into the night from there. The only things of note from that evening that can be printed here are that A) a certain piss-boy managed to repeat his Manila 2003 performance of “member disclosure”…although this time apparently the ship’s flag was at more than half-mast. And B) another member apparently one of the locals quite cross with him…although the following evening, in his absence, we managed to get the final poke in. On Sunday morning the not-well-rested Survivors headed back to the pitch for another day of sunshine and rugby. The numbers were a bit smaller, however, 1 short to be exact, as it seemed that the wake-up call at 10 Downing was a little bit lacking. Fortunately all members were present and accounted for as we took to the pitch in our first game of the Plate round. Up against the Leighton Larrikins…featuring a first div league player from Sydney & a gentleman by the name of Rory Underwood (where’s Jonah when we needed him?). Actually, as things turned out, we didn’t need him at all…in the team’s best full-game performance of the weekend, we ended up 29-0 victors over the very strong Larrikins. Heading into the Plate semis, we were riding high and very confident... unfortunately our successful weekend was to come to an end in the next game. After losing a few of the boys who had to return to Seoul a day early, we went up against the Hong Kong Club Scorpions; one of the top teams from Hong Kong. In a game that we coulda, shoulda, woulda, won, we didn’t. We came out flat – perhaps we had given all we could in the last game, or perhaps if a few things had happened differently (a certain hooker/captain turning right instead of left…a couple try-scoring opportunities thrown away with bad passes…some generally sloppy play & us being caught sleeping after a penalty – twice!) we might have moved on to the Plate finals. However, it wasn’t to be & we ended up on the zero end of a 19-0 score. It was a sad end to an otherwise impressive weekend on the pitch, but all in all it was a great team effort by everyone involved that led us to the success that we had. Prior to closing, I am certain that some of you are wondering why I have chosen such an odd subtitle for this report…well, you all know the tour rules by now I’m sure, so there’s not much I can say. Let’s just say that our Sunday night entertainment was superbly provided (by Royal Command), and the Survivors are now weighing a sponsorship offer from Toys ‘R’ Us. Thanks to some fine 11th hour negotiating (more like 2nd or 3rd hour, actually) by our very own Prince of Darkness, we were treated to a fine performance by a future world leader. Every politician has his fingers in the pie (so to speak) somewhere, and they all have a rather ‘dark’ past…it’s a long way down the muddy road of politics, but we have to say, yes, minister…you did a fine job. For those of you who have no clue whatsoever what I am talking about, well, I guess you had to be there. But….perhaps I could be persuaded to enlighten you over a beer some day…or better yet, over a tube of hair polish… Alas, another Manila 10s has come and gone, and another legendary weekend was had by the Survivors. The show must go on, however, and the next stop is coming soon…Taipei for a visit to our old friends the Baboons. Beyond that, for those who are counting, there are only 300 shopping days left until Manila 2005…. See you next tour! Fonzie
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