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YSC 2007 game #1 Match Report
Folks - the Yellow Sea Cup series is well and truely alive! If you didn't know the 1st game was played in Shanghi last week with the Devils coming home with a victory in a tight scoring game!
So, The Crabs arrived ready on Friday night looking for a repeat of their performance last year when they gave as a whippin when we toured in December! But this time they weren't at their home pitch and their numbers were spread well and truely thin with only 15 gracing the field - a tough start!
On a typically beautiful day in Spring, the sun shone and the pitch was softened a little by the previous night's rainfall, a generous crowd had gather and the Seoul Sisters could be heard cheering and what not for the whole match! The match was significant for the lads as it was a few players' last hit out! For the likes of Matt Seguin, Tobias, Dan the Man, Home Alone Dan, and are there more? A new era introduced themselves as well - the teams half near full of South Africans, can't wait till the cricks this week!!!!
The game started with some big hits by Dean and Justin, which gifted the Survivors some turnover and kept the crabs in their own half for the first 10 they responded with a kick for terrority to the far side which was a small mud bowl, most balls went straigh to the backs. the front 3 were Matt Malone, Justin who had seeked advise from the web to play prop and Brain Bruckman (BB from now on) were tireless at the breakdown and most of the forwards broke their first tackles, good meters and yards, The Survivors we also gifted a rare display of miracle passes and late offloads that lead to the forwards retaining the ball down the near side in the Crabs half & put themselves in great position to put on the first points. The forwards form was astounding and this lead to Grant (1st SA) being given ample time to deliver good ball to the backs and space was found. Big Dean unleashed the final pass & the ball was seen floating over the sideline - blown chance but the lads didn't worry too much! Heads were up and soon the points came from the another repeat of the forwards gaining great yards and Tobias 's Big don't argue right, left defenders picking themselves up and having to run back 15 meters where the Captain, Stacey had driven it on.The backs faced a stretched line of defense 25 meters out and Grant spun it well Tukki then slipped through the gap and stood up the fullback to cross ten feet from the posts. A Dominating display early by the pack was a good sign unlike the conversion.
T Survivors received the ball and drove out of their own half without using the boot, again great hands and an amazing through the legs pass from the born hooker BB, hit tobias on the chest and boom 15-20 more meters. The rest of the forwards rallied behind each other and took the ball up in numbers and and didn't committ too many to the breakdown. The crabs regrouped after a penalty in their own half and they went wide on several occasions and the survivor defense wasn't caught napping, they responed but the repeated drives from the Crabs big men got them a penalty in front of the post, 20 out, they chose to kick which I don't think they would have taken if they had had a full complement of men! The flags were lifted and Joe Day and Martin's job had just started to get busy.
The crabs started well again with their backs giving Sam a test here and there, ya gotta hit round the legs bro you're not that big! The ball was still in the Crabs' hands and their forwards were starting to gel but a penalty against them allowed the Suvivors to kick out of their own half, it was one of the few times they threatened the Survivors' line in the 1st half. The game wore on and the line outs were interesting, with the Survivors contesting well and getting a few to go their way. There was a few missed tackles by the backs but a covering tackle by new kiwi half Adam stamped out the Crabs next attack. It was a sign of things to come, Martin (code named steve) earnt his name back as he crunched a crab and the ball spilled out-the little fairy tap in the back after didn't go unnoticed!! We had them camped in their own half but couldn't get the second try because of a few lazy infringements. But it wasn't 2 phases later that Brian, in his most enterprising game to date, beelined for the Crabs' Half crunched him and the ball was there for the taking. Again the forwards showed real patience and drew in the defense with a succession of good pick and drives, at least 12 phases later (7 really) the Backs got the ball - Dean's pass put Dan the Man into a gaping hole and he crossed on the left side of the posts - "That was the turning point of the game " quote from Big Dan 8 times that night.
The off day with the boot continued as the Survivors traded kickers like undies - 10 -3 the half ended and the both sides were exhausted and tried to regroup.
The second half started well for the survivors with lots of loose passes going to hand, and good defense causing the Crabs to make too many uncustomary mistakes. Adam again was tackling like a man double his size. The forwards had gained ascendancy and Tobias carried the ball just short of the line, which lead to Steve's pick and driving under the posts!!!! A kick was finally converted and its 17-3 and the crowd was getting louder and more pissed!! With Jono running on as a gay water boy the mood on the pitch was relaxed! After the kick off Sammy had a mind flip, thought he was huge, and ran it straight into the Crabs forwards - a few turnovers later and the backs counter attacked from their own forty yard line. Dan check to his left and Right looking for a single camera while getting his hair perfect as he got around his defender then posed as he stood up the full back with a grace arcing run, with the line ten out in front of him, he ran out of steam real quick and unselfishly swung the ball wide to Piet (another SA) & he finished what we'd call Champange Rugby!!!!!! But again the kick failed - 22-3
Kick off and boom straight into it, Big defense by the Crabs saw some turnover ball but they failed to capitalize on it (remember not 1 reserve). It was Stacey's turn to do another big don't argue and this lead to tuKKi's show pony pass but a bloody good one and piet was able to score a second on debute ..another turn for a shocker kick and it was 27-3!!!!
From the kick off the forwards pick and drive and tackle breaking meters continue.The Crabs were again camped in their own half and kept resorting to the kick to get them out, the only problem was that Sam and the other backs often returned it with interest and the forwards then musceled up and created another super scoring opportunity which Grant gratefully accepted and the survivors were in again, the kick followed & I think that was Dan's worst kick ever unless he thought you were allowed to grubber it through the posts!!! 32-3
The Crabs huddled up and came back with some fierce defence - the Survivors had the luxury of fresh legs which allowed them to meet the Crabs with force, A few new forwards jumped in and the defense was solid by both teams. It was looking like a try for the Crabs as they pressured the line for the first time in the second half- but the defense of Brian the new Canadian and the 5 old dog 80 minute men held them out and this lead to a turnover.
This allowed for Tukki to find some room to move and weave through 3 defenders and then off load to the outside centers, the good hands continued and soon Tukki found himself taking the last pass in a move he started 75 meters back, he crossed and the score line started to blow out!!!! Another shit kick this time by Sam and a little niggled started to creep into the game. I must say that Les refereed (thanks for doing that) and he hasn't been mentioned alot because he had little impact on the game, he gave both teams plenty of advantage and he communicated well, both teams kept the infringements down and the game was pretty free flowing.
After the kick off Rufus (brandon) did some kind of strange cock block thing which Les had to call a knock on cause it was just weird and the Survivors found themselves under the pump, The Crabs were not going to leave Seoul without breaking the Survivors line- They peppered the backs with some clever kicks then held the ball through their forwards. The pressure was maintained by a few infringements till finally they broke through the backline from 5 out!
A hard earned try which they deserved! 37-8 - an embrassing little bit of bullshit went on and they had 2 chances at conversion, both failed!!
Ted was screaming from the sideline for them not to finish on that note and the boys responded well. Brian Bruckman staked his claim as the most creative hooker with an amzing atheltic jump from the sideline in the air and then punch the penalty kick back into the feild of play and it popped straight into another forwards hands and they were gaining meters and yards again. the majic hands continued and they slowly worked their way up to halfway. Piet got some nice ball from Dave (another new SA) and managed to keep it in the field of play- Matt seguin and Justin were on the ball and helped keep the ball moving forward, the Crabs rallied hard and Just as the momentum was going out of the attack big quiet Brian burst down the left sideline 2 meters away from the screaming supporters to give a massive palm to not 1 but a second Crab defender - then the 3rd came and Boom he was on his arse and the 4th crab coped it too but Brain was draged down meters short and ball was then spun wide to the right wing where tom was given some space by some good passing between the backs, he raced 30 meters up the right side looking to score his first try in his first 15's game - instead he was cut down by some relentless Crab defence, he reached his loose arm round the back of the defender and gave a line ball staight into the breadbasket and Dan the man was over for his second!!!!!! (which I did call on the bus) The whistle finally blew and the scoreline reflected the hard work the Survivors had been doing for the last month at training, The Crabs fought hard all game and were able to leave the field knowing they had given their all!
As for the old dogs on the sideline - we all decided that the man of the match was the front 3 --Matt malone, BB and Justin, they and Stacey and Matt played 80 and lead by example they are nearly the oldest in the team and they showed the new boys what it takes to win games, overall all the lads who played really stuck together & believed in each other and were side by side when it counted, as a Survivor it was a wonderful game to watch!!!!
The festivities continued off the pitch and a big thanks must go out to Ken for the Buses and the Beer and the food on the rooftop, as well as Chris for cooking those South African sausages that Roddy prepared!!!!
Another thanks goes out to Justin and Roddy for running the training sessions and getting everyone pumped and physically ready for the game, team members like that keep our club alive - thanks too 2 u Ted! Anyone else I forgot sorry.
For those who are leaving - we will miss you all playing and drinking beside us !! But we will keep the place warm for when u return!!!!!!!
Finally thanks to the Crabs for being legends and coming and playing good clean rugby, thanks for making the trip and putting your body on the line for the full 80 minutes!!! C U in December!!!!
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