What a great Saturday, ladies and gentlemen. The result for Club was not what we might have hoped for but I thought they put up a tremendous fight, contributed to an outstanding game of rugby and came the closest they have all season to unleashing their full potential. More thoughts on this to come, also in the HKFC magazine.
In the meantime, thought you might enjoy these stunning photos taken by Tim Bowman, who we asked to capture Grand Finals day for posterity.
http://www.bowmanphotos.com/gallery/7609902_dz8pA#492660577_KLaZ6
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
The time is now for Club
I have a million things to do at work, so I thought the best thing to do would be Blog it up a little. Andy why not: this weekend is the razor-like point of the sharp end of the business part of the season. It's Grand Finals time, and that means Valley, as usual.
We all know how loaded this fixture is, especially when it comes at crunch time, and I've written about it before. Broadly, the crude stereotypes are as follow. Club is the establishment; a bunch of stuck-up, overpaid posers with far too many players from the British Isles (I damn near said England there) to have much 'mongrel.' And then Valley are the upstarts; the 'real' rugby players; the ones who care about playing rugby and not swimming pools and fancy restaurants; the ones always looking to prove their quality by turning over the arrogant stuffed shirts from the Club.
That's how the myth goes, anyway. Personally I think it's nonsense. I have no doubt you'll find plenty of bankers, brokers and lawyers playing for Valley, and there are certainly plenty of people playing for Club who have been more or less brought to Hong Kong by rugby. In any case, buying in to this culture war myth in order to deepen the rivalry between the two clubs has always seemed pointless to me. To my mind, the only reason we should see this fixture as loaded is because Hong Kong's two best rugby sides, who have been tussling for supremacy for decades, will meet in a winner takes all final. Surely that gives us all the extra frisson we need?
Club are in this season's grand final after a 38-7 win over an improved Causeway Bay outfit last weekend. The boys secured a lot of good, quick, clean ball and played with a great sense of purpose. Mike Glancy's miracle boot and the imposing presence of Sam Robinson, who scored twice and frankly terrorised the opposition throughout, were big contributing factors. There was also something of a conflagration on the sidelines but the less said about that the better, I think.
As I've said before, Club have incredible talent and energy across the team. But, if we're honest, the machine hasn't really come to life yet this season. It's choked and sputtered and sometimes run for a few minutes, but it has never really fired on all cylinders. If it does, Club can beat a very good Valley side indeed, and beat them handsomely.
We've had enough frustration and nearly moments this season, so I'm backing Club to find top gear at last on Saturday and stake an early claim to dominance in 2009/10. And I have an inkling they might just do it, just as I had an inkling the Aussie cricketers would fight back successfully in South Africa.
More to come on Drags etc
Harps
We all know how loaded this fixture is, especially when it comes at crunch time, and I've written about it before. Broadly, the crude stereotypes are as follow. Club is the establishment; a bunch of stuck-up, overpaid posers with far too many players from the British Isles (I damn near said England there) to have much 'mongrel.' And then Valley are the upstarts; the 'real' rugby players; the ones who care about playing rugby and not swimming pools and fancy restaurants; the ones always looking to prove their quality by turning over the arrogant stuffed shirts from the Club.
That's how the myth goes, anyway. Personally I think it's nonsense. I have no doubt you'll find plenty of bankers, brokers and lawyers playing for Valley, and there are certainly plenty of people playing for Club who have been more or less brought to Hong Kong by rugby. In any case, buying in to this culture war myth in order to deepen the rivalry between the two clubs has always seemed pointless to me. To my mind, the only reason we should see this fixture as loaded is because Hong Kong's two best rugby sides, who have been tussling for supremacy for decades, will meet in a winner takes all final. Surely that gives us all the extra frisson we need?
Club are in this season's grand final after a 38-7 win over an improved Causeway Bay outfit last weekend. The boys secured a lot of good, quick, clean ball and played with a great sense of purpose. Mike Glancy's miracle boot and the imposing presence of Sam Robinson, who scored twice and frankly terrorised the opposition throughout, were big contributing factors. There was also something of a conflagration on the sidelines but the less said about that the better, I think.
As I've said before, Club have incredible talent and energy across the team. But, if we're honest, the machine hasn't really come to life yet this season. It's choked and sputtered and sometimes run for a few minutes, but it has never really fired on all cylinders. If it does, Club can beat a very good Valley side indeed, and beat them handsomely.
We've had enough frustration and nearly moments this season, so I'm backing Club to find top gear at last on Saturday and stake an early claim to dominance in 2009/10. And I have an inkling they might just do it, just as I had an inkling the Aussie cricketers would fight back successfully in South Africa.
More to come on Drags etc
Harps
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Drags v Scorps - a jolly afternoon
Evening all
Bit of, er, fun on Saturday for Dragons and Scorpions (final score around 35-12 to Drags but don't quote me on that). Scorps came out firing with all the guts and application you would expect from a team bearing that name, and from any team billed as the underdog in an intra-HKFC derby. Drags may not be happy with the manner of their victory but they walked away league champs after Valley succumbed to PLA 23-20.
In particular, I would like to offer the front-rower's salute to the men of the Scorps front row: Messrs Wong, Nazer, Kim and Browne, who fronted up admirably. While Drags had the upper hand in the scrummage, this determined band and the rest of the Scorps pack tested them every step of the way - and came back at the Drags with interest on occasion.
Apart from that, it was a scrappy, aggressive, niggly and rather disjointed match, full of venom but strangely muted as a contest compared to some of the Scorps v Drags superclasicos of old. I don't think the referee enjoyed it either - he kept blowing his whistle to try and liven it up. I tried to cheer him up a bit by asking what was the only thing worse than refereeing a club side? Refereeing two of course. But he wasn't really in the mood for my outstanding banter so I let it drop.
The game was really only notable for being Andy Boucher's last match for HKFC - for the Bouchers are off to the USA - and for the debut of a young man from New Zealand called Sam, who terrorised the Scorps from number eight and who I doubt will be playing much more for Dragons if he stays in Hong Kong. Sam is a friendly, amiable soul unless you happen to be anywhere near him on a rugby pitch as part of the opposing team. Then he would be better named Samageddon. After a few contact situations with him on Monday in which I came off marginally second best, I would counsel a very low body position and the advantage of a long run-up to his future opponents. But he seems like a bl*ody useful chap to have on your side, so welcome, Sam.
Furthermore, a strong Select side also celebrated victory in Division 3, beating Macau 25-21, while Sequins were likewise crowned champs in Division 4 with a hefty win over Causeway Bay.
Harps
Bit of, er, fun on Saturday for Dragons and Scorpions (final score around 35-12 to Drags but don't quote me on that). Scorps came out firing with all the guts and application you would expect from a team bearing that name, and from any team billed as the underdog in an intra-HKFC derby. Drags may not be happy with the manner of their victory but they walked away league champs after Valley succumbed to PLA 23-20.
In particular, I would like to offer the front-rower's salute to the men of the Scorps front row: Messrs Wong, Nazer, Kim and Browne, who fronted up admirably. While Drags had the upper hand in the scrummage, this determined band and the rest of the Scorps pack tested them every step of the way - and came back at the Drags with interest on occasion.
Apart from that, it was a scrappy, aggressive, niggly and rather disjointed match, full of venom but strangely muted as a contest compared to some of the Scorps v Drags superclasicos of old. I don't think the referee enjoyed it either - he kept blowing his whistle to try and liven it up. I tried to cheer him up a bit by asking what was the only thing worse than refereeing a club side? Refereeing two of course. But he wasn't really in the mood for my outstanding banter so I let it drop.
The game was really only notable for being Andy Boucher's last match for HKFC - for the Bouchers are off to the USA - and for the debut of a young man from New Zealand called Sam, who terrorised the Scorps from number eight and who I doubt will be playing much more for Dragons if he stays in Hong Kong. Sam is a friendly, amiable soul unless you happen to be anywhere near him on a rugby pitch as part of the opposing team. Then he would be better named Samageddon. After a few contact situations with him on Monday in which I came off marginally second best, I would counsel a very low body position and the advantage of a long run-up to his future opponents. But he seems like a bl*ody useful chap to have on your side, so welcome, Sam.
Furthermore, a strong Select side also celebrated victory in Division 3, beating Macau 25-21, while Sequins were likewise crowned champs in Division 4 with a hefty win over Causeway Bay.
Harps
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.gif){kind=small}
.jpg)