From JP
Following a good second half demolition of Causeway Bay last week, Club came up a resurgent DEA whose tails were up following their victory over Aberdeen the previous week. Having already beaten DEA soundly in the pre-season Plate Knock-Out Final a few weeks previous, Club were quietly confident that they could repeat the feat up at King's Park on Saturday evening.
DEA started strongly and soon gained the upper hand, however. It was only due to a heroic tap tackle from Danny Parr on the right wing that saved us going down by a try five minutes into the game. The first half was one of the most frustrating 40 minutes of rugby the boys had probably ever played in, with a constant barrage of whistle-blowing from Hong Kong’s finest. Trying to be somewhat diplomatic, I must say I do not have the foggiest what on earth most of the penalties were for.
Naturally, "Left Hook" Rory Hussey was right in the mix and no doubt gave away a few penalties for being an Irish version of Michael Bolton. Tim Griffin stepped up in the heat of the battle and gave us an amusing display when taking on the four foot tall opposition scrum half. Other than that, we were penalized constantly in the scrums for no other reason other than pushing. This was hugely frustrating for the boys as it didn’t allow us to get into a pattern and get through some phases. The DEA line out was working well, helping them stay in the game and enable them to kick a few goals and keep things very tight going into half time. Thankfully we managed to get our noses in front with a superb try from Pat Foreman in open play with the ball changing hands many times and delighting the away crowd of the resident Scorps drunkards!
The second half was a better display albeit frustrating because of our decision making and pressing the panic button when in the final third. Despite that, there were a huge amount of positive factors in the second half as the Piggies stepped it up on the physicality front with the likes of Ridgeway, Watson, Bolland and Washington making some hard yards despite being about as mobile as parking meters. The back row also started to gel and get around the park negating the impact of the DEA back row led by Nigel Clarke who as always had a strong game. In Club's back row, there were solid performances from Marin, Michael Bolton & Tim Edgar.
There was some super stuff in the backs as well with the likes of Jimmy Kibble and Pat Foreman imposing themselves and getting across the gainline, bringing in the pace boys of Perkins, McKee and Raby. Unfortunately, when it came to making our mark from set pieces and finishing in their 22, we failed to deliver.
The good news is that the boys are coming close to gelling and being a much more complete unit, which is just as well with much harder tests to come. With the score at 13-6 with 10 minutes to go, we failed to take one or two kicks at goal that would have put us out of sight. The good news for the crowd and Q’s hernia was that this created a thrilling ending, with DEA camped in our 22 for the final 5 minutes trying to steal a draw from nowhere. Thankfully due to a gutsy defensive display, we held them out and breathed a huge sigh of relief when the whistle blew for full time rather than another penalty against Club! The final spectacle was watching Tim Griffin having a row with a dustbin.
Well done lads – plenty of positives to build on for the impending almighty smash against Valley next week at home.
Rugby Section – bring your vocal cords please and Man Up! Ta, JP
Showing posts with label washington. Show all posts
Showing posts with label washington. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
They only did it...
CBRE Club 26 - 19 Crown Valley
Well they only went and did it, didn't they? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Club turned over Valley on Saturday evening with a performance of tremendous intensity, characterised by dogged determination and illuminated by lengthy periods of top-class rugby. Make no mistake, this is as well as Club have played this season - and against a good Valley team whose desire to fight back against their old enemy after two previous defeats was all to obvious. But it was Club's day and, although they must win at least two more games to make the title safe, they demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt on Saturday that they are the dominant force in Hong Kong rugby. Let the joy be unconfined...
This was never going to be easy, but Angus Washington calmed Club's nerves from the very start, using his considerable height and presence to claim a fine Aussie Rules-style catch from the kick-off - an achievement he repeated again and again throughout the game. From there, Club moved straight into top gear, putting pressure on Valley in their own 22. The set-piece started well and remained superior all evening, as Spizziri, Cameron and Hobler laid down the law against a very solid Valley front row. Add to this Valley's inability to contest line-out ball thrown to one of the world's less likely jumpers - the admirable Tim Edgar at the back of the line - and Pat Foreman realised he could initiate a pragmatic positional kicking game, safe in the knowledge that the forwards had the better of their opposite numbers.
But Club's game would go further than this. Ruck ball was won more quickly and securely, in my view, than at any time previously this season and Foreman was able to release Club's classy backline on several occasions. Richard Rouse looked sharp at centre, but it was the full-back Mike McKee who crossed for Club's first score early in the second half. At that point, Club were in the box seat and Valley looked nervous - their outside half Judd was played into constant trouble by a string of passes under pressure that bounced like dambuster bombs and had to be collected around his ankles as the Club back row zeroed in on him.
Write Valley off at your peril, though, especially when they are playing HKFC. After McKee's score, the reds managed to break up the pattern of Club's game and to thrive in a more chaotic environment. Suddenly Club were turned by breakaways and hack-throughs and before you know it, Valley had scored twice and converted once, giving them 12 points to Club's 5. However, Club stemmed the tide, regrouped and were able to hit back with a Mike McKee penalty and a cool 40-yard drop goal from Foreman on the stroke of half time. It was 12-11 to Valley at the turn, but Club were regaining the momentum.
Club knew the game was theirs to win, but that it was crucial to retain their shape against a Valley team intent on playing a disruptive game. They came out carrying and rucking ferociously, generating the momentum that allowed Rouse to bounce off several would-be tacklers to score under the posts early in the half. McKee converted to make it 18-12. Advantage Club, but still not a safe game by any means. It would be unfair to single out any single player, but Club played 30 minutes of wonderfully committed, aggressive and controlled rugby in the second half - even when down to 14 men after Tim Griffin, whose workrate had been second to none, was rather unfortunately yellow-carded for a high tackle. Replacements were also critical with Rupert "Churchie" Clark and Dean Finnegan coming off the bench to play their part. Club put the game away perhaps 10 minutes from the end when a long period of pressure close to the Valley line ended in Colin Begg (another replacement) scampering over in the corner. With another McKee penalty, that gave Club a 26-12 lead.
Once again, Valley refused to lie down and die. Instead they came back firing, scoring a converted try to make it 26-19 and camping on the Club line as injury time went on, and on, and on. Desperate tackling denied Valley their great escape, however, and Club supporters' palpitations were soon replaced by sheer joy at a great performance which marked an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of Valley in 2007-08. Celebrations are premature as the season is not yet finished, and in any case should be tempered by the loss of No. 8 Rob Mills with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but Club have stepped up a level here and the rest of HK rugby must be wondering how they can counter the resurgence of a Club that has been so often (and so wrongly) derided as pampered, soft and undermotivated. The Empire Strikes Back? Let's hope so. Bring on Aberdeen next Saturday...
More to come on Scorps, Drags v PLA this weekend and A Guide to Playing Rugby in Guangzhou...
Harps
Well they only went and did it, didn't they? Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Club turned over Valley on Saturday evening with a performance of tremendous intensity, characterised by dogged determination and illuminated by lengthy periods of top-class rugby. Make no mistake, this is as well as Club have played this season - and against a good Valley team whose desire to fight back against their old enemy after two previous defeats was all to obvious. But it was Club's day and, although they must win at least two more games to make the title safe, they demonstrated beyond all reasonable doubt on Saturday that they are the dominant force in Hong Kong rugby. Let the joy be unconfined...
This was never going to be easy, but Angus Washington calmed Club's nerves from the very start, using his considerable height and presence to claim a fine Aussie Rules-style catch from the kick-off - an achievement he repeated again and again throughout the game. From there, Club moved straight into top gear, putting pressure on Valley in their own 22. The set-piece started well and remained superior all evening, as Spizziri, Cameron and Hobler laid down the law against a very solid Valley front row. Add to this Valley's inability to contest line-out ball thrown to one of the world's less likely jumpers - the admirable Tim Edgar at the back of the line - and Pat Foreman realised he could initiate a pragmatic positional kicking game, safe in the knowledge that the forwards had the better of their opposite numbers.
But Club's game would go further than this. Ruck ball was won more quickly and securely, in my view, than at any time previously this season and Foreman was able to release Club's classy backline on several occasions. Richard Rouse looked sharp at centre, but it was the full-back Mike McKee who crossed for Club's first score early in the second half. At that point, Club were in the box seat and Valley looked nervous - their outside half Judd was played into constant trouble by a string of passes under pressure that bounced like dambuster bombs and had to be collected around his ankles as the Club back row zeroed in on him.
Write Valley off at your peril, though, especially when they are playing HKFC. After McKee's score, the reds managed to break up the pattern of Club's game and to thrive in a more chaotic environment. Suddenly Club were turned by breakaways and hack-throughs and before you know it, Valley had scored twice and converted once, giving them 12 points to Club's 5. However, Club stemmed the tide, regrouped and were able to hit back with a Mike McKee penalty and a cool 40-yard drop goal from Foreman on the stroke of half time. It was 12-11 to Valley at the turn, but Club were regaining the momentum.
Club knew the game was theirs to win, but that it was crucial to retain their shape against a Valley team intent on playing a disruptive game. They came out carrying and rucking ferociously, generating the momentum that allowed Rouse to bounce off several would-be tacklers to score under the posts early in the half. McKee converted to make it 18-12. Advantage Club, but still not a safe game by any means. It would be unfair to single out any single player, but Club played 30 minutes of wonderfully committed, aggressive and controlled rugby in the second half - even when down to 14 men after Tim Griffin, whose workrate had been second to none, was rather unfortunately yellow-carded for a high tackle. Replacements were also critical with Rupert "Churchie" Clark and Dean Finnegan coming off the bench to play their part. Club put the game away perhaps 10 minutes from the end when a long period of pressure close to the Valley line ended in Colin Begg (another replacement) scampering over in the corner. With another McKee penalty, that gave Club a 26-12 lead.
Once again, Valley refused to lie down and die. Instead they came back firing, scoring a converted try to make it 26-19 and camping on the Club line as injury time went on, and on, and on. Desperate tackling denied Valley their great escape, however, and Club supporters' palpitations were soon replaced by sheer joy at a great performance which marked an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of Valley in 2007-08. Celebrations are premature as the season is not yet finished, and in any case should be tempered by the loss of No. 8 Rob Mills with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, but Club have stepped up a level here and the rest of HK rugby must be wondering how they can counter the resurgence of a Club that has been so often (and so wrongly) derided as pampered, soft and undermotivated. The Empire Strikes Back? Let's hope so. Bring on Aberdeen next Saturday...
More to come on Scorps, Drags v PLA this weekend and A Guide to Playing Rugby in Guangzhou...
Harps
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