Rugby Heaven

Hello to all

This was a great weekend for our club. Today I feel like I am rugby HEAVEN.

Thanks so much to Martin, Bill Shelley and Ernie for their immense efforts to finish the groundwork for our magnificent posts. Then to the field crew Saturday morning who helped finish up the field set up to create what in all honesty, from my perspective was one of my greatest rugby moments since I arrived in Florida 30 years ago. To stare across the field from post to post with the flags waving, on our full sized permanent field 45 minutes before game time with butterflies in my gut.

Here was the lineup

1. Ernie 2.JD 3. Tim (Moved to lock 2nd half Joe to Prop) 4. Gavin (Bill min 60) 5. Kevin (Rich Min 35 then to 8 and Tim to 2nd row at half replaced by Nick Min 70) 6. Geoff 7. Venci (Chris moved @ half the Gerry came on min 60) 8. Chris (Rich @ half) 9. Javier 10.Luis (Matt moved from 12 @ Min 70) 11. DJ (Malcom @ half) 12. Sergio (Matt min 65) 13. Patrick (Moved to 12 when Luis came out) 14. Dougie (Moved to 13 when Luis came out) 15. Fernando

On to the game. Unfortunately we had some issues at 2nd row with unavailable players, so yours truly and our young rookie Kevin stepped up and stuck our heads in there. It was a little rough at 1st with the Hogs putting up a couple of unconverted tries to put them up 10-0 for the 1st 20 mins. We slowly began to get our structure together and after some sustained pressure netted a penalty by our fearless leader Geoff Jordan, in front of the posts 10-3. A bad break inside our 22 resulted in a bit of a soft score around min 30, so we were down 15-3. We remained resilient though. At minute 35 Rich stepped up and joined me at 2nd row and helped create a more stable platform and after a free kick deep in the Hogs end, Geoff scooped up a quick tap and dived in for an unconverted try just before half 15-8.

At half we recognized our only real weakness was around post and we looked for ways to counter their strong close ruck attack. Plus a couple more changes to re solidify the pack with Joe coming in at prop, Tim to 2nd row and Rich at 8.

Some decent rugby led to another penalty against the hogs inside their 22 and once again Geoff alertly quick tapped and squeezed another try over. Luis with a brilliant conversion tied it up 15-15. Unfortunately a minute later, some poor defense led to a break away try putting the hogs up 20 – 15. Unfazed we put together some more great phase rugby and were awarded a scrum inside the 22. Some fantastic back row interplay led to a wonderful finish by Javier min 73 that Geoff converted 22-20 we were up. The Hogs however were not done and attacked resiliently into the final minutes. A turnover a deep kick went out of bounds deep in hogs territory. The attempted a quick line out and the tackle of the day by Dougie led to a knock on. Once again the pack rose to the challenge and again the back row with Rich and Jerry pounded in the final nail as Javier took another nice offload and finished with a great score with time running out FINAL 27 – 20.

To wrap it up, the Hogs were GREAT opponents, fights NONE, yellow cards NONE, bitching between our players NONE. Super sportsmanship, great competition, a wonderful come from behind victory on our new and improved home field, great sideline support. Like I said in the beginning RUGBY HEAVEN for me, thank you so much to all who participated!!!!