This week I have decided to double up on the news from the Old Ys. The reason being that I was visiting friends on Merseyside. Richie, who is Chairman of a Birkenhead club that goes by the name of 'Old Parkonians' took us to another South Lancs/Cheshire division 3 club called 'Port Sunlight'.Well what a game! The pitch is about as flat as the Clent Hills and both teams managed to return any possession won back to their opponents with either badly aimed kicking or clumsy handling errors. However, an end to end game finished in a 29-29 draw. We returned to the home of the Old Parks to receive warm hospitality and when asked by a young lady where I came from, her response was along the lines of 'Solihull, thats a posh place where they even get out of the bath if they need a p--s.' Well, I promise that's not the case at the Old Ys. Later that evening, forced into partaking of a curry I can report that they don't belong in the same league as Ladypool Road. Thanks Richie, you might not play the bagpipes like our chairman but you can tell a good story.
Whilst away, I kept in touch with our teams and the usual mixture of news came my way.
The first xv conceeded their cup game in favour of shopping trips with their wags. Staggering or disappointing? make your own mind up.
The Development xv played with a lot of spirit, in fact too much at times, with 3 players visiting the bin. A defeat against Aston 2nds by 15-27 was not too painful with tries from Captain Egg, Rob the new second row and big Andy P.
The Vandals overcame a determined Aston OEs 3rd xv by 22-10 with tries by Simon Singleton x2, Rick Lowe and John Lonie with Nev adding a conversion.
See vandals vs AOE Match Report Below
On the junior front the U14s lost at Aston and the U15s went down in an open game at Exiles. Good games but winning would be even better, just ask our first teamers.
Moving on a week, the first xv had a straightforward league match at Cov. Welsh and managed to turn in their worst performance of the season, going down 9-0 in a try free game.
Details of our other teams will be available soon. Watch this space.
See vandals vs Harborne 3rds Match Report Below
The Quiz was a keenly fought affair with Alan Burgess (ex Kings Norton RFC) leading his St Edmund Campion team to a narrow victory over Steve Painter (Dip F. D.) and his NHS allstars.The Horticultural brigade, led by Tex came third. Shannon and his team were disrupted by Tom 'the fiddlers elbow' Power and came a disappointing last. The 'Carry on ' blockbuster was won by Clare Jordan's team. Clare, as you probably know is a teacher at the Aquinas centre of advanced learning.
The Development xv struggled to get a full team out for their match against Wyvern. There was a suggestion that some of the younger boys had to go Christmas shopping with their mums and dads. News of an amazing second-row performance by Cedric and who can tell how much talent one bloke can possess. However, he could not stop the visitors from beating us. Just wait till their boys have to do their shopping!
A chat with our newly-qualified coaches, Lonie and Shark tells me that our Vandals managed to win again, this time against Harborne by approx. 39-0. More details should follow soon.
Well done to the blokes who attended the coaching course on thursday evening. You've got the certificates so now get out there and use your coaching skills before you forget what it's all about.
Vandals Match Report - Sat 6th November Away at Aston Old Eds.
Saturday 6th November & game eleven gave us the opportunity of foreign travel with a trip over to Perry Common to play Aston Old Edwardians, a traditionally very tough fixture and this is how it proved to be.
A newish looking front row in Shannon "Stepmeister" Killarney (on the eve of his 51st birthday) Rick "Spearchucker" Lowe (getting the opportunity to play for us for a change) and Bill "Bilbo" Burrows, with the Freds, Andy Killarney & stunt skipper John Lonie providing the muscle, and in the back row Roger "the Dodger" Lazenby at blind, Marcus "Shark" Hope at open and Alistair "Ali G" Gouldbourn at No.8.
A changed half back pairing of Phil "the General" Evans & Ian "NASDAQ" Neville, centres Nick "Barrel" Palmer & Gary "Smoking" Williams, wings Sean "Bean" Byrne & the versatile Simon "Sideways" Singleton, with the Chairman Tony "Fitz" Fitzgerald tidying up at the back. Small but heavily built bench this week in Gary "Bobo" Robinson (having a week off from coaching duties) and the ever tardy Phil "Tigger" Gouldbourn.
John wins the toss and astutely decides to play up the slope in the first half, and trusting in gravity in the second. So Aston get the kick off and Shannon takes the high catch (why do all these sides deliberately aim at the bloke because he never bloody drops one even if occasionally he's bullied out of the odd catch...Ali G take note). If this was the NFL he'd have the most punt returns, anyway I digress we set round and drive it on a yard, but most unusually they pinch it and Aston spin it straight away, their fly half brings his centre inside, who promptly drops it but it doesn't go forward and they recycle and send it out wide and Sideways stands his man up. But they get it away again and the fly half brings his brother the hooker in on the crash who takes it on before getting stopped and we are penalised for hands it. Aston take it quickly and go right, Ali G makes the first tackle, but they recycle and go again with their dangerous looking fly half who looks for the gap, but delays and his pass gets knocked on for the games first scrum to us about ten metres out from our line. Aston having persuaded the most unlikely looking lad into playing tight against Shannon, young, tall and built like a pipe cleaner can offer no pressure and we secure steady possession, Al thinks about it before the General plucks it out and passes to Nev who clears to touch just on our twenty two.
We pinch their lineout, and the General box kicks it over and chases after it and tackles the catcher and he's turned our way and we all pile in. Phil spins it out to Nev, to Barrel who takes it into contact and emerges the other side and keeps going, looks for the pass, none close so takes it to ground and the General whips it out to Smoking, who sends a long one back the other way to Nev to Alistair who has a gallop and we start to build a bit of momentum. Ali G takes it to ground, and the ball gets trapped and it's a scrum to Yards. Shades of the trenches Christmas WWI now as Barrel goes over the top in the lull in hostilities and shakes hands with Harry the big Aston No.8 in a bit of a Solihull RFC love-in. We have two goes at the scrum and a brief injury stoppage for an Aston player before Ali G picks and goes, finds Barrel and he gets clobbered by the bloke he just shook hands with...oh the irony.
Aston steal it, and move it forward, but Bilbo's in there slowing things down, and it grinds to a halt for a scrum to Aston. Shannon leans on his man a bit and we take it against the head, Ali G picks and gives a loopy pass to the General who takes it on a yard, followed by Andy K powered by Roger, ball comes back, Marcus pops it out to the General to Nev who puts it over the top, the Aston player looks as if he's nudged it but gets away with but then kicks it straight out for a throw a metre or two outside the Aston twenty two. Spearchucker makes no mistake and hits Shark at four, taps it down and we drive it on a bit before Phil sends it out to Nev, who sends a long miss pass out to Smoking, who pops it to Sideways who puts a long chip over his man and sets off in pursuit and beats both defenders to the ball, the latter not realising just how quick Simon is, and thinking it was going to go dead 5-0. Conversion missed.
Shannon takes the restart, his bro is first to him (probably has his birthday card), and the General takes them on a bit as it's all good practice, it starts to fracture a bit, before it goes to ground and he spins to Nev to Barrel whose bouncing bomb evades Smoking but is picked up by Sideways, who escapes the first tackle, before collecting a second, and it's a penalty to us as an Aston player goes off his feet. Nev clears to the halfway line. Spearchucker sends in his bendy ball, Marcus takes at four but the referee has spotted it and gives a scrum to Aston. Our eight puts them under lots of pressure as the scrum starts to wheel and their No.8 picks up and goes, but our tackling's good and the next pass is intercepted by Smoking who takes it into contact and the 677 drive him on. Ball goes to ground General checks and Ali G takes the pop and into his opposite number, Roger's first to him, we set Shannon gets in his first sidestep of the day and breaks the line, Marcus is with him he pops to the General, to Nev whose kick goes straight out for a throw to Aston.
John spoils at two and paddles it down to Rick who sets the ball, Phil moves it quickly to his strike runner Alistair..bosh, out it comes again to Nev, sells one breaks the line, gets held & turned, Rog tries to retrieve it but is outnumbered. Ball comes out and the Aston fly half bangs it downfield and it goes out about ten metres from our line, the throw sails over Sharks head but our tall tail snag it and the General clears it up & chips it out to touch just inside our twenty two. Aston throw it in short, and it either wasn't straight or didn't go five so it's a scrum to Yards fifteen in and ten or eleven metres from our line, steady nudge, ball comes out to Nev who kicks long over the wingers head. They field it and bang it back over and it goes dead, so it's a scrum way back a metre or two in front front of the Aston twenty two, no pressure again and we spin to Nev who looks to bring Barrel in on the scissors, and takes a high one off the scrum half but keeps going. He's finally stopped we set and Aston come offside, penalty Yards and Nev pops it into touch. Marcus takes a curvy one but we get away with it, set and spin, Nev dummy scissors with Barrel, gets through the gap and Sean gets his first pass of the day, pops it back inside to Tony Fitz, he's stopped on the ten, Smoking recycles, passes to Nev to Bilbo, to Shannon, to Rick (house!!) back inside to Simon, back inside to Barrel who steam rollers on another five or six before going down, Lonie's there we spin again, we're on their twenty two, ball goes to Shannon who shows and goes, inside the twenty two gets held, but we go again, Phil to Nev, to Smoking who cuts inside his man, gets through and puts a chip through and chases, but a defender beats him to the touchdown for a twenty two drop out. A good series of phases by us with some great linking work.
It's a long deep drop out right down the middle and our back three gather and it's Simon who takes it, he looks to go then sees a gap and chips one through and chases, and catches the prop who takes it and Andy K escorts them both into touch, lineout Yards. We take, and Roger gets his first real opportunity to bludgeon his way through the defence, goes straight through with the 677 in hot pursuit, we set Alistair takes the next crash ball, he in turn passes to the Stepmeister who then offloads to the General who loops one over the top into the hands of Bean who jinks inside and pops it to Smoking, who in turn sends a long one out to Nev who only having the quickest man in our side outside him kicks it over into the corner where Aston touch it down for a drop out twenty two. It's a lovely drop out by the Aston fly half straight into the arms of Barrel's mate at No.8 with nobody near him, he pops it to the hooker (their three key spine players all involved) and he's felled by Smoking. Simon's tries to rip it free, but he's adjudged to have come in from the side and it's a penalty to Aston; someone voices an opinion (take it that was you Simon?) and we go back another ten metres. This time they kick for position and the ball goes out about ten metres from our line for an attacking lineout, and the referee suggests he's had enough questions off Sideways.
From the lineout the hooker sends it right over the top to his brother (methinks they've done this before) who takes it cleanly and races in to "score" in the corner. Now I'm standing beyond our lineout and he moreorless takes it level with me so the throw is not straight, but I think it's is the fact that the Stepmeister quietly but firmly postulates a more reasoned technical argument as the referee passes him that the fly half took it within the fifteen metres that sways the referee and to his immense credit he overturns his original decision, when a lot of referees would have hidden behind "I've made my decision". Then to add insult to Aston's perceived injury the referee awards us a penalty which Nev clears to about the ten. Marcus takes it cleanly at four, we set, Rick joins the van and we set off, sucking in a few fringers as we go, Phil decides it's time & pops and big Rog seeks out the fly half to test his tackling skills, goes through him then looks for another victim, does him too before finally being tackled, Phil looks to get it away but we are penalised for going over/not releasing/who knows what.
They take it quickly and we don't retreat at the same pace, they get another go and opt to kick but they kick it dead. John and the referee exchange opinions, and it's a scrum to us all the way back on our ten metre line. No pressure, Phil spins to Nev who loops Barrel who gets caught before he can offload, so he stands it up, Phil digs it out, passes to Smoking who seeing nobody home puts one on top of their winger who obligingly makes contact on its' way out to earn us a lineout. Marcus takes it virtually unopposed, out it goes to Nev, Byrney comes in on a decoy run, and Nev spins a long miss pass out to Smoking, it goes to ground, referee misses it, Fitzy picks up and offloads to the General, who gets tackled and it goes forward and the ref spots this one. So it's a scrum to Aston, first one looks a bit fed but are allowed to have another go. The General in attempt to emphasise the point says "IF this is a fifty-fifty ball we'll have it". We almost drive them off it and their No.8 has to pick it up, they spin and punt it down the park, Fitzy every bit the sweeper kicks it on the half volley just in front of our twenty two back up the hill, the Aston winger collects and Fitz doesn't buy his dummy and makes the tackle. They recycle and spin it out, as a few holes appear in our defence, Barrel takes their hooker midfield, but they go again and their No.8 wangs a big wide one out to their wing, a bit too wide as we drive him into touch.
Marcus takes it at four and Nev clears our lines, but Aston take it quickly, their fullback skips Byrney but not Smoking, he pops it back and Smoke's up again quickly to take the next one too, the fly half spins it between his legs to their winger, and he's clattered by Shannon who grubbers the loose ball forward and it goes out just shy of their twenty two. They dummy long and take at two and spin to their fly half who uses the slope to good effect and it goes out about fifteen metres from our line. Marcus takes at four but the ref deems Rick's work not straight, so it's a scrum to Aston in on the fifteen. We drive them backwards but their scrum half manages to get his hands on it, and gets Rog and then then Alistair, ball looks like it's our side, their No.8 is all over it and it's a penalty, but not to us! We get another ten for taking the ball with us, and they take it quickly their scrum half evades Phil but gets Bilbo instead who wraps him up, John gets to it on the deck but we're pinged again (Captains note: this could've earned us a card in some games, three in quick succession). They spin it but their hooker drops it and we secure it, Phil sends out something less than sympathetic to Smoking who makes like Lineker and volleys it out. (having played football against our Gary I know he possesses some small amount of round ball talent).
So attacking lineout to Aston some ten metres from our line, but with Al's help the ball comes our way but we're penalised again in the red zone for something. They take it quickly do a miss move and knock it on, Simon's first to it, we secure, Phil spins to Fitz who kicks and whilst it's not pretty more importantly it finds touch and brings the half to a close. Some great defence those last five or six minutes but living right on the edge as far as penalties go.
Half time 5- 0 No changes at half time, and product testing of every isotonic on the market continues.
Second half, and it's Subbuteo scrums for the remainder of the game, their prop having had enough of Shannon gently leaning on him, but gravity is now in the Vandals favour as we're playing down the slope. The restart quite by chance finds that same prop who gets caught and turned by Alistair, Bilbo takes it on close, Roger winds up a run but we forget to pass it to him, and the ball goes to ground, their No.8 looks like he's come over it, but Alistair plucks it out and goes, he breaks the first tackle and the next and drives towards the Aston line, he finally gets held up a metre or so from the line, Shark takes it on a little bit further, he sets it, ball comes out, and Roger it drives for the line, he's driven over but referee deems he's held up, so it's an attacking scrum five metres out. A slight delay as their young flanker receives attention. So it's uncontested so Alistair picks up and goes, and we all drive in, but ref says right over the top and awards a penalty to Aston. Their fly half clears as far as their ten metre line.
Roger wins their lineout taps it down to Alistair and our driving maul forms, but they spoil it, it goes to the deck and pinch it (how?) and their No.8 takes it blind but the General gets to him and the rest join in, the ball disappears for what seems an age, but Aston retain possession and spin it out the the fly half and his hooker brother then exchange a few clever passes and Sideways comes off his wing to take the fly half, and is pinged harshly for a high tackle, and Chicken on the touchline voices his opinion loudly about the decision's comedy value. Still a penalty on the twenty two and after a brief discussion Aston opt to take the points 5-3 and at seven minutes into the second half closer than we've been all season at this point.
Andy Killarney comes off wheezing like a forty a day man and Phil Gouldbourn goes on to replace him, Smoking also comes off to have some attention for a cut to his chin. With no backs to replace him so we restart with fourteen. Nev takes the restart and it's a low trajectory special that bounces out just past the ten for an Aston throw. Big Phil makes his presence felt but Aston get it away and their fly half kicks it out round about our ten. Fitz ever alert takes the quick throw in, to the General who puts it up in the air, an Aston player takes it cleanly just in front of their ten metre line and kicks it straight out into one of the adjoining gardens.
Big Phil takes the catch with ease and set and then drive a couple of metres over the ten, then Roger takes the short pop off the General and boshes his way through, gets past the twenty two, and goes to ground, the General looks for the next strike runner and it's Alistair and he takes it on, goes to ground and we clear them out, the General gets sucked in Nev & Shark have a brief discussion on who's got the better pass, ball comes out to Simon off his wing he evades the first tackler then we set, ball comes out to Nev, bit of a hospital pass to Smoking who's on his own, smartly flips it back to Nev, he sells one, small kick forward, it's collected by Rick who offloads to Marcus who takes it into contact, the General whips it out to Barrel who chips it ahead and it's knocked on by Aston. Attacking albeit passive scrum ten metres out, Alistair picks up goes towards the posts, pops it back to the General who sends it out the other way to Barrel who steps on the gas breaks two tackles and gets to within a metre of the line before offloading to Rick who goes over with Alistair on his back. 10-3 Nev's conversion attempt goes just wide.
Alistair out shouts Shannon to take the restart and gets a hit off their No.8 for his trouble, but we secure it and the General makes a little break, gets held and Beany steps up to scrum half, but it's a penalty to us for hands in before Beany can show us his world famous reverse pass. We take it quickly and using the slope bang in down the park to the opposite side and it goes out on the Aston twenty two. Aston use the long ball to good effect and it's taken by their No.8 who spins it out to their big experienced centre who snook on at halftime and he bangs it out a metre or so past the twenty two, so not much of a gain.
We guff the lineout and it goes forward, scrum to Aston, again they bring their Davisesque centre in on the scissors but the Shark brings him down and it looks like we've turned it over but we're pinged for lying all over it. Aston opt for the "scrum", everybody leans on, and their fly half gets it and breaks the line, but someone gets him and the ball goes forward in the tackle and Chicken booms in "great tackle Tony Fitz", so must've have been him then. Rog has a bit of a lie down, as Nev gives it a big thump to clear and it goes out on their twenty two.
Rick hits big Phil at four and Bilbo tidies up and we drive towards their line, ball comes out a bit sooner than expected and the General spins it to Nev, to Smoking and it's a bit of a skewed kick but the Aston catcher knocks on, scrum Yards. Out it comes Barrel takes the scissors, makes good yards, goes to ground on their ten metre, we recycle, General to Smoking to Simon and he's away, evades a head hunter, does a number then sees the gap open up in front of him and gasses the defence to score under the posts and gets a cheap shot of a pair of knees in his back as a reward. 15-3 Nev makes no mistake 17-3 with 23 minutes gone.
Bobo comes on for Alistair. Shannon takes the catch and we set and bang a long one down, their winger takes it, falls over and gets up in time to get knocked over again by Simon, then Smoking then Marcus, but gets enough support to get it away, we track across, their hooker gets it but he too falls over, and the ball bobbles forward. Scrum Yards, Bobo picks & goes, makes good yards, gets held up, Beany's first there, he feeds Rick and we set, ball comes out and Nev sends one sailing down to just outside their twenty two. Ball goes loose at the lineout, Lonie's first to it, Phil digs it out, passes to Nev who dummies Barrel, and goes through the gap, gets caught but stands it up and waits for his mates to arrive, Barrels' first there he takes it on a yard, the General arrives, he looks to pass sees only Shark & Beany outside, decides to dummy instead (what does that say about your team mates Phil) & cuts back inside, finds Barrel, one handed offload to Shannon, who whips it back inside for John Lonie to score 22-3 Conversion missed. Great try.
Not content with scoring John also takes the restart just in front of the twenty two, Bobo's first to him, then Shannon and we drive forward, Bilbo has the ball at the back, we pass the ten metre line, it's not pretty but effective as we reach the halfway line where it stops and we spin, General to Nev to Smoking to Barrel long one out to Simon who makes ground then kicks ahead into their twenty two, their full back sweeps up and clears it and the ball goes out on their ten. Big Phil takes it and we spin, and it's a double dummy pop to Fitz, but the ball goes to ground, scrum to Aston. The No.8 picks up passes to their fly half, who passes just as Shark takes a bite and the pass goes forward. Scrum Yards centre field but we still load our backs left, Bobo picks up and drives it on, evades his opposite number and keeps going, and the boys get to him, Marcus takes it at the back, then Bilbo, we pass the halfway line, then the ten as an Aston hand starts to debag Bobo, big Phil breaks free of the pack, offloads to Roger to the General back to Bobo who's had time to pull his shorts back up, and he sells a dummy, passes to Marcus, we set and we spin, massively theatrical dummy by Nev before he changes direction and brings it back the other way, but he runs out of friends and the ball is turned over and their hooker takes it on, he's scragged by the skipper Lonie, but gets it away to his scrum half, it's a three on one, Fitzy takes one on the ten metre line, Barrel arrives there first and stays on his feet and tries to rip it free and we earn a penalty for hands in.
Nev takes his time and puts it out on their ten. Big Phil takes it cleanly at four, and we drive again and we spin Nev sends a long one out that misses everyone, misses Fitz misses Smoking but Simon picks it up and he's away, he survives another couple of high ones, puts it back inside to Nev who puts it up, their fullback takes it and runs it out then kicks ahead and an unlucky bounce (been there) escapes Bean sweeping up at the back, and Aston scoop it up and their big No.8 comes into the line, Fitz is outnumbered and despite his last ditch tackle they go over in the corner 22-8. The fly half kicks an excellent touchline conversion 22-10 and the referee blows for time.
Final score 22-10 final age 660, an average of 44 overall and nearly 46 in the pack.
Though the final score looked relatively close, it was still a try count of four to one with theirs coming right at the death, and obviously a much harder workout than of late, but showing that we can still do it the old fashioned way...well done.
Thanks to Shannon for providing the post match birthday lager!
This week Harborne 3rds at home, please no slip ups.
Slow.
Vandals Match Report - Sat 13th November Home vs Harborne 3rds.
This weeks report is courtesy of the Vandal's cub reporter Mark Baldwin:
Saturday 13th November saw a few changes to the Vandal team on the weekend our leader left the lunatics to take over the asylum while he partied away in Scotland. With no Slow to do one of his usual outstanding after match reports it was left to a combined effort by Saturday's players to produce this shorter than usual game summary.
The font row had the usual props of Shannon "Stepmeister " Killarney and Bill "Bilbo" Burrows who used their powerful shoulders to prop up the extra weight of bringing the mobile Mark "Dai" Baldwin into the hooker position. Stunt skipper John Lonie was joined by Phil "Tiger" Goldbourn in the second row and in the back row was Roger "the Dodger" Lazenby at No. 8 with flankers Marcus "Shark" Hope and Nick "The Assassin" Levey either side. At half back we continued with the pairing of Phil "The General" Evans and Ian "NASDAQ" Neville. In the centres Nick "Barrel" Palmer and playing his first game for the Vandals since the Bob incident in Lymington we welcomed back Sean "Kendo" Kenwrick. On the wings were Gary "Smoking" Williams and Sean "Bean" with Chairman Tony "Fitz" Fitzgerald tidying up at the back. On the bench was Andy "Harry Hill" Killarney. In addition two other Vandals Cedric "Bob Blew Me" Farrell and Mike "Bulldozer" Neary played for the Development XV while Rob "Barstool" Bastock played for the 1st XV in their defeat to the Welsh in Coventry. With the referee crying off we had to call on the services of Tom "Dad of Sid" Power to referee the game which he did most excellently.
Harborne took the field with a young and fast looking back line that appeared full of tries. The Vandals decided to listen to the wise words of Slow for once and with the absence of top try scorers Phil "Horse" Watson, Lee "Lethal" Coates and Simon "Snapper" Singleton our leader said to use the forwards to batter the visitors and then let the experienced backs loose on them. This works well early on as the Vandals work their way up field only to be stopped short of the Harborne line. Scrum to the visitors but our front row take one against the head. The General fizzes the ball out and good work by the backs including great looping between Barrel and Kendo sees Smoking set free and he shows a clean pair of heels to score in the corner. 5-0. As the half continues the Vandal pack takes control. Centre Barrel continually carries the ball back to the pack to be re-cycled to allow the Vandals to attack again while Kendo goes on his usual winding runs making big gains up the field. The pressure pays off with a second try. Following a forward onslaught Bilbo receives the ball at the inside centre position. He draws the defence and then passes the ball to Phil G. With players free outside him calling for the ball Phil G cuts inside and uses his height to stretch over the line to score. NASDAQ adds the conversion. HT 12-0.
At half time Lonie takes a breather and on comes Harry Hill Killarney in the second row. Shannon takes over as Captain. The second half becomes one way traffic with the Vandals pack taking on the ball at first receiver time and time again before unleashing the backs. In addition The Shark was spoiling and lineout ball for Harborne while he and Phil G won all the home throws. When Harborne did win any ball our backs just knocked them back with strong defence especially from Sean Bean and the Chairman Fitz. NASDAQ started the scoring for the Vandals in the second half. Using Shannon he dummied the opposition to create a big gap he ghosted through, side stepped the fullback and dived over the line. 17.0. This was shortly followed by a great move by the Vandals' backs that saw Sean Bean score. 22-0. Then in one of the moments of the season Harry Hill showed why he should be in the back row. With the big Harborne number eight charging up the field, Harry tackled him to the ground, jumped up, ripped the ball and sped off setting up another Vandals attack. Even better than Ritchie McCaw would do. If only Slow had seen it he could have written pages on it. The Vandals forwards continued to punch holes with runs from Shannon, Bilbo and the light footed Roger the Dodger. This resulted in more ball for the backs who with quick hands freed up the speedy Smoking on the wing to complete his brace. NASDAQ actually converted this one. 29-0. Following an injury, Lonie came back on. Initially on the wing but then he moved into the pack and The Assassin went out into the backs. This became decisive in the next try when again strong bursts by Barrel and Kendo led to space on the wing where Nick Levey took the ball at pace and he out ran the cover defence to score. 34-0. Another kick off to receive and yet again the Harborne number ten kicked it away from Shannon. He must have been reading Slow's reports on the master of the side step and dummy. One final score came towards the end of the game. Following the award of a penalty, Nev put a long kick into the corner close to the Harborne line. Dai threw yet another pin point accurate throw that was taken by Phil G. The ball was secured and the Vandals eight drove for the line. Marshaled by The General, Phil actually took control of the ball at the back of the maul. As the Vandals crossed the line The General dropped to the ground to score. 39-0. After the kick ref Tommy Power blew up for the end of the game.
Final score 39-0. Final age a staggering 688, an average of just under 46 overall and a more youthful front row than of late with a combined age of 150.
The final try was our 96th of the season, with 44 conversions and that one bloody penalty. Total points season to date 571 with 117 against.
Next week Slow is back so the normal reporting will resume.(Slow thinks Dai did an excellent job mind)
Dai Baldwin.