Tigers "game"

Tonight's game against a Sheffield Tigers mixed team was a fantastic way to kick off the season. The weather was absolutely appalling, heavy rain made the ball like a bar of soap and the ground was very slippery under foot.........still, what can you expect for the middle of a British Summer?!?

The game was played over three periods. Two twenty minute sessions and a longer thirty minute session to follow. Substitutions were made regularly on a roll on roll off basis to ensure everyone got a decent run out. I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking this could be a way the game could move forwards - allowing this kind of rolling sub approach ala Rugby League. But I digress...

It was clear from the outset that the pre-season training sessions had proved invaluable. We dominated in the forwards from the word go, the scrummages worked superbly and the rolling mauls that we worked on in training seemed to bamboozle the opposition who could do very little to contain us when we ran these plays. The conditions proved difficult to play a wide flowing game with the backs, but when they had ball in hand there were some very effective lines of attack used which cut through Tiger's defence on numerous occasions. That said, our tackling around the fringes could have been better as there were a few too many breaks made here.

Although the score is immaterial in a game such as this, it's always good to win - and we did!! Two tries and two successful conversions ensured a 14-10 victory. Always good to beat Tigers at what ever level.

The overall performance was very heartening and can only bode well for the coming season. With players unavailable for this game, we can only go from strength to strength.

Keep the training up on Wednesdays.
Make yourselves available for Saturdays.
Let's try and have a great season that we can look back on and say we've enjoyed.

I'm off on holiday until 3/9/06, so will update the blog when I return.

Au-revoir mes amis....bon chance et bien tot!!