Hibernian Men Current Season Match Reports
Brandywine
RFC vs. Hibernians - September 10th, 2011
A - Game 50 – 3 (33-0)
Hibos get a rough welcome back to Division II – But Never Let Up
It
was a beautiful Fall afternoon and surprisingly dry considering the amount of
rain that has hit the area over the past couple weeks. Our home field was
still soaked, and was scheduled to be in use by other sporting events which
relocated the Hibos to an alternate pitch; James Buchanan Elementary.
[more on this later] Brandywine RFC is the reigning MARFU Champions and
has held that title for 2 of the past 3 years. They traveled well and had
a solid mixture of youth & experience.
From the opening kickoff you could see that both teams were a little rusty as it
was the first match of the season for both clubs. The Hibos kicked off and
started what would prove to be the theme of their day; defense. Brandywine
was advancing the ball the Hibo defense was scattered but strong. There
was some big hits early on which set the tone for an extremely physical match.
After XXX time, Brandywine was able to break through the Hibo defense to touch
one down under the sticks. The resulting kickoff was pursued with some
ferocious hits by B-Mac and Foley, who combined, way about as much as the
forwards they were hitting. After a few phases of defense, and a couple
unlucky bounces and penalties for the Hibos, Brandywine was able to break
through our backline and touch another try down.
The Hibernian offense was also a threat, but unfortunately failed to yield the
same results as Brandywine. Mongo was a tiger let out of the cage and
managed to break through the opposing backline multiple times, but we were not
able to capitalize on the advances. One such advance found Mongo through
the line, managing to get his hands free to a support player just outside the
goal line. Unfortunately that support player was a prop who was maybe a
little too excited to hold the ball and dropped it in goal. Eventually the
Hibos were able to convert a penalty kick to break up the shutout, but there
were other opportunities that need to be taken advantage of in the future.
Being on defense all day proved to be more than the Hibos could handle, but they
never gave up and continued to play tough and clean throughout the match.
When they did manage to string together some offensive phases there was a lot of
positive yards gained; and a lot to build on.
Some other bright spots came in the way of team and individual effort.
First and foremost, the Hibo scrums were strong and stable which is truly
remarkable considering how little they have been practiced. With anchors
such as Pat ‘Mason’ Mason and Timmy ‘T-Mac’ McCall up front our newly appointed
hooker (Vinny) couldn’t ask for much more support. Vinny’s performance up
front is very commendable as the Hibos only lost one of their put ins, and
managed to swipe one or two of theirs. “I’ve never been so sore”,
exclaimed Vinny at the halfway point of the game, to which the other members of
the pack replied, “Welcome Aboard!!!” Multiple players were seamlessly
moved in and out of the pack, and the only weak link on the day came from the
8-Man who managed to find multiple ways to botch the ‘8 Man Pick’ that used to
be his bread and butter. (i.e. failed to get the pass off to the scrum
half, giving the scrum half a hospital pass, and my favorite … managing to knock
the ball on twice on the same play) All I can say is, it’s a good thing
the game wasn’t recorded. Other notable ‘first timers’ include Todd Mason
taking the helm at scrum half (which he has done in the past, but he had a great
game and probably found his new home), Rob Gimello for stepping in back from
college to play a solid game at wing and flanker, Mongo’s triumphant return to
the back line, Matt Pashley’s return to the Hibo lineup was impactful as well.
Overall we played very well as a team and any breakdowns were more from a lack
of playing together and some fitness vs. lack of experience or mental toughness.
(as evidenced by tightening up the defense in the 2nd half)
Overall I am very pleased with what I saw and am confident in the player’s
abilities to continue to improve. Having some of the ‘Old Boys’ and other
Alumni at the game was a nice way to open the season. Pat Mason Sr. came
through again in the clutch by preparing the field for us with little to no
notice. Somehow, he is even our liaison with the local municipalities and
sporting institutions … much to our surprise and delight he has not had to head
butt anyone … yet. Murph stepped in to ref the ‘B’ game, and our club
President was on hand to deliver a heartfelt impromptu speech after the game
expressing his appreciation and pride in our club representing ourselves so well
in our first DII match in over 10 years. Two more training sessions to
prepare for our next game … and it looks like the boys are charged up and ready
to work on our path to continuous improvement.
Lineup & Subs (A Game)
|
1. Pat
‘Mason’ Mason |
12.
Andy ‘Mongo’ Angellella |
|
2.
Vinny Salvatore |
13.
John Vella © |
|
3.
Tim –T-Mac’ McCall |
14.
Pat ‘Big Skinny’ Smith |
|
4.
Mike Romeo |
15.
Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall |
|
5.
Anthony Simek |
16.
Jon ‘J-Lo’ Logan |
|
6.
Brian ‘Skinny Fat’ Foley |
17.
Ungara |
|
7.
Buddy |
18.
Big Steve |
|
8.
Justin |
19.
Dennis |
|
9.
Todd Mason |
20.
Brian ‘Blue’ Bluett |
|
10.
Derek Tully |
21.
Matt Pashley |
|
11.
Rob Gimello |
22.
Cory |
B-Game Write Up
Double-down! That’s right, many guys played double duty to make sure we
delivered a solid B-Game, and again they represented themselves in a classy
manner. Although we found ourselves on the losing side, you wouldn’t have
known it from the integrity and grit that was displayed on the field. Once
again, we were playing a lot of defense but we looked to be having fun in the
process. Newly appointed B-Side Captain Pat ‘Big Skinny’ Smith took charge
of the side which was made up of guys who were already played 80 minutes, and
some newer guys who are just learning the game. Playing two games back to
back is tough, but it is definitely good to do early in a season anyway to get
some extra conditioning in. Pashley looked right at home at fly half,
Dennis and Steve are well on their way to becoming a formidable 2nd
row, Blue looked like a young man of 35 when he attacked the gain line on the
spotty occasions we were able to stage and offensive attack, and even Pat Mason
Sr. took the field despite the other team’s verbal assault. (“Tackle that
old man!” was heard multiple times throughout the match; he must not be that old
because it took half their squad to bring him down) Let’s hope his wife is
not on the mailing list. Overall the B-Side match was a lot of fun, and as
I limped around the field I was extremely proud of the effort and commitment I
witnessed from the fellas. The lineup was pretty much the same as the
A-Side with the exception of Cory stepping in to hook, Big Steve coming in at 2nd
Row, and Pat Sr. sticking his head in up front.
Awards & Thank You’s
In true Hibo fashion we showed up without any of our awards. I place the
blame solely on the Captain; hopefully he will rectify the situation by the next
match. If we have to listen to him stumble his way through the speech
(“…um, we have a horn, and a jacket, and a ‘goose of the week’ shirt for each of
these awards, but we um … don’t have them with us…”) again next week he will get
the ‘Lifetime Goose’ award.
·
A-Side Man Of The Match – Mongo
·
B-Side Man Of The Match – Dennis (First ever game!!!)
·
Goose of the Week – B-Mac (for forgetting the ‘Goose of the Week’ shirt)
It should also be noted here that Vinny was not even in contention for the
award!
· Special Thanks: Pat Mason Sr. for all the field/jersey preparations, Jason Dean for helping out with sideline management, Murph for stepping in to ref the B game. Very appreciated!!!______________________________________________________________
Hibernian RFC vs.
Blackthorn - 9/17/11
Blackthorn
25 - Hibernians 17
Our semi-annual match against our sister club Blackthorn took on a different
meaning this time as it is the first time we have been in the same division for
~10 years. This is a monumental achievement and it was met with the heart
and integrity we have come to expect from the HRFC. While it is very
disappointing to have so few on hand to take on such an adversary; I would go to
battle with these 15 any time, any place, against any opponent.
|
1. Pat
‘Mason’ Mason |
11. Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall |
|
2. Rob
‘G-Unit’ Gimello |
12. Derek Tully |
|
3.
Mike ‘Romeo’ Romeo |
13. Todd ‘Tattoo’ Kelly |
|
4.
Dave ‘I Play Through The Pain’ Ayres |
14. John Vella (c) |
|
5.
Anthony ‘Insert Nickname Here’ Simek |
15. Ryan Sodano |
|
6. Pat
‘Big Skinny’ Smith |
16. Justin Zadnik |
|
7.
‘High School’ Cory* |
17. Tim ‘T-Mac’ McCall |
|
8.
Brian ‘Blue’ Bluett |
18. Timmy ‘The Ageless’ Dankanich |
|
9.
Todd Mason |
19 |
|
10.
Vincent Salvatore |
20 |
Selections on the day were very easy as the Hibernians embraced the mantra “15
as 1” since there was only 15 available players at the time of kick off.
As is always the case, the game started off extremely physical. Neither
team wanted to give an inch but due to some penalties and some other unfortunate
player placement Blackthorn got out to an early lead. However, some slick
ball movement between Vinny and Tully found the ball out wide in the sure hands
of Ryan Sodano who scampered 50+ meters down the sideline to touch one down in
the corner. The Hibos were officially in the game and it became very clear
that Blackthorn knew they could not take us lightly. The end of the first
half found the Hibos deep in Blackthorn’s 22, but unable to punch in the much
needed try. Unfortunately this has been a recurring issue this season.
Blackthorn knew they dodged a bullet as the half came to a close.
The second half started with an exciting kick-off return that demonstrates how
effective the young (and old) Hibos can be when they have the ball in their
hand. Brian ‘Blue’ Bluett (quite possibly our most creative nickname ever)
received the kick-off and immediately spun it out wide to the back line who
caught it at pace. Some quick hands and solid rucking by the back line
found the ball being spun back out to the opposite side of the field where
Justin found Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall on the wing with his patented ‘Johnny U’ pass.
(which has not been seen since his collegiate rugby days ... many moons ago, in
a galaxy far far away...) B-Mac finished the effort by dodging their
fullback and touching the ball down in the corner for a beautiful try.
B-Mac knows how to finish a play better than most of the people I have played
with over the years. He reminds me of how Sal “who the F is Sal?”
Ranniello used to finish a nice run. (except B-Mac inevitably finds
something to complain about as soon as he touches the ball down ... but that is
a topic for another newsletter) As previously stated, this ball movement
demonstrates everything we work on in training, and the athleticism of our team.
We moved the ball 80 meters, protected the ball with solid rucking, used the
complete field to keep the defense scrambling, and finished with a beautiful
try. Let’s see more of that?!?
The rest of the match was a series of physical play with neither team really
establishing themselves with any footing. There was a tremendous goal line
stand that will go down in the archives as one of the best I have ever seen.
Multiple phases and attempts found Blackthorn knocking on the door to score a
try that would put the game out of reach but the Hibos refused to let them in.
David Ayres made a game saving tackle right in front of the goal posts to start
the defensive stand. After a series of scrums, penalties, dropped balls,
lineouts, etc ... Blackthorn was able to connect on a drop goal off the back of
a scrum which would prove to be the final straw. The game ended with the
Hibos inside Blackthorn’s 22 but unable to touch one down. Blackthorn
breathed a sigh of relief when the final whistle blew. The Hibos sighed
for a different reason because they all knew that they let one get away.
Overall, it was a great game to play in, and I am sure it was a great game to
watch despite the Hibos being on the losing end. Everyone showed
tremendous heart and never backed down an inch which is very commendable.
Notable Game Moments:
Awards:
Man of Match - Todd ‘Tattoo’ Kelly - welcome back.
B-Side Man - Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall
Goose - Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall ... a well balanced performance. He equally
demonstrates the yin-yang approach to rugby by playing well on the field, and
‘Goosin’ it up off the field.
Special Thanks:
Hibernian RFC vs. Lancaster Roses - 9/2411
______________________________________________________________
Bye Week 10/01/11
______________________________________________________________
Hibernian RFC vs. Wilmington
- 10/08/11
On a beautiful Indian Summer-esque afternoon the Hibos took their show on the
road to lovely Wilmington, DE. Despite our captain/match secretary's spotty
directions we were able to find our way to the pitch. It became clear that
Delaware's liberal taxation policy is made up in the public parking lots; as
many of the Hibos rifled through their seats to scrounge up the necessary coin
to pay the required $6 to park near the pitch. (which coincidently led to a
solid idea to start charging teams to park at our home games ... more on that as
it develops) Here's the lineup:
Team: Mike 'Romeo' Romeo
The young, and not so young Hibos put up a solid defensive effort to start the
game. Some really big hits and a lot of communication kept Wilmington at bay for
the first couple waves of attack and they made a lot of adjustments to handle
Wilmington's weak side crash balls. Unfortunately they were able to
get through the line to touch one down to start the scoring. And even more
unfortunate, was this was going to be the theme for the afternoon ... lots of
defense. The first half did prove to be successful for the Hibos from a
communication standpoint, and when we actually were able to get a hold of the
ball things went pretty well. For example, Ryan inserted himself into the back
line and we advanced the ball out wide to the 'Velvet Fog' for a 60 meter
scamper down the sideline. Unfortunately we were unable to finish the play but
it demonstrated we were capable of moving the ball effectively. Another bright
spot of the half was a head's up play by Tully to take a punch off a ruck 20
meters out to touch it down near the sticks. The half was still going back and
forth but the key turning point was clearly Todd Mason's lousy decision to kick
the ball when we clearly had the overload. We had them where we wanted them up
to that point. It should also be noted that Tormey made a really pathetic kick
around our 22 meter line that went more laterally than deep. But some claim
it's the width that counts, so maybe he is on to something.
The second half was pretty much all defense for the Hibos. Wilmington made a
lot of strategic substitutions while the Hibos substitutions were more like
throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks. There were some brights spots but
it is hard to remember them as I took some shots to the head. It was said at
the end of the game that we played a solid 60 minutes, but fell short. I would
say we played a solid 40 minutes, with other bright spots throughout. To their
credit, the Hibos never backed down and inch and continued to fight the entire
game. It is clear to see that running up hill the entire second half was the
reason for the breakdowns; we can only hope the lesson was learned, but I fear
that Johnny has already forgotten it. The end of the game found the Hibos down
by at least half a dozen scores, but it certainly doesn't reflect the effort.
Special thanks to the NE Irish for stepping into the B-game. They too fought
hard throughout the match and played an extremely physical match. Great job
guys.
Goose of the Week - Vinny took it on the arm since nobody
listed below stayed around long enough at the after party.
- Vella, for his lack of direction, screwing up the coin toss, & ditching out
right after the game to get to a bachelor party (or some other lame excuse)
- B-Mac, too many reasons to list, but you all know them all
- Pat 'Big Skinny' Smith and Mike 'Romeo' Romeo for their incessant whinging.
Epilogue
I like the idea of a 'pre-after party' party and we will need to keep this in
mind for the future. Wilmington's wine and spirits store provided a lovely
array of wines and beers on their sideline while the B-match was being played.
I fell in love with an exquisite Malbec and couldn't resist stopping at the tax
free establishment and stocking up. Also, if Vinny and Blue are only going to
bring a handful of beers to every game we are going to need someone to
supplement their stash. (or the cheapskates can pack enough for everyone.
Poor Skinny Pat was barely drunk by the time we got to the after party ...
completely unacceptable). Although I guess I should be thankful because if he
had any more he might have taken a swing at me. As it was, I had to withstand
the verbal assault that lasted the entire B-match and into the after party.
Vinny' s pumpkin beer raised the bar a little, but he only brought a dozen. By
the time we raided Blue's cooler we were forced to choke down some Yuengling
lager. C'mon guys, let's commit to bringing some better quality and definitely
more quantity!!!
______________________________________________________________
Hibernian RFC vs. Doylestown - 10/15/11
______________________________________________________________
Hibernian RFC vs. Jersey Shore - 10/22/11
Jersey Shore – 20 Hibernians – 25
Prologue
For those who know the story, it is worth telling again, for those that do not know the story prepare yourself for some Hibo folklore. It all started back on April 12th, 2008 when we traveled to Jersey Shore to take on the Jersey Shore Sharks B-Side in our 3rd match since the resurrection. (of our club) Full match report details can be found online at hiborugby.com; I especially like the part of the write up that states “Justin, who had entered the backline from weak-side wing, faked a Rhino play back inside to his support, then advanced with purpose. He accelerated past 2 defenders, ran over 3 others and touched down at 36:41.” But that was a time before this era where someone else wrote the match reports and I could get some ink! (thanks Joe … somewhere in the Hibo archives there will be a record of me actually doing something) But I digress. Winning the game was huge as we were building confidence and getting to know each other. We showed up late, barely had enough guys to take the field, but managed to pull together and play well as a team. I remember walking off the field with Joe and saying something to the effect, “wow, it looks like we don't even need to practice or warm up before games anymore” … to which I will leave his response to your imagination. Here is the meat of the story, where all good rugby stories ultimately begin and end; the after party. Derek got the prestigious "man of the match" award which meant he had to drink out of their horn at the after party. He chugged to the best of his ability as did the other team's man of the match. The night progressed with the usual antics that constitute the after party; songs were sung, beer & food was consumed, and one of the Jersey Shore supporters showed us her underwear. Oddly enough, the underwear was purchased from the Bucks County Sharks website because they said, "Sharks Rugby" on them. Dan McGovern and I looked on in amazement/disbelief because we always wondered who actually bought the underwear that was on our site. (I believe that 2 other pair are still in circulation but unaccounted for) The night continued with many Hibos saying their goodbyes and preparing for the long drive home, or in some of our cases, to Atlantic City. (see Epilogue) It was in this state of limbo where a very limber Hibo (a ballerina of sorts) managed to climb up the wall behind the bar and get his hands on the sacred horn. It changed hands swiftly to another player on the team who, in a very ballsy manner, shook hands with the other team one by one on the way out the door with the horn inside his pant leg. The horn safely in hand and on its way to L.A. (Levittown Area) we were down to 4 players still at the bar doing boat races with the Jersey Shore guys and girls. (Dunny, McKenzie, McGovern and myself) As they surrounded us, we were approached by the team to present the horn back to them.
Dialog below:
JS – “where is the horn”
Justin – “Yeah, get that sucker out
here, I bet I can finish it the fastest” (knowing full well that it was already
halfway home)
JS – “Your guys took it”
Justin – “What” (doing my best to
look perplexed and pissed off)
JS – (staring at us like they want
to kill us. It is worth noting here that we are all pretty buzzed up, Dunny is
useless in a fight, McKenzie likes to fight but isn't a fighter … so it's not
looking good)
Justin – “Those guys are jerks, they always have to take it too far.
This pisses me off. (again, doing my best to look angry and disappointed in the
antics of my fellow teammates)
JS – “what are we going to do about
it”
Justin
– “Let's do some more boat races until an idea comes to us”
We laughed, and drank for a little while longer and I assured them we would come up with a solution once I got back home. We received notification that the horn was cursed by a Pagan god and that all who touched/drank from it would perish. We got the horn to Timmy Dankanich who got the horn back to Jersey Shore. Jersey Shore being the classy organization they are, provided us with our own (uncursed … I think) horn that was engraved with our crest. Not too shabby. As for the curse of the horn, we went from being undefeated (not even trailing in any game up to that point) to me nearly breaking my ankle and missing the rest of the season and the team not winning again through the Spring campaign. I didn't get to the after party this time around, but I would have enjoyed reliving this story with the other guys who were there. Good times.
Summary
Hibos end the season with a
huge win of Jersey Shore!
What an amazing game to be a part of. I went into the
game banged up on every corner and thought for sure I would be placing my boots
down on the 50 meter line after the game*. As has been the case for this Fall
campaign, the weather was beautiful and the luxurious accommodations of Falls
Township park set the stage for what will go down in the archives as one of the
greatest games ever played. I might be slightly biased for I am not as familiar
with how the games went down in the early days of the Hibernians, but I feel
comfortable saying that within the past 15 years there hasn't been a better
game. (except maybe that day up in Montclair, but I was not there for that one
which is a different story for a different time. Buy me a beer and I will
explain how I ended up at a 1 year old birthday party for one of my wife's
colleagues instead of making the trip to Montclair. It's a sad tale, with a
happy ending … for the Hibos, not for me.) But I digress … here is the lineup
for the A-Game:
Lineup & Subs (A
Game)
1.
Timmy ‘T-Mac’ McCall
2. Lee ‘Crossfit’ Mason
3. Mike ‘Needs to work on his try celebration’ Romeo
4. Anthony ‘Bull’ Simek
5. Dennis ‘Spillz’ Lynch
6. Jason ‘…’ Hoffmann
7. Brian ‘Skinny Fat’ Foley
8. Justin ‘Wore out the soles of his party boots’
Zadnik
9. Vinny ‘The
Referee’ Salvatore
10.
Derek ‘Only one kickoff mistake this game’ Tully
11. Steve ‘Velvet Fog/Can’t Finish The Play’ Tormey
12. Todd ‘Tattoo’ Kelly
13. Matt ‘Knock on in the try zone’ Pashley
14. Brian ‘B-Mac’ McCall
15. John ‘We all wish it was Sondano’ Vella
16. Brian ‘Blue’ Bluett (is that French? Can we trust
him?)
17. Dean
Schoffield
18. **
** There was a host of guys on the sidelines that I
unfortunately could not work into the game. It was a tough match that came down
to the wire and I didn't have any time or help on the sidelines to work people
in. Plus, there was no way I was brining Shmitty in to such a close match. I do
apologize to everyone who did not get in. Thankfully Big Skinny wasn't there to
yell at me after the game.
The game opened with Jersey Shore kicking to us with the wind in our face. It is hard to say whether Johnny Vella actually got this right, or the other team made the call, but either way it worked out well for us. Unfortunately, after a few handling errors in our own end Jersey Shore opened up the scoring when their inside center was able to get through our line, juke our fullback, and touch it down. I was one of the people that missed the initial tackle but it is a lot easier for me to also include Derek in this sentence as I truly feel as though it was his tackle to make. Compounding the issue, Vella might have gotten a finger on him but ultimately looked very silly diving for him as he ran by. Leaving us longing for Sodano's return to the fullback position, and once again finding ourselves behind in the count early in the game. However, I am glad that we all missed him because I believe it managed to fire us up defensively as if we collectively said, "nobody gets through our line again." And for the most part, nobody did get through. The game went back and forth with neither team really able to break through the others defensive lines.
There was some amazing individual effort as players came up to put big hits on guys and/or win a ruck single handedly. (see Mike Romeo in the Awards section of this write up) Matt Pashley looked like the Pashley of years ago as he pulverized guys with some of the hardest tackles I have seen in a while. In true Pashley form, he hurt himself in the process (just look at his leg) but it was a beautiful example of leading by example. Other guys saw this and stepped up collectively. We also demonstrated amazing teamwork while shifting in defense, tackling in pairs, and making sure nobody exploited our defensive line. Our attack was pretty disciplined and at the end of the first half it was pretty clear that we needed to draw them in a little bit for a phase or two, then get it out wide into some space. We started to execute that model and things started to click. We found ourselves inside their 22 with a lineout in our favor and Romeo with surprising awareness and agility touched it down for our first try to the day. It was a total team effort and our big boys put in the hard work to get the ball across the finish line.
The rest of the game found our big boys in charge for the most part, especially in lose play. They did make some adjustments to their scrum to help settle it down, but for the most part we controlled the scrums. Lineouts were our normal hodge podge of issues but were pretty stable overall. We even through in a new call appropriately named "Guido" where Vinny takes the ball weak side. It certainly felt like we were inside their half of the field for the majority of the day. However, we failed to capitalize on many key opportunities. Namely, our penalty plays were horrendous. I can take the blame for a lot of this because we do not go over them a lot at practice. The main reasons I don't are:
1. We are usually getting penalized, not awarded penalties.
2. It seems straightforward to me. Crash it in, or go out wide immediately. But I can see we need to carve out some time and will make adjustments in the future. All the penalty plays can be summed up with Vinny"s “kick through the mark” which sent the ball sailing 10 meters sideways and eventually into the other team's hands. (see "Lifetime Goose" Award at the end of season party) In some ways it is good that our forwards are thinking about the second phase of the penalty tap (I often heard, I got the 2nd hit up); but they need to realize that there is no 2nd phase if we don't execute the first one. Instead of being up by a couple tries at the half we were tied (or close to it).
The 2nd half opened with some more explosive hits. Spillz and Hoffmann led the charge on the opening kickoff to set the tone. It was very clear that we were not going to let this one slip away. (we almost did, but more on that later) Some solid defense and some crafty ball work found us deep in their half of the field for the majority of the 2nd half. After multiple phases and pounding we were able to take a hit up off the ruck and touch one down under the sticks for what should have been the game winner. The kick was converted and the Hibos found themselves up by 7. At this point Pashley nearly knocked himself out and we brought in our first sub of the game.
Some fresh legs fired up the backline and they were flawless the rest of the game. (Although it would have been nice to see Tormey and/or B-Mac finish one of those balls they got out wide!) One of Tormey's I can blame Tattoo Todd on, the others were all him. Just sayin. In true Hibo fashion we almost found another way to lose. The old saying, „we didn't get beat, we beat ourselves‟ should really be on a Hibo T-shirt in the future. With time ticking away, the Hibos lost their temper, a small scuffle ensued, some cheap punches were thrown, (none were as awkward or ill placed/timed as B-mac's against Doylestown last week) and the Hibos had their backs against their own try line as Jersey Shore punched one in. It was a truly disappointing turn of events for many reasons. Namely, guys put us in this situation where we didn't have to be, especially since we were playing so well. And furthermore, after 75 minutes of hard hitting we basically let one of their guys walk right into the try zone and touch it down. Totally unacceptable.
With time ticking away they made an amazing kick from the sidelines to lock the game up at 20 apiece. The resulting kickoff found the Hibos deep in Jersey Shore's 22 knocking on the door to put the game away. It should be noted here that during the scuffle Anythony "Bull" Simek was hurt and unable to continue. I didn't see what happened, but noticed him laying in the try zone as we were about to kick off. I yelled to the sidelines to get Blue onto the field, only to find him standing right next to me. What is unclear, but can be inferred is that Blue really wanted to be in the game and pulled one of his Marine Ninja tricks to somehow injure Bull just enough to get on the field. Whatever he did, it worked, because it was clearly the catalyst we needed to put the nails in the coffin of this game. Some nice defense on the ensuing kickoff, some shifty ball movement and some dubious footwork found the Hibos setting up a ruck a couple meters out. A pick and go touched the ball down just inside the try line to give the Hibos a 5 point lead. We missed the conversion, but I didn't see it because I was laying on the ground trying to catch my breath.
Things were a little hazy at that point, and I did have trouble getting air into my lungs, but thankfully I had enough sense to keep Pashley from administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. (despite his efforts to do so) The game winded down and the Hibos cheerfully saluted the ref (Hibo legend Doc Stough … who coincidently aligned my spine [somewhat] after the game), and the strong willed Jersey Shore Sharks while humbly cheering for themselves.
All in all, a very successful afternoon and a much needed win to close out the season. The injuries sustained were only minor; Anthony seemed to be walking fine after the game so whatever Blue did to him must not have been too devastating, and Pashley was healthy enough to try to kiss me so I assume he is 100%. Thanks for those who supported us, and to everyone who played with the intensity I have come to expect from this club.
* I thought I broke a couple
ribs, and I couldn't move my right hand in the moments that led up to the end of
the A game so I was unable to retire my boots. Not sure what that means at the
moment, but thankfully Doc was able to align my back on the sidelines and manage
to make my ribs feel slightly better. (unless that was the tall boy of Colt 45
that Tattoo Todd presented me with after the match) Either way, I feel
surprisingly good at the moment so who knows what the future holds.
B-Game Write Up
NE Irish stepped in to fill in the B-side and played another tough match against an experienced Jersey Shore B-side. We really appreciate these guys stepping up and as we have now watched them play 3 times you can clearly note visible improvement. More importantly, they are definitely having fun and more people are playing rugby which should be everyone's goal. We look forward to continuing to build our relationship with these guys. It is my hope that we can continue to help each other build a sustainable rugby environment in our community.
Awards & Thank You’s
We need to get our act together and locate all our paraphernalia. I am sick of not seeing the goose shirt at all Hibo functions, and not having all the horns/jackets/etc … ready to rock at our after parties. These items are sacred and need to be treated as such.
A-Side Man Of The Match – Romeo. His awareness on the field to touch the ball down on a rolling maul was amazing. He also had an amazing game defensively by tackling everything in sight, and in some cases single-handedly wining rucks when necessary.
B-Side Man Of The
Match – NE Irish Goose of the Week – Steve "Velvet Fog" Tormey for
breaking the goal posts. I disagree with this nomination, but was not there to
protest it properly. It takes more than one person to break the goal posts,
especially when the person in question is barely 5 feet tall and has a 4 foot
wing span. Sure, we could point out that he had a bad game, but that doesn‟t
make him “Goose Worthy” … after all, he is doing the best with what he has. Plus
he invited everyone back to his place for an after-after party. What a guy!!!
The goose truly belongs, as always, to Vinny. Not only did he decide to run his
mouth again (at the worst possible time of course), he kicked a ball through the
mark on one of our penalty plays so hard that we had to stop the game to
retrieve the ball from Route 13. I mean seriously, who does that? That move
truly epitomizes everything that the "Goose of the Week" award stands for. At
the upcoming board meeting there might be a motion to change the name to the
"Vinny of the Week".
Epilogue
Looking back on the season there are some standout
moments. I truly do play for the love of the game, but it is a lot easier to
love the game when you win. I knew going into this season that we would have an
extremely hard road ahead of us as we faced a multitude of tough D2 teams. In
some cases I underestimated the teams that we would face because I truly believe
in the talent and strength of our team. When we are all there with a common
purpose we are a force to be reckoned with. However, when people don‟t show up
or somehow disappear in the middle of the season it is extremely difficult to
have any continuity or improvement. I really don‟t know if in the years since
the resurrection there has been the same starting 15 ever! If there was, I bet
they were not in the same positions for both games. That is not necessarily a
bad thing, it's just very telling to the level of commitment we have. All give
some, some give all … plain and simple.
Taking our lumps together can make a team stronger, or destroy it. This was a grueling season where we were tested continuously to determine what we were made of. At times, we showed we were made of pudding, and others we showed that we are made of the working class steel that our area forged. Moments like the B-game in Doylestown where we almost won, our first game against Brandywine where we didn't give up despite the beating we were taking, and finishing the season with a lot of heart and intensity embodies all the good things that this club is capable of. The bickering and complaining is everything that can destroy the team. I urge everyone to focus on the positives and put all the other nonsense behind us. (nobody wants to hear Vella's "chiefs and indians" speech again … but his point is well taken) With the new guys that are coming out, old guys that are still making a stand, and guys like Skinny Pat that are too stubborn to quit, Schmitty who represents our "old boys" contigent, we have a solid foundation to make this club great. But you get out what you put in; so step up and get it done to ensure we always have a place to play rugby and hang out. I never did make it to Atlantic City the night of the horn heist, but Dunny, McKenzie and Dan did so you will have to ask them for their take on the rest of that night. My journey home was interesting to say the least, some of you have heard the details of that long ride home; many of which I don't feel comfortable putting in writing. I will leave it with this teaser: I convinced myself that it was probably best if I just took a leak while driving instead of pulling over and drawing attention to myself. These adventures, compounded with meeting and playing with all you knuckleheads*** makes for an interesting life.
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Open- 10/29/11
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