Match Report
Christian Brothers JV 34 - Cordova Lancers 12
On a day when all City Athletic Fields were closed, Cordova's Jerry Ahlin and I worked to secure the Green Light needed to keep these kids playing. Thank you Sacramento Parks and Rec, and specifically Greg Neramore! O'Neill Park was in perfect condition. The club arrived early, field set up issues were addressed, and the Club was then able to proceed with our match preparedness. And so we faced 1st year club, the Cordova High Lancers, who had played their very first match ever in January at our house. Had they improved?
CB Wing Connor Adam scored twice out wide (early and midway thru the first half), both times surprisingly with little to no support. Connor seemed to be very careful to not knock on, to dutifully protect our precious possession, and as he drew near the try line each time, surged in to dot down. I actually felt he could have ran harder, faster and lower, but darn good job Connor! And with your Pop watching!
As ref, I had a full view of the plays as they unfolded, and was dismayed to watch Outside Center Ryan Donoghue (our Man of the Match just two days earlier) give up on the play after the ball was passed out wide missing him. Ryan (and everyone else!) must learn to "play to the whistle," that a rugby play essentially never stops.
Centers are like Flankers: They must work extra hard tackling, rucking and mauling all the time. We need Centers and Flankers willing to "get after it!" If Connor had been held up near goal, Ryan never could have helped him, as he was nearly 30 meters behind the play. He should have been racing right up Connor's butt, ready to do whatever it takes to assure Continuity of Possession: Ready to strip and roll if a maul, or ready to clean out if a ruck, or perhaps to take a pass or pick 'n go. A well executed give & go & give again up the sideline is a play I have seen and been a part of a hundred times in my day. Ryan is going have to learn to work, and work extra hard, if he is to become the rugby player I know he hopes to be!
Lancer center Anthony "Graham" Bell enjoyed a long scamper from a CB turnover. But for the most part the first half was dominated by Brothers tackles and rucks. A Lancer Forward looked to be finishing a surge up the right touchline when he got into the try zone, but dotted down as he was being taken into touch, the result of a fierce inside pursuit by justin Walters. The TJ (and Eagle lock) Bill Shifflett confirmed the Lancer runner had stepped on the "touch in goal line" just prior to dotting down. Good thing Connor had laid that paint down just prior to warm ups! (See, its ALL part of match preparedness!) Soon after, the first half ended 10-5.
As both sides subbed to play all their kids, Borthers' depth (and strength thereof) rose to roll over the young and inexperienced Lancers. Tries by Joe Malm and Nate Bollinger (both converted nicely by Joe Perez) opened the 2nd half. The Lancer's Bell scored again against an overlap out wide. We shouldn't have seen an overlap there. Ryan was out of position, Joe Perez was too. Snoman had no chance. Nice conversion by the Lancer kicker to keep it close. From under the sticks, and just inside the attacking 22, Flyhalf Joe Malm took good ball from a scrum, pulled a dummy switch with his 12 Walters, and spun a nice pass out to his 13 Donoghue, who had slid out well wide off the switch. And the rout was on.
Lancers could not come close, as they featured too many kids playing their first and second games, and CB had been playing 2 matches a week now for some time. Cordova runs only twice a week and CB tends to go 4. Wing Julian Castano (Daniel's brother) was playing his match ever after only one training for CB, but most of the CB club showed greater discipline, fitness and skill than their JV counterparts in red and black (I'm just trying to justify the one-sided penalty count!).
The Lancers were guilty multiple times of tackling high (once on the next play after a direct warning to their Captain), obstruction both in open play and while on the ground, both playing the ball and making tackles while on the ground, and especially of collapsing the mauls. They shared an odd (and dangerous) team habit of first lifting the leg of the ball carrier in a maul, which is legal, but then despite the warnings (and eventually even pleadings) of the ref, they would drop their shoulder, and then bodyweight to cause a collapse. The players insisted they were not coached to do this, but it was odd that nearly every Lancer seemed guilty of it.
In a nutshell, the Coaching Staff for Brothers Rugby has raised the bar for this Club. We have asked, and demanded excellence of the players, and shown them all of the right ways to play the game. Our kids are having fun, and are eager to learn, rapidly soaking up lessons others might take years and years to get to! Our Club's discipline and knowledge is outstanding. Now we just need to add to that an understanding of the commitment, urgency and intensity required to play great rugby. As coaches we hope to prepare the Club fully, so that when totally exhausted, and the game is on the line, the boys are still be able to concentrate and execute all that we have learned!
Rugby, for me, has always been about the feeling you get when you expended every fiber of strength, and left every ounce of sweat on the field. So rarely in life do we get a chance to test ourselves as completely. Running a triathalon is closest I have ever come to this feeling. Sure, we can push ourselves through training, we can study and prepare, but you never really know what you are capable of, until match day.
As the game clock ran down, and with their backs to the goal line, Lancers put in at a 5 meter scrum. Their huge #8 Tua picked and tried to jam, but was instantly boot tackled by a harassing CB #9 Nate Bollinger. Poor Tua spilt the ball forward into the hands of a pouncing Flanker Mike Macaluso who scored untouched. Tua is a fine player, but had no supporting cast to speak of. This was former #8 Macaluso's first match at the flank, and he looks to have stepped up his game there. Great bang-bang play to end the match!
For the game, Sauce, Luca, Big Ben, Joe Pane, Robert Kwoka, Leo Vellutini, Garrett Thomas, Gilbert Vaca and Mark Gustin all played very well in the forwards. Macaluso and Daniel Castano were again awesome! Nate, Joe Malm, Justin, Ryan, Connor, Albert, Joe Perez, started and did very well in the backs. Snoman, Fen-Fen and Julian came off the bench and kicked butt! Gilbert, stop running out of bounds! Albert, learn to use the ball, you enjoy contact a bit too much! Robert, please become our team's most devastating tackler! Miguel, get your cast off and come back! We still need another stud or two to join this squad! Be prepared for some well thoughtout changes to our backline attack this week.
As the players, parents and both sizeable coaching staffs gathered at midfield for the traditional post match thank yous, Jerry Ahlin took the floor, and the sun slowly went down as he talked and talked! Hot Dogs and pops were handed out by wonderfully supportive CB parents, and all were on their way. Congrats to both sides, each enjoying their first season of play. They should meet again in two weeks time, in the first round of the Sac Valley JV Playoffs. This schedule should come out this week.
