Your match

First topic message reminder :

I've been following the progress of Sam on his thread about starting his rugby career with his first game this weekend and I was just wondering how many of us actually lace up the boots at the weekend?

I'd like to hear about other posters weekly experiences on the pitch. You don't have to give too much personal info but maybe:

did you start/sub
how did you play
result
did you score
did you smash anyone
did you get on the sauce afterwards
did you score (ahem)

Persoanally I have a game tonight hopefully playing 12 but at my stage (over 20 years playing) I could end up anywhere bar prop. I'll update tonight, probably quite late as I am definitely going on the sauce afterward.

Ah, Sub it sounds as if you're playing to a more civilised set of rules.
Usually I have no problems with a club putting one of their players up to ref: I stress to the team that he'll probably make a fair few mistakes but will do his best and we should show him the utmost respect. Normally it works out quite well. The acid test is if anyone wants to have a beer with him afterwards. Usually we do.
As for the "injured front row" , well last match out we had an opposition prop whose shoulder started to cause him real pain when the pressure came on. There were only ten minutes to go and we were three scores ahead so uncontested made sense to us all. Apparently in the league our Firsts play in if you last 60 minutes with contested scrums the result will stand and there's a club who have recently opted for uncontested in the 61st and 62nd minutes of games. Needless to say they were ahead in both matches and held on to win.
I don't think it's the rules so much as the culture at the clubs. I was furious on Sunday and was insistent on appealing the result. The atmosphere at the club was, "Don't waste your time...wait till the return fixture and hammer them."

26-11 defeat for us this weekend. Another 80 at lock and another 80 of going backwards in the scrum. Enjoyed another good game of carrying though which was nice. We really need to start getting some wins though. Have slipped from being promotion contenders the last few years to hovering just above relegation...

How did you guys get on?

Ah well lads, it had to happen. I just never saw it coming this way.
I haven't mentioned on this thread (or any other) but last academic year I had a lengthy spell at home with our old friends "Stress and Depression". Throughout that time training and playing kept me , relatively, sane. I went back to work in July and for a while was coping with things. However about a month ago things started to get rocky again. Unfortunately this time I seem unable to leave my problems at the changing room door. The last two Saturdays have been hellish and I've been wandering around the pitch wondering what the hell I'm doing there. Which I suppose made a change from my team mates wondering what the fecc I was doing.
If I'm not pulling my weight on the pitch then I'm letting the side down and shouldn't be there. If I wasn't captain I would expect to be dropped so the only honourable thing to do is walk away.
I've really enjoyed this thread and will continue to read it but I don't think I'll be posting again. Thanks for all the laughs, keep at it.

Sorry to hear that jimbopip...

Depression and stress are awful illnesses and incredibly difficult to deal with. I hope that you bounce back as soon as possible and maybe one day make a return to the pitch - very brave of you to step down if you are facing those sorts of problems. All the best for the future.

Rugby is a funny old game like that. Sometimes it can be the best thing in the world as a temporary release from the mental anguish you are going through in other walks of life. Alternatively, it can sometimes be the most demoralising experience - 80 minutes of knowing you're not giving it your all.

Like I said, I can relate with where you are coming from (to a limited extent) and really hope that you find a path through these difficult times.

Thanks mate.

Alright you lazy shower of layabouts. This thread is stagnating. I've seen more life in an Edinburgh front five ( especially when Superdrug has an offer on on the exfoliating products for "real men").
My latest attempt at retirement has just been cruelly undermined. I have been undone by a devious and underhand strategy.
The second team skipper just phoned and asked me to play on Saturday.
How do I break it to Mrs Pip?
I'll post on Sunday, if in one piece.

jimbopip wrote:Alright you lazy shower of layabouts. This thread is stagnating. I've seen more life in an Edinburgh front five ( especially when Superdrug has an offer on on the exfoliating products for "real men").
.

So what does that say about the Glasgow front 5 if the Edinburgh front 5 completely dominated them at the weekend?

RDW, everyone has one good game a season (mind you I've been backing mine up: I reckon I've got enough due to me to play a blinder well into the next decade) you know Connacht will burst your balloon this weekend.

Well boys, this thread is becoming as quiet as the England changing room after yet another Grand Slam decider.
I'm back playing.
Sim, the wily fox of a second team manager outflanked my defences and bamboozled my intellect by the cunning ploy of phoning me and asking me to play.
Well. How bad could it be?
Away to the runaway leaders at the top of our league. Playing in a howling wind and rain. Turning up with 12 men and half a pack.
Oh yes, the first words I hear in their car park (not ours when I could have pulled a hamstring and gone home) were,
"We've no hooker Jimbo, start practicing your throwing."
Since I haven't hooked this century I thought it might be worth a go. The opposition gave us three lads, one of whom asked me what the lineout calls were. I told him it was probably best if we didn't get above ourselves. Amazingly we didn't lose too many over the 80 minutes (Ross Ford has done a lot worse at Murrayfield on more than one occasion).
We lost but I've no idea what the score was: about 8 tries to three. It was a hard, physical match; we lost two men to injuries and I knocked out their tight head who tackled me a la Simon Webster ( he famously ran full tilt head first into Martyn Williams in a 6N match and was unconscious before he hit the ground). My oppo got up and after a couple of minutes decided to play on.
Drinks were had afterwards and I fell in love with this game all over again. It's not the winning or the losing it's being part of what the French would call the fraternity.

It's been quiet on here lads. Here's a link to a magazine with an article about my club. Looks a nice club.

http://online.pubhtml5.com/lwak/psiq/#p=31

My match at the weekend was a hugely one sided affair, 62-0. 10 tries and 6 conversions. I guess that's what happens when top meets bottom of the league. Not perfect match preparation for us ahead of this weekends league decider.

Stewie, good luck. Be careful you sound like the All Blacks whinging after Scotland ruined their World Cup by putting out a second string for their group match.

I'll be playing for the first time in about 18 months this Sat, I work nearly all Saturdays so haven't been able to commit but managed to get this one off. Haven't ever met the team before, only know 1 bloke in it (the guy that asked me to come cover injuries) and they want me starting at scrum half. No pressure right?

Can. Not. Wait!

Let us know how you get on. Sounds like the chaotic buffoonery that is social rugby. What could go wrong?

jimbopip wrote:Stewie, good luck. Be careful you sound like the All Blacks whinging after Scotland ruined their World Cup by putting out  a second string for their group match.

Thanks Jimbo. We've already had 2 match this season against the team we play this weekend, we won 22-17 and lost 14-13. Should probably just be happy we came through last week without any injuries!

Sounds like it should be a close run thing. Are you in the Firsts? Is there a danger of the opposition pulling players from their higher sides ? Or players being dropped from your team? I remember once when I captained our thirds we had a last game title decider and our Firsts didn't have a game, about six of them turned up hoping to grab some glory. I stuck with our regular 15 and we won. Despite three of our firsts playing for them. I remember our first team hooker at a lineout shoutinf to our lads, "Give it to Jimbo, please give it to him."

jimbopip wrote:Sounds like it should be a close run thing. Are you in the Firsts? Is there a danger of the opposition pulling players from their higher sides ? Or players being dropped from your team? I remember once when I captained our thirds we had a last game title decider and our Firsts didn't have a game, about six of them turned up hoping to grab some glory. I stuck with our regular 15 and we won. Despite three of our firsts playing for them. I remember our first team hooker at a lineout shoutinf to our lads, "Give it to Jimbo, please give it to him."

Yeah in the firsts so nobody will be parachuting in or playing against another team doing it. A couple of years ago we got to a cup final against another clubs thirds. They played half their firsts in the final and being 48-0 down at half time was pretty demoralizing for a team that worked so hard to get to the final (won our semi by 3 points in extra time)

Good, sounds like it'll be a fair contest.
we had a cup game the other week against a local side's 2nd's (their firsts play about four leagues above us) they had about twenty three players and we were 5-0 up at half time. Cue 8 replacements all of them bigger and heavier and fitter. We ended up losing 13-5 but felt justifiably proud of ourselves afterwards.

How is this even possible??

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31319836

My biggest defeat was 107-0, and that was pretty much a score against us straight from every kick off!

My colts team won a game 140 -0 and it stopped at 55 minutes.

They weren't even trying!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/31329256

Well it had to happen one day - I got dick of the day today!

Early on in the game our 12 crashed up and me, being the good winger I am, was running a support line.

Anyway, he managed to offload, I found myself in space running towards the line unopposed and was about to touch down and.....I dropped the ball.

I genuinely don't know how it happened - I had the ball in two  hands, unopposed, and I wasn't even guddling it - I just dropped it as I was just short of the line!

Luckily we got a BP win so it didn't affect the result...

I actually ended up having a good game, but of course the guys wouldn't pay any attention to that!

I understand your username now: Right Dick Wekinweekout. Good man for sharing with us.
Stewie15; how did your league decider go?

In a 9-9 game at 39 minutes i dropped in the line from full back.

Here is what happened

1)I catch the ball with every intention of the chip over the top with no 9 sweeping,

2)I see a gap open up outwide

3) I throw a long wide pass to our 11 who should burst through the gap

4) There 13 takes the ball out the air!

5)He races away

6) I bomb back make the tackle only to find my tackle pushed him over the try line giving them the 16-9 lead at half time.

How did it end?

Lost 37 - 14

I came off shortley after half time , I keep cramping up with the slighted bit of exerise to my lower left ham string. Walked to the shop the other day and it came on.

jimbopip wrote:Let us know how you get on. Sounds like the chaotic buffoonery that is social rugby. What could go wrong?

A little bit late with a reply but here it is.

So all in all a good game was had. I played the full 80 and experienced debilitating cramp after about 30 mins (half time couldn't come quick enough), got stamped on(ref didn't see), raked while winning a turn over (and pen), held back off the ball while chasing a certain try (ref didn't see) and then was held up over the line just as I thought I'd scored.

Finished the game cold, wet, bleeding and bruised but loved it. An ale at half time kept me going when things were tough and the second half was easier then the first. That's enough for 1 year though!

jimbopip wrote:I understand your username now: Right Dick Wekinweekout. Good man for sharing with us.
Stewie15; how did your league decider go?

Started well, we kicked off and one of our forwards claimed the kick but was subsequently taken out in the air. Referee bottled the decision. Penalty only. Our player went off injured! Very few chances in the first half. We missed one very kickable penalty, they kicked one. 3-0 at half time. Two injuries in the backline early in the second half meant a bit of a reshuffle, a mix up between the new 10-12 combination let the opposition 10 break the gain-line and he offloaded just as I went for a man and ball tackle. The support player was chased bit scored in the corner. Conversion missed 8-0. Finally we started getting some parity up front and with the clean ball we started to go wide where our obvious advantage lies! A good move including two dummy lines and a screen sent me through a gap, fixed the fullback and passed for our winger to race into the corner for a try which was converted 8-7. With the clock running down and superior fitness we knew we had it in us to take them. Just go through a few phases and go wide. Drawing in the numbers we created the overlap out wide. The ball came out to our 13 and with me screaming outside for the pass, the score is there for us but he dummies and steps inside takes a huge tackle and knocks on. From the resulting scrum they go through 10 phases of sealing off until the referee says the time is up and they clear to touch. Game over 8-7.

Aaahh!!! The joys of being on the wing. I would love to have been in your changing room afterwards with the 13 blaming you for missing the tackle for their try and you politely enquiring as to his inability to see an overlap.

Anyone else noticed that we all sound really good when describing our games, whereas in reality this is probably more of an accurate reflection?

RDW

jimbopip wrote:Aaahh!!! The joys of being on the wing. I would love to have been in your changing room afterwards with the 13 blaming you for missing the tackle for their try and you politely enquiring as to his inability to see an overlap.

He got quite a bit of stick from the other lads about it after the game!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Anyone else noticed that we all sound really good when describing our games, whereas in reality this is probably more of an accurate reflection?  

That's cos we only tell the good parts. I didn't mention that their no. 8 bopped me out of the way like a child when i went too high on him! Luckily our flank was there to help!

jimbopip - pleased to hear you are back playing again

I had to take a couple of months off due to exams. Prior to that I was playing quite well(by my standards). I made my comeback at the weekend and we were totally hammered. Not only that but I was absolutely hopeless. Had a couple of quite good runs and took some kickoffs but missed a couple of really easy tackles. Was very frustrated with myself. I tend to get stepped quite easily which is something I really need to work on - I also felt quite weak out there having not done any gym work for a long time as well. Have a few weeks off again now due to Weddings and Easter weekend, so hoping to put in some strength work before my next game.

Thanks for all of the above posts as well - enjoy seeing how you guys have been getting on.

SirBurger, great to see you back.
We are in our league play off semi-final on Saturday having finished second. We are up against the side who pulled the "their ref/uncontested scrums" nonsense earlier in the season. I'm fairly certain they will parachute their first team squad in for this. But then again I think we will too. I'm desperate to play but like yourself have missed a couple of weeks playing/training. Oh yes, was up all Sunday night with stomach cramps and projectile vomiting. I now have a dull ache in my lower right abdomen and am about to drag myself to my GP. Feeling reasonably confident I'll get on the pitch on Saturday.

I'v been ruled out the rest of the season , so it seemed a good a time as any to announce my move to another club.

The comeback is on. Tomorrow night - 8pm. Jaysus

Go for it Sub, and have some fun. As the banner at Thomond Park said, " Run Bull.Tis your field."

Let us know how you get on.

How did people get on at the weekend?

A narrow defeat for our lot which left us with a 7th place finish. A shame as we were the better side, but gave away some soft scores. A full 80 at Number 8 and a try for me though so was fairly happy on a personal note.

Same here. Narrow defeat but a very competitive and enjoable game. This was my first match for a year and I have done no fitness at all. Get out on my bike occasionally and have reffed underage games throughout the season but that is no preparation for a full on game of rugby.
Thankfully it was quite a low level game and what I lacked in fitness I made up for in experience and was economical with my efforts.
In other words I pretty much played the game in a 20 square meter patch around the centre of the pitch and only got involved when the play was in that area. Didn't go down too well with the captain as I was playing scrum half. Looking forward to next years game now.

Even the thought of strapping up my boots for contact brings me out in a cold sweat, huge applause to everyone still doing so!

posibly bringing this thread back to the fore?  

As background, I have had a few medical issues in the recent past.  So my involvement here has been sparse.

However the power of the threats made to some of the top orthopods in UK and the NY area were clearly understood and I have received very good treatment.  Only problem at the momoent is there are too many miles and the original warranty on the original parts expired years (decades?) ago, and even the warranties on replacement parts are expiring.  On the other hand, who gives a stuffed merde?  Rugby is still fun to plan and now I am in better shape again I am pretty regular (usual player not constipated) on my club's seconds with an occasional pop at the firsts.  My left knee has zero functional cartilage, I have had previous with spinal work (3x), and now a torn bicep muscle and torn cartilage in my left shoulder.  What to do?  Stay home and listen to the missus?  Or go out and play with the lads.  And my 18 year old lad too.  My son plays 13.  I played the first half at 6 but moved to 12 in the second.  The opposition almost never ran at me.  I was disappointed.  My line is speed easily better than Jabba The Hutt.  And I made my tackles, fed the ball to my son who did the real work.  Was a day from heaven (where, incidentally, they play Rugby on high quality turf.  Every day.  And they have proper beer on tap and available, and young females to...........).

Doc, glad to see you back mate. Glad to see you're playing alongside your boy. Enjoy.

I've been asked to play in a vets match on Saturday Tempting. Watch this space.

Thanks brother! Give it a run if you are able.
As your doctor, I can recommend good solid contact for whatever ails one.

doctor_grey wrote:Thanks brother!  Give it a run if you are able.  
As your doctor, I can recommend good solid contact for whatever ails one.  

Doc, I've been using that line on MrsPip for some years now. With mixed results I may add.

jimbopip wrote:

doctor_grey wrote:Thanks brother!  Give it a run if you are able.  
As your doctor, I can recommend good solid contact for whatever ails one.  

Doc, I've been using that line on MrsPip for some years now. With mixed results I may add.

Ours must be related...........

Only if by "mixed results" you mean, "That isn't a stethoscope, put it away before you get arrested. Again" on the one hand and, "I agree with you GOOD contact would be beneficial: do you know anywhere I can get some.?" on the other.

Oh the travails of the happily married.

p.s. Yappysnap what was your message? I just get a blank space.

I know where you can get some great, errr good, errr acceptbale contact for a 20.
You might need to pee in a bottle right after, just to be safe............