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.

Read, well done fella.
I thought my ribs were OK till I got in a maul (playing for the opposition mind) and our second row, who was our family guest at Christmas dinner, smashed me in the ribs with his head. He then did a Woody Woodpecker impersonation throughout the maul. I was sorely tempted to give him a righthander. The extenuating circumstances were;(a) he was looking at my jersey and (b)he is quite thick even for a second row.
MrsP, isn't that how they divide the front five from the rest of the players? "Over here eejits"

jimbopip wrote:Read, well done fella.
I thought my ribs were OK till I got in a maul (playing for the opposition mind) and our second row, who was our family guest at Christmas dinner, smashed me in the ribs with his head. He then did a Woody Woodpecker impersonation throughout the maul. I was sorely tempted to give him a righthander. The extenuating circumstances were;(a) he was looking at my jersey and (b)he is quite thick even for a second row.
MrsP, isn't that how they divide the front five from the rest of the players? "Over here eejits"

   

I'v got my first game of the season for my team this Saturday after working away and i'm really up for it! Just bought my new boots and it's a darby game so should be a firey affair. Plus it's my birthday the day after so a few beers more than likely.

Driver, welcome to the thread. I thought it had died a death. I've just had a weekend off- no fixture and it felt strange. Amazing how quickly we become tuned into "being there" every Saturday. Let us know how you get on.

Will do buddy!

Really excited for it. Last played in January so hope i have 10 months of energy to use in this game!

Good stuff Driver, hopefully you can bring a bit of energy to this thread as well. My knee and neck are still too banjo'd to play so I've been roped in to reffing some of the youth games over the last month or so.
It's great to stay involved and everything but it's a real readjustment dealing with these kids. Really have to mind what you say and I have to work on my empathy. I forgot that kids will actually burst in to tears if they get physically hurt. The parents on the sideline must have thought I was a robot during my first couple of games, just quizically looking at the kids as they broke down, not knowing what to do.

Sub, my ten year old's team are coached by our first team flanker. A recent pre-match warm up saw him holdimg a tackle shield while the kids tackled him. The looks on their mother's faces as he cried, "Do it right or I'll flatten you! Hit me hard or I'll destroy you" made getting up on a Sunday morning worth while.

I got directed this way as it might have been of interest. I'm new here in terms of posting (decided to come out of the lurking cave.) Tomorrow night is my first training session in a decade (barring about 6 sessions 2 years ago before I went on a long trip I just got back from) - hoping to play within the month for the 3rd team ... depends on the coaches I guess. I'm a wing initially but hope to get into 12 mode.

Everyone's a wing initially. Then as a skipper told me on wet Saturday, "Yeah when they're too old and slow to be in the backs and not big enough or nasty enough for the front five they all say they're a flanker!"
I looked rather guiltily at the number 7 jersey in my hands.
"You're different mate, you ARE a flanker."
Have fun Effie.

Hi guys, I've also just been coaxed out of the lurker cave, and since I'm playing this season thought I'd pop in here and give a quick update of my season so far.

Very quick history of my rugby career; played all through school, played one or 2 matches for a laugh at uni, did nothing for 2 years, went back to uni and played a whole season (low level), had a year off then joined a local club at the start of this season. I'm probably now playing at the highest standard I ever have somehow!

Been playing for our seconds and started most matches, we're currently top of our league and have had some pretty good results, out main issue seems to be getting everyone fired up for the start of the match, as its often taken us 20 minutes to get into our game. I'm a scrum half but in one of the games I was on the bench but ended up having to start and play as a winger. Slowly trying to emulate Niko Matawalu I guess, although theres no danger I'll be turning out at full back!

Good to hear about other peoples experiences at the weekend, I'll update after my match this weekend

Boys, boys, no fixture for Jimbopip today; apparently we have two on consecutive days next weekend! So to those of you putting on your boots either "Let's have some fun like a pack of mad dogs" or "Take care out there" depending on which Channel 4 US import you watched during the 80's. 

Oooft 2 games in 2 days, you lucky pig  

So having confidently stated just 2 posts ago that I wouldn't be playing fullback any time soon I've been selected today at... fullback. Think I've managed to wangle a switch to wing though, fingers crossed. It's a lovely grey, wet and cold day out there and I'm going to have to watch the Scotland game a few hours after everyone else but still, must crack on  

Good luck to anyone else turning out today!

Jesus where to start,

Get a phone call asking if i can run the team yesterday morning at 9:30 which throws my chances of playing out the window. Turned up for a derby game with 18 players and only 5 backs so had to play 2 flankers out wide.

Anyway to the game. It all started wonderfully our 10 drops back into the pocket and smashes a drop goal over from 30 metres after the forwards work for some good field position.

Things got better when we moved the ball wide into one of makeshift wings who fends off a man and gasses the defender to score in the corner putting us 8-0 up and firmly in control of things we score later on when our 8 picks and goes and dots the ball down thanks to some lowsy defence from the opposition 13-0 at half time and we spend a good 10 minutes defending our line holding up numerous drives towards the line so the half time talk is a easy one 'More of the same , keep the ball as we're going uphill second half and take the points when on offer and change our kicker'

Rolling subs are a great thing as it meant the lads with niggles could take 10 and come back into the game but

Next thing you know it's on a knife edge and it's 18-15 to use and they are throwing everything at us and i'm forced to play our buff and make the scrum uncontested by taking our 3 off. It's either keep getting smashed in the scrum and drain our forwards out or use it as a cheeky breather and take there biggest weapon away from them.

They score another try to make it 18-20 before we have one chalked off by some questionable officiating we do cross over but miss the kick again! We have we kept the guy who hasn't hit one all day!!!!!!! I ask the ref how longs left and he says this is last play so all we have to do is catch it and boot it off.

at 23-20 we spill the kick off and the ref calls for the scrum. I'm livid at this as surely it's now full time? The opposition play from the scrum then get a penalty! Surely that's it? No he says they can go and they move the ball wide and score to win the game 23-25. Words can't express how livid i am that what i consider poor officiating has cost us a big win!!!!

Was a fantastic effort by all the players.

That's how my game went how did yours?

Ouch Driver, never fun to lose out right at the end, I feel your pain.

My match was an odd one, not least because I made my first ever appearance at 15, which had been the only position in the back line that I'd never played. We started with a low sun straight into our eyes in the first half, they put a high ball my way early on which I took cleanly and fired off quite a respectable touchfinder, so that helped settle the nerves. I expecting a barrage of high balls after that, but I must've fooled them into thinking I was some sort of Rob Kearney under the high ball as that was the first and last up and under they put in. Pretty daft if you ask me!

Both teams started pretty strongly and things were fairly even come half time, but our fitness was starting to show and our forwards were pretty dominant. Weirdly though the game pretty much died in the second half, we put a couple more tries on put it should've been a lot more and we were pretty disappointed with the performance. Still, a 27-15 league win is a decent result and leaves us top of our league (I think,can't find a league table anywhere online)

Top marks Llama, keep it up.

Still can't play since I am now 5 weeks post-op.

However, my two sons played against a High school team from Manhattan, which is considered one of the best programmes in the country.  The 16 year old  who is usually an inside Centre played on the flank.  The 15 year old who is a hooker played outside centre.  Obviously i was not coaching this one.  

The older one missed a tackle which ended up costing the team a try.  He got mad.  So, when his team was backed up aginst their own line, he stole the ball, knocked a few blokes on their bums and raced 90 yards for a try.  He took the next kickoff and ran through the other team, knocking a prop into the air somehow (the bloke must have weighed a good 18 stone) and fed his brother for another try.

The younger one played a great Inside Centre, but should have taken the ball up a few more times to create some havoc.  Instead his passes were right on target and he tackled like a proper Hooker should.

In the spirit of the thread:
Did they score:  yes
Did they pop anyone:  oh, baby
Did they drink:  Dad took care of that.
Did they 'score'?:  Gentlemen never discuss these things.
Daddy proud:  Yes, same as ever, every morning, every day.  Simply darn good lads (despite my slight bias)

Fantastic to hear Doc, whats the youth rugby setup like over there? What are the standards of coaching like for example?

Well boys I received the message on Facebook that I would be nice and warm this Saturday since I would be in the second row with my son. As he's 6'5" and I'm 5'9" it should provide some amusement to any heartless spectators. 
Slightly in two minds about playing with Bigson; this is the first time since the pre-season warm up game and the first time in the second row with him. He's now the first team player who knows what he's doing and I'm the old man making up the numbers. Will he be totally disillusioned and embarrassed by my performance?
It also seems we have a makeshift front row who have never played together and will obviously need a lot of grunt from behind them...no pressure then.
But I am taking it seriously. I've just got back from a weights session in the gym where Bigson wasn't too sadistic.Upon returning I remembered his advice to get some protein in me asap. Fried eggs and bacon with pappy white bread and a mug of tea! See, I'm thinking like a second row already.

Great to see a few of us are still managing a run out although driver, it does look as though your dastardly plans were foiled by those pesky kids. Have you learned nothing from dean Richards.
Jim that sounds like a youtube goldmine waiting to happen on Saturday. Hope it goes well, you must be an inspiration for the Doc.

And lo...as the condemned man ascended the gallows with a quivering lip and running nose a horse galloped into the town square! "Cease at once" cried the breathless messenger. "The opposition can't find fifteen Neanderthals and the game's off. Jimbopip is released from the bondage and humiliation that is the second row."
As he turned to descend, all the while muttering a silent prayer of gratitude to Saint Dan of the Parks, a gnarled old hand settled on his shoulder, "Not so fast my lad. The Vets have a match and your name's on my list...."

I don't play any more but I do ref the minis. Had a tournament two weeks ago where the organisers had some last minute schedule changes that threw everything into disarray. As a result I ended up reffing 5 U9 games in a row -which is harder than it sounds (imagine reffing 5 7s games back to back) - including one featuring my own club's team where the opposition decided that they'd rather have me ref than wait around while the organisers found someone else. So I kept score rather than scoring, and pinged the kids rather than popping them, but I'll take that as a win.

Poorfour Jr had his first school U9s game this week. Turns out that school rules are very different from club rules at U9 - at club, we play RFU new laws (7 a side, 6 minute halves, tackling but no rucking, mauling, scrums or lineouts). At school they play 9 or 10 a side, 15 minute halves, tackling and rucking, uncontested scrums and lineouts). He's had about a week to adapt.

Did he start? Yes, for the A team
How did he play? Well. Won 3 turnovers - seems he has a natural affinity for the dark arts
Did they win? Yes 20-10, away against an apparently quite decent rugby school.
Did he score? No, and was very frustrated that "I got the turnover, made a run, made the pass and the boy who caught it just went into touch."
Did he smash anyone? Made plenty of tackles, but not the destructive stuff he's capable of
We'll leave it there, since he's 8.

I'm going to my second training session in a decade tonight. Coach says I could have a sub run for the friendly the 2nds are doing this Saturday, but I've still not taken a tackle in 10 years so if tonight isn't a contact session I'm not going to risk that. I guess I'll find him and explain I'd like a bit more contact before going out there!

I think like all coaches he just wants the newbies to stay and dangle a nice carrot to begin with. I don't need that, I love the training.

My problem is that I am a "wing" right now, but to be honest as much as I can do that, I have the itch to go inside but don't quite know what I'm doing yet. I have to be patient, I think naturally - as in, the urges I get - I am a 10 but not got the talent yet.

Driver wrote:Jesus where to start,

Get a phone call asking if i can run the team yesterday morning at 9:30 which throws my chances of playing out the window. Turned up for a derby game with 18 players and only 5 backs so had to play 2 flankers out wide.

Anyway to the game. It all started wonderfully our 10 drops back into the pocket and smashes a drop goal over from 30 metres after the forwards work for some good field position.

Things got better when we moved the ball wide into one of makeshift wings who fends off a man and gasses the defender to score in the corner putting us 8-0 up and firmly in control of things we score later on when our 8 picks and goes and dots the ball down thanks to some lowsy defence from the opposition 13-0 at half time and we spend a good 10 minutes defending our line holding up numerous drives towards the line so the half time talk is a easy one 'More of the same , keep the ball as we're going uphill second half and take the points when on offer and change our kicker'

Rolling subs are a great thing as it meant the lads with niggles could take 10 and come back into the game but

Next thing you know it's on a knife edge and it's 18-15 to use and they are throwing everything at us and i'm forced to play our buff and make the scrum uncontested by taking our 3 off. It's either keep getting smashed in the scrum and drain our forwards out or use it as a cheeky breather and take there biggest weapon away from them.

They score another try to make it 18-20 before we have one chalked off by some questionable officiating we do cross over but miss the kick again! We have we kept the guy who hasn't hit one all day!!!!!!! I ask the ref how longs left and he says this is last play so all we have to do is catch it and boot it off.

at 23-20 we spill the kick off and the ref calls for the scrum. I'm livid at this as surely it's now full time? The opposition play from the scrum then get a penalty! Surely that's it? No he says they can go and they move the ball wide and score to win the game 23-25. Words can't express how livid i am that what i consider poor officiating has cost us a big win!!!!

Was a fantastic effort by all the players.

That's how my game went how did yours?

To be honest, you deserve that for going to uncontested.

Ineffable wrote:I'm going to my second training session in a decade tonight. Coach says I could have a sub run for the friendly the 2nds are doing this Saturday, but I've still not taken a tackle in 10 years so if tonight isn't a contact session I'm not going to risk that. I guess I'll find him and explain I'd like a bit more contact before going out there!

I think like all coaches he just wants the newbies to stay and dangle a nice carrot to begin with. I don't need that, I love the training.

My problem is that I am a "wing" right now, but to be honest as much as I can do that, I have the itch to go inside but don't quite know what I'm doing yet. I have to be patient, I think naturally - as in, the urges I get - I am a 10 but not got the talent yet.

Thinks every prop since the beginning of time.

Submachine wrote:

Ineffable wrote:I'm going to my second training session in a decade tonight. Coach says I could have a sub run for the friendly the 2nds are doing this Saturday, but I've still not taken a tackle in 10 years so if tonight isn't a contact session I'm not going to risk that. I guess I'll find him and explain I'd like a bit more contact before going out there!

I think like all coaches he just wants the newbies to stay and dangle a nice carrot to begin with. I don't need that, I love the training.

My problem is that I am a "wing" right now, but to be honest as much as I can do that, I have the itch to go inside but don't quite know what I'm doing yet. I have to be patient, I think naturally - as in, the urges I get - I am a 10 but not got the talent yet.

Thinks every prop since the beginning of time.

He can't be a prop: he doesn't want to tackle! he must be a 10: he doesn't want to tackle! 

Woah woah woah nobody said anything about not wanting to tackle! Just I haven't in so long.

Turns out last night was .. voila , a contact session! I am v battered and bruised which can only be a good thing, and most of the 1sts weren't even there despite that I was told I did very well and I was also surprised at my strength. I don't feel like the biggest guy but I broke through several times in training and when I started to get used to it was hauling down the big guys (mostly).

Until next Tuesday!

I hope you're all reading patiently because this is the diary of the best Scottish 10 since Hastings right from the outset haha

Effie, keep it up. Can't wait till you play a match. BTW Big Gav was a 15 and Scott was a centre. Do you mean Toonie? Surely not Dan Parks, who was great at what he did, but you probably put more tackles in last night than he has all year.

Big cup game tomorrow in the 2nd team cup.

Seaton Carew RFC 2nds vs Blaydon RFC 3rds

Really hoping we can field a genuin 2nd team as the first don't have a game. Annoys me when first teamers turn up and take a 2nd team players place.

Game day for me too, 2nds have a friendly match on and the firsts aren't playing. Haven't seen a team sheet yet so no idea what our team looks like, though I've been informed that there might be a repeat of the fullback experiment. Should've dropped more ball last weekend!

Go for it Llama, best of luck.
Some of you might remember me mentioning a young Kiwi flanker playing with us; well his dad is about to return to the land of the long white cloud. Turns out he brought two Pukekohe supporters jerseys over with him and he presented one to our first team captain and one to myself. 
I'll be wearing mine to the Vets game today, so should be in a clubhouse full of Englishmen watching the AB's wearing a Pukekohe jersey. You can take the boy out of Glasgow but you can't take Glasgow out of the boy.

If Ken Owens was to read this and reply after yesterdays game:

Came off bench scored brilliant individual try ran it in from the halfway line to mkae game secure  .

Well thats how most front rowers describe any rumble over after few beers lol.

Got a 52-15 spanking yesterday against a well drilled team. Diffrence was we had a 7 who kept hanging in between 9-10 channel and everytime they turned ball over they moved it wide to the broken field and had support when they made breaks.

Sorry about the result Driver. Did you enjoy it?
Sunday was good. Young Pipetto was playing for the under 11's. They won all three matches and he was Man of the Match. It is quite unbelievable how much he has come on in a couple of months. One proud father!
Saturday was also good. Bigson played for the Vets, at 21! Mind you the opposition had four youngsters. It was our first game together since he became a first team regular: goodness me but the boy can play. I spent large parts of the game beaming all over my face. We went to a club where I've never, ever won and trounced them 41-0. It was a hard game and they fought till the whistle, all credit to them. They had a young second row who was quite punchy, got a yellow card at one point. Late in the game I hit a ruck and as the scrum half grabbed the ball I pulled him back in. He let go of the ball and I saw Punchy boy trot up to be 9. I knew there was no way he was going to pass so I let the 9 be and slipped out of the ruck. Everything seemed to happen slowly then... I stood at the side of the ruck and waited. Sure enough he put the ball under his arm and tried to blast up the blind side. One step forward and to the side, shoulder drops into his gut and arms clamp around him. His momentum takes him off the ground and I half turn and slam him to the floor.
Serge Betsen once said of Richard Hill, " He lives in the dark places...He comes from the shadows." Just once in a while we mere mortals find a shadow on a pitch and lie in wait, and it felt soooo good.
After the match Bigson said, "You really nailed him. I hung around because every time he got tackled he wanted afters but you didn't let him. As the ruck cleared you got off him and grabbed his wrist, pulled him upright and patted his back and gave him a Well Played. He didn't know what to do!"
Bigson said, over a drink, that if that was the last game we ever play together it would be a good one to remember as the spirit in the Vets is superb and we all had a good game. A wiser man than me would hang up the boots now, but I'll give it to the end of the season and see how the bones feel then.
P.S. I wore the Pukekohe shirt our Kiwi visitor gave me, might wear that to every Vets game it could be a good luck charm.

Been inspired to come on here and write about my game on Saturday.  I've not really been enjoying my rugby this season but the game reminded me why I love the sport, and the real camaraderie and sense of accomplishment you get from it.

Anyway this was a local derby against one of the top teams in the league (we're mid-table mediocrity just now).  They are a big club in Edinburgh and have been riding high this year.  It was my club's 2nd XV against their 3rd XV.

As usual they had some big forwards and a token humongous Fijian flyer on the wing.  Luckily he was on the opposite wing to me, but as you will read later that didn't make much of a difference!

We started the game strongly and got 2 tries in quick succession.  What then followed was one of the worst halfs of rugby we've played all season - our tackling was woeful and our lineout competently disintegrated.

I was part of that poor tackling effort, but at least I got points for trying in one instance - their flying Fijian got the ball in his own 22 and skinned our other winger.  I saw the danger and covered the width of the pitch to get in his way. As he bore down on me my life flashed before my eyes, and although he sidestepped I still managed to tackle him - problem is I didn't hold on and he ran over the top of me on his way to score.  

Anyway, despite being terrible all half we were only 4 points behind at the break. After having our worst 1st half in a long time, we then went on to play the best 2nd half we've played in a long time!

Straight from the break we held on to the ball for around 5 minutes, slowly working out way up the pitch.  We pounded on their line for ages and eventually got the try - great start.

Things then got complicated - we had two guys yellow carded in quick succession on our own line, both forwards. Luckily though the scrums went uncontested because of this (our other prop had gone off 'injured').

Still though they battered away at our line and, as I had moved to full back by this point, I was a lot more involved in the defencive effort.  We managed to only concede one try in the 10 minutes with 2 men down, and that really galvanized us.

Ultimately though we were 9 points down with 12 minutes to go - needed to score soon.  We managed to get 2 tries in the space of 5 minutes, leaving us 7 minutes to defend a 1 point lead.

We smashed back everything they threw at us, and defended like our lives depended on it.

With 30s to go we managed to turn them over, hit up a couple of times, and despite the ref saying '15s left', our scrum half kicked the ball straight into touch.  Their lineout, last play of the game - nightmare.  

Luckily they bawsed it up and we held on to win the game!

It's a long time since I've been so happy to win a game, and there was such a sense of camaraderie and banter afterwards.

Great stuff!

Who needs Gerry Thornley or (insert regional well known rugby journo) when you have talent like this. Feel like I could have been there having read your reports lads. Excellent stuff.

RDW excellent writing my MFL friend. Well played.
The opposition having a last minute lineout reminded me of the end of our match on Saturday; as I said they fought till the end. They spent three or four minutes laying siege to our line with a number of penalties in our 22 which they tapped and drove. Forget the 41 points they were desperate to end with a score and we were determined to prevent that. Eventually we turned the ball over and cleared to touch. The ref called Last Play. As we formed the lineout I could hear some lunatic at the tail of the line screaming, "Give them nothing, give them nothing." When I saw Bigson nod at me I realised maybe I should take a breath. Still, that's why we play isn't it?

Great thread - will start contributing from this Saturday on. I play lock or back row at a fairly average level, but it is convenient and I am really enjoying it this year. 2 man of the match awards from our first 5 league games and a couple of tries as well. We sit 2nd in the table and are playing some decent stuff. Got a team near the bottom on Saturday so hoping for another decent performance.

SO yes I did mean Big Gav, I must admit, being young, I never realised he was a 15. D'oh.

I am uniquely offering experiences of training sessions because I am *that* green. I ached all the way until Monday after last Thursday's contact session so not expecting to go both tonight & Thursday this week, as tonight most of the 1sts are training - will be my first experience trying to tackle the big guys  uhoh

Ineffable wrote:SO yes I did mean Big Gav, I must admit, being young, I never realised he was a 15. D'oh.

I am uniquely offering experiences of training sessions because I am *that* green. I ached all the way until Monday after last Thursday's contact session so not expecting to go both tonight & Thursday this week, as tonight most of the 1sts are training - will be my first experience trying to tackle the big guys  uhoh

How young is young? Don't worry about the first few bumps in the first few weeks. You'll toughen up quick enough and you'll probably notice you are a lot stronger very quickly aswell. If your coaches are anything like the ones I've had over the years they will probably do a hard contact session (tackling, rucks) on only one of the nights and a bit more cardio (running, mauling) on the other. The Thursday session usually involves a team run as well so important to try and make both as you need to learn your position and playing patterns within the team.
Have embarked on a bit of rehab so hoping to make an appearance in the married V singles inter club Christmas game. See how I get on after that but hoping to pull the boots on a few more times before the end of the season.

Submachine wrote:

Ineffable wrote:SO yes I did mean Big Gav, I must admit, being young, I never realised he was a 15. D'oh.

I am uniquely offering experiences of training sessions because I am *that* green. I ached all the way until Monday after last Thursday's contact session so not expecting to go both tonight & Thursday this week, as tonight most of the 1sts are training - will be my first experience trying to tackle the big guys  uhoh

How young is young? Don't worry about the first few bumps in the first few weeks. You'll toughen up quick enough and you'll probably notice you are a lot stronger very quickly aswell. If your coaches are anything like the ones I've had over the years they will probably do a hard contact session (tackling, rucks) on only one of the nights and a bit more cardio (running, mauling) on the other. The Thursday session usually involves a team run as well so important to try and make both as you need to learn your position and playing patterns within the team.
Have embarked on a bit of rehab so hoping to make an appearance in the married V singles inter club Christmas game. See how I get on after that but hoping to pull the boots on a few more times before the end of the season.

Thanks for the advice!

I'm 24, so I just missed out on the Scottish golden era ... started watching in 2000 first match I truly remember watching was WC Final 03 though, was 13.

Our third XV gets a run out this week so I'm on the team sheet ... I think as a flanker.  is that a good thing?

Effie, yes flanker is a good thing if it suits you. I can heartily recommend Donald Macrea's Winter Colours as the best book on rugby I have ever read, in it Josh Kronfeld talks about the psychology of various positions and is quite fascinating talking about why a 7 is always the misfit in any social group.
If you are 6 or 7 follow the ball, hit the rucks and be available to support the ball carrier. Strangely enough you can have a really good game without touching the ball too much.
Enjoy.

It's a great thing. You basically have the freedom of the pitch. Your coaches have probably told you what they want off set plays in defence. Outside of that make a nuisance of yourself in defence, look for some big hits and pace yourself. You don't have to hit every ruck. Big mistake a lot of new guys make is to try and track the ball at every breakdown. You'll just tire yourself out and be less effective when you do get an opportunity.
If you get the ball, run like Gump and look for an offload. If you make a pass follow the ball. Coaches showing a bit of faith in you starting on the flank so yiou must be doing something right in training. Enjoy

Hey thanks for the tips!

Stupid question maybe - ball gets recycled at a ruck that I'm not in, it's passed out to 10 & the backline. Where am I actually standing? IN the backline (potentially in the way of a set move) or somewhere outside / behind it?

I understand that the momentum of play being forwards, that tracking just involves jogging behind a player who's making a run and looking for an offload or to hit the ruck, just not really sure how it goes!

I might watch some tapes of last weekend's internationals and follow the 6s and 7s that'll probably tell me all! Funny, never watched rugby with that kind of eye.

If you are not in the ruck try to stand at POST or Guard i.e. just to the side of it so stopping your opposite number coming through on your 9. The other week while playing for the Vets the number 10 had a little word with me. It would appear that from that starting point I was following the ball but behind our 10. He wanted me to run across in front of him. The reason was twofold; first by the time you hit midfield the centres are in front of you already, secondly you get in the way of anyone blitzing the 10 and protect him.
Then again, if your team are tending to pick and drive, go stand just behind a fat boy so you can support him/ruck over. It's not like being in the backs, there is no set alignment just go where you think the ball will be in a few moments, would be my advice.
Have fun learning.Just ignore the front row when they shout at you.

So i've finally recovered enough from the weekend (mentally and physically) to give a quick report on the shambles of a match I played in.

We played against a side from the league above, but who seemed to have a suspicious few first team players in their side (we were meant to play their seconds). So it was always going to be a tough one, but we had an absolute mare of a game. We generally have a reputation as a club of being very strong defensively, not always having the attacking backs to go with it. Well this time out our defence was awful. Think we lost 6 tries to 4 at the end, but almost every try they scored came directly from our stupid mistakes. We were very poor. And from a personal point of view it was my worst game for the club since I joined this summer.

I played the first half on the wing and sucked badly, there was communication issues between myself and our fullback going for a high ball that gave them their first try, then another came from terrible defensive line positioning, leaving me sticking to my man on the outside while a gaping chasm opened up between him and our 13. Our 9 then went off injured at half time so I switched there   and had a better half, but still should've been better. Their scrum half was on me as soon as I got my hands on the ball at the breakdown, something the ref didn't seem to find odd!

Not an enjoyable game for me and I was pretty down afterwards, made up for by an absolute monster of a night out with some of the boys, which I've been suffering from (along with a seriously tight shoulder) ever since!

Missing our match this weekend, but looking to step up for the next one when its back to league duties and put things right!

That's a shame LLama but sounds like at least it wasn't a league match?

It looks like my debut will be on the wing I'm actually a little nervous because I'm playing in the 3rd XV so I doubt the ball will get out to the wing much and when it does, I'll be green and freezing from standing around. So I think I'm going to head down early and ask the 3s coach to send me a few high bombs and long running passes before the match so I'm not completely bricking it!

Flanker will wait I think!

Yeah it was just a friendly thankfully. Good luck buddy! Don't be afraid to cut in off your wing in attack if the ball isn't getting out to you. Most of all just enjoy yourself!

Well guys let's start this weekend's reflections here. After a superb day last week it was back to square zero. First up, I was slotted into the second row; neck, shoulders and back all aching today. Secondly we lost a game we could have won. No funny anecdotes (are they ever?), no pithy moments from which to draw moral guidance, I never even had a drink afterwards. It was a game of rugby, and people on the sidelines said it was good to watch but we lost and with a bit more commitment and desire we could have won. I think I need to (a) put in some training time this week
(b) have a "wee word or two" with one or two people before the next match.

jimbopip wrote:Well guys let's start this weekend's reflections here. After a superb day last week it was back to square zero. First up, I was slotted into the second row; neck, shoulders and back all aching today. Secondly we lost a game we could have won. No funny anecdotes (are they ever?), no pithy moments from which to draw moral guidance,  I never even had a drink afterwards. It was a game of rugby, and people on the sidelines said it was good to watch but we lost and with a bit more commitment and desire we could have won. I think I need to (a) put in some training time this week
(b) have a "wee word or two" with one or two people before the next match.

It's interesting monitoring the commitment levels of different members of a squad. We have 50 players this week across our three teams yet at training this week I saw 30 total, across the two days. I think a dozen came both times. I would have thought turnout to be better than that!

Our 1st team is doing well in the league - they got beat last week so dropped down from 2nd to 4th but just 2 points separates 1st to 4th.

As for our 3rd team ... last week was cancelled so here I am a week later getting pumped for the same runthrough tomorrow - early KO, asked to do some catching practice before the match, I think I'm on the wing but at training last night I started to naturally follow ruck ball and go for turnovers. Depending on how tomorrow goes I might ask to run out at flank some time soon.

Good luck again mate and anyone else lacing their boots this weekend!

Back on the pitch today, looking to put a big performance in to get over my last match. League game today, haven't seen a team sheet yet but I've seen that the firsts have taken some of our star players because of injuries so it'll need to be a good team performance. I'm pretty sure I'm back at 9 again which I couldn't be happier about!

Blue sky, sun shining and onto the rugby pitch with your mates - what Saturdays are all about