Playing rugby this year? POST HERE!
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Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Red Bull said:until you own up to your shortcomings, you can't fix them.Yeah, that clip was better, good leg drive too. Surely you didn't end up scoring the try as well, did you? If you did.....that's very impressive. If not, well....you fucking well should have! :thumb
Well I was busy getting up from that drive - the two blokes who ran it on from my hitup are actually reasonably fast. Therefore my shortcoming is my fitness
Back to business...
I should re-title this thread to "Oh God! What have I done?!!" - today we played Notre Dame down at Blakehurst (only ground they could get at short notice as their normal home venue was booked) which is a goodly drive from this part of Western Sydney. Nevertheless, we got pretty good numbers against what was a youthful (inexperienced) team in their first year of Suburban Rugby. Notre Dame University are a Catholic Uni here in Sydney apparently. As I said, they were youthful and relatively fit so we had to be on our guard for the breakouts, but size was going to be an issue for the lads, in addition to the fact we've got some pretty awesome talent.
Seconds started poorly, failing to make inroads against the vigour of youth, and a mistake led to Notre Dame's first try in Suburban rugby on the expected breakout that their speed provided. However the Renegades hit back with some nice tries and never looked like being headed once the set piece got into gear. Still, the Notre Dame boys made some nice passages of play to keep a respectable loss of 29-21 (5 tries to 3 - their kicker was quite good). I'll say it again, fitness is the key for them rolling a few teams in this comp. They've definitely got the right attitude.
I was standing with the other reserves for Seconds, minding my own business, when the First Grade head coach taps me on the shoulder. "No props have shown up for First Grade. Do you want 1 or 3?"
:-\
Now at this point I know the guys we're playing aren't going to be crash-hot at scrum time, but its still been many moons since I packed a scrum. Also a daunting prospect is a few of the Firsts pack have played a LOT of rugby at higher levels than Subbies 5th Div (including Kiwi rep sides), and I might look like an idiot in front of them having stuck my hand up for prop. So like an idiot would, I say "Loosehead will be just fine thanks Muzza" and smile broadly. Then I go get the brown undies and think about the nearest chemist I'll need to pick up something stronger than Deep Heat for Sunday morning.
I should add I haven't trained for three weeks due to injury and/or being sick enough (phlegm custard in my lungs and nasal passages) to take time off work this week, and this doesn't help the fact that I'm still barge-arsed and aerobically about as fit as Oprah Winfrey.Still, I decide that as my season goal of starting Second Grade front rower is already exceeded (even if I'm in it by default) then I might as well go in boots and all.
The game itself was bloody exhausting - I spent a lot of time walking, coughing up phlegm and leaning on rucks and trying not to point out the ref's errors
. And, due to both backlines having early season rust, there were a LOT of scrums due to knocks-on and forward passes. The kid opposite me was actually softer than I am and I managed to keep it over him most of the game. Something changed early in the second half and he had a couple of good hits on me and got the points decision in about two scrums I can remember - I found out later that they were ignoring the substitution rules and had interchanged one of their locks who had enjoyed his rest and came on to give them a hand pushing. Their blindside flanker was also much better at shoving than their openside.But by far the most satisfying moment was the 8-man shove we put past them midway through the second half when their flyhalf had knocked on in-goal. We drove them back to the line, I came up on the loosehead side, and our 8 picks it up and dives over. Besides that, I ran the ball once (with offload) and made a tackle and helped our hooker start a maul that, on its way to the line collapsed on my left leg. We won 43-20 (7 tries to 2 - again, their kicker nailed everything).
So the Renegades get off to a good start with a bonus-point win in both grades - currently leading First Grade on differential and third in Seconds. But I'm not sure I'll be sticking my hand up for First Grade prop against some of the better sides in the comp the way I feel now (or tomorrow) - the guys playing for Fairvale and Lane Cove will have better scrums than Notre Dame...
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
And just in case no-one believes me, its a record of fact
http://www.rugby.net.au/game.asp?game=82131&comp=1778&orgid=7
http://www.rugby.net.au/game.asp?game=82131&comp=1778&orgid=7
Virgil
Larry Dwyer (12)
NTA said:And just in case no-one believes me, its a record of fact
http://www.rugby.net.au/game.asp?game=82131&comp=1778&orgid=7
Got you playing prop now Nick, the answer perhaps to OZ's propping woes
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Now I remembered the point I was going to make:
Also worth mentioning that just before this ankle problem I'd been experiencing numbness in the groin area and around the back passage as well, so don't give yourself splinters scratching your head about why physios do what they do
Also worth mentioning that just before this ankle problem I'd been experiencing numbness in the groin area and around the back passage as well, so don't give yourself splinters scratching your head about why physios do what they do
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Training last night - pitch has about an inch of water on it and drainage there is bad. There is also this tufty grass everywhere that you could cut yourself on or at least roll an ankle in the wet.
And I've been told that I'm starting loosehead prop this weekend for First Grade again...
And I've been told that I'm starting loosehead prop this weekend for First Grade again...
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Today we beat Norwest in both grades - 20-12 for 2nds (4 tries to 2) and 52-10 in Firsts (about 8 tries to 1). Scrum was tougher this week as I predicted but I was much better prepared. I got nailed completely on one scrum but mostly got the better of it. Besides that, we dominated at lineout time (I was lifting at 3) but need to work more on our rucks. Ran the ball a couple of times from memory and knocked on once as I was preparing to clean up but got a pop pass instead. Which was OK because at the resulting scrum we totally dicked them. edit: made two tackles as well which I think is a record for me
My proudest moment today was at halftime - the coach wanted to sub in two new props to give everyone a run but the skipper (also hooker and ex-NPC lower division player) said we deserved another 5-10 minutes. Pretty high praise I thought, considering the THP ready to come on was actually the guy who propped First Grade last year in their undefeated run.
The funnier story today was our old foes Bankstown - they went down to 6th Division (after apparently asking to go up to 4th and getting laughed at) and played their first game this week after a bye last week. They're usually pretty strong at home but got dusted by Rockdale 25-12 - the irony being Rockdale dropped from 5th to 6th Div because of lack of players :lmao:
I can start to feel the fitness taking hold but because I'm still a bit sick I've now got a godawful sore throat (could have been the yelling too) that I hope clears up next week. Training Wednesday followed by Roseville on Saturday at their place. I hear they have a bit of skill due to their ranks being swelled by ex-GPS players, but considering they got smashed by Norwest last week (34-14 Firsts and 29-10 Seconds) I don't hold many fears. Away games are always tough.
So now the ladders look like this:
FIRST GRADE: http://www.rugby.net.au/ladder.asp?comp=1778&OrgID=7
SECOND GRADE: http://www.rugby.net.au/ladder.asp?comp=1780&OrgID=7
First and second respectively on points for/against
I'm fucked. Bed time.
edit: made two tackles as well which I think is a record for me My proudest moment today was at halftime - the coach wanted to sub in two new props to give everyone a run but the skipper (also hooker and ex-NPC lower division player) said we deserved another 5-10 minutes. Pretty high praise I thought, considering the THP ready to come on was actually the guy who propped First Grade last year in their undefeated run.
The funnier story today was our old foes Bankstown - they went down to 6th Division (after apparently asking to go up to 4th and getting laughed at) and played their first game this week after a bye last week. They're usually pretty strong at home but got dusted by Rockdale 25-12 - the irony being Rockdale dropped from 5th to 6th Div because of lack of players :lmao:
I can start to feel the fitness taking hold but because I'm still a bit sick I've now got a godawful sore throat (could have been the yelling too
) that I hope clears up next week. Training Wednesday followed by Roseville on Saturday at their place. I hear they have a bit of skill due to their ranks being swelled by ex-GPS players, but considering they got smashed by Norwest last week (34-14 Firsts and 29-10 Seconds) I don't hold many fears. Away games are always tough.So now the ladders look like this:
FIRST GRADE: http://www.rugby.net.au/ladder.asp?comp=1778&OrgID=7
SECOND GRADE: http://www.rugby.net.au/ladder.asp?comp=1780&OrgID=7
First and second respectively on points for/against
I'm fucked. Bed time.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Actually today I'm not as bad as last week, where it was the first time I'd played prop for ages. We were playing against men and not boys this week but the muscles aren't in as much shock. The neck is a bit stiff but the back is generally OK except where I copped a knee. Other than that (and the coughing up heaps of phlegm) I'm as sound as a pound.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Smart arse eh?Interesting day here in Sydney for suburban rugby - its been raining a fair bit (as I write this its hammering down... and now its stopped) so it was no surprise when our club secretary rang the opposition (Roseville) that their ground was closed. We already knew our ground had been closed (both are owned by the local council - poofs) and were resigned to not playing tomorrow. Then we contacted the competition admin and they were surprised to hear Roseville had called it off, because their council had not closed the ground at all, and its not the club's call! So back on the phone and a few news updates and SMS later we're back on for tomorrow!
8)
Going to be damp underfoot so we'll look to grind it out in the forwards I reckon.
In a slight downer, at training on Wednesday night it was confirmed that one of last year's regular first grade props (TH) was going to play on the weekend. In addition, the rather large lad from Parramatta premier grade who showed at one of our trial games was there (LH). So that's me out of a job as far as First Grade goes :-\
But the Second Grade coach isn't sure just who will show up for his lot, so I am almost guaranteed a starting spot at prop or hooker there - especially after the recent credit I racked up propping First Grade ;D
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