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Peter Burge (5)
Brothers vs Bond 20/07/24: So, I was sent to sit with the Brothers supporters by a spouse who wanted me to shout less and watch more. This is what my experience - as a Bond supporter among the Filth Faithful - played out.
I finally get it. Sure, when you are away at Brothers, the Butchery is loud overpowering and downright intimidating. You know you are in enemy territory. But Brothers fans who travelled to Bond on Saturday held what I saw as a level of decorum, manners and civility that only Japanese rugby fans could match in authenticity.
Great supporting comments for so many of the Brethren plays throughout the game - comments that, I might add, were well-deserved. I was looking for one-sided arrogance and just brainless outbursts. I witnessed / heard none. When it was clear that this might be a pasting, the Brothers fans were measured, polite and well-mannered.
Then came the Bond comeback. Again, supportive comments for Brethren defenders....BUT...some extremely complimentary comments and light applause for Bond plays and players during the final 20 minutes - and excited cheers and applause for THAT post 80th-minute penalty kick.
I get it now. This club - and its followers - intrinsically LOVE the game of rugby as a whole. They love the way it plays and how it swings like a pendulum. They love the highs, lows and everything in between about this game the rest of us purport to love. They love their players, but they also appreciate opposition players. They give credit where credit is due, and they exude a unique culture that is very much their own.
It was a sobering experience for me in more ways than one, and it has given me a more realistic perspective on those who hail from Crosby Park. I actually enjoyed the experience from a Brothers-oriented lilt.
I want to hate Brothers with a vengeance.....and I WILL continue to hate them with a vengeance.....Only I won't mean it, and will secretly admire and congratulate them on their achievements and successes to date.
Congrats on holding out a Bond comeback and all the best for the rest of the season.
I finally get it. Sure, when you are away at Brothers, the Butchery is loud overpowering and downright intimidating. You know you are in enemy territory. But Brothers fans who travelled to Bond on Saturday held what I saw as a level of decorum, manners and civility that only Japanese rugby fans could match in authenticity.
Great supporting comments for so many of the Brethren plays throughout the game - comments that, I might add, were well-deserved. I was looking for one-sided arrogance and just brainless outbursts. I witnessed / heard none. When it was clear that this might be a pasting, the Brothers fans were measured, polite and well-mannered.
Then came the Bond comeback. Again, supportive comments for Brethren defenders....BUT...some extremely complimentary comments and light applause for Bond plays and players during the final 20 minutes - and excited cheers and applause for THAT post 80th-minute penalty kick.
I get it now. This club - and its followers - intrinsically LOVE the game of rugby as a whole. They love the way it plays and how it swings like a pendulum. They love the highs, lows and everything in between about this game the rest of us purport to love. They love their players, but they also appreciate opposition players. They give credit where credit is due, and they exude a unique culture that is very much their own.
It was a sobering experience for me in more ways than one, and it has given me a more realistic perspective on those who hail from Crosby Park. I actually enjoyed the experience from a Brothers-oriented lilt.
I want to hate Brothers with a vengeance.....and I WILL continue to hate them with a vengeance.....Only I won't mean it, and will secretly admire and congratulate them on their achievements and successes to date.
Congrats on holding out a Bond comeback and all the best for the rest of the season.