Season Opening – Ladies Day Wrap Up
Ladies day
Mother Nature tried to ruin the day but the UCS spirit shone through unlike the sun. This spirit was helped by the 174 bottles of fizz, nearly 300 pints of beer and lots of jelly shots. Well done to everyone who brought people down to enjoy the day, all of those who helped to clear up and tidy throughout the night. I am not going to name everyone who helped out as I am sure I will forget people and don’t want to offend. On behalf of the club I would like to say a big thank you. Events like this require everyone to muck in and pull their weight. It makes me very proud that as a club we do that. There are two people who without their hard work none of this would have happened. Dave Bromley and Will Collier our joint social secs. Their organisation prior to the event and on the day was magnificent and made the whole event another one to go down in the annals of UCS folklore. Well done both of you and speaking on behalf of the club I can’t wait for Captain’s cocktails.
Match Photos
For all photos look at the UCS OB RFC Facebook group
UCS OB RFC 19 vs Hendon RFC 10
Henky steaming through Hendon
On a day of wet and windy conditions UCS were given their first real taste of what standard we will need to play at this season.
After a slight delay in play the old boys were put under some serious pressure as Hendon put together probably the longest set of error free phases in the game. This set the tone for UCS’s performance as through some gritty defensive work we held out for the time being.
The game continued in disarray with a try from the opposition soon being cancelled out by a great Will Jones try in the corner which was smartly converted by Lloyd Hughes. The half ended with scores at 7-5 to UCS with the team feeling we had a lot more to offer.
The second half started with the wind and slope in UCS’s favour and some intelligent kicking from Nat Breakwell and Elliott Duke keeping the team playing in the right areas. Eventually that pressure paid off after a good break from Gwyn Edwards was finished yet again by Will Jones.
Shortly after Gwyn himself was rewarded, after putting in a great shift all day, by pouncing like a welsh ninja upon a loose ball in the opposition’s in-goal.
The final 20 minutes of the half was dominated territorially by Hendon with a sturdy UCS defence only leaking the one try. This was in part due to some experimentation by our coaches attempting to work out our perfect 9,10,12 combinations.
“Overall a good performance and a good win in tricky conditions but I think the team was left feeling like we still have a lot more to give. “ Said Tom Arnold 1XV Captain
Tom Arnold
Warner, Ghanem, Henk, Zabci, Pope, Jones, Filip, Bean, Breakwell, Arnold, Coates, Edwards, Lloyd Hughes, Boyles, Duke, Abrahams, Oulton, Collier
2XV v Old Albanians
2nd XV team – Ladies day 2016
Date: 10 September
Team:UCS OB 2nd XV
Opposition: Old Albanians 4th
Score: 56 to 10 win for UCS OB
Man of Match: Dave O’Dwyer
Jedi: James Boxer
Tries: Sam Turton x 2, Boxer, Penman 2, Jacobs, Grace 2, + ? Tom Curtis to be confirmed
Penalties: –
Conversions: Boxer x 8 (100%!) or could it be 9
Dropkicks: –
With the wondrous and mysterious scent of romance in the air on another fine ladies day, the UCS OB 2nd XV turned out for the first home game of the season. As a captain, you can have no finer Selection challenge than to have a set of backs who could all have easily graced the 1st XV and it was our backs who were to prove the key difference in a hard fought encounter.
The opposition pack were definitely born when beef was cheap and they gave us some real challenges in the scrum by certainly providing us with a lesson in Newtons second law of motion.
Put simply for Geoffrey Boxer the mass and force created in a straight line by the OAs pack was greater than ours for the first 40 minutes. In fact, the scrum was a battle all day. However, buoyed by the heavy words of our Pack Leader David ‘Chaos’ Cohen we finally gained parity if not the upper hand towards the end of the match.
It is a rare mountain orchid of a game when the backs dictate the outcome so clearly. Time and again the pack urged themselves up from a defensive scrum to find our own backs with the ball. What sweet alchemy were in those backs’ hands on Saturday I do not know.
Dave O’Dwyer was the heartbeat of the game for UCS; he constantly challenged the opposition line and was a pyrotechnical general to the forwards. Dave was a well-deserved man of the match.
James Boxer was also excellent in open play and led the backs with beauty and tyranny in a glorious oxymoronic symphony. Tackles, sleight of hand and a kicking display which made the great Jonny Wilkinson weep over his afternoon tea and cakes. James kicked every single conversion for a stupendous 100% record. It was not however his physical prowess that won him the Jedi award but a great act of sportsmanship in the second half where he reversed a penalty to the opposition which we had been awarded. James Boxer has had his fair share of run ins with referees such is his passion for the game. It was therefore a great paradox for him to win the Jedi award. To me this would be the equivalent of Attila the Hun taking up flower arranging and winning the Nobel peace prize.
Matt Jacobs was an absolute Field Marshall in Midfield, with his structure and great understanding of the game the defensive line was never broken all day. He rounded off an all-round performance with a sumptuous try for himself. It was a glorious pass in the second half, off his weaker hand, that made the goddess of rugby tremble at the knees as it drifted in the autumn air to dissect the opposition and produce a try of great substance. Jack Penman runs like the wind and had an excellent game on Saturday; a brace of tries were run in with such ease. His trigonometric angles of running are all the more pleasing when exacted at such pace. Jack is a great find for UCS this season and I expect to see him in the 1s.
Sarrami, whose blood is of the mighty Persian empire, did not disappoint and on another day he may have had a brace of tries himself had a few more passes gone to hand. The great honour of Xerxes is intact with this fine young man.
Double Doble made some excellent runs again from fullback and was a great sport to play for 20 minutes for the opposition as well. Jonno continues to impress with his ball skills and hopefully his hurty knee is now fully recovered so we can see his silky skills over a sustained period. I expect great things from this Aussie paring this year.
Our back replacements in the second half did nothing to diminish our excellence. At 38 James Gross has the pace of a young lion and he destroyed the opposition defence on a number of occasions in the second half for 2 tries of his own. I could swear I saw the opposition full back raise a muddied white flag in desperate surrender after the second 50 metre run from Gross.
Tom Curtis from Bristol showed some exquisite handling in the wet conditions. Such a shame he is western bound once more and not available each week. You are always welcome on the fields of West Hampstead. Tom I believe you scored a great try as well which seems to have been lost on the scoresheet. Please confirm and I will make sure this injustice is corrected!
Sam Turton once a gargantuan force in the forwards again showing his training in the STS (Special Tackle Service) was well worth it. We will miss him greatly as he heads to Bath to continue with his education and no doubt to break the hearts of many a fine maiden. In a hard fought first 20 minutes of a rugby cold war he created a delicious détente with a steal and try completely of his own making followed by a second try resulting from pure and simple pace. May the road rise to meet you young man as you head off to university.
Alex Michaelson was no less influential in the back row and is another great find from the UCS OB blue-blooded rugby line. I am impressed by this young man’s rugby wit and sportsmanship already.
Between these 2 roses in the back row we had the welsh dragon that is personified in the body of a man. I have it that Jonny Harper trains in the darkest hours whilst thunder rumbles and lightning sparks on a specially designed treadmill so great is his ability to pick up a ball whilst moving backwards in the scrum.
We welcomed Will O’Bree to the hallowed UCS turf this weekend in the footsteps that his father once trod. Yet another welcome addition whose pace and vim lit up the second half. He was cruelly dragged down when so close to the try line. I understand that Geoff Boxer knows Will’s dad. Can you please pass on our apologies to your dad as I am sure he is scarred by this previous acquaintance with Geoff?
At lock Sam Brown is quickly responding after 5 years out of the game. Strong rangy and a fine tackler he will not be in the 2s for long. One tackle in particular in the first half ‘ooed the air with ahs’.
Ricky Cohen’s sabbatical in the rugby wilderness has not dimmed his strength and he made a fine impact to the game with vigorous strength in the scrum and some fine runs through midfield. We do hope to see more of the Cohen/Cohen Axis this season. (I am not entirely sure they need to share one towel between them each week however!)
Benny, showed great fortitude in agreeing to run out for the 2s having already played 60 minutes that day. He had a humdinger of a battle with the opposition prop and came out bloody but not quelled.
Dave Cohen can be forgiven for aiding and abetting the mercurial Jacobs in a d**k if the day performance that was marked for its ebullience. How Jacobs could butcher a 47-man overlap only to fire a dubious pass inside to captain chaos Cohen who knocked on when totally open to score is beyond comprehension. The game was already won so its mirth was a welcome result. Cohen led the pack brilliantly on Saturday and was a rock in the scrum. I need not say more.
Our Vice Captain Marco was full of Mexican charm as was as accurate as always in the line out. His support play was exceptional and this was a great start for his first game as vice-captain. I expect great things as he picks up the captaincy for this weekend’s game. Quiet, unassuming rugby class.
Si un hombre corazón podría ser juzgado por hechos tranquilos este hombre sería un Dios entre los hombres.
It would be wrong of me not to mention Nico as well. He was a true rugby gent on Saturday. His heart wished him to play on Saturday but due to a late injury scare he stepped aside to allow others to play. In this act alone he personified the spirit we need this season to succeed.
If you scored on Saturday for 2s of if I have missed a try please can you correct me so that I might right this wrong?
The season has commenced well but one swallow doesn’t make a spring. Take this passion and heart with you into next week fine men.
Chappers
Vets v Ealing Vets
Vets XV – Ladies Day 2015
The UCSOB Vets/Occasionals took to the field for the first time this season on Saturday, and didn’t disappoint. Despite missing many of their stalwarts, they pulled off an impressive 36-10 win, thanks in no small part to the bolstering they received from several debutants and other returning club players, and to the fact that the captain didn’t play.
Starting the game with the famous slope in our favour, it wasn’t long before the weight of possession (and weight in general) bore fruit. A beat double act from club sponsors LendInvest saw Ian Thomas go on a junking run, take the ball into contact and recycle it to David Serafini, who powered through/flopped over for the opening score.
The second try wasn’t far behind, but I don’t want to dwell too much on the scores and scorers, partly because I can’t remember, and partly because I’m pretty sure Gideon got one.
Wayne Earle had a storming game in the centres, fed by debutant Keir Chastney at 10. Jimmy Irwin was everywhere in a fantastic 80min appearance at blindside, ably supported by Nick Milner, Bard, Jimmy Raftery and possibly someone else at back row – we had a squad of 25, so it was hard to keep track.
The scrum as a whole was rock solid throughout, in fact – Jack Boulden and Trever Turton at second row, Tom Curtis and JP at hooker (not at the same time – two men at hooker is for tour, not ladies day), and Serafini, Bennie Nze and the actual Rock at prop.
Tim Austin played very well at 9, scoring an excellent try. James Gross played very well at 9, scoring an excellent try. Do you see why I’m struggling on detail? Please make allowances for age.
Dan Stewart, remarkably, didn’t score, as far as I can remember, but he and the returning Tom Loughnan shared the 15 jersey with aplomb. Dave Bromley produced his trademark strong running from the middle, Harry Greenall had some excellent moments on the wing, including a majestic leaving of the ball through his legs which had us all convinced he was trying to pick it up and just made a complete balls-up of it.
Speaking of balls-ups, Chastney’s butchering of an overlap towards the end of the game was notable, mainly because he clearly couldn’t bear to put friend and business partner Giles Tagg in for what would have been a simple finish. Amusing, and I can’t remember if the dirty pint he had to drink was for Dick of the Day or Man of the Match.
Alex “Bruce” Li also rolled back the years and played very well on the other wing. I’m so glad he rescinded his decision to hang up his boots. Chris Harris casually paused flipping burgers in order to smash the dregs of resistance out of Ealing, who it should be noted were a nice bunch.
Have I forgotten anyone? Well, I may never forget Adam Hirshovits’s barnstorming cameo on the wing, nor Raftery’s advice after a spectacular missed tackle: “Next time, get in front of him and tackle him”.
Thanks Jim.
Training
Training continues evert Tuesday and Thursday from 7pm.
Teamer
Anyone not getting teamer invites by text or app notification needs to contact Gideon via email. Everyone should download the app if they can – it works better and saves the club money.