MATCH Report for Saturday 8th December

Grasshoppers 10 Imperial Medicals 25

A defeat! On a wet gale force-like windy day in Teddington, Hoppers II came a disappointing second to sprightly Imperial Medics. Despite forward dominance, Hoppers did not take advantage of the elements in the first half and paid the price for sloppy defending and poor decision making in the second. Medics are a well drilled side and on the day, deserved the win. They have a fine set of backs - who to be honest, won the game for them.  Hoppers lost 25 - 10. I will not bore you with a blow by blow account of the whole game, instead, just a few moments of magic…

Our first score - a line out on the Medics 22. Tomsk ordered a 4 ball - considering the windy conditions, it was an ambitious call. Not a problem - a confident throw and up leapt Tomsk - trundle, trundle went the pack. Medics had no answer to this and within 1m, Jon 'meato' Fletcher pounced and dotted down for a well worked try. 10 - 5 and the Ref blew for half time. The second half - Hoppers faced the wind. Only one score in it and the decision was made to keep it tight so. But too many uncharacteristic errors gifted Medics the ball for their skilful 10 to drill it long and ease the pressure.

In 2003, England traveled down under and took on the mighty Wallabies. We all know the red rose triumphed, but what was so memorable, was a 40 yard catch and drive that was cut short only inches from the try line. What I witnessed against a spirited Imperial Medics, brought back fond memories of that day in Melbourne.

On the half way - YES the half way!!! Young Cockers arrowed the pill to Skipper Tomsk. The support was there, the ball secure. On the call of legs, shoulders, knees, sink, shoulders, knees, toes…I can't remember the command but it's along those lines - the green and black packed tightly together, superbly bossed by scrum half Sammy Keen , the Hoppers juggernaut began its journey into folklore. The first 10 yards looked like a sprint, such was the strength and control. 20 yards made - wee Norman Curtin was screaming for quick release - the backs had a call, the forwards had other ideas. 30 yards, Medics were shell shocked. Their lumpy loose head dived in from the side and Big Joe Deucher and Mad Matt Kelly dished out pie to ensure he would think again. 40 yards, It was on for sure. The line was calling, the pack was knackered. Tomsk popped his head up to get his bearings. Sammy Keen boomed - "Heave, get your f**king head in there".  5 yards out and Medics piled in - desperate to shut up shop. The drive slowed down. Medics once again dived in from the side, Hoppers once again dished out the pie, dug deep and squeezed. Over the line! As the tangle of bodies unwrapped themselves off the floor, a very tired looking Jon 'meato' Fletcher emerged from the bottom - ball in hand. The Ref raised his arm to signal a mighty, unbelievable score.

Hoppers forward dominance in the line out was matched in the scrum. The front row union of MacManus, Coakely and Fletch, pounded their opposites into submission. Tommy Medcroft and Tomsk Barber in the engine room not only had fun in the line out, snatching ball at will, they imposed themselves in the loose. The back 3 of  Matty Kelly, Joe Deucher and debutant Matt Turk, put in the hard graft, clearing up and carrying the pill for serious yardage. And so they set up a nice platform for Sammy Keen - in for the injured Drew. Sam punches well above his weight and found holes on the fringes time after time. Wee Norman Curtin fizzed the ball well from 10 to Granddad Connie Curtin and Alex Ozzy Osbourne and the back three of Glen, Gez and Nicky had their work cut out chasing the delicate chips and grubbers from the Medics. Call ups and Injuries to the Hoppers squad have clearly upset the rhythm and the necessary changes may have unsettled one or two players. But there's no use dwelling on that missed kick or tackle - The spirit and dog in the side is massive and Hoppers II's will ensure normal service is resumed come the following Saturday…

Scoop.

MATCH Report for Saturday 1st December

Grasshoppers 2nds 38 – Hammersmith and Fulham 3

What a performance. Once again Hoppers stepped up a gear and outplayed and outfought a determined Hammers. The game was a must win for the men in green and black. Skipper Tomsk bossed his troops a good hour before kick. It's said the Battle of Waterloo was fought and won on the playing fields of Eton. This game was certainly won in that crucial hour spent warming up together on the hallowed turf of Macfarlane Lane.  It created powder keg atmosphere and Hoppers would not take a backward step today.

Clearly, Hammers had beefed up their pack - their  second rows loomed large and the front row tried to look mean. Hammers kicked deep and straight from the off, Hoppers secured excellent clean ball for Philly Stark to call the shots. Scoop, show and go was the order of the day with Matty Kelly, Rhuri 'peg seller' MacManus and Pete 'hippy' Moore snaking the ball up the park. Quick ball demanded by Starkey and Drew obliged. With time and space, the pill was hoofed into the corner. A line out to Hammers on the 22 and it felt good. The ball was safely secured by Hammers and they looked to drive. Their 9 spotted space on the blind and went - all of 6 yards before being dumped into touch by Joe 'Phil Vickery' Deucher and Drew. The line out went Hoppers way. The ball found 'Granddad' Connie, making a welcome return at 12, who popped to Matty 'Leg-end' Dawson. Hammers closed up shop and would not let Hoppers cross the gain line. No ground made and a scrum awarded to Hammers just outside the 22. A mighty wind assisted hoof put Hoppers on the back foot and so set the pattern of play for the first 20 mins - Hoppers making ground, Hammers forcing the turnover and kicking for territory. Hoppers then taking the ball back up the park…You get the picture!

The Deadlock was broken by Tommy 'BIG plum' East. Playing on the wing, he scorched in from the right to intercept a lobbed pass and was away - a good 60 yard dash and dot down put Hoppers 5 - nil up. An easy extra from Starkey increased to 7-nil. Minutes later, disaster struck. Philly Stark put in a massive hit on the Hammers loose head. Starkey's hand was in  the wrong place at the wrong time and the mighty stand-off reeled in pain after contact. Stepping over the dumped prop, he was obviously not in a good way. But the dog inside Philly forced him to valiantly carry on and continue to direct play and put his body on the line for a try saving tackle.

The battle cry of "come on you pu***s", once again echoed around the park. Big Matt Kelly and the dynamic Joe Deucher pealed themselves off drives and found the holes in the now frail defense. Momentum carried the pack for serious yardage, giving Drew the opportunity to roll back the years back and snipe the fringes. The gain line was crossed and support was there in abundance. Alex Ozzy Osborne, Granddad and Rhuri Mac - all lining up to take the pop. 10 yards out, an inside pass from Drew to Ozzy, another 5 yards made, the line ever closer. Big Joe Deucher secured and barreled over, taking a few hangers on in the process. A well deserved score - a missed conversion left Hoppers 12 up. It must be noted that Matty Clarke, having a barnstormer of a game in the front row, admitted afterwards he 'tickled' the opposition into submission just before Big Joe scored. A reliable witness confirms Matt's version of 'tickling' is very much a northern thing!

Hammers rallied and enjoyed a 5 min purple patch. They had the chance to score but the edgy defensive line held out. Unfortunately, Hoppers were too slow retreating and the Ref blew. Only 8 yards out, Hammers opted for an easy 3. Testament to the defensive work put in on the training paddock!  Hammers kicked the 3 and the whistle went for half time and a much needed rest. Phil Stark was finished - a broken hand was later diagnosed. Wee Jas 'Norman' Curtin slotted into 10 - giving a debut SIMMS player Nicky Irvine at 15.

The second half and Hoppers had the benefit of the wee slope and sun. Hammers too had made changes - their dangerous 9 had left the park with a shoulder injury, forcing a reshuffle. A long kick and Hoppers forced a sliced clearance kick to touch. 10 yards out and Hoppers sensed a score. Text book catch and drive, squeeze left, then right and heave. Matty Clarke wrapped up the pill, head down at the base, ready to pounce. Only 3 yards out and quick as a flash, Drew scooped the ball from under Matt's nose and darted for the line. A desperate tackle but the strength of Drew ensured the score. Granddad took over the kicking duties and slotted an inch perfect 2 points from the corner flag. 19 - 3.

Minutes later and Hoppers found themselves on the 10 yard line once again. Superb work from 'Hair bear' Dave North jumping at 2 , leaping like a salmon - another drive and heave-ho to 4 yards out.  This time, it was Big Joe's turn to get his grubby mitts on the pill - and no cheeky scrum half was going to take this scoring opportunity away. Showing footwork Jason Robinson would be proud of, Joe pealed away and jinked his way over. Granddad stepped up and bulleted over the extras from the touch line - top kicking. 26 - 3.

A knock to the leg or old age put paid to Drew carrying on and on came Sam Keen for his debut. Sam made an immediate impact - his excellent dead-eye passing and turn of pace, prompted the already boisterous balcony to a chorus of approval. With Hoppers running at will, it was not a question of if but when would the their next score come from. The SIMMS connection was working over time, Sammy Keen hooking up with Nic Irvine several times on the blind. Another change, and on came Henry Montgomery Smith for Hippy Moore at 7. Debutant Big Monty relished the contact and space in which to run. On came Tomo Dixon for Ozzy Osborne on the wing.

With 15 minutes of play remaining and the light fading fast, Irvine crossed the white wash. Sterling work from Matt Coakers and Hair bear in the tight on the half-way gifted Sammy Keen with time and space on the right. Showing bags of gas he evaded the cover and popped to Nic Irvine who ran in from 30 yards. No extras this time. 31-3. Hammers did not give up and their fighting spirit, which had seen them dominate the league over the years, shone through. They forced Hoppers onto the back foot but could not sustain the pressure. Camped on the 5 yard line, a score for the red and blues looked good as the ball was moved across wing to wing. The defense stood firm with Tomsk and Kelly shouting the orders. A loose pass in the centers and Hoppers were gifted a breather. Jas cleared and placed the ball on the 10 yard line.

Minutes left, tired legs all round. A stolen lineout and Hoppers trundled up the park. The backs were crying out for quick release. It comes - lightening ball to Jase, to Granddad, back inside to Monty and yardage made to the 22 - in front of the sticks. Quick ball down the right, Tommy East screams in as a dummy runner but the ball finds Matty Dawson on the switch. Matty takes the contact. Rhuri Peg Seller drives over - knocking back 3 Hammers. Tomsk and Big Joe pick and drive, heading from the right towards the sticks. 5 yards out and Jase sets himself to receive. He has runners outside. Sammy Keen looks up, it's on, he dummies to Jase, a wee show and go and pops up the pill for Matty Cockers to crashes over! Unbelievable!!! An easy 2 points and the final score is 38-3.

A fantastic performance that should have yielded more points. Not to worry, the fine tuning is working and competition for places is giving Skipper Tomsk a welcome headache.  Grumpy Mick is still injured and is getting grumpier by the day. Big bad Ben Winslade is on holibobs but next week see's the return of Matty Fatty Denby and Tommy Medcroft. The II's march on with the promise of more fireworks to come.

Scoop.

2nd Team MATCH Report for Saturday 24thNovember

Grasshoppers 2nds 15 – Old Actonions 0

…Don't be fooled by the score. On a frosty afternoon in dark, damp Acton, Hoppers played some of best rugby all season. The pack was monstrous in all they did. Quick clean ball was served up on a plate for the youthful backline. So many times Hoppers looked certain to cross the white wash, only for the final pass to drift forward or be dropped from icy fingers. Old A's defended brilliantly - they scavenged and forced errors - well played it has to said. But this was Hoppers day.

Old A's kicked off and straight away gained the upper hand with a scrum due to a Teflon like catch. Their large pack looked down on the talented front row union of Gobby Joe, Young Coakers and Jon ' Meato' Fletcher. It looked very much like David and Goliath and Old A's clearly fancied their chances. The scrums collided and immediately the team wearing blue were shunted backwards into a heap. Old A's nine scrambled the ball away just in time to the 10 who retreated, ball in hand, and was swallowed up by messes Matty 'leg-end' Dawson and Alex 'Ozzy' Osbourne. More A's joined in from the side - the Ref was unsighted and a verbal volley from Drew gifted Old A's a penalty - after stern words from the Ref. Fortunately they missed!  

Hoppers composed themselves and eased their back way up the park. From left to right, right to left the pack crept with wee Gobby Joe and mouthy Matt Kelly picking and driving en route. Numerous sorties into Old A's 22 were snuffed out due to a missed pass or a knock on. The pressure applied by Hoppers was brewing. A 5 yard scrum and you could hear Old A's creak and squeal. Kelly scooped up the pill and charged for the line. He made it with 3 defenders clinging on. An easy kick for Philly Stark and Hoppers were 7 nil up.  

Straight from the kick off, quick ball found Tito on the wing. An excellent jink inside the Old A's cover and space was found for Jason Norm Wisdom Curtin, galloping in from full back to take an exquisite pass. Like sh*t of a shovel he ran for the line - with just the full back to beat a try was on the cards -BUT NOOOO! - Norm opted to pass back to Tito who darted for the corner. Bugger, the full back caught him. Old A's kicked to touch - only for the Hoppers back 3 of Tommy Dixon, Norm Curtin and Tito to run the ball back at will. Philly Stark, having his best game for a long time, also found space behind the defensive line with accurate hoofing of the ball to the corners. Throughout the first half, Hoppers found the real-estate but could not turn the pressure into points.  

A scrum to Old A's on their 22. The men in green and black, prepared for another shunt and steal. Old A's open side was not a happy chappy. Just as he packed down, he screamed - "come on A's, we are bigger than them". "You're right" Drew muttered, "but we are technically better than you…"

Half time and Hoppers itched for the restart and the pill. They didn't have long to wait and soon found themselves, ball in hand, marching up the park - de ja vu perhaps. Whatever it was,  Hoppers set up camp on the 5 yard line but were unable to cross it. Old A's kicked long and forced Hoppers into a miss kick into touch on the half way. The resulting line out was a surprise…Old A's resorted to 5-men line outs to counter the pressure from Skipper Tomsk and Denby. It worked and they won ball. The renewed confidence sprung life into the Old A's backs  forcing Matty Dawson and Alex 'Ozzy' Osbourne to stay big in the tackle. These two lads from SIMMS are playing some excellent rugby and are a great addition on and off the park. Any student who buys a jug is okay by Scoop and the team ;-) The Hoppers back row of Kelly, Rhuri Mac and Pete Hippy Moore, scavenged and fought throughout. The feisty Rhuri Mac, time and time again was popping up in the centers was making holes and creating platforms for Big Matt Denby to burst through. It was impressive stuff and Old A's did not like it.

With a Old A's winning their line out, skipper Tomsk made a clever tactical change. Off went the ever green Jon meato Fletcher for a well deserved rest and on came BIG Matty Clarke. Not only did he add bulk to the already outstanding scrum, he ensured we got back on top in the line outs. Fresh legs always help pick up the tempo and Clarky's presence breathed life into the pack. Green ball all the way! One excellent move saw Matt Denby steal an excellent line out  ball on the half way. The ball was popped to Drew to Moore to Gobby Joe. Gobby side stepped left, then right, then left and drove forward. The platform was set 10 yards in front of the sticks. Kelly, MacManus and Coakers rucked over, enabling quick ball the Philly Stark. A dummy run from Matty Dawson and ball found Alex. A sexy show and go and he was through. The pill  found Tito out wide on the left. Tito flew to the corner, looking certain to score. But out of know where flew Jas Norm Wisdom Curtin to take a perfect inside floating pass. He steamed in and creamed the 15 to dot down. At last! The missed passes, the teflon-like catching, the knock on's were forgotten. Starky missed the extras - 12 - nil.

From the kick off, Kelly screamed "MY BALL", he caught it and followed up with a battle cry…" COME ONNNNNNNNNN". I have to admit, if you hear this in his broad Irish accent it’s scary stuff. It was like Moses and the Red Sea. Old A's defensive line opened wide and Kelly charged through with Gobby Joe, Denby and Moore in support. The pill found Drew, Starky and Dawson on the burst. Dawson turned in contact, popping to Alex 'Ozzy' Osbourne. A wee jink here, a wee jink there and the white wash was calling - only 10 yards to go. Old A's sensed a score and killed the ball stone dead. An easy 3 points was the order of the day and Starky made sure Hoppers advanced to 15 - nil.

The light faded and the Ref blew time. It wasn't a perfect performance if you look at the result. But it was performance from a team on the rise. The commitment, the dog, the spirit of the Hoppers II XV is fantastic. A wee fine tune here and there and the points will soon be flowing. Next game: Hammersmith and Fulham at home…..Bring it on!!!

Scoop.  

2nd Team Match Report for Saturday 17th November

Grasshoppers 2nds 0 - Civil Service II 22

On cold, dark day, Hoppers faced London Div One's Civil Service, and for 50 minutes - restricted the hosts to just one sortie into Hoppers territory, resulting in a score 5 - nil. Hoppers had their chances, twice Duncan Ribbons, having an excellent game at 9, darted from the base only to be held up. Tom Barber and Matt Kelly's bursting runs forced Civil to make tackle after tackle. Phil Stark - playing superbly at 10 - had Civil on the back foot with his raking touch finders. Matt Dawson and Alex Osborne, playing 12 & 13, made big hit after big hit, giving a text book display of the blitz defense. Young Coakers found his jumpers. Peter Moore, playing 7 but jumping at 2, pinched plenty of ball. The pack found themselves scrumming against a large and experienced side - Hoppers still managed to shove and secure ball when it mattered. Hoppers stepped up to the mark against the Civil monsters - But when faced with a retreating pack - Matt Kelly heroically ensured Duncan got the clean ball Hoppers backs desired. Hats off to the 3 south African lads making their 2s debut in the pack, Jamie having never played prop before put in an awesome game in the scrum and loose, Rudy at 6 grounded the ball on the try line in the first half but the referee was unsighted and James Erasmus playing out of position at lock never stopped all day refusing to go off until an injury proved too much for him. Matty Clarke enjoyed himself, playing out of position at tighthead. When in attack, the pill was passed between forwards and backs like a hot potato. This was sexy support and serious yardage was made - Civil looked shell-shocked - But try as they might,  Hoppers could not cross the white wash.

Duncan was the only casualty on the day. He sustained a nasty gash to the head in the 2nd half and was replaced by Granddad Connie. Judging by Granddads put in, he's obviously been watching rugby league! The enforced change resulted in pressure from Civil. The experienced Civil 8 & 9 attacked the base and made yardage. Granddad made sterling tackles and put his aged body on the line time after time. Gaps out wide were exploited and Civil soon found the overlap and increased their lead. Despite the pressure, Hoppers never gave up. Tom Dixon was unlucky not to pick up the clever grubber kicks poked through by Jez Graves.

Civil are an excellent outfit. They combine agile lumpy forwards with quick-silver backs. It's easy to see why they have flown through the leagues. They were merciless in defense - shutting Hoppers out over and over again. In attack - they found the holes and raised the tempo of the game. Perhaps the league gap was too much for Hoppers to live with? 

The training and commitment of Hoppers cannot be faulted. Yes we came second on the day, but that's it. Hoppers can be proud of the result against a team 3 leagues higher and look forward to their next league encounter -Old Actonians, with heart. It's working on the park - Hoppers II's are finally playing the type of rugby they enjoy. Skipper Tomsk will have his thinking head on for selection - competition for places is hot. This week sees the return of a few familiar faces…the pack can look forward to Griff, Matt Denby & Rhuri Mac. Whilst the backs have Ed Drew, Tito,  Jas'Norman Wisdom' Curtin & Marc Aston. Congratulations to Dave 'Hair Bear' North, Welsh wizard Gerwyn, Tom ' Northern Gravy Loving monkey' Booth & Paul 'rubber ball' Leulusoo who have all recently, been promoted to the ones. Mike' Grumpy' Whitehead is still injured, I pity the opposition when he returns…

 

Scoop

2nd Team Match Report for Saturday 3rd November

Grasshoppers 2nds 24 – Belsize Park 22

The last few weeks, Hoppers II's have performed and played excellent, determined rugby but have still managed to finish in second place. Despite the runner's up label, the camaraderie shown has epitomized the Hoppers spirit of unity - whatever the outcome. We play together, we come second together, we drink together. A happy band of brothers! Imagine the scene, it's world war II, D-Day landings, and you can feel the heat from the German bullets that are whizzing past your ears. You scramble ashore, scared and cold. Inch by inch you drag your tired carcass over the heavy ground, desperate to make yardage. It's time to stand up and be counted, and that is what happened on Nov 3rd 2007 - Hoppers rearguard action will be remembered for a long, long time. All around you lies death. You have trained for this, overcome the pain, the blood, the sweat and the tears…When all of a sudden, your comrade, Matt Kelly, shouts…"come on you pussys" and bulldozers head on into the waiting hordes of the Belsize pack. Whilst another lies motionless on the ground, withered in pain, clutching his chest…"run, save yourselves" he whimpers - okay Mick 'Grumpy' Whitehead didn't say that but it did sound like it. He says he suffered a busted rib - looked more like a heart attack. I hear a rumor he's now getting a pace-maker fitted! Great news cos he'll run faster if he does!

 

The game will be memorable for many reasons. Shockingly, Eddie Drew found a scrum half with a slower pass than he. On the half way, Drew intercepted a pass from the base and side stepped his way up to the 5 yard line only be held back - he popped to Tito the crab who was desperately knocked into touch. When asked why Drew hadn't scored, he spluttered "it was like running in a dream, every step slower and slower". Another fine moment, our first score, Green ball all the up the park ensured excellent field position on the 22m. Hearty runs from the Hoppers pack produced quick ball for Drew who passed to Jason ' Norman Wisdom' Curtin - the wee lad stepped inside the defense and off loaded to Paul 'rubber ball' Leulsoo - who then gave the perfect demonstration of show and go as he sliced through the 12 & 15 to dot down under the sticks. Text book stuff!!

 

This was followed by mammoth defense for 15 minutes, Hoppers found themselves camped in their 22 repelling wave after wave after wave of attacks. Belsize could not cross the white wash and finally, when Hoppers had the pill,  Norman Wisdom drilled it to touch and out of danger. And still they came…The Hoppers back row of Kelly, Winslade and Whitehead fought like beasts all day. Not content with beating up the opposition, Matt Kelly fell on top of Grumpy Whitehead and nearly killed him in the process. To the casual observer - Whitehead was having a heart attack or had been shot or was simply knackered.

 

Belize adopted the tactic of chip and go in an attempt to counter our blitz defense. And to their credit - it worked on occasion - they found the space and the try line. Still Hoppers never say die attitude spured them on. And with Granddad Connie Curtin shouting encouragement, Hoppers clawed their way back into the game.

 

The lead changed hands several times in the most heart breaking fashion. Hoppers looked down and out with only 2 minutes left on the clock - Belsize scored via a very deft chip and chase and lucky bounce. Hoppers dug deep. An excellent kick off and Griff - back playing on the wing, cut across and leapt like a salmon to secure ball for the Green and Black's. Winslade, in like Flynn, took the ball up the middle. A slight of hand off load to Tom Barber who stepped left, then right and popped to Sam Murphy, Luke 'Gripper Stepson' Turner secured. Quick recycled ball to Norman Wisdom Curtin ensured the game was alive and there for the taking - he spotted a tiny gap - and popped inside to Paul 'rubber ball' who side stepped a desperate lunge, he popped a sexy off load to Tito the crab. Quick as flash he broke the tackle and popped to Tommy BIG PLUM East who jolly jigged all the way for the corner, evading 2 defenders en route and dot down the winning score. Tommy Big Plum enjoyed a chequered debut for the 2's - from Zero to Hero with 2 fantastic scores. We had done it!  .

2nd Team Match Report for 27th October 2007

Rosslyn Park 41 Hoppers II's 0

Don't be put off by the result…Hoppers left the field of play at the final whistle heads held high. We competed, we pressured, we played…trouble is, our game plan had a slight flaw….we couldn't score.

Park are easily the best side in the league. They are not a dirty bunch - just hard and aggressive and the game was a pleasure to play at times. This was the strongest II team we have put out this season. But something is still missing….and that's dog. We are too nice. Yes we can play rugby, yes can tackle, yes we win our lineout's, yes we call the ref Sir, yes we look like internationals in our shrink-rap shirts. All counts for nothing if we just stand there and take it. I'm not suggesting we fly in with fists or boots…Just with heart and passion and enjoy the hit, savor the pain.

It was a day to stand up and be counted…the following certainly did…St Mary's student Tom Booth at 7 and the welcome return of Ewan 'Westlife' Browell at 8, punched holes when it mattered. Ger at 10 - tackled his wee welsh heart out. St Mary's student Charlie, on the wing making his debut, had a stunner of a game. This fellow has gas to burn and a nasty side step to match. Skipper Tomsk rallied his troops and lead from the front. Whitehead was his usual grumpy self at 6 and entertained himself with his now famous 'no arms tackling'. Jason 'Norman Wisdom' Kurtin came in the line from 15 to direct the mid field with gusto. Phil Stark and Benny Winslade ran the ball at every opportunity, hunting for space. Granddad Conny Kurtin made good yardage with gut-busting runs from 12 and ex-Richmond player Dave North came on late in the second half at 6 and instantly made a difference with aggressive play and 2 BIG HITS.

But…we lost the game because Park are a very good team with balls! Their backrow in particular relished the contact areas. They punched and carried and created excellent 2nd, 3rd and 4th phase ball for the 9 - who was arguably their weak link. It didn't matter - the momentum created did the damage and they supported unbelievably well in the loose. It was 20 minutes into the 2nd half before Hoppers had a scrum; such was the mistake -free rugby being played by Park. When Hoppers did get their hands on the pill…we couldn't finish off the move. A final pass forward or turnover, frustrating the hard graft being put in by messes Tom, Ewan and Winslade.

Rugby is a team game and if we ALL just step it up a tad, a win a there for the taking. I said we left the field heads held high…Dignity in defeat the Ref called it afterwards. This is down to fantastic team spirit. Personally, I look forward to the return game - I know a win is a possible against a side like Park - history is on our side. I'm told numbers at training are excellent and the standard of coaching is 1st class…Let’s put it into practice and re-discover how to win.

A special mention goes out to debutant winger Kiwi Paul Leulusoo. He flew off his line like quick silver and stuffed the Park 12. Unfortunately he stuffed himself in the process. An ambulance was called and Paul spent the evening in West-Mid for observation. Big thanks for the prompt action of the Ref who turned out to be a doctor, Matt Denby for policing the situation and Ruari MacManus for escorting Paul in the Ambulance and making sure his better half was ok. Thanks to Paul for a great game and wishing him well on a speedy recovery.

A date for your diary…Hoppers ll's beer-a-thon this Saturday. We are away a Belsize Park and a theme will be announced at training…See you there ;-)…..Scoop.

2nd Team Match Report for Saturday 29th September

Hammersmith II 29 - Grasshoppers II 17 

With 10 mins to go and Hoppers on top, things were looking rosy for our first league win. Alas it wasn't to be. Dropped passes and matador like tackling let in a tired Hammersmith side to put the game beyond Hoppers.

Can't remember who kicked off, or who scored first. Before long the score was 7 - 3 to Hammers. Early on, it was obvious Hoppers pack were clearly enjoying the sometimes explosive exchanges. The double act of Matt Kelly - making his debut at 8 and Tomsk Barber, time and time again punched holes and made huge hits. This created space for Benny Winslade and Griff to make good yardage. Despite giving away at least 3lbs per man, Hoppers squeezed and bullied the scrum all day and pinched a wee bit of line out ball. Just goes to show what training can do! 

Due to shoddy tackling, the score soon crept up to 14 - 3. This was followed up by a neat backs move straight off the training paddock to nudge Hoppers closer at 14-10. On the 22, quick ball delivered from the forwards to Ger at 10 - who was having an excellent game with his howitzer like boot - dummy runners and the ball found it's way into Marc Aston to fly in under the sticks.

More feisty  exchanges in the loose and desperate defending from Hoppers denied Hammers another score in the corner. Hammers had upped the pace and tested Hoppers backs with sneaky snipes and intelligent kicking from their 9. This forced Hoppers on the back foot. A 5 yard line out was contested - Hoppers pushed back but quick hands from the 9 to the 4 and it looked a certain score. Instead, a big hit from Hoppers 9 and 6 knocked him off his feet and the ball was turned over. Ger did the honors and hoofed the ball a good 50 yards up the park - pressure off.

With minutes to go till half time, Hoppers rallied and fought their way to the 5 yard line. Hammers conceded a scrum. No excuses for what happened next - a score was on the cards for sure, but hands in the scrum soon put a stop to that. Shitty turnover - half time - still 14-10 down. 

The second half was a mixture of panic rugby and dogged determination. We let in another soft try but crawled back to 19 - 17. Classy running from Benny Winslade at 7, supported by Fletch and Jo Munday, set up quick ball. Ger was set for a drop but Connie called a sneaky scoot to the left and the ball found him. More yardage gained and he popped the ball for Marc Aston to flop over for his second. Things were looking up.

Superb attacking play from the Hoppers backrow created holes and sucked in the defense. After snaking their way up the pitch, the platform was created on the 22 - quick ball and Ger went for a world cup final style drop goal that would give Hoppers the lead - unfortunately the ball drifted wide. Hoppers sensed a once unlikely victory and continued to press. The forwards, having dominated all day, stepped up a gear. A massive hit from Matt Kelly on his opposite number inspired Luke Turner to a school-bully-like-scream…
"e aint getting' up from that one no time soooon, you creeeeamed 'im"
Anyone who remembers Gripper Stepson from Grange Hill will know what I mean. 

The clock ticked away, Hoppers on another attack. It was not a case of if we score but when ….And then our dream like bubble burst. Dropped passes and panic let in Hammers to run in from their 22. Heads dropped at 24 - 17….Heads dropped further when the Hammers 9 - who was a pain in the arse all day - sniped and found his support to kill the game off. Missed conversion and the game was over 29 - 17.

The changing room was NOT a sorry place to be - Hoppers have great team spirit and will bounce back. Keep up the training - numbers are excellent - It will happen on the park. 

Scoop

2nd Team Match Report for Saturday 22nd September

Grasshoppers 3 Chiswick 27

What a difference a week make…They came, they saw, they conquered…In a nut shell, hoppers 2's played well below the standard they set themselves only one week earlier and were out scored 5 tries to nil.

A promising first 20 mins was a mixture of up-the jumper old fashioned hoppers forward play and rapier like running  from hoppers 10 / 12 / 13. Leading from the front was Jeremy Graves - deputizing for Gerwyn who was making his 1st xv debut - time and time again making  excellent breaks and fizzing out the ball only to watch it  dropped with the over lap and try line begging. This was very frustrating.

Chiswick's persistence to kill the ball gifted an easy 3 points. This was soon clawed back in a hotly disputed try - If only Terry could call on a video ref - a drive from the 5yard line looked good for Chiswick - but Whitehead and Rory Mac were clearly holding the ball up.

Soon after, hoppers found themselves defending a 5yard lineout. The call was to attack the jumpers…For a brief moment it looked as if the call paid off - we shunted the large Chiswick pack backwards. They recycled well and changed the point of attack themselves…on the back foot hoppers could not hold them out any longer and their rather larger number 8 flopped over. Missed conversion and we were down - 3 - 12.

At this point in the game, Eddie Drew went off with a shoulder injury. Duncan Ribbons - an excellent scrum half himself, moved to the wing with Andy Mott filling in for Eddie. Ben Winslade moved out of the back row and into the centre. These changes certainly unsettled hoppers - a mixture of dropped passes and tackling a matador would be proud of became the order of the day.

When hoppers played it tight - the forwards were excellent - controlled and dynamic, producing quality ball. The backs created space but the killer touch had long deserted them. We gave away too many 50-50 passes. We did not talk, we did not listen and we were sloppy. There's isn't much more I can say - Chiswick ran through to score a few more tries - hoppers had their chances but did not take them. On the day, Chiswick worked as a team and out played us. We got beat by a side with much more effective set piece than ours which they used as a platform for their scoring opportunities. I'm sure we'll turn it around and normal service will be resumed in time to face Hammersmith in the first league game. Let's get training and put things right.

 

Scoop.

2nd Team Match Report for Saturday 15th September

Grasshoppers II 26 vs. Haringay II 15

A hot day and even hotter rugby...

Only one week until the start of the new league season and after Saturdays mighty performance - things are looking up.

Compared to last season, and the one before that, and before that one, oh and the one before that one too....We have finally managed to develop an integral part of the game - into a dominant attacking weapon...No I'm not talking about my pass...I'm talking about the line out.

Aided by dead-eye lobbing of the ball and some very non-Teflon like catching - we secured our OWN ball AND Haringays...and either marched at will up the park or hurled it at yours truly who intern, showed excellent decision making in deciding not to be a greedy little rat and pass the ball instead to our new Welsh 10. Gerwyn had a stormer - and what a boot! This chap can hooon the ball some serious yardage. And he can run AND catch - he assured me before the game he's a fully paid up member of bupa should I decide to test his hamstrings with my world famous Barnes Wallace.

Anyway, the game kicked off late - one hour to be exact. Haringay got lost enroute via Ealing. They also turned up missing several pairs of shorts....So rather than face playing against half a team in kit, the other in skiddy underpants, Hoppers did the honorable thing , found a few pairs and blushes were spared.

And so we they kicked off....the first 20 minutes Hoppers were camped in our 22 and coming off second best in all contact areas. Before long we were 7 behind. Line out lost - quick ball to their centre on a rampaging run, dragged in 3 defenders, quick ball back to 10 who chipped over defense, chased kick and flopped on the ball....BUGGER.

Their  second try came via a lucky break. Our scrum was VERY dominant. 10 yards out - Nathan Knight called 'Richmond', we squeezed, quick pick up and scoot right...Eddie Drew skirted round to Nathan's right shoulder and drew 3 defenders. Nathan with a wee show and go made yardage but was held short and popped inside  to Mike Whitehead - but he spewed the ball. The Loose ball was hacked through beyond our attack. They chased, scooped and cantered under the sticks....SHIT. At least they missed the conversion making to 10 - nil.

So, despite our line out and scrums finally kicking ass - we found ourselves 10 behind. Stern words by Tom and we were back into it with gusto. Ger at 10 led from the front. Darting runs and pin point passing got our backs running and Haringay chasing shadows -but we still couldn't cross the white wash.

A penalty in front of their posts was binned in place of a 5 meter scrum. A wee squeeze and Dave Jones bull dozed forward. Recycled ball and we crabbed and found ourselves near the corner. More quick ball, even quicker to 10 from 9 - another fancy backs move (and no dropped passes) from Ger to Phil to Conny to Tito who dotted down in the opposite corner -Ger missed but were back in it.

Off we went again. Hard tackling was producing good quick ball for the backs - who still couldn't cross the line. To their credit - despite an excellent display of running rugby in attack - they admitted afterwards they got the defense wrong at times. All good cos it's something to work on and it will improve.

Our second score - a 10 meter scrum near the touch line, a wee scoot blind, quick recycled ball - green ball for the forwards and yardage made - 3 meters out, who's that hanging off - it's Nathan, quick ball from 9 and Nath bullocks his way over - and Ger adds the extras - 12 - 10...  

...Half time came and went...More superb line out  ball - thanks young Coakers - and we marched up the park once more. Hoppers were all over Haringay like a bad rash. Their inside centre was the only player giving G's problems. We countered this with some old-fashioned tackling - Mick Whitehead style. Picture the scene - the number 12 picking himself up off the floor, hobbling about gingerly clutching his face....you just know he's been Micked.

Our third...yet another 5 yard scrum. Our pack was demolishing their tight five by this stage. Nath had swapped with Jonesy for attacking scrums because - "you go their mate, your bodies in a better position than mine" . He was right - Jonesy darted over and Ger secured 2....19 - 10.

10 minutes to go and G's had a lapse in concentration. Missed tackles and Haringay snaked up the pitch. A scramble to hold them up over the line proved fruitless...ARSES. 19-15 and missed kick! This was a very cheap try - our defense needs work!

Not long to go and Haringay smelt blood...but this turned out to be their own...we picked up the pace and Ger cleverly switched play from right to left. Slick passing found Phil - nice step and pop to Tito who stepped inside two defenders to dot down the deciding score in the corner. To crown a man-of-the-match performance, Ger slotted over the kick of the day - 26-15.

Terry blew....we had won a hard fought game. The pack was immense - a special mention to young Coakers - excellent line out ball ALL DAY...looking good for the season. And to Rory for propping - strong chap this tarmac/peg seller.

As I said, Gerwyn was a very much deserved man of the match - and on his debut too. He also buggered of without buying a jug for his scrum half whose lightening passes gave him so much room.

Next week - away to Hammersmith and Fulham. A traditionally tough fixture - lets get training and enjoy...

Regards,
Scoop.