Game Report: August 18, 2007

Senior Men's First Team
Week 10: Aurora Barbarians RFC (ABRFC) 32 - Toronto Nomads R.F.C. 14

Playing on two days rest from the mid-week “make-up game” against the Crusaders R.C., the Aurora Barbarians 1st team won their ninth game and remain unbeaten in the 2007 Marshall Division. While this game will go on record as a bonus point win, this was not a particularly satisfying game or win for the team.

By way of background for this week’s first team game report, it has been confirmed that the 2007 National Invitational Club Championship has been cancelled.

This decision means that the Aurora Barbarians can re-focus their playing commitments for the balance of the Marshall Premier division and for the “un-finished” business in the McCormick Cup. There are 5 rounds of the Marshall Division remaining, (games against the Toronto Saracens R.F.C. and the make-up game against the Brampton Beavers R.F.C. before Labour Day, and fixtures in September against Balmy Beach, Stoney Creek and Crusaders). Success in these tough fixtures will ensure a well earned Marshall Championship “repeat” and the opportunity to build real momentum required for progress in the McCormick Cup, with the hope for the 2007 Club league and Cup double.

It is important to use this “player context” to report and analyse today’s game – in previous reports over the last four season’s, we have seen a club that has grown in skill, experience and player depth – the challenge for the balance of 2007, however, is to re-generate the fun, passion and discipline required to win both league and Cup, (the “un-finished” business from 2006). At times these reports are close to being negative and critical – easy to sit under a tree while players play hard rugby in hot and humid conditions). But, to be useful, game reports must present constructive input and a realistic assessment of where the team is and how well they are playing. A season league record of 9 wins and 0 losses suggests that all is well, but put simply today’s game against the Nomads showed some significant issues to be addressed over the next two months.

Now this may seem like a strange comment for this correspondent to make - a 100% record and a winning margin of 24 points a game suggests that the club is doing “great”. Although we are winning, the team is not playing well – at times the team appears almost to be bored or complacent, and lacking the drive, discipline and passion that have typified their best games over the last four years. Saturday’s game had the almost predictable flavour of let down after the win against Crusaders midweek. Our malaise handed the Nomads the opportunity of an upset something championship clubs need to avoid.

While it is recognised that the Marshall Division is a long season, we are emerging from the difficult part of the season, with the heavy player commitments to the RCSL - it is time to “re-discover” the fluid, exciting flair that is such an important part of the Aurora Barbs approach and game. As a veteran rugby watcher, your correspondent believes that all of the hard work will be rewarded, and with a renewed commitment, the 1st team can continue to win and win well – but, based on the games on Wednesday and today there is work to do to re-capture the best form from the successful 2006 season.

Without taking anything away from the Nomads, the Aurora Barbs dominated the first half, went to sleep in the first 15 minutes of the second half and finally ran out comfortable winners. At times the team played good rugby, and scored some excellent tries, but the overall approach and game performance was a pass, C to C+, and did not approach the true potential of this team. Interestingly, in both of the last two games, the Cru and Nomads have successfully slowed the game and frustrated the quick release that the team need to play their natural style of true expansive rugby. To which this correspondent says “good for the opposition, but the Barbs must find a way to win quick ball and play expansive rugby”.

Jeremy Campbell opened the scoring at 4 minutes with an excellent try, the conversion was missed and Barbs up by 5 – 0. Although the Barbs appeared to make a good start to the game, the next 10 minutes was littered with mistakes, dropped balls, penalties and wasted ball with too many kicks – the team should have kept ball in hand and ran at the Nomads to set-up consistent second and third phase ball. The count of “missed opportunities” ran at 8 mistakes in five minutes, during the critical first 15 minutes of the game. These penalties let the Nomads back-in as they kicked a 40 meter penalty, Barbs 5 Nomads 3. At 20 minutes things seemed to improve as Dave Poettcker took the ball down the blind side from a ruck and went 20 meters for a good try, and kicked the conversion for a 12 – 3 lead.

Although the next 10 minutes produced some good individual play, including a useful break and kick ahead by Shaun Allen and a close scoring chance for Simba Sithole, the Barbs managed to take themselves out of the game with 4 consecutive penalties. Fortunately, the referee reversed one of these and the Barbs got an additional 10 meter bonus for Nomads “indiscipline”, and Dave P. kicked a 35 meter penalty to set-up the half time score of Aurora Barbarians 15 Toronto Nomads 3. In all honesty, the Barbs failed to dominate their opponents and let the Nomads back into the game with an increasing penalty count – ill-discipline. At the half-time break, Coach Drew McPherson made agreed player changes and we hoped that the Aurora team would improve on the discipline and ball retention, and rapidly establish field position to take the game away from the Nomads.

In fact, the Nomads started the second half aggressively, with a 15 minute period of sustained pressure in the Barbs half, and scored a well executed try through their excellent winger Andile Jababu-Fushai, missed conversion - Barbs 15 Nomads 8. This score seemed to wake the Barbs up and at 20 minutes the forwards secured good ball at the Nomads 22, Rob Ashwood went blind to an un-marked Shaun Allen who ran in a try, conversion unsuccessful, Barbs 20 Nomads 8. Immediately, however, the Barbs returned to their careless play, giving up three penalties in the space of four minutes and the Nomads missed one kick ay goal and put over a penalty, to close the score to 20 – 11. In total, the Nomads missed four “kickable” penalties in the last 25 minutes, 12 points that would have moved them ahead at the key period in the game.

At 30 minutes Bryn Keys scored one of his exciting tries, (the fourth of the game for the valuable bonus point), and Dave Ashwood kicked the conversion, Barbs 27 Nomads 11. Bryn has played consistently excellent football since returning from injury and shows how to minimise risk by running hard and making simple, direct passes. After another Nomads missed penalty kick at goal, Aurora score their best try of the day – at 34 minutes Robbie Carter made an exciting break from his own 22 and linked with Jeremy Campbell who made ground before linking with the re-energized Nolan Ott – Nolan made this an all “Uxbridge H.S. alumni” move by linking back to Jeremy who went 25 meters and touched down for the final Barbs score of the game. A beautiful example of how great the expansive game can be and the sheer “untapped” potential of this 2007 version of the Aurora Barbs!!! With five minutes to go the Nomads #10 dropped a goal, for the final score, Barbs 32 Nomads 14.

The game ended on a particularly difficult play as the much respected Simba Sithole caught a deep clearing kick and ran the ball 45 meters back to the Nomads 5 meter line –Simba, “lion-like” in bravery, chose to launch himself into the cover defence of the Nomads and dropped to the ground, where he lay motionless for 10 minutes. Referee Dan Berry, who had another excellent afternoon, did what all good referees should do and called the game without trying to move Simba, and an EMU manager, who happened to be the linesman, administered immediate attention with our own Physio, Laura. When the EMU ambulance arrived, and much to the huge relief of players and spectators, Simba was lifted onto a stretcher and taken to hospital for X-ray and MRI – as at late Saturday evening a concussion has been diagnosed, a great result for what looked for a while to be a more serious neck injury. We all wish Simba a comfortable and swift recovery, confident that he will take whatever time needed to make a full recovery.

And so, a difficult game report to write – your ink stained wretch/correspondent has re-read the game reports from last season and finds many similarities – this team has skill, talent and unlimited potential and with hard work, discipline and a return of joy and fun, the overall performance can dramatically improve over the next two months. It was a good omen to see veteran Steve Shortly back from a winter season in Australia and looking very fit. His presence will provide a different dynamic to the side as the teams prepare for the departure of Bryn and Dave P to the west coast to continue their studies.

Your team is now entering the fun part of the season, late August and the final drive for the Marshall League title in September, and building momentum for the McCormick Cup in October. I hope that all of my comments are accepted as my attempt to provide useful and caring commentary on the season and on the team’s progress – quite simply, the Aurora Barbarians R.F.C 1st team remain as a successful, excellent and exciting team with the potential to achieve huge results and build a legacy of excellence for the future.

And now the hard work and fun returns to this great bunch of players with the prospect of future success for 2007 season – onto “unfinished business”, a goal of a repeat Marshall League title and one final step to win the McCormick Cup, two ambitious but achievable goals for the balance of the 2007 season.