Netball plagues havoc with hamstring………

Well it seems ages ago when I walked out of the Richmond RFC Club house with a feeling of satisfaction and pride and since then it’s been a blur with so much having happened in the build up to our away fixture at Cranleigh. I even had a disturbing dream that last week Harrodians Vets kit was stolen from the Club House and fifteen blokes in lookalike masks, went and played Farnham…………crazy thoughts happen when you get so caught up with league fixtures!

Though starting with last weekend I have it on good authority, (and worryingly not a dream!) that an ex London Irish and self proclaimed Otago player, was serenading through the streets of Lanzarote wearing pink speedos and a gimp mask aided by the voice of our one and only singing Barney, whilst Eugene, ‘stop calling me Cilla Black’ Grimes looked on in disbelief!!!! Well done Si Curran sounds like a great stag weekend and I can’t wait till your next one!!!

As the week started there appeared to be lots of ‘noise’ about willingness to play, but as the week unfolded players dropped out like dominos, Duncan had to see Nurse over a broken toe nail, Harley and Mike had house moving duties, but secretly I think the temptation of seven Super 15 Rugby fixtures was more appealing! Jonathan Stads told me he was off on a weekend shoot, which is a good spin on events, but in reality I reckon Mrs Stadlen had told him I will ‘shoot’ you if you play this weekend and Jose was out injured………….but injured from what?

For some time now I have carried the heavy burden of being aware of Jose’s ‘extra curricular training activities’! Now for new readers amongst you, Jose is our Welsh Spaniard with the most authentic of Celtic accents and on Saturdays plays Centre, but all is not what it seems, as on Tuesday evenings and for some time now, Jose has been playing Wing Defence (WD) for the local ladies Netball team! Now, for some, we might regard this a highly committed ‘spade work’ with a clear strategic objective in mind, but this has gone for six months now and I (a connoisseur on these matters) tend to think no spade work is being done at all, worst still, to pick up an injury which precludes you from rugby selection and I quote……….”Hi Rich I'm unavailable. My calf went again - I've made it worse in fact. This could be me done for the season. Sorry mate”, is a most heinous crime! I hear the dog bowl ringing…………

On the subject of all things Welsh, the changing room fell into stunned silence when one of our long standing and most committed of brethren dropped a real clanger! Marty, our hooker has been playing Vets for a very long time during which the banter has always been around all things Kiwi, All Black choker, Super 15 and sheep and so on. Indeed on many occasions I have never understood what Marty was saying and that’s when his moth guard was out, such is his strong Kiwi accent. But yesterday as the usual intellectual pre-match chat ensued, Marty used the opportunity to quietly mutter that he was in fact born in Britain before moving to New Zealand aged 2. It was subsequently confirmed to me later, that indeed Marty is of Cymru decent!! It goes to show you that you simply don’t know what you don’t know!!

Anyway by late Friday we finally had a full side and despite poor Courtney hounding me for players for his Development side, as rested 2s players were unavailable, we managed to arrive at Cranleigh with 18 for this important league fixture. Rain had abated and milder weather was forecast which was fortuitous, because I hadn’t packed a snorkel in my kit bag which in places is what the pitch needed. Cranleigh RFC is situated in effectively a low lying floodplain and has a real battle on their hands to drain the pitches likewise a weakening Vets side meant they needed to use a number of their younger second team players to have a full compliment. Neither of these factors presented any meaningful issues and both sides agreed on a competitive game which ensued.

From the kick off we managed to move the ball wide and put together some good phases, though the stodgy pitch did slow us down and a lot of rucks ensued. Cranleigh were well up for the game and their combined side interlinked well and a few of their larger lads carried the ball with good effect.

The scrums were a treat and the combination of Sheds at 3 and yours truly at 1 seems to deliver the most effective combination, especially with Stirling effort from Clappy and Jonny working really hard in the row. In the loose Martin Walker at 7, who hasn’t played for us for some time, put in a great performance and showed good fitness and form, considering he was carrying at least an extra stone!

The back line was added to with great interlining between Staffs and Rollsey who really carried the ball well and Staffs continues to prove not only can he cope with being a loner (must see http://www.discoveryuk.com/tv-guide/?type=series&channel_code=DCUK-ENG&series_id=204524), but he is an outstanding team player.

In the lineouts we also did well but did loose a few of our own balls, which is simply down to not having a regular second row option and this is an area we must fix.

Our game started to take shape early on and St Bernard commanded us with regimental precision to get quicker balls from the ruck to the backs. You all know, by now, that my reporting of the sequence of events is often like Nazi Morse code interpretation – very muddled and woefuly inaccurate, but here goes!

Great scrum by Harrodians, plenty of interlinking play with Marek and Morgs creating the usual mayhem for the oppo and sending Martin Walker over. Later on another awesome lineout and Jonny fell on a loose ball to score an unquestionable try!

Gundog at 11 didn’t kick the ball this week, but he did catch it at the right times and loved his time in the backs and I wonder if next season this will become his natural home? In the other wing our huge and very warm thanks to Lorenzo Southey had a return fixture for us having only landed in to the UK on Friday night; a great display of running skills and helped set up a number of trys for Cris Pini and Morgs. Lorenzo you are always welcome back and I know Barnaby would love to discuss sun tan lotions with you on the next occasion as you almost look as young as he does……!

We were comfortably ahead as we started the second half and as Cranleigh hadn’t got on the score board there was no harm in their coach bringing on some younger fresh legs and likewise we had the 57 year old Brucie as well as Mozza and Tom all who made an impact.

Cranleigh used the youngsters to good effect and mixed things up with some different patterns and finding a few weakness’s in our defence to find two converted tries. Though we finished back on top with another Cris Pini try.

Thank you Cranleigh for a great contested match and perfect hospitality. You are warmly welcome to our firmer pitches at Barnes on the next occasion!

Gents, we all have a lot of fun from our on and off the field rugby antics, but none of that would be possible if our wonderful Mothers hadn’t endured 9 months of discomfort carrying us and looking at a few of you; stunned disbelief when she set eyes on you! I know if she is with you today you will warmly thank her and if not she is not she will fondly be in your thoughts.

Next week we rest and the week after we are away to Dorking – let’s make it a big trip....coach journey around the M25 on the way back perhaps!!!

Also our best wishes for a speedy recovery to James M-Smith who fell ill this week.

The team was:

1 Richard FENECH
2 Martin SUTHERLAND
3 Jerry SHEDDEN
4 Phil CLAPP
5 Jonny SPEERS
6 Alex ROLLS
7 Martin WALKER
8 Ed STAFFORD

9 Angus GRAHAM
10 Marek PRZYCHOCKI
11 Nick BRADLEY
12 Nick MORGANS
13 Barney RICHARDSON
14 Lorenzo SOUTHEY
15 Cris PINI

RES
16 Tom RINTOUL
17 Paul MORRIS
18 Bruce LEAHY

Tries: Martin, Jonny, Morgs x1 Cris x 2
Cons: Marek x 3

Have a great week and see many of you at the annual City Lunch on Friday.....

Skips luv x