Truffles found at Barn Elms…….

What you really want to read is what Harrodians Vets have been up to this week…….

Well off the field I have it on good authority that:
Marek has now measured up most of your roofs, Barney hasn’t yet got fed up with new neighbour Gus, Son of Buster AKA Sean Lewis has been secretly training with particular emphasis on his glutes, Gundog now has 15 connections on LinkedIn, Beney is still married, Dizzy didn’t dine out last week, Clappy only travels 1st class, Codo is alive and yours truly is officially away with the fairies!!

On the field, proceedings were much more orderly; however, we are all indebted to Jane for finding us a fixture well after 4pm on Friday when Ealing had to pull out. The fact that Gus had cracked open the first bottle of Pinot Noir by 3pm may well have contributed to Jane accepting a fixture with a youthful Law Society 2s, but Skips made it clear in no uncertain terms that we must play……..and we did!

We had a fervently experienced squad which included mio frattello e amico Christian Codo who pulled himself away from family duties and I know he was real pleased he did so and at long last Josh Hanning made his debut after having enjoyed summer touch and summer banter, welcome aboard Josh! And last………literally , but true to form the legendry Splints travelled up the M25 like Chevy Chase with his beautiful family in tow and he too was ever so pleased he did so!!!!

So by 2.30 we were all smiles accept for Gus who was suffering with having opened an 8th or 9th bottle of what at the time would have been (slurring) Peeenooooo Naaaawwwww, apparently Mr Worrell had been invited; hmmmmm!
Oppo looked good warming up and Barney took us through some high octane warm up drills – felt like the infamous ‘Super Two’s all again – loving it Barney!!!!!

During the week I had sown the seed that we had to work on one area from the start - ‘tackles’ and our pre-match huddle had the same message delivered again ……………the boys responded!

From the kick off we just flew out of the blocks and Law Society didn’t know what hit them, we simply had a fire within our guts and we torched them with it from the first impact. The backs received some cracking ball from a semi sober Gus and Splints and Marek created so many options for Morgs and Barney to work with…..likewise Morgs mate……….err….anyway he too was great in the loose and we calved through the Laws defence.

Our first scrum was explosive and I have to say a massive congratulations to Marty, our Welsh Kiwi who has constantly taken the No 1 shirt, despite being a hooker and has really worked hard at his game here, the fact that I still can’t understand a word you say to me with your gum shield in your mouth is neither here or there!
When we go forward the back row are in their own league and I can’t salute Jonny, Sean and Gundog enough, their work rate was outstanding, but a special mention to Gundog who had one of his best games ever and made so much happen. The engine room of Beney and Clappy was immense and both worked really well in the loose too.

In the lineout Gundog went up at 4 and proved to be a useful option conversely at 2 Jonny resembled a drunk Ballerina impersonating Zebedee and confused the oppo as much as us! Hence step forward Clappy and Sean who cleared up loose ball so well enabling us to ruck and ruck we did.

In the loose we seemed to interplay between backs and forwards really well and I must admit that Codo raised our standard by showing us how to keep the ball alive with plenty of off-loads in the tackle and pop off the deck. Jonny went off injured and is still being jinxed by his blood shiny first aid kit so the mighty Duncan trundled on to prove that he is not all talk………though the number of knock on leaves the jury out on that one!

Dizzy also had a cracking game as did Mozza and Brucie and then when Josh came on he too showed us that his summer touch skills transformed well in to the 15 game.

We simply dominated Laws, though they never gave up and we did have to work hard, yet it all simply came together; lots of talk, lots of tackles and lots of belief!

Early in the second half, Laws had to go uncontested and so Marty retired to the touch line with a leg injury and much to my annoyance what turned out to be some torn ligaments to my shoulder meant I too was now off the park!

But the entertainment ensued…… Sublime lines and running by Morgs, Splints and Co creating such fast ball, Gus totally sober, Sean swinging left hooks when the ref wasn’t looking, Codo creating offloads and then the best of them all………..a loose scraggy ball found Morgs and Mareks mate……..errr…..anyway scratching around the turf, fumbling and bumbling like a buffoon and reminiscent of a Hogg sniffing out Truffles in Tuscany!!!

It was a performance that had everything in it and we even attracted a few supporters – Camilla tells me some of her delightful Net ball Girlies witnessed their fist game of rugby……..!!!

Amongst all the fun and celebrations we did allow Laws in for one sneaky try and they deserved it as they never gave up and gave us a spirited contest refereed by and equally competent ref – Simon many thanks!

Though I want to mention this particular player as week in week out he is always there and makes so much of our game plan come together, he has a real good vision for where the ball needs to go and makes as many tries as he scores. He tackles and rucks like a forward and turns over loads of ball………..
Marek – take a bow - you are the Quade Cooper of Barnes!!!

The side that played was:

1. Marty
2. Codo
3. Finche
4. Clappy
5. Beney
6. Jonny
7. Son of Buster
8. Gundog
9. Gus
10. Marek
11. Morgs mate
12. Morgs
13. Splints
14. Dizzy
15. Barney
16. Brucie
17. Josh
18. Mozza
19. Duncan

Scores:
Tries - Err….Hogg Truffle x 3 Marek x 2 Morgs, Splints and Barney x1
Cons - Marek x7

Next week we are away to Cobham and the euphoria will continue!!!!

Skips/Finche