Six Nations Tomfoolery scuppers Skips plans!

......when Si Curran arranged to meet with Morgs, JC and others for Friday's opener at the Sun in Richmond!!!

With Cobham confirmed, Saturday bringing sunshine and an inevitable spanking of the sheep farmers, Skips paced the bedroom, hallway and kitchen rehearsing my Churchillian battle cry. Of course a quick review of Clappy's Facebook posts provided me with further inspirational quotes ridiculing all and everything inept amongst society's diminishing standards in etiquette! But let's not be too hard on the Welsh!

After a rousing pre-match team talk in the changing room aimed at lifting Morgs out of his hangover, Marek out of his pyjamas and helping Son of Buster into a size 38 shorts, I had managed to stir passionate emotions of a Harrodian style rugby onslaught, and as the boys were at fever pitch........Sheds appropriately whipped out a bunch of Daffs from the crack of his boxers and flung them across the changing rooms at the most authentic Welsh man amongst our ranks......Jose Lucca Emanuel Jones Fernandez!!

The scene was set!!

Out on the pitch a most charming Cobham Captain greeted me and enquired as to whether the fixture was a league game or just a friendly! What was interesting was that Cobham had no 1s, 2s, 3s, Development or Academy sides playing but did have EIGHT Vets amongst their 26 man squad!!!

Skips smiled and confirmed it was a 'friendly'!

There is no such thing as 'friendly' in my playing vocabulary and thank goodness I had told the body's the same earlier as clearly the Cobham Director of Rugby wanted this fixture taken seriously.
So much so that after dominating the scrum for the first ten minutes new fresh, (and large) replacements arrived off the Cobham bench!

We took time to get into our stride and seemed to make hard work of most areas of the game with far too much ball being lost in open play. Lineouts were 50:50 with Nicky B working relentlessly as our only jumper. At scrum time despite their larger pack we pretty much held our own and won some good ball.

BUT every time we scored so did they and we simply couldn't close them out.

Though I sense a new secret dare or bet emerging amongst the team as another perfect try scoring opportunity went a miss when a huge push over try from the scrum had the ball slip out of Gus's hands like a two year old learning to use a fork with spaghetti hoops!
Though overall the boys put in a huge effort and sustained considerable pressure for long periods and in the end our patience held good and we managed to absorb what Cobham through at us with some really committed tackling.
A draw does justice to a game fiercely contested in great spirit and well led by both Captains!!!!

As for the 31st Man on the pitch....."Yes Sir”.....”Three bags full Sir!!!!"

The side which played was:

Forwards: Skips, Marty, Ed, Mozza, Sheds, Beans, Brucie, Deano, Nick B, Paul Fricker, Son of Buster.
Backs: Gus, Marek, Cris P, Morgs, Jose, A’fer, Simon C, Nick H, Dan Conway, Slatts

Tries: Marek and Nick H x 1 Pini x 2
Cons Marek x 2

Next week we rest.....well most of you, but yours truly will be on full duty scattering petals whilst Sky+ is fully recording!!!

Skips/Finche 08.02.15