Rugby was not rained off this weekend, so trip to Ian Galloway Park to see the U-11s do their stuff, which in the first half was not upto scratch. This was noted by the coach
at his half-time team talk ” as individuals your are playing well, but as a team you are crap”-no punches pulled then. And yes they were crap; poor tackling, too many “lone rangers” and trying to run around the other team, rather than straight. A better “second 40” (actually 25 minutes), saw two tries to our one, better team work and commitment.
Lots of shouting from sideline involved the usual “tackle”, “run straight” and “keep up with the ball”.
Joe apparently suffered some “stomping”. Someone stood on his achilles in a ruck.
A good Saturday morning.
Category: Sport
Doom and Gloom
Monday morning gloom. It has been miserable weather since yesterday with freezing strong winds from the south west with large dollops of rain. Woken in the night by the wind howling around the house and chucking the garden furniture around on the deck. Next up was the shaking for about five seconds.
“A five magnitude quake has rattled the lower North Island this morning.
There are no reports of damage or injuries following the shake, which struck at 5:32am.
Seismologists say it was located 40 kilometres northwest of Porirua, at a depth of 60 kilometres.
The earthquake is the second to be felt in the Wellington region in the last 24 hours. At 7.26 last night, a 3.8 magnitude quake was felt in the capital and Marlborough.”
Then to get up and check out the BBC and find Brentford lost to the Swans…….
A welcome to Brighton due next season.
Total Kiwi
Saturday was a complete rugby day.
First up was the first game of Joseph’s rugby career, playing for Western Suburbs U-11 “Reds” against a Johnsonville team.
A late change in the rules meant the boys have to play on a full size pitch, no mean feat when you are 10. They played well, and it looked like rugby with the forwards fighting for the ball and the backs lined up waiting for some action. The forwards were greedy-some things do not change from generation to generation. The passing along the backs is not slick yet-but of course they all want to do spin passes. There was some committed tackling going on and some nice running. The opposition had one of those electric runners that no one else can catch. He scored two tries.
The lads kept on running and appeared truly knackered after 50 minutes of action.
So a good game for a first outing with so little practice behind them. More happy Saturdays to come?
After lunch it was off to watch a local club game as a family. Marist St. Pats v Tawa. MSP play in B & I Lions colours. An enjoyable outing, with a trip to the “Brewery” on the way home. Dad and big son then went to watch the Hurricanes and Chiefs fight it out at the “Cake Tin”. Not great weather, and not a great game only partially explained by the conditions. Also,we had the misfortune to be sitting with a group of misfits on a works trip from I assume Upper Hutt…..hmmm.
Rugby, rugby, rugby……what more do you need? This is NZ after all.
National icon lands in backyard
A different weekend event in sunny Khandallah. In some respects just like others, as I went with Joe to watch Wellington club rugby. This was a bit different in that the game was played at Nairnville Park, the same place graced by Joe’s cricket and football skills. Sara, Isaac and Eleanor were also present and the players’ bench was being kept warm for a while by a certain Tana Umaga.
The most recent All Black captain, as there is currently a void, and Hurrricanes lynch pin, was playing for his local club team. He has been injured for a few weeks and so was presumably a way to ease back into the action. He came on after 30 minutes and the first thing he did was drop a pass, to the groans and amusement of the crowd.
The game would normally be played at the Basin Reserve, but the cricket season has only just finished this week.
Tana playing for Petone (Pet-oh-knee) would be like David Beckham turning out at the likes of Boston Manor Park, Tooting Common or Lower Staughton village green, and playing in front of a few hundred people, maybe for his old boys team.
Because of the unusual circumstances, there were TV cameras at the pitch. There was the natural “scrum” at the end of the game, with the autograph hunters surrounding the national hero. It did not include myself. He did his duty well and was around little and big kids for a long time.
I did take the video camera, but the footage was ruined by interference in the middle of the screen; not sure what went wrong. Would otherwise have been good footage. Memories will have to do!
He played quite well by the way.
For the record Petone beat Old Boys-University. I enjoyed the game, and there is something to said for watching a game close up and real rather than high up in the stands of a modern stadium.
For those rugby officianados out there, OBU are coached by Dave Loveridge-remember him?
Rugby from the sidelines
Today were at Ian Galloway Park for day one of Joe’s rugby season proper. He met his new team. Wests Under 11 “Red” team.
http://www.wests-junior-rugby.org.nz/_home/wests-junior-rugby-home.htm
The coach loooked the team over to decide positions. Joe was prop. He did well few good tackles, took the ball on a couple of times and tried to look the part in those mauls. Scrummaging was on though no push at this level. Lack of fitness told for Joe, and was of fthe action near the end and not getting the tackles in. something to work on.
The oppo was well organised having mostly played before and together. One lad really took the eye. He was a back who could run fast, was a well balanced runner with swerve, side step and eye for a gap at the age of 10. One of those who we will see again?
He reminded me of me!
Rugby from the Grandstands
A trip with older rugby mad son to the Cake Tin to see a top of the table class;Hurricanes v Crusaders, first v second. The place was officailly full though there were some empty seats. Presumably some pass holders can afford to shell out lots of dollars and not turn up to the games or be bothered to pass on their ticket for a game.
Despite the numbers still a low key atmosphere. Is it something to do with the stadium shape and size?
A good game in the first half, competitive, running rugby, fast stuff. The Crusaders always had the edge. Second half lesser quality and “Canes” looked ineffective until near the end. Crusaders just too good. Dan Carter very much in control though did make some uncharacteristic simple errors. Rico Gear looked pulsating with ball in hand and ever dangerous. McCaw cheated as well as usual.
Joseph thought hhe game was not too good becuase the Hurricanes lost! A typical kid -unable to appreciate the finer points?
Basin Reserve
Yesterday afternoon Joe and I went for a flying visit to the cricket. This was after he has hit a mesmerising 6 runs in his under 10s game and bowled a tidy 2 overs of left arm spin. The boy deserved his crunchy and his trip out.
If only the West Indies could play as well as the Onslow Shastris. We were a bit late to see the dolly catch dropped at mid off which should have accounted for Fleming, but instead watched him and Fulton hit the bowling around with ease. Penetrating bowling it was not.
I enjoyed the viewing, and Joe got the autograph of Jimmy Franklin-who000?
New Cap Listening to National Anthem at Eden Park
Well he is playing rugby this winter and has already been to two pre-season training sessions to work on his skills and fitness.
A few nuggets have been passed on in the garden about the finer points of catch and pass, with addition of hip movements in the next lesson.