22 players, some of them even in the right place at the right time!

The traffic on the A453 played a major role in the beginning of the match as despite having 22 players Most of the Melbourne team and then man with the team sheet turned up after the official kick off time in dribs and drabs. We never really composed ourselves sufficiently to work out where everyone was playing and there were a couple of new players that added to the confusing. We kicked off (almost) with 16 players, including, Joe Stuart, Tom Line, Dave Porter and Steve Bell, making their first appearance of the year and Pete Illot, Watti, and Jacob Walker in the subs of the first time this season..

The vagaries of 2nd team rugby meant that we lacked a bit of bulk up front, but had a mobile pack and a very strong set of creative backs. The quality of the Melbourne team was not in doubt but there were a lot of players getting used to each other and there was some confusing on roles etc in the line out and scrum.

This initial confusion was to cost us when after 6 minutes Notts Modern scored an unconverted try following Captain Nigel Breakwell floating a lovely spin pass to one of the moderns centres who ran in the try.

Melbourne began to settle down, it was clear that we had the more creative backs and the faster pack, but we struggled a bit in the scrum, and we were not securing line out ball, but Chris Fultons big boot was in working order and after 16 minutes Tommy Line got his first try of the season

Melbourne were having the better of the game but could not get a way from Moderns, who kept scrapping, after 20 minutes we made a few tactical changes and the scrum began to settle down, Chris and Fulton slotted a penalty 8-5.

Matt Smith was came on for 5 minutes and then went off again feeling tired (ahh)

Moderns did not give up and came back with another try to make the score 10-8. In the next 10 minutes Chris Fulton missed a couple of penalty kicks, that could have given us back the lead but overall it seemed that Melbourne were beginning to assert themselves a bit.

One of the most exciting cameos on the pitch was Kurtis, who was essentially playing as a one man team on the right wing putting in multiple tackles, making strong runs and generally excelling in a period when Moderns could have scored again.

Eventually Kurtis made a decisive break and few Chris Futon who scored to make it 13-10 at half time

Several changes were made at Half time, with Watti joining the fray and Jacob Walker coming on at Hooker. In the 2nd half the game settled down a bit, Jack Pearce and Joe Stuart made some very good breaks, in the centres, and Watti tried to run the length of the pitch before attempting a cross kick to Curtis, failing and then tackling a man off the ball to give a well a penalty. Kurtis still looked dangerous, and Tom Line, who seems to have got quicker since he became an auditor, and Alex Lloyd ran with menace.

Club chairman Pete Illott also joined in.

The tries began to come Tom Cresswel, scored 20-10 and then Matt Smith in one of his 3 minute cameo performance also 27-10. Melbourne looked to be in control but then from nowhere a moderns back skipped around a strangely static Melbourne defence 27-17 with ten to go and Melbourne could not relax.

The last 10 minutes were notable for some comedy pass’s when is seemed pretty easy for Melbourne to score, but there were two further tries First Kurtis finishing off a sweeping move and then Tommy Line to make the final score 39-17.

I summary, good to get so much talent on the pitch, we however did not play too well as a team and we will need to for other fixtures, great promise from many of the players,

I award Kurtis MVP , he was always dangerous and stopped Moderns scoring when it was a close game in the first half.