Tough going for 2nds

Melbourne 2nds faced Meden Vale for the 2nd time this season, the first game at their place had seen a much changed side win narrowly, this time we probably had a more settled team but Meden Vale 1st did not had a fixture so we expected a stronger opposition.

The run up to the game had been a little confused, there were a few players missing, and the firsts had lost a few, so the 1st and 2nds became a lose collective with some selections confirmed to the last moment. Massive thanks to the players who turned up for the first time, Jon the Scrum Half bought by Jack P, Rob found by Iain Masters, Nathan Tommy Lines pal and Lowson Junior who returned from Uni especially, big thanks to a couple of folk who made a huge effort to be there, Bob Stowell who got up at 3:30am to drive to the game, Sean the sheep who delayed deployment to Afganistan to play and Kurtis who broke off a video shoot with RiRi to be with us.

In the end we had 18 players available.

After a pretty good warm up, we wanted to build on last week, try and recycle more ball, and cut out the penalties. We kicked off, and immediately new player Rob was running the ball back, a monster kick by Devon at fly half saw us in the Meden Vale 22, a catch and and Booko had scored 7-0 with the kick by Tom Line, and only 2 minutes gone.

Melbourne continued to be on top, Meden Vale were large but we were a bit faster, and more threatening, Devon could kick for miles, the scrum was going well and Booko was taking every ones ball in the line. After 9 minutes a great line out, a catch quick ball, John to Devon, and jack Pearce took a great line to score 14-0. This looked pretty easy form where I was standing.

More pressure for Melbourne and then after 17 minutes, after More Melbourne Pressure a misplaced kick by Meden Vale ended up with Nathan who fed Dave Porter and then new boy Jon Doughty who scored 19-0.

We had played less than a qtr of the game and it looked like we would win large, but for the next 21 minutes of the half ,we played very poorly and Meden Vale seemed to find a style that stifled us and got them more territory.

We are not a big or dirty team, but we give away penalties like no other team in the league, either refs hate us or we are constantly offside, or killing the ball etc, even in the scrums we were being penalised for odd angles, striking for the ball and wearing shirts with numbers on etc etc.

We barely put two phases together, without being pulled up, Booko had decided to tap the ball very hard at the scrum half, on the Meden Vale Ball and our own and John the new scrum half had some interesting challenges gathering the ball.

We did have a few chances to score but every time we about to make that breakthrough we would knock on etc, Jordan H, who had been pretty devastating the week before was not finding the space.

We were comfortable in defence and Tommy Line was doing well at the back, but we could not score, maybe if we had scored Meden Vale would have become less committed and maybe our luck would change but no 19-0 at half time

The 2nd half kicked off and much of the same happened, Rob was swapped for Alex Dawson and Sean coming on.

We continued to be penalised and make the hard work of things, and when we had chances to score very odd things happend , Jack kicking a little grubber when he probably could have scored again etc, Tony Day made some great runs, Fin turned over a lot of ball, and Elliot made some huge tackles. We were not kicking as far as we were in the first half.

After 16 minutes, Jordan Hollis made a great break and this time fed a couple of folk got the ball back and Jordan scored 26-0 and a bonus point!!

The last 24 minutes were a shambles, not sure what what went on, but he ref really turned against us, we gave away loads of penalties for mysterious offences, first Dave Porter got a yellow card for a crime probably committed by someone else and Tony Day followed for something else we did not understand. Down to 13 men, and with two of our bigger tacklers off the pitch Meden Vale pushed forwards and after a spell of pressure and several phases they went over to score from 5 yards out.

We were probably in no danger of losing but we were glad when Tony and Dave got back on,

Final score 26-7

Not so many clear men of the match John the scrum half played very well, but this week its Tony Day

Meden Vale real kept going and stopped us in our tracks in the first half, it was a very sporting game, we could have played better but a win is a win

Mid week away to Derby 2nds, and then a weekend off, I hope.