With a week of mails passing by with who can't, won't or isn't allowed to play, ARC 3rd XV had a team to play the Dukes.
Plan was to make it into a mini trip and as the grounds are near the station we decided to go by train. From the moment the train left Amsterdam the focus was on the match, so far this season even though we lost all our matches we lose them in the second half. It is luck and experience that we lack but that doesn't temper the enthusiasm that is still in the team.
A big thank you to Matty and Diego for organizing a few players. So we had a full squad and started our warm up.
The match started as most of ARC 3rd XV games, they had a slightly younger squad and we had better play in the forwards. They scored two tries and although we spent quite a a lot of time in their 22 and nearly scored we had work to do in the second half. Ronald went to the hospital with a broken nose and Coen paid the toll for two late nights, so subs had to be made.
We took the game to them and sored a good try by Greg. As regular readers will know this is our fourth game in a row that ARC 3rd XV scored a try. Unfortunately we couldn't build from there. We lost Bas also with a broken nose, Jo with a head injury and Greg with a knee injury. The Dukes gave us two of their players and we played with 14 men. They put a fresh pack on in the second half and our resistance broke a bit. Final score 50 – 5. Again we lost but it was good game from both sides.
After the shower and getting dressed it was time for the third half and what a surprise this was won by ARC 3rd XV, BIG TIME. We sang our songs, drank their beer ( very cheap btw )and even danced in their clubhouse. The injured players went home by car and the rest was going back by train. The plan was just to walk towards the station and just drink a couple here and there.
But it went slightly different, under the guidance of local hosts John Eikemans ( former ARC 1st XV trainer ) and Bram we descendent on the town of 's-Hertogenbosch. We went from bar to bar again sang our songs drink their beer and ate their food ( frites stoofvlees )and made it back to the station and train in one piece.
It was a great day for rugby and all that took part in it. The morning after is a different story.
Technical bit.
Eric proved himself to be a natural in handling the jugs. We made a solid base outside and inside their clubhouse and entertained the Dukes from there. Also in the bars we behaved and as one team went for the counter and in a sort of drift defense we took them over. Great to see that we handled it well when they produced forks to eat our frites, no scratches.
Next Sunday we play Pink Panthers and please respond to the call of Mal.
Hansie Baby
P.s. Lowlanders can you make sure Coen has an early night on Friday and Saturday.
Their report http://www.dukesrugby.nl/Nieuws/513
