Week IV: Crusaders at home

Grimsby Gentlemen 28: Oakville Crusaders 27

Venue:  That gem of a field (a little narrow) Alway in Grimsby

Referee: David Nelson *** (can't complain after the result)

Weather:  About 28 degrees with a feel like 35 because of the humidity.  Usual wind blowing from the south which made our first half difficult and their second difficult.

Attendance:  my guestimate would be around 400 (could be a little lower because of the humidity) - however I have been wrong before. A number of people might have left after the opposition went up 4 tries in the first half muttering bad things about the coach and that they wanted their money back (our policy is no refunds).

Some fairly interested spectators

Team: 1. Nick Lord ( 60 min), 2. Brendan Sculland (40 min), 3. Jon Millington (70 min), 4. Jeremy Young, 5. Kyle Wilson (C), 6. Brandon Nytschyk (injury: 40 min), 7. Dean (Dino) Crozier, 8. Adam Godfrey, 9. Derrick Weber (C) (38 min) 10. Martin Colyn, 11. Jake D'Achille( 40 min), 12. Vic Blaney, 13. Steve Savoie (first game with Grimsby; two week visitor) 14. Nick Lemieux, 15. Pat Brown (60 min), 16. Brad Vorstenboch (hook: 40 min)  17:  Martin Van Den Hurk (lock 40 min):  18. Adam Amirault (lock 30 min), 19 Ryan Llwellyn (wing: 40 min), 20. James Vinneau (flank and wing: 30 min) 21. Alex Millar (full back: 20 min)22.  Jamie Farrell (40 min) 23. Bob Mavro (30 min), 24. Drew Rebec (flank: 15 min)

I came late (see next blog) and there were 9 subs on the sidelines including 4 backs.  Last game away we had three subs and none of them backs.  So thanks to the players who are available all the time to make room for the extra players and those sitting for not complaining too much.

Game Report:  I arrived to see the Crusaders score at about 10 min, then again at 20 min, and again at 30 min and again at 38 min.  The last one was converted.  They played a strong forward game with pick a goes, off loads to forwards and lots of go ahead play.  We were starved of the ball and then messed up what little we had (probably trying to do too much).

Jake on a bit of a break in the first half. 

 Near the end of the half, against the run of play, from a scrum in our end, Vic, who was set up in our end zone to kick the ball out of bounds from a scrum, decided to run which caught the other team on the wrong foot and  he made it to the other teams fourty when he offloaded so eventually Steve Savoie scored under the posts.  (how's that for a sentence?) Derrick who had left the field with an injury a minute or so earlier had Jake D'Achille kick his first points after in men's play.

Steve dotting it down  and starting a come back.

Jake kicking the extra points. 

 Half time score:  Grimsby Gentlemen 7: Oakville Crusaders 22

The inspirational half time speech by the coach was something like they were big bodies and we had them right where we wanted them on a very hot day.  With the wind all we had to do was to get in their faces on defence, tackle them hard so they had to keep getting up, put them under pressure and the offence (in the form of the ball) will come. In spite of this made up speech something happened and early in the half Martin pounced on a mistaken kick in the Cru half and ran it back.  The other Martin kicked (I think) and we had 14 points. Soon Cru were in our end with a open run on their left wing (I was already writing down 5 points) when the winger Jamie caught the guy with an incredible ankle tap (incredible in that we don't see many of them that work) and saved a sure try. However soon Cru were over with an unconverted try to bring the score to 27 -14.  (although the side lines was not sure and thought maybe they had scored 6 tries).

We however were getting more ball  and more space to run and they tended to have more people on the ground after plays.  Then Vic made a long run barging through a lot of players to touch down between the posts and with the other Martin converting we were only 6 down (maybe) and ten minutes to go.

Vic looking for the lung he threw up just before scoring.

With about 5 minuets to go some pressure in their end allowed Nick Lemieux to pick up a loose ball and elusively run into the endzone and with Adam the first converting, we were ahead  for the first time in the game. We had to sit through some gut tensing last minute close calls (a 40 meter penalty which fell short and just to annoy the coach we gave them another penalty 10 meters closer, which went wide)

Grimsby Gentlemen 28: Oakville Crusaders 27

A famous win with a bonus point which will move us to 2-2 and above Creek but still one below St. Kitts.

This is the first time we played Crusaders IV at home and they had some nice things to say about the club (except the field is too narrow).  We last played the Crusaders at home in May of 2011 and lost 29 to 0 but their IV team is special in that it has many good players who do not want to train the same way they used to for the other teams.  This team would beat their III team regularly. The felt we had improved our skills since the last time (and we have) but the outcome might have been very different on a different day.  They could also produce a better team if they want to (not sure that they care) when we play them at home (the only team we play twice this year), the last game of the season. Anyway the weather was appropriate for their Hawaiian shirt attire.

The Hawaiian Crusaders

  The Crusaders in scouting our team revealed something that we did not know and that Dean Crozier is actually Mexican (Dino).  The only reason we played him is because we wanted to be able to say we had a New Zealander on the team. Next thing we will find out is that Bob is Turkish.  Dean was also selected as man of the match by the Crusaders.  At least Mexico is 73 in the world while Greece (aka Hellas) is still 99.  But 73 is a far cry from New Zealand.

Dean 

 Next game is unusual in that it will take place next Friday night (July 12), in Guelph (Redcoats) at 9:00 on a turf field.  All of these things are new to the club.

There was a bit of a buzz around the clubhouse after that game.

It should be noted that Webs has not been on the field for our last 6 tries.