A Hooligan's Game: Hamilton away

Grimsby Gentlemen RFC 52 Hamilton Hornets 24
(I heard there was a basketball game last week also)

Pre Game Record
Hamilton 1 and 3 (4 points)
Grimsby 1-2 (5 points)

Venue
Mohawk Sports Park, Hamilton

Weather on June 15:
18 degrees with a strongish wind from the south (Hamilton chose to play with the wind the first half)

Referee

Ian Stewart plus Hamilton's 9 and 10, assorted backs and most of their side line supporters

Attendance: we had 6 travelling fans (4 were there for John): Drake was sighted but he was rooting for Hamilton.

Most of our spectators (Myron was on load management and ran the tee and water- thanks Myron)

Team:

(1) Chris Atkinson (member of the props who kick club (80 min), (2) Brendan Vorstenbosch (80 min), (3) Jon Millington (80 min) (member of the props who do not kick club (4) Martin van den (der?) Hurk (80 min) (5) Vic Blaney (80 min) (oh, I was in a rugby game last week) (6) Kyle Wilson (Burlington flanker for hire but only for 70 min) (7) Dean Crozier (8) Nick Lord (58 min : injured) (9) Joe Feint (40 min and 40 min at 13), (10) Jake d'Achille (80 min), (11) Josh Thompson (80 min), (12) Will George (80 min), (13) Daniel Prentice-Chowen (40 min and 40 min at 9), (14) John Frasier (started at prop in his career and is now at wing) (80 min), (15) Laughlin Hill (80 min) (16) A. N. Other Norfolk (22 min) - there is a reason why most players played 80 min (like in the old days when I played and no substitutes were allowed and men were men) - guess.

nice scrum but we seem to be to thrilling for the Hamilton player

Game

After withstanding a bit of pressure from Hamilton we get the ball to Dan at center (the first time in two games) and he runs 50 meters for the first try which he converts. At 10 minutes Dan does it again (except he turns the long conversion into the wind over to Laughlin who misses). Around this time (12 minutes) Hamilton has an injury and Tom Edwards (Hamilton President) takes over and immediately gets a yellow for playing like it was 1990 again. Of course at 20 minutes Hamilton scores and converts. Our Flanker for hire needs a rest and gets a yellow for playing like it is 1960 and at 29 minutes Hamilton scores and converts.

Kyle a rugby mercenary: Bet on us today but also bet on the Raptors to lose.
"It's good to be a Gentleman again"

Half time Score Grimsby Gentlemen 12: Hamilton Hornets 14

After an inspiring speech by the coach about having the wind and not just running into the other big bodies of the other team, Hamilton steals the ball and scores at 41 minutes. The speech was a classic too bad it was not recorded and used as a bad example in the future. However at 45 minutes Dan (who hasn't scored in 35 minutes) scores and converts, then at 60 minutes he scores again and converts. After much push and shove, just to be different, Dean scores and Dan converts, then Will scores and Dan converts then a lovely well weighted grubber by Jake which sits up for Will and he scores again (Dan misses). At 78 minutes Hamilton scores a try but at 80 minutes Jake breaks it open for a final score with Dan converting again.

Final Score Grimsby Gentlemen 52(8) and Hamilton Hornets 24 (4)

Grimsby is now at 2 and 2 (10 points) with a points differential of -7

Scoring

Dan 4 tries and 6 converts (32 points), Will 2 tries, Jake 1 try, Dean 1 try

Trends
After two not very good games were are at 50:50 and we seem to take over in the second half (must be the fitness) or our new set of younger backs who seem to have upped the pace. Our older forwards seem to be holding their own.. We also have a yellow card in every game that has lasted over 20 minutes.

Will George: our team captain for 2019

Will George who has been in our system for awhile (playing for our farm club Stoney Creek) is now up with the big team and has been selected at the new captain.

We also have not done well in terms of numbers at practice (mainly because of the rain) but we would like to encourage players to train to get fitter and to learn some of our systems (although we don't want mess up a good thing by making players think).