Wilmot Away

Grimsby Gentlemen 0: Wilmot Warthogs 41

Venue:  Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School in the Town of Baden in the Township of Wilmot



Weather:  Nice day out in the farmer's fields (24 degrees).

Referee:  Paul Waling

Attendance: Some of the faithful:

Sam (from London) with a minor injury

Nick's dad

Team:  1. Ross Matheson, 2. Brendan Sculland, 3: Jon Millington (60 min), 4. Martin Van Der Hurk, 5. Nick Lord (60 min), 7. Bob Mavro (60 min),  8. Dean Crozier (back from New Zealand for a holiday), 9. Nick Lemieux, 10. Jamie Farrell, 11. James Vinneau (60 min), 12. Vic Blaney, 13. Heri Lewssoh (60 min - injury), 14. Duncan Earl, 15. Cameron Ruys, 16, Jeremy Young (40 min), 18. Dirk Reichow (40 min), 19. Erick Alvardo, 20. Gareth O'Brien, 21 Jake Connor, 22. Jared Simpson, 23. Jodie Broughton.

The Game:  
We knew going in to these back to back games with Wilmot that it would be win even one of them.  So the strategy was to play poorly enough in the away game to lull them into thinking they could beat us in the return game easily and perhaps we could get a much needed win at home.  The coaching staff does not want to take all the credit for this brilliant gambit , so well used last by the French in the 2011 World Cup (they did not actually win the cup but lost to New Zealand in the final 7 to 5) , it really was the players who bought into the plan and wiithout their hard work at looking awful we might not prevail.  

I got to the game late as I was with the flag tournament at our club (they were probably having more fun) and the score was 17 - 0 at the half (which was a little too close for comfort) but the our players dug deep and took a lot a penalties and a yellow to get the final score to 41 to 0. Now it only remained to wait a week and see if the rest of the master plan would be delivered (God willing).  

I did not mention that Ross  got our first yellow card of the year against Norfolk for some evil deed.  The odds that Ross (coach, captain, lineout whisperer)  would get the first were a fairly long  ten to one.  But the second came in this game by Nick Lemieux and you could  have won fifty bucks if he had gotten the first card.   

We went back to their beer up (eventually - it was in an Irish pub called Kennedy's in a town even smaller than Baden called St. Agatha)  knowing we had the advantage but we did not want them to realize that.  We even stayed later at their event than they did.  Vic was chosen man of the match but had left so Jamie Farrell - who had stepped into the 10 position because we had injuries and played very well - was their second choice.  Although a university man, I think Jamie goes to school to learn and not to chug beer and did not do well against a seasoned prop.  

Jamie about to attack

Milli attacking

Heri was attacked (looks sore)

Duncan pretending to go off his healthy diet to lull Wilmot

One of our flag teams. 

Wilmot away

Grimsby Gentlemen  26 (4 tries: good) Wilmot Warthogs 59 (9 tries: bad)

 

Venue: Waterloo Oxford High School.(somewhere between Waterloo and Stratford) at 2:15 p.m.

,

Referee: ? (There was an announced shortage of refs on Saturday)

Attendance. ? (There was an announced shortage of supporters on Saturday)

Weather.  Mid twentiies, partially cloudy

Team:  1. Ross Matheson (c), 2. Brendan Sculland(60 min) 3. Jon Millington,  4.Jeremy Young , 5. Martin Van Den Hurk 6. Adam Meehan (20 min) , 7. Nick Lord, 8. Mark Woodward, 9. Dillon Trimble, 10. Martin Colyn, 11. Will George (Sassy), 12. Vic Blaney, 13. Chris Fothergill , 14. James Vienneau 15. Jamie Farrell , 16. Dirk Reichow (60 min)

Game:  I missed the game so any information is actually hearsay and probably made up.  I was with the Niagara Rugby Union under 17 sevens teams at the Ontario Summer Games in Windsor ( I am the director of representative teams for the NRU).  After a Friday in which all four team (boys and girls, A and B, ) went undefeated, the finals on Saturday led to a Gold and Bronze for the girls and a Gold and fourth place for the boys.  (last year at the interbranch, the NRU got one silver by the boys).  The tie in to Beamsville  High School is that Annie Berg would have made the girl's team but made the Ontario team instead and Dakota Unrau who made the boy's squad but could not go to the tournament due to work. 

Anyway back in Wilmot, there was a slow start as usual and we did not score until near the end of the first half when Martin touched down.  The conversion was missed. 

Half time score: 1 try by Grimsby and 4 or 5 by Wilmot

At about 56 minutes Martin got a yellow for a little hockey but we scored at 60 minutes when Nick made a run and fed to Dillon (tenth try this season).  Dillon made the conversion.   At 65 minutes a long run by Vic led to a try and which Vic converted himself. At the end of the game a tripping penalty on Martin gave us  a penalty try which Vic also converted.  

Final Score:  Grimsby Gentlemen 26: Wilmot Warthogs 59

Congratulations to the Canadian Women's team who made it to the final of the world cup by defeating France by 18 to 16.  Canada was up 11 to 6 early in the second half but France had a scrum on Canada's 5 meter line.  A great push by the Canadian left side caused a steal and Canada were off running the  ball out of their end.  A pass to the very fast Magali Harvey send her flying down the wing and with a Milliesque head fake on the fullback and she was gone.  Harvey is short listed for the IRB Womens Player of the Year. 
Canada plays England for the championship on Sunday.

Another player learning from the master was Dillion who after a difficult post-game reception and while observing a poker game on TV said:  "Poker - that's just like playing cards!".  Milli you will live forever in the young men and women of this nation.