Match Report - Novos 2s vs Rockcliff

‘‘Twas a wet and windy afternoon (several Saturday's ago) and oh boy did the fellas deliver. Some cracking rugby all round in a slightly one sided affair from the mighty 2s.

Rockcliff, unfortunately pitched up short on numbers - so scrums were uncontested from the first whistle but fair play to the lads that turned out for them.

The fellas burst into life following an incredibly rousing chant from the man Shaun Stewart, with Alex Cokeley scoring within the first 5.
The boys were firing on all cylinders and flicking the pill with purpose, with another two tries in the corner from Phil Howard-Johnston and Zac Smith. Just like that the boys were now 21 unanswered points up within the first 20 minutes.

Following on from this Smith ran in another try, closely followed by two tries from Zinzan Fraser. At this point the Vos began to notice weakness in the Rockcliff's back field and began taking advantage by utilising their kicking game.

A beautiful kick chase allowed Howard-Johnston to latch onto the ball and touched it down, but the ref had other ideas! A controversial decision to say the least - but as the vos were in flying form and the fellas opted to be the bigger men and leave it.

The current score was 35 to nil with half time fast approaching but the fellas weren’t finished.

Simeone Archibald, Harry Jones & Howard-Johnston all squeezed in extra tries prior to the half time whistle.

At half time it was time for the dreaded player swap, the fellas joined the huddle pensively. It was concluded that both Howard-Johnston and Ewan Strachan should swap to Rockcliff.

As Marcus Aurelius said ‘That which isn’t good for the beehive, can’t be good for the bees’ as Howard-Johnston proved rushing up on an unsuspecting Matthew Russell, who was then lifted and deposited 5 metres back. Nevertheless, following this crunching tackle, Novos continued their relentless pressure with early tries from Adam Lambert, Archibald and Fraser. The score line was now 75 to nil.

In an effort to slow the fists of fury, Novos began letting each try scorer take their own conversions. Cokeley demonstrated this perfectly, slotting a conversion from the touchline. The 2s aren’t here to take part, they are here to takeover.

Matthew Russell scored a try which should have been disallowed, but we’ll give him benefit of the doubt due to the hammering he took earlier in the game courtesy of PHJ.

Chris Ward then ended the game in style, scoring under the posts. A fairy tale end, until he stepped back to take the conversion.

Nevertheless, the score line ended 90-0 to the mighty 2s, if rugby wasn’t the real winner, it would have definitely been the Vos.

I think it’s safe to say, the 2s mean business this year.

“Run and you’ll live — at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”