Fatbastarding: NTA log

Fullermorg

Sounds like a beast of a session! 
 
Did you give your mates a kick up the ass!? 
 
Got training this evening and i am buzzing - maybe that is because it is still pretty new after months of injurednessiosity

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When you're doing chins, pulldowns and dips on 115kg mate, it is beastly let me tell you <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
 
I wasn't too filthy with the boys actually - its the last round this weekend and while momentum is important, we've locked up top spot in 1st grade and runners up in 2nd grade. We're guaranteed two bites at the cherry and we're not expecting too much competition from the guys we're playing Saturday (both their grades in 6th spot). Momentum running into the finals will be important, but it depends on who shows up and whether they want to play rugby or pass the parcel. That's the problem with having too many Kiwis in your side - they don't appreciate the finer tactical details <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

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Today we played Killara West Pymble who were struggling after losing a heap of players in recent weeks. We were expected to crush them, and did. 
 
I played the whole game for second grade, and to blow my own trumpet I had a fucking top game today. Made a few great tackles in the open, blew over a heap of rucks, stuck in at the maul. I threw a pass from the ruck that led to a first half try, and in the second half ran a pick n drive that gained ten metres, with the next phase resulting in a try. 
 
Then, with the ruck forming 5 metres out shortly after, I ran inside our big Number 8 and yelled for it. Got the ball, strode out for the line and got held up, but the lads arrived and drove me over. TRY TIME!!!! 
 
I even filled in at the front row for a bit when our loosehead's knee gave way - glad it was uncontested scrums because their THP was about 5'6" and chubby - very hard to shift or tackle as a few of the boys found out. In the game washup I got 1 point for best on ground (3-2-1 system). After that, the day just got better as we were a bit short on the First Grade bench, and even though we were thrashing them with only 5 minutes to go, the First Grade coach let me have a run. Didn't do much except watch the boys run in a try and blow over a ruck, but that pretty much made my day. 
 
THEN I led out the boat race team and managed to hold my own against their first guy, before our First Grade LHP blitzed the second leg and the First Grade halfback took us home just in time. Only our second boat race win for the season <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
 
The try and the run for First Grade pretty much made my season. Short of winning a premiership that is. 
 
Am a very sore, but very happy boy tonight.

naza

[quote name='NTA'] 
Then, with the ruck forming 5 metres out shortly after, I ran inside our big Number 8 and yelled for it. Got the ball, strode out for the line and got held up, but the lads arrived and drove me over. TRY TIME!!!! 
 
[/quote] 
 
Go you good thing !Â I'm pretty sure that 5 metres will soon blow out to 50.

? Offline

Too late naza: 
 
[quote name='NTA'] 
in the second half ran a pick n drive that gained [b]ten[/b] metres, with the next phase resulting in a try. 
[/quote] 
 
My mate with the video assures me it was more like 5 metres <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
 
And I'm quite sure over the years that the try won't gain much in distance, but will involve NO help from the boys as I single-handedly step their entire back row inside the tram lines <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

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<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> Recorded for all history. No you can't even see me score it, and I still don't know how I managed to get it down given the awful body position and ball security I employed 
 
[url="

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I'm number 5 - yes its kind of hard to tell me from the THP, but trust me: he's 20kg heavier than i

Red Bull

Excellent work Nicko. Looked like there was a little bit of lazy walking until you realized you might actually get the ball.Â :lol:But you scored the try when the opportunity presented itself mate, and that's all that counts. 
 
Geez I miss playing.Â <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

Virgil

Great work NickÂ 
 
If i send you over a jersey will you sign it for me <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
Excellent quality clip too by the way, keep em comingÂ

? Offline

[quote name='Red Bull'] 
Excellent work Nicko. Looked like there was a little bit of lazy walking until you realized you might actually get the ball.Â 
[/quote] 
 
<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> I had two thoughts:

Big Dan might just score this himself
If not, he might hand it off to the halfback... fucked if I'm letting that happen! 
 
<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

Virgil

[quote name='NTA'] 
[quote name='Red Bull'] 
Excellent work Nicko. Looked like there was a little bit of lazy walking until you realized you might actually get the ball.Â 
[/quote] 
 
<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> I had two thoughts:

Big Dan might just score this himself
If not, he might hand it off to the halfback... fucked if I'm letting that happen! 
 
<img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
[/quote] 
 
Your first try for your club Nick? 
Just reading in yesterdays paper that the Broncos have a tradition where if u fail to score a try in a season you have to do a 'nude run', safe to say there will be a few disappointed woman in your area if your club has something similarÂ

Red Bull

[quote name='Virgil'] Just reading in yesterdays paper that the Broncos have a tradition where if u fail to score a try in a season you have to do a 'nude run', safe to say there will be a few disappointed woman in your area if your club has something similarÂ 
[/quote] 
 
we had that rule when I was playing for Wests here in Bris. One season, a good mate (who interestingly played 12) had a few dramas scoring tries throughout the season, and in the final game I managed to dodge a few tackles in midfield, break clear with nobody in front of me. My mate was struggling to keep up, but yet was screaming his lungs out for the ball, while all the other boys were screaming, "don't give it to him RB!" 
 
I did give it, thus saving him from the nude run. Also secured a night of free booze from my appreciative inside centre.Â <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

? Offline

[quote name='Virgil'] 
Your first try for your club Nick?[/quote] 
 
Yep - first one and I don't think there is anyone disappointed about the lack of nude run from this fat bastard :shifty: 
 
Have spoken to the club secretary and it looks like both sides are going to be at absolute full strength on the weekend. Going to have to work hard at training to keep my spot.

Virgil

[quote name='NTA'] 
[quote name='Virgil'] 
Your first try for your club Nick?[/quote] 
 
Yep - first one and I don't think there is anyone disappointed about the lack of nude run from this fat bastard :shifty: 
 
Have spoken to the club secretary and it looks like both sides are going to be at absolute full strength on the weekend. Going to have to work hard at training to keep my spot. 
[/quote] 
 
So is lock your preferred position now? 
Remember at times you have mentioned others you have been tried at...

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Yeah looks like I'm there to be a donkey <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> There isn't much call for other positions. They have heaps of props, some quite good hookers, and the flankers we have are all much quicker than I am and jump at lineouts besides. 
 
I could fill in any of the front row positions at this level, though the neck is not quite used to the effort yet, or either lock position without too much trouble. The other guy playing regularly at lock is in the same boat - can fill in up front, but there are better guys in other positions for now. We just bind up and grunt hard at scrum time. <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

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Training tonight - basically two games of touch broken up by some crossovers and a bit of farking around with kicking. I tried some chins when I got home but my shoulders hurt like hell from the weekend. 
 
Big training Thursday night - teams have been already and the coaches will let us know who made it then. First Grade pretty much pick themselves of course, so the rest of us will battle it out for the dirties.

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Training tonight and it was a good'un. I turned up a bit late because someone had a heartie at Central Station which buggered up all the trains on my line. No consideration! <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> Hope s/he is doing OK... 
 
Anyways, turned up just at the end of the warmup and ran myself through some pushups, crunches, and a couple of runs. 
 
We split into firsts and seconds and had unopposed lineout practice and as none of our hookers were available (work commitments) I threw in. Got a few right on the money, but fluffed as many. Been a while :shifty: 
 
After that we had a bit of opposed scrum and lineout work with First Grade. Got smashed in a couple of scrums but then gave them a couple of good ones. At lineout/maul time we gave them a good run for their money too. 
 
Then we had Second Grade unopposed training with the backs on set moves. Some of it was a fucking shambles and some of it was good, from both backs and forwards. After that, we had Firsts come over and give us some opposition. 
 
We've gotta be switched on this weekend against Bankstown. We can take it to them through the forwards and control territory in both Grades and just strangle their basketball Pacific Islands style of play. Do that, and we're in the Grand Final.

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Well, what a day! We lined up in the Major Semifinal for both 1sts and 2nds. A win would provide each side with a spot in the Grand Final on the 15th. Its worth noting that the club has already created history by making both Major semis in all its grades in its first year - never happened in Sydney Suburban Rugby before apparently, with our First Grade being minor premiers also adding to the noteworthy list. 
 
The tale of the tape in 1st Grade over 18 matches 
1st Renegades 18 wins - 829 for, 164 against (+665), 87 competition points (standard bonus point rules) 
2nd Bankstown 16 wins (only lost to us twice) -Â 770 for, 209 against (+561), 75 competition points 
The next best team was Oakhill back on 48, which shows the dominance of these two teams! They played Lane Cove in the elimination semi 
 
In Second Grade it wasn't as good for us: 
1st Bankstown 18 wins - 599 for, 108 against (+491), 83 competition points 
2nd Renegades 13 wins - 434 for, 178 against (+256), 64 competition points (lost to Bankstown twice, Oakhill twice, Norwest once) 
Next best were Oakhill on 57 points, who played Norwest in the elimination semi 
 
I was named in the reserves for Second Grade, and looking around at some of our talent realised pretty swiftly that I was unlikely to get on given we had about 6 forwards to choose from. A little disappointed but the win is the thing and that's what I said to the coach - "Don't worry about my feelings mate - just win the fucking thing!" I've been guaranteed a run in the Grand Final, but again realise that there are a lot of blokes available and that First Grade are pretty much settled, so the leftovers come down and hey, they happen to be better than me. I had my glory last weekend after all 
 
We started well and took a 3-0 lead, but then a bit of a barry from one of our backs clearing up a kick resulted in them nabbing a try. Shortly after wards they put another one on after a massive forward pass, but their kicker - usually a really reliable bloke - got the yips and shanked everything put in front of him. The boys pulled their shit together and started to give it to the Bankstown Islander community physically, with our own brown brothers laying some serious smackdown. Then we scored a try - a brilliant individual effort down the right touchline by our openside - to bring it back to 10-8 down at halftime. I swear he ran the entire 22 within a metre of the touchline but they couldn't take him out. 
 
After the break they looked stuffed. Their simple game plan - tackle around the shoulders, then turnover and chuck it wide to run around us - was breaking down under strong defensive pressure from the Renegades and they started to drop ball here and there. They also realised that trying to tackle around the neck wasn't going to work against moving targets and we opened them up everywhere, bombing a try or two as over-eager hands dropped the ball. Their offside penalties were starting to get to the very young ref too and he handed out some warnings midway through the second half. We kicked a penalty to nose in front 11-10, then scored another great try - this time a team effort as our backs ran around their lazy defenders to put the left winger (who usually plays flank but has serious toe) in out wide. The kick was missed, but shortly afterwards we got another penalty and pushed the lead out to 19-10 with 5 to go. 
 
I was a bloody mess of nervous energy on the bench just watching, especially as with 15 to go, Bankstown brought on one of their star First Grade players to the wing. This guy is seriously talented, and although he has a bit of a short fuse, he can run in two tries without any serious effort. I relaxed a bit when we got 9 ahead with only 5 to go, and one of our better backline players started cutting the guy down around the ankles. The Bankstown offload game is the thing. If you go high, they brush you as they're all over 110kg (even the backs!) and if you go low they'll offload. Its all about trusting the blokes around you as usual - if they make their tackles, and you make yours, then offloads won't help. The Coach was also a steaming mess and when I pointed out that the Bankstown star winger was not who they had on their program he nearly lost it. Turns out the guy went on in the number 17 jumper when there was already a number 17 jumper out there. He should have gone on in number 19. Good spot by me and that's what you get for studying the other teams <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
 
With about 5 to go Bankstown's discipline started to fall apart and they picked up two yellow cards - one for getting punchy and one for continued offside. It helped that one of our props picked a fight with the punchy lad earlier in the game by hitting him late and high (and getting away with it). There were a couple of other incidents earlier in the match where we'd riled them up and avoided a yellow, and it paid dividends <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' /> 
 
 
 
First Grade started out torrid - the battle at the breakdown was bloody hardcore and you could see the ruck shaking with the impacts and wrestling from across the field. The boys were a little impatient and though it was clear they were the better side (Bankstown had a few blokes back up from Second Grade which is IMHO just stupid for a finals series) they got brought down to Bankstown's spoiling game and blew a few chances. At halftime First Grade were 10-5 down which is a bit of a shock. The coach told them to pull finger obviously as they got right back into it in the second half and took the lead back with two tries, before conceding a try that was clearly a forward pass. This was after we had picked up a yellow card for punchiness, and they picked up one for professional foul and one for getting a bit violent. Then our left winger scooped up a rather bad kick that cleared his opposite and gassed it from halfway to the line, before picking up another meat pie on a simple through-the-hands move that put him into space. That was it! 35-17 was the final result I believe, and Bankstown picked up 4 yellow cards (including one to a bloke who picked up a yellow in the 2nds game) in total to make it 6 for the day... 
 
So the club, in its first year, has made the Grand Final of both grades and looks good to take out at least one of them. 
 
And in further news, despite Bankstown having a Championship lead up until the last round, and winning both their games to take what should have been an unassailable lead, for some reason they didn't get the points for their final round of victories, which I also makes us club champions! Not sure how this works - they definitely had more points based on victory alone, so someone has stiffed them or they've broken a rule here or there... 
 
 
The boys were planning on a big one last night but, dutiful family man*** that I am, I had a few drinks and then headed home. 
 
 
 
*** i.e. smart enough not to cross a pregnant woman when rugby has already taken 12 hours out of my week.

aucklandwarlord

[quote name='Virgil'] Just reading in yesterdays paper that the Broncos have a tradition where if u fail to score a try in a season you have to do a 'nude run', safe to say there will be a few disappointed woman in your area if your club has something similarÂ 
[/quote] 
 
 
Thats a tradition across the whole league I think. I remember when Steve Price scored his first try in Warriors colours last season he was stoked because it meant he didnt have to do the nude run again.

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Thankfully the world has been spared that hell on my part. 1 try is all I need. 
 
Training tonight - passing drills, then kick return practice forwards on backs. We took it easy on 'em <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/invision/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' /> Short numbers tonight so no lineout drills or anything. Was tiring stuff but still managed to crack out a few chins and dips when I got home. 
 
I've bought some new runners so once rugby season is over I'm going to do a bit of walking/running to keep things happening. Also there's a chance i'm getting a job closer to home so riding the bike (once I buy a new one) is an option too - will be about 8-9km each way

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Went down to the park this arv while Little Aussie and Mrs TA were asleep for a bit of a run and a kick. Pricks had already pulled down the posts on the rugby league ground but there was a young chap with a Kiwi accent kicking a couple of skins around. I invited him to use my Gilbert which was in slightly better shape than either of his. He plays inside centre for one of Barker Old Boys' Colts sides and had a pretty useful boot and pass on him - inside centre. We spent close to an hour kicking, passing, and doing stuff on the run while having a chat. He was barely puffed and had been there two hours after a big night out. I was sweating and short of breath :shifty: bloody young'uns! 
 
In any case, I was feeling quite tired after staying up to watch rugby, then chasing Little Aussie through the Wiggly World amusement playland this afternoon, so a bit of fresh air and a run around did me good I've decided.

The Silver Fern

Fatbastarding: NTA log