1-28-2012

Well… we lost the match. Don’t know the score.  It was a bunch to none.

Overall, we learned a lot.  That is the best way to say it.  Though the Tigers were out matched in technique, experience and mass, the Tigers learned during the match and we were able to tighten our play and stop the bleeding.  By midway in the second half, the blues were either sufficiently pleased with the score, or we had figured out how to slow them down.  Either way, the scoring slowed precipitously during the match.

We started matching their push in the scrums at the mid point of the first half… and even took one against the head.  We carried our own in the lineouts with the excellent play of Kian and his lifters.   Though we got good short lineout ball, the Blues craftily took away the opportunity by stacking their non-lineout forwards with the backline, shutting down our wide option.

We didn’t kick particularly well in this match, and spent lots of time in our own half.  We tried to run it out several times, but were stopped on our attempts with either an aggressive tackle, or an error on our part.

I was very impressed with much of the individual play.  Our guys hit them low and hard (they needed to, since they were so big).

Much as I hate to lose, we needed to play a team that was better than us to learn and grow.  That we did.

After the Blues took us to school, they took us to Celtic, where they were gracious hosts, as usual.

Thanks to the Blues for the lesson.  We promise to put it to good use.

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Memorial Field  U of M Campus – Kickoff 5:00 PM  (yes, a night game)

Referee:  John Sullivan

Selection:  1. Carter 2. Shipley 3. McCrary 4. Bauer 5. Harris 6. Campbell (Captain)  7. Cobb 8. Koleini 9. Doyle 10. Elliott (co-captain) 11. Lacey  12. Ghwaji 13. Walden 14. Hale 15. S. Smith

Alternates: Fitts, Hickman, Hairston, Downing, Brewi, A. Smith, Tapp, Booker, MacDonnchadh,