Minnesota Rugby - National 7's Championships & Super League Success

YOUNGBLOODZ RUGBY:  Chasing a 7's National Championship

For those living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, the Youngbloodz 7's rugby club earned the right to represent the Midwest in the National 7's Championships this coming weekend, 8/6 & 8/7, in San Francisco, CA.   http://www.youngbloodz7srugby.com/

Right about now you may be asking yourself, "So what?  They aren't a Metropolis team, so why should I care?"  Fair question. To which I offer the following:  They are a Minnesota Rugby Club.  We have a unique chance to get behind another Minnesota Rugby organization as they seek a National Championship, and, I'm proud to say, have done exactly that.  Over the past few days a group of Metropolis Rugby members, primarily Old Boys, have pooled their resources in order to make a nice donation to the Youngbloodz which will help offset some of their travel costs as they head to California, representing Minnesota Rugby in the National 7's Championships.

I encourage you to follow the Youngbloodz on Facebook and learn more about their history and players on their website: http://www.youngbloodz7srugby.com.   In the meantime, know that they have established a level of excellence and success not seen on the 7's pitch in Minnesota since the Metropolis National 7's years of 2003, 2000 and prior.  The Youngbloodz are a 7's specialist's club, coached by Sam Robinson and sending a roster of 12 to California.  That roster has guys that are still in college at the University of Minnesota, still in high school, a son of a long time East Side Banshee, a standout Banshee player (who I do believe also went to UWEC), a number of guys from the Spearhead Rugby Academy, one who just won a DIII National Championship with Metropolis and others who played on our Division I as well.  I am sure other clubs and colleges, as well as local High Schools, are represented as well.  Oh, did I mention the Captain of this team is none other than our own Nick Johnson?

When you put all of this into perspective it's easy for any one of us to find a reason to get behind these boys and wish them the best of luck this coming weekend.  This is a true Minnesota rugby team, deserving of our support as it carries our pride and rugby tradition with it to San Francisco.  Good luck gentlemen!!!!

 METROPOLIS RUGGERS:  Heading to Super League: 

This next piece is a bit more of a surprise and until very recently not very widely known.  I don't necessarily have all the details required to do it justice, but since it's all happening so quickly I at least wanted to mention something.

As one team heads West temporarily, two other Metropolis Ruggers head West for a more extended stay.  Please join me in wishing Casey Cronk and Aaron Fry the best of luck, safe travels and all the success as they journey to Seattle, WA to join Seattle Rugby Club & Old Puget Sound Rugby for the upcoming seasons.  Casey has been a member of the Metropolis Rugby Club for a number of years now, most recently serving as #10 on the Division 1 side during the last playoff push.  From the University of Minnesota, to Metropolis, Spearhead and the Youngbloodz, Cronk's passion for rugby never faltered. Casey's Facebook friends will note his thanks and appreciation to Rob Holder and Spearhead Rugby Academy for pushing him through to the next level.   Metropolis players and fans will miss Casey on the pitch this fall and behind the bar at Legend's, but wish him the best of luck as he pursues his dreams in the great Pacific Northwest.

After all the years of conjecture and rumor, this week will prove that Bigfoot, aka. Sasquatch, does indeed live in the Pacific Northwest.  If you look HERE you can see the confused gaze of the large, yet lovable Man Child known as Aaron Fry to us, but Sasquatch to those in the know.  Aaron Fry journeys from Minnesota once again as he joins Casey in Seattle.  Fry has been on a rocket trajectory in the rugby world ever since his days at STOUT.  Spending time and contributing immediately on the Metropolis Division 1 side before heading over to Ireland to play professionally it is clear to see that there are great things ahead for this young Man-Child.  While his time with Metropolis in terms of years is limited Aaron has told me, on a number of occasions, that Metropolis Rugby will always be his home club and he'll always be connected here.  That said, I can promise that both Aaron and Casey will be welcomed back here anytime.

The news of Cronk and Fry's departures came quickly...and their departure date will be as quick too.  They are leaving this week!!!  Fortunately a few guys took it upon themselves to make sure they were sent off appropriately.  That said, there is a Going Away Party Bus...tonight (MONDAY)!!!  Please see Kyle "Mizzu" "Javelin" Fredrickson (kyfreddie@aol.com) with questions and details.

Not everyone is leaving the state:

All this good-bye and good-luck stuff reminds me of the fact that this past spring I failed to write up a farewell wish to long time Metropolis and Minnetonka hero, Adam Dilley, as he journeyed to California for a season in the USARugby Super League.  Perhaps my failure to properly memorialize his leaving was due to my being in denial that the World's 2nd Largest Leprechaun, who started with Metropolis as the only Colt with a full beard, and contributing greatly, on and off the pitch, year after year, was leaving us and his beloved state.  Or, perhaps it was so I could save myself to welcome Dilley as he returns to join our ranks once again!  That's right, you can plan on seeing our Clubman Extraordinaire back in Metropolis colors in a few short weeks.  Does this week get any better? 

With a final good luck to all of our Minnesota Rugby players, no matter what Club you call home, I hope you all enjoy the week, keep all of these guys in your thoughts and take pride to be a rugger in the great rugby state of Minnesota!!!!!

W.J. Bradley Mortgage & Andy Coppernoll - Official Sponsor of Metropolis Rugby

New season, new coach...new Sponsor!!! 

It is with great excitement that I announce a perfect addition to our already stellar list of Official Metropolis Rugby Club Sponsors. W.J. Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp & Andy Coppernoll become much more than just an Official Sponsor and Supporter of Metropolis Rugby, Andy will now serve as an invaluable resource for each of you as our Official Home Lending Consultant.  What does that mean?  Well, if you have a question, an idea, a concern, whatever with regards to home lending just give him a call, send him an email and bounce it off of him.  I've done exactly that countless times over the past several years and he's always been willing to help, offering up great advice and guidance. 

To many of you out there Andy is an old friend, a former teammate, maybe even someone you've worked with before on your home loans.  I happen to be one of those guys.  Several of us have known Coppernoll for longer than we care to admit or even remember, seen him burn up the pitch for Metropolis 15's and 7's out on the wing from 2001 thru 2007, and have personally done business with him on mortgages and refinances a few times over the past several years. 

 Not only is Coppernoll a long time Metropolis Club Member, but he was a very active sponsor for the years including 2003-08.  After a few years off to focus on family and letting some of the dust settle on the new regulations and requirements in the Home Lending space Andy approached Metropolis and let us know that he wanted back in, wanted to get his name back out there so he could help out some of the new guys on the club and continue to work with us older folk.  

For those of you out there who have had good fortune to do business with Andy in the past you will no doubt agree that the comfort found in having a trusted advisor on your side, a true expert in the industry and someone who really has the best interests of you and your family in mind is amazing.  Andy will take the time to explain all the options to you, find you the best deal, keeping your long term plans in mind and make sure that you understand ALL the fine print. 

Is it crystal clear that I fully support and endorse Andy?  (Please note that I only endorse his work as a home lending expert, not his choice of clothing, cars, deodorant or hairstyle.)

What's next?  Well, if you have a question, concern, want info on a new mortgage or are looking to refinance and existing, get a hold of Andy now!!  Give his name and contact information to your family, friends and colleagues when you hear they are in the hunt for a new home. 

Andy Coppernoll
Home Loan Consultant
W J Bradley Mortgage Capital Corp.
651.755.3078
andy.coppernoll@wjbradley.com

You may also see information from him posted to the Metropolis Email lists from time to time when there is something truly exciting and unique happening in the industry.  If he's posting it, it's worth reading, trust me.  The only spam he likes is the kind fried with venison sausage and eaten while walking the woods hunting Big Foot with nothing more than his wit, dull as it may be. 

We've got you covered....find the Mortgage you need with Andy Coppernoll, Insure that home, possessions, etc. with Matt Peterson, fill the fridge with Miller High Life, go and work off the beer belly with Ryan McDowell and Maxmead Fitness and pray that you don't end up needing the services of Sports & Orthopaedic Specialists!!!!! 

Metropolis Rugby Club: Head Coach - Nathan Osborne

On behalf of Metropolis Rugby, our Active Players, Old Boys, Friends & Family and with great excitement and confidence, it is my privilege to officially welcome Nathan Osborne as the new Head Coach of the Metropolis Rugby Club!!!!

For the vast majority of you receiving this email introductions to Nate are not needed. You know that Nate has been an important member of this club for a number of years now. From his days at #10 for the Division I side where he helped lead us deep into the National Playoffs, to more recent times, serving as the Division III Coach, leading that team to a National Championship and personally earning Division III USARugby MVP honors.

While Nate was the first person to throw his hat into the ring for this position he certainly wasn't the only one. There were a number of highly qualified candidates, eager to take the reigns of this club, who expressed interested and applied for the job. Nate's openness throughout the interview process, willingness to stay the course as Jamey, Rob and I performed the necessary due diligence, served him well and point to a patience and maturity that will server the Club well in the future. Those days and weeks in limbo, answering question after question, were no doubt trying times but his perseverance through it all speak to his undying commitment to the Club and his mates. A quick note on that process and a special thank-you to Rob Holder who accepted my request for help and guidance throughout the selection process. Rob's considerable experience, level-headedness and"outsider" perspective were immeasurably important throughout this effort.

As the Head Coach of Metropolis Rugby, Nate has final say and responsibility for the success and management of both the Division 1 & Division 2 sides. With that in mind, we look to Nate, in the coming days and week, to build out his coaching staff and share that information as appropriate. At the end of the day, it's very important that we always remember that Metropolis is just one Rugby Club. We field multiple competitive sides, but are still one Club. We expect great things from Nate as he makes that ever difficult transition from Player, to Player/Coach, to now, ultimately Coach. We have no doubt that his leadership, through words and example, experience and knowledge will serve him and the Club well.

These are exciting times....new times. Often times, however, we find "NEW" to be different, perhaps uncomfortable...maybe even surprising. What I find comforting here is that none of this is really a surprise, is it? Who would be surprised that a Clubman, with years and years of rugby experience, professional and club, having success at all levels, showing clear dedication to his club, bringing home a National Championship would ultimately be interested in and selected as the New Head Coach? Right, nobody would be surprised, unless they were about to get weird.....

Well, things aren't getting weird, but here is a brief note from your Head Coach, Nate Osborne on this important day:

''It's a huge honor to be named Head Coach for such a great club. One with great young rugby talent, one with the best old boy network of any club I've been involved with, One with such a big future and one that I love and would do anything for. It's going to be a fun fall but we have many things to work on to reach our goal of a Midwest Championship and one day a National Championship. So let's hit the ground running on the 26th because it's only 5 weeks till League kick off. - Nathan Osborne"

With that, I ask that you join me in congratulating and supporting Coach Osborne as he assumes his much deserved role. Metropolis Rugby, as ever, moves forward...with lofty goals and a plan to get there under the guidance of Nate, hardwork of the players and support of the Club.

It all begins next Tuesday, 7/26 @ 6:30pm....SAOS Field with the first Fall 2011 15's Training session.

See you there!!!

The Metropolis Rugby Club - Application Period Closed

A quick heads up to all that the period for submtitting your application for either the Head Coach or Team Manager position is now officially closed. Thanks to all who took to the time to submit an application, we will be in contact soon regarding next steps.

I'm happy to let you all know that a number of solid and well qualified applicants, for both the Head Coach and Team Manager position have made their intentions known are are currently being considered. The results of the discussions, interviews, etc. will be announced to the public NO LATER THAN 7/25/11.

Until then, if you have questions, concerns, etc. I encourage you to please contact me directly. Ye Ole Rumor Mill, while fun and dramatic, has a way of taking on a life of it's own, so unless you hear something directly from either Jamey or myself it is simply that, mere rumor and should be taken as such.

These are exciting times in our Club's History. The direction and leadership of which will become much clearer in the coming week. Until then, please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions or concerns. Please also respect the privacy of the applicants and integrity of the process as we work our way through the necessary steps.

The Metropolis Rugby Club - NOW HIRING!!!

The Metropolis Rugby Club is currently accepting applications for Head Coach and Team Manager positions.

In order to ensure all applicants are given equal consideration and appropriate time to apply, while making sure that a decision is made in a timely manner, the application and selection process will adhere to the following schedule. This schedule applies to BOTH the Head Coach & Team Manager positions...all applicants MUST work through this process and included forms to be considered, no exceptions.

• 6/29/11: Public call for Applications
• 7/17/11: Final Day that Applications will be Accepted
• 7/17 - 7-22/11: Interviews (Applicants and Metropolis Hiring Committee) Interviews may start prior to 7/17.
• 7/25/11: New Head Coach and New Team Manager announcement to public.
• 7/26/11: First Training Session of the Fall 2011 League Season!!!!

Links to Job Descriptions & Official Applications:

Head Coach Job Description
Head Coach Application

Team Manager Job Description

Team Manager Application

***Editable, MSWord format Applications available upon request, email daveheebner@gmail.com for a copy.

The Metropolis Search Committee consists of your Metropolis Athletic Director (Jamey Kohlbeck), President (Dave Heebner) & 3rd Party Consultant, Rob Holder of Spearhead Rugby Academy.

Please direct all questions & comments to Jamey & Dave.
Jamey Kohlbeck: jkohlbeck2002@yahoo.com, 612.961.0498
Dave Heebner: daveheebner@gmail.com, 612.817.0502

Metropolis DIII National Semi-Final Report & Championship Sneak Peek

Greetings from sunny Glendale, CO. Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard that your own Metropolis DIII team was victorious today over the South Bay Rhinos by a score of 24-19. For those of you receiving my updates throughout the match and possessing the basic math skills that even a Wisconsin Public School educated person like me has, you'll note it was ALL Metropolis in the 1st Half....and a little more South Bay in the 2nd Half. While I'm tempted to discuss all the reasons this weekend is important to the Club and the individual players themselves I'm going to save that for a weekend recap and get to business on what went down on the pitch today.

It's been my dream, since 1997 when I first joined Metropolis, to earn a trip to the Final Four, regardless of Division. Well, I made it! I'll admit, however, that my dreams didn't include me pacing the sidelines with a newly purchased Office Depot clipboard trying to maintain some sanity but I am still with Metropolis at a Final Four and have never been happier or prouder of this club. (Hey English, there, I did say something about myself in one of the updates instead of just trying to memorialize the trip for you guys, and feed the rest of the club's hunger for info, now you can give me grief). Ha.

Notice that misdirection? I said I was going to go directly into match content and I didn't...oh well, here ya go:

Metropolis Rugby v South Bay Rhinos
6/4/11 Infinity Park, Glendale, CO
Kick-off 9:00am MST

South Bay in Red
Metropolis is brand-new navy jerseys, sponsored by SAOS and made to order, under a tight deadline, by Rugby Athletic

View the Official Metropolis Rugby DIII Semi-Final Roster to see who was out there representing the Globe today.

9:00am MST
South Bay kicks off under clear skies, call it mid-60's...about to get warmer. Opening moments found both sides kicking the ball deep as they tested each other's back three. South Bay was first to blink with an errant kick outside their 22m, straight out, line-out Metropolis and a sign of things to come.

It was clear from the beginning that South Bay was going to play a little more of an open, wing it out, toss it around style than what Metropolis has in its gameplan. The Rhinos clearly had some speed out wide, with shifty and large runners from #13 on in. Fortunately, so does Metropolis, but we also play defense and keep our heads, relying on the plan at all times.

7th Minute TRY: Will Pilkington/ CONV: Isaac Johnson (7-0)

This goes in the books as one of those scores that came about because of action and effort in phases prior that were probably already forgotten....not by me though, I have a clipboard!
Since this was the first score and my favorite of the match, I'll provide color:
After multiple kicks by the Rhinos, attempting to catch right-wing, Pete Christenson out of position or give their wing an opportunity to get under a high-kick, it became clear that it wasn't going to happen for them. Rhinos #10 puts one through to Pete, on the bounce. Pete finds the handle, but is quickly covered up by the chasing Rhino. At first it looked like Pete was in trouble, isolated, on the ground, setting the ball for someone. In an instant, as the tackling Rhino is also trying to play the ball, #8 Will Pilkington comes through and blows the whole thing up in a text book clearing, 1-man, ruck. Metropolis bench voices its excitement....sir blows the whistle, "Not Releasing" on South Bay, back 10. A little insult to injury as far as I'm concerned.

The mark is given at about the 50m, Nate Osborne is kicking for touch and the bread & butter Metropolis line-out. Nate, whose foot was perfect the previous 7 minutes finds this kick landing at about 15m from goal and 10m inside the touch line. South Bay fullback is in position, but misreads the bounce, a bounce which carries through 10m to the right (touch) and 10m down field (5m line). Bread & Butter time! Perfect throw by Squirrel, Kohbleck handles it, drive is on....Will Pilkington, #8 who blew that ruck up in the middle of a Rhino penalty scores the TRY off the back of the driving forwards! Metropolis DIII rugby at it's best.

Score is 7-0 for the next 14 minutes as the majority of rugby is played in South Bay's half with Metropolis a constant threat, but it was clear that with the Rhino's athleticism they could pop one loose 80m the other way.

21st Minute TRY: AJ Jimmerson (left wing)/ CONV: Isaac Johnson (14-0)

After another Rhino penalty, Metropolis kicks for touch and a line-out on the right side of the field at the 50m line. Showing that practice makes perfect, Peloquin's throw is golden, Kohlbeck snags it, down to #9 Diffley, quickly to FlyHalf Nate Osborne, "miss 2" (Ike did enough by making the conversion), #13 Chris Reynolds hits left wing #14 AJ Jimmerson (former Michigan State Running Back & current Spearhead Academy player) at pace, with a long pass. What little space AJ has is gobbled up by the Rhinos speedy wing, but a step and extra gear by AJ finds him around the wing, goofy footin' the fullback and centering the ball for a great TRY.

24th Minute TRY: Scott Stafford/ CONV: no good (19-0)

Another great Metropolis drive from the line-out finds #7 taking over and touching one down for the good guys. Great rugby to watch. Tough kick for Ike from the corner, while he converted a similar one after that first try, this one couldn't find the mark.

The battle continues, both sides pretty evenly matched in penalties, but our ability to capitalize off of their proved to be a difference maker.


37th Minute TRY: Scott Stafford/ CONV: no good (24-0)

The Metropolis line-out, subsequent drive and score by Stafford were mirror images of the 24th minute try, but the story here is how close it came to never happening. With Metropolis on the attack, an attacking scrum inside the Rhinos 22m, twice and other runs that nearly got us in things almost went terribly wrong. Attacking the right side, inside the 22m, a pass from a guy who rarely makes bad passes, falls short to his targeted back, takes a sick bounce into the hands of a full paced Rhino winger, screaming down the sidelines with little chance of being tracked down.....WHISTLE!!! This fine young man, unfortunately, was off-sides - Penalty LineOut inside the 10m Metropolis....Bread & Butter. 24 points in the books and it's Half-Time.

1 substitution prior to the half: #16 Ben Hilgers on for #2 Louis Peloquin
Half Time Metropolis 24 - South Bay 0
Much was said at half-time, but the most telling was by Nate Osborne. Loosely translated: "Two more tries and this is ours mates! 24-0 at half-time may work against other teams, but not these guys, not with their athleticism." Boy o Boy, Nate was almost "too right" about that.

Thankfully, for your eyes and my fingers, things started speeding up in the 2nd stanza. South Bay on the attack, but Metropolis and the "Wall of Blue" kept them in check for the first 15 minutes or so. We stared substitutions in a more liberal manner this half as #1 Denny Rowlands & #3 Jason Ahrens gave it their all for a few more minutes before being replaced by Justin Swartz and 19 year old, Spearhead Academy player Victor Zapata.

Things get a bit fuzzy here, but I do remember the never-say-die attitude of the 15 men on the pitch. Although, we were down to 14 at one point as Justin Swartz and his eagerness to make an impact in the match was binned for diving over (I think). Unfortunately for Justin, he was the victim of a yellow card due to multiple infractions by the boys in blue earlier in the match. Tough luck, no doubt.

The first Rhino try was just overwhelming work by them with Metropolis making tackle after tackle and simply running out of men. This was around 15 minutes or so into 2nd half. 20minutes later, after multiple attempts stuffed by great defense, the Rhinos broke through and found the try zone again. At this point it's 24-12, but we're on the back foot, constantly being tested by their athleticism.

So, at roughly 35min into the 2nd half, it's 24-12.....then 40minutes (on the running clock) it becomes 24-19 with another Rhino try. Their sidelines, never even close to quiet the entire match, explode and, I'll be honest, it didn't feel great right then. I'm in the touch-judges ear, and we have at least 5minutes of injury time. Well folks, we owned every second of those 5 minutes. Attack, Attack, Attack. We actually lost the handle on certain tries TWICE, 10m out, during that time. In addition to that, with ball in hand off of an attacking scrum, inside the 22m, with me shouting at Nate to just find touch, AJ nearly picked up a 2nd try in the corner, but was forced out of bounds.....FINAL WHISTLE!

I've left much out, but the message remains that the boys fought hard, bent but never broke. They didn't merely hold on to a win, they took it and their passion and drive was clear in that final 5 minutes with the game on the line.

That leads to the match tomorrow, the National Championship Match. Metropolis will play the other Semi-Final winner, Syracuse, at 11:00am MST in the Stadium at Infinity Park.

Scouting Report on Syracuse: They made the Championship match, they are a good team. Done.

As if this wasn't a great experience already for these guys, we'll get our own, assigned locker-room, we have a "Team Liaison" and will be coming out of the tunnel together prior to the National Anthem and some good, ol' Fashioned Metropolis Rugby!

WATCH METROPOLIS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH!!!
Tomorrow's match will be streamed, LIVE, by USARugby. Check it out here USARugby National Championships

There were a few people snapping photos during the match. I'm sure those will be available at some point in the future. Speaking of the future, I'll do my best to keep you all posted during the match tomorrow. As for a detailed write up like this immediately following, I'd say don't hold your breath. While skipping the pool and the movie with the boys today in order to take care of some tour stuff today made sense, missing the Championship celebration tomorrow is not even a remote possibility.

One final note and thank you to a few folks traveling out here to support the boys: From supportive wives and families of Rowlands, Diffley & Pilkington, to "young Old Boys" Gordy & Doc Swing, to recently relocated players, Kyle "HotChick" and, um, "Mature Old Boys" Herc and Buster. Hats off to you all and the players and club appreciate your support and are looking forward to that continuing tomorrow.

I did snap a few pics yesterday one or two today....check them out HERE (you don't need to be a Facebook member to view them)
That's it....team dinner shortly and I'm out of words.....

Metropolis Rugby National Playoff Run(s)

Unless you've been living under a rock the past few days, you're most likely aware of the great successes Metropolis had on the field a few days ago as both the D3 and D1 sides earned spots in their respective National Championship Sweet 16's. Both sides, and hopefully many Metropolis faithful, are traveling to Manassas Park, VA, on May 21-22 to continue their Championship pursuits.

Earlier today the Metropolis Team Manager, Chris Reed, shared the following write-up with the Metropolis email lists. I figured there may be others out there interested in hearing more about the D1's incredible victory. (I'm happy to post something about the D3 weekend should someone care to write it up). So, without further adieu, here is Chris' report, unedited...but spell-checked a tad:

"Everyone got into Atlanta no problems minus a strange hotel experience, and all were pretty focused and maybe a little giddy. Field conditions were 85, dry, not a cloud in the sky and a moderate breeze across the pitch. This was to be the Atlanta Renegade's first time on their new pitch and they had a pretty respectable turnout. We were playing on turf and that seemed to make those things even warmer for us Union folk as the rubber pellets held about 10 extra degrees. Atlanta kicked off to us to start and for about the next 15 minutes or so both teams were feeling each other out. We held the majority of possession and finally gained a territorial advantage putting on some pressure inside their 22m. A number of phases after a lineout got us with in five meters and the forwards trying to push over. Atlanta was defending well, but like a salmon out of water, Elliot Fisher picked and was up and over and then down with a twist there try line, 5 points. Atlanta answered back rather quickly exposing our short side after a botched lineout phase by us. They sent their winger down the line and around a couple of Metropolis defenders to score under the posts, 7 points Atl. This guy was seriously fast, maybe 4.2/3 speed, about a buck thirty and was like chasing a stray cat in a corn field. The restart had us pinned inside our 22m, we kicked out to their 10m to relieve pressure and were rather lazy to cover as they threw a quick lineout and out flanked our coverage. The ball ended up in their winger’s hands and he chipped over a couple of our backs and out ran the last defender to dot down just inside the end line on a rather fortunate bounce, 5 points. The rest of the half had Metropolis owning a territorial advantage and trying to expose gaps in their defense. Our forwards were getting around the field, but not asserting themselves like they know, Atlanta was defending pretty well around the breakdown. We would make breaks or half breaks, get close and then fowl something up. Never heard that story before right? Our centers, Donnie and Finau were running hard and making life difficult for the Atlanta backline, they chose to kick several times to try and get the pressure off. We kept it on getting so close so many times, including one dropped pass from a walk in try. Well, eventually they broke. We ran several phases down the left side Atlanta had no choice but to commit so many guys to the breakdown the rest of the field opened up. Hands out led to a try on the far side by Lattu, conversion Lattu. Half was called, 12 all.

At the break everyone was very positive knowing we had dominated possession and territory. We had seen what they had to offer and only needed to make a few minor adjustments. We came out and began taking the paly to them, eventually leading to a number of repeated phases going down the short side and opening up the midfield. Forwards doing a lot of work here and punishing would be tacklers and any of those who wanted to enter the rucks. Nick Johnson got a ball of the ruck, stepped a guy pretty badly and went over. 5 points good guys. I don't really remember what happened, but they scored pretty quick and missed the conversion, 17 all about 10 minutes in. Atlanta turned play in our half for a while, but we had possession for most of it. I broke free off a ruck on a dummy pass and chipped over the fullback only to have him trip me on the way by. A penalty was given, should have been a card, and post was taken. Things got a little interesting for a while, both teams trying to measure their manhood, again, several skirmishes broke out and attitudes running high. Some bit hits were thrown (mostly by us), others not so big but ended up making quite the noise. No team had a clear advantage for the next 20 minutes or so, as i think the heat and the pace were getting to people. There was about 16 minutes to go and we’re attacking their 22m when the whistle turned. A couple of tough calls and a few lineouts later Atlanta had possession inside our 22m. We were defending well and had turnover ball, but managed to knock it on 10m from our line. We pushed their scrum back, but they got the ball under considerable pressure. They forced a pass, I'm pretty sure it hit the ground, bounced up into one of their players hands, not the intended's hands and a missed tackle later they were over, conversion good. Alright, no big deal, let's get this back right? So we kick off deep they have time to spin it wide and break their winger free again. We do a pretty good job of covering and kind of corner him down to off load. They ran a couple more phases down the same side eventually exposing a missed coverage off the ruck and another missed tackle they score under the posts. 31-20 Renagades. So everyone mentally had to have been in oh shit mode, wtf just happened. 14 points in about 5 minutes. Well, we'll see you five and lower it by two. The bench was rolled by both teams and we were to kick off to them. Good high kick, we got a hand up to bat it back straight to our guys, and we knock it on. Yet another bounce not our way. It was their scrum, we were unable to steal one or get one called turned all day. They won the hook, but some poor fellow forgot he was playing rugby and kicked it over to our side. Wade picked up going weak, trounced their winger and was getting driven out of bounce by their 8 man. A little behind the back flick pass and the ball is in my hands, I'm honestly thinking I'm in a really shitty position right now and should be getting smoked by their #6 any moment. I don't know what happened but I was gone, no one there and smooth sailing to the try line. We're definitely in hurry mode and no one runs Lattu the tee, com' on man. Drop goal no good, still down by 6. They kick to us, only in slight panic mode. We try and move the ball wide around our 22m. Nick gets picked up and slammed pretty hard, illegal hit, spear tackle. Unfortunately both players had to go off, hope he gets better! Penalty to us, and we have time for a lineout. Casey Cronk has his best kick of the game putting us just inside their 40m. Lineout won, we run a couple phases and are making a little head way. The sir has given us advantage a couple of times and eventually marks a spot. No time left we have to quick tap and go. Draw and pass was the name of the game, done twice and Cronk was through! How this happens I don't know but a little side step and a maybe unnecessary pass later and Pretty Boy is over for the score! Well the chants were, "Finke, Anderson, dirty birds '99," as Lattu was 15m off their sideline and their fans couldn't resist. We just said have at it and knock it through, no pressure here. He might as well have been in Foreigner, cause he was cold as ice! The minute it left his foot he knew it was good, we went a little nuts and we'll see you in Virginia! 32-31Metropolis

A little something for Lattu:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UdXbMyo1rU

Christopher J. Reed
"