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2010 Fall Season starts Sunday (12pm)!!!
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Wild Geese Match Reports
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| April 24, 2010 | Celtic Festival | 1-1-2 |
|
Iron man awards go to the 8 Geese that showed and added Old Boys from
the Renegades to fill our side and play 4 15 minute periods finishing
1-1-2 yesterday in St. Leonard, MD. We had a scoreless tie in the
first period with the Poltroons and lost 7-12 to the Roosters when
they were awarded a penalty try from around the 22. The second
period we lost 10-0 to the French and outscored the Poltroons 5-0 in
the second.
We were the last complete team ready to play the last round of matches with no opposition takers - so if you count the last two periods as forfeit wins...we were peaking. Thanks to Patuxent River for a great hosting with free entry to the festival, nice pitches, and a great venue with Bagpipes, Kilts, and brew after party. We also had a nice supporting fan base to cheer us on. Put this tourney on your list for Spring 2011. Geese Turnout: Steve Thronson, Lee Coogle, Jeff Weston, Sean O'Donnell, Honorary Goose Jeff Paine (Harrisburg), Scott Anderson, Tim Desmond, Henry Breton, Brian Collins Brian Collins | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| March 27, 2010 | Harrisburg Hobos | Lost (5-15) |
|
18 geese flocked to Harrisburg and played a tough match with The Hobos
losing 5-15. Our pack won all their set pieces and spoiled
theirineouts but the Hobos capitalized on an untimely injury to Cole
at Fullback and quick plays off penalties. They were a bit better in
the loose with several strong mobile forwards.
Jeff Arendt returned from an extended absence to dot for the Geese but we could not mount a comeback. Mike Bruce went down with a knee injury and Cole pulled a groin/hammy and best wishes for a quick heal to both. This match also marked the return of Webmaster Henry Breton to the pitch with a strong showing welcome back Henry. A pack of 8 caravaned up by van and Stan and Marc of the Roosters brought their horses and Jean Claude from the roosters also joined the Geese. All in a a decent season opener against a tough side clearly determined to protect home turf. We joined the Frederick and Harrisburg men and women's club for a nicely hosted food beverage and song. Brian Collins | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 14, 2009 | Bermuda Onions | Lost (24-5) |
|
We played to a scoreless tie at halftime against a highly skilled hard hitting Bermuda side only to allow 3 quick scores during a torrential downpour to start the second half and then we came back with our own try only to allow one last score by the Bermuda Golden Onions (final 4 tries to 1). More scoop to follow. This tour was outstanding.
Thanks to all of the hard work by Roger Chaufornier to organize a 1st class outing in every respect, and Neal Henderson to handle other critical logistics. A special thanks to Mike McGavick as our very generous host. When we left the XL party tent last night several All Blacks were proudly sporting the WildGeese tour pins. Kangaroo Court adjudication of a variety of heinous crimes committed on tour will be administered by the Honorable Jerry Cave who has already meticulously scoured the touring side for evidence and has the responsibility to sort out fact from fiction and then decide which to use to deliver the appropriate penalties. Brian Collins The MatchThe Geese played a match we can be proud of despite the score. The Golden Onions of Bermuda assembled a squad that was big, strong, fast and skilled; their average age was probably not much more than that of our youngest player; their numbers included capped players from Wales, England and South Africa. But we went toe to toe and the Geese never backed down; for the majority of the time on the field we played an even match with them. Their pack ran at us with bone crushing attacks but Geese forwards stepped up every time to stop them. Their backs were quick and sure-handed but our defensive pressure forced numerous errors on them and our offence crashed through to put us solidly in their territory several times. One such crash, along with some solid work from the forwards, led directly to an assist from Brian Collins to Luke Chennery for our hard-earned try.Though fiercely competitive it was an extremely clean match with no fighting and relatively few penalties. Every player on the field was a gentleman and the refereeing was perhaps among the best we've ever had. The TourThe accommodations were unbelievable. In the XL corporate tent Thursday and Saturday, and Mike McGavick's home on Friday, the food, drink and company were all outstanding. Mike McGavick, Brendan the Onion's captain, and some other team representatives went out of there way to spend time with us and make sure we were treated well everywhere we went. Was it mentioned that we were hanging out with the tournament champion Classic All-Blacks? (NZ held their opponents scoreless in both the semi finals against SA and the finals with defending champ Lions.) Even the weather cooperated more or less. Other than the downpour during and directly after our game we saw very few drops of rain in Bermuda.Mention of our match can be found at the links below. Bermuda's main newspaper has the score wrong. The official tournament site had listed the Onions beating the Eagles, but the webmaster responded quickly to correct (see below). www.royalgazette.com article www.worldrugby.bm article As a final note: we were asked to gauge interest in joining the Onions for combined side appearances at future events - in particular the upcoming St. Patrick's Day tourney in Savannah. Jeff Walsh | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 17, 2009 |
Baltimore |
Won (34-12) |
|
Excellent work from the forward pack allowed the Geese backline a ton of ball which was put to good use even in bad conditions. Tim Desmond was all over the field providing great service to former 7's eagle Will Brewington at #10 - if there was a hole in Baltimores back line Will found it. Zach and Kenny (Frederick) really ran hard through the Baltimore defense. Jeff Arendt filling in at 10 and 12 played very tough on offense and along with the whole team played strong defense. Baltimore played strong the entire match. Frequent attacks from some very hard-to-tackle forwards kept the Geese pack on alert defensively. Geese stole one or two put-ins but set piece play was mostly even. Our forwards were slightly more mobile getting to breakdowns, and ran a few times for yardage including one from mid field to set up one of Tim's tries.
Tries: Tim Desmond (2) Chris Carlson Will Brewington Zach Josselyn Jeff Lange Conversions: 2 Roster: Forwards: 1.Roger Chaufournier 2.John Boochever 3.Jeff Walsh 4.Phil Emanuel 5.Steve Thronson 6.Jonathan Warner 7.Chris Carlson 8.Joe Freeman 16.Mike Bruce 19.Ken Worm 20. Chris Carlson Backs: 9.Tim Desmond 10.Will Brewington 11.Jeff Lange 12.Kenny (Frederick) 13.Zach Josselyn 14.Jeff Daly 15.Steve Lough 22.Jeff Arendt Jeff Daly | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 4, 2009 | French Roosters | Won (24-13) |
| Brilliant play by new Washington number 8 Eric (2 tries, 1 assist); top notch attacking and defensive performances by Jeff Arendt (FH) and Zack Josselyn. (Center) in the back division and a sold tight five paved the way to Geeseland leading all the way through. Joe Freeman was playing like a demented prairie dog, running about the paddock tackling rugby league style any unfortunate Frenchman that dared move in his direction. Geeseland had about 25 players on hand, including a small band of Ancient Warriors Lord High Commissioner | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| September 20, 2009 | North Bay Old Boys | Draw (19-19) |
Yesterday proved to be an excellent match, fitting for the return of Nick Carino.
The North Bay Old Boys arrived a little light, after their 2 hour trek, so the
Geese generously loaned them 4 or 5 of our best. The match started a bit flat
but ramped up quickly as both sides moved the ball at good pace both in the
pack and the backs. The Geese started the scoring with a dot by Phil.
North Bay had one held up in goal.
After the first 20 minutes it was Geese 12 to 5. The second 20 saw more scoring
and the Geese led 19 to 12. In the final period North Bay got over one more time
to tie the score at 19 each, where it stayed until the post game revisions started.
It has been reported to the selections committee that the Geese had 2 knock-ons
in goal.
Others should feel free to add the drama and hyperbole that this recounting
lacks. But it was a good, hard match and the North Bay guys played as well as
they were good-natured. We hope to add them to our fixtures for the future.
In attendance:
| ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2009 | Poltroons | Won (50-5) |
| Another great rugby day. Thanks to the Poltroons for a good match despite the lopsided score. Thanks to Alexandria Rugby for graciously hosting us old farts to kickoff a great day of rugby where in the highlight match the side from Dundee Scotland beat the local PRU select side in a tight toughly played match. Our game with the Poltroons followed the winning formula of the forwards providing plentiful good clean ball and distributing to the backs to finish. Chuck Goldston and Tim Desmond both dotted twice and on the first rugby match ever played on this pitch almost in my front yard I was fortunate enough to receive an assist from Phil to dot. Willie scored who else? It was great to have Nick join us from Cleveland and anchor the front row. Thanks to everyone for the great turnout early on a Saturday. Barr and I both helped lead some drills for a youth clinic held midday. To celebrate the Red Bull girls stopped by my place after the match to unload their day's quota of red bull grab a veggie burger and run. Only Cam and I from the Geese made it to the after party at the Eagles club. Dave Stuart showed up to make sure no beer was left in the cooler at days end. Ok enough rambling. Next week Harrisburg at Geeseland Park in Dickerson. Honk. Brian | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2009 |
OFIT Rosters |
Lost (10-15) |
|
Yesterday against the French Roosters, the Geese started slow, and watched as
the Roosters scored two tries in the first period. As the Geese gained steam,
they combined for two tries of their own, one by fly half Brian Collins, the other
by Willy. No extra points were awarded.
At the end of 60 minutes the score was 10-10 and the captains agreed to a final
10 minute period. The French scored in that period and the Geese threatened
and got close to the French 22 meter line before time was called. Thus,
the French eeked out their first (?) victory over the Geese. It was a good game.
Both sides had really good, heavy, packs and used them well. The Roosters were
apparently bolstered by a couple of NZers, the Geese by our Kiwi, a Poltroon or
two and a Renegade.
The French backs were fast and showed great improvement in their attack and
defense, which seemed to catch the Geese backs a little by surprise to start.
But the Geese backs, with solid additions by a couple of newcomers, Jonathan
and a Brit whose name I didn't get, played with the craft and guile that comes
with slower feet. Said Brit I think was the nice final assist to Willy for a
text book try by the back line off loose ball. (Or was it the other way around?)
In any event, it was a good show.
Now, as I was the ref in the final period, I owe an apology to Zak who made a
good tackle to stop a French attach and took possession.
I blew the call. Sorry, Zak. Thanks for only grumbling, though.
Thanks to the new guys for joining us. Thanks to everyone for bringing food
and drink for the Roosters.
Thanks to Marc Floroux for taking most of the
reffing duties. Stay tuned, the French photogs will post pics online shortly,
methinks.
Honk. Matt
The Match Secretary | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 4, 2008 |
Western Suburbs |
Won (17-7) |
|
For those wondering we had a great competitive match with the Western
Suburbs on Steve Lough's front yard. It was close physical match and
our forward's played solid keeping possession and I believe the backs
put down two tries after 2nd and third phase ball with Ken Worm and
Niko scoring one in the 1st and 2nd periods respectively.
More to come but it was a great day - thanks to Steve for being a great host. Honk. Brian | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2008 | French Roosters | Won (17-7) |
|
Gentlegeese and Friends,
It was a great day on Sunday with the Geese again taking on our new rivals, the Old (a misnomer), French International Team. Again, the provided a great opponent and a good guest. The Geese, it must be said, were a little ragged around the edges and a little puffy around the middle. To be expected, perhaps, after having months off. The Geese drew first blood early on good second phase ball which left Big Joe Freeman out in the back line and who scored in a nice gallop from the offload by Brian, I think. The Geese were in position to score a few times but enjoyed bad luck until Tom Gilgun plowed one through from the wing position in the second stanza. (This did happen, didn't it?) More Geese theatrics followed late in the game when Zack broke two tackles along the weakside to score. I believe the Geese held our French friends to one try, naturally by the ubiquitous Niko Prat who made a stunning run around the best the Geese had to offer to dot under the posts. The French pack did well in scrums, often pushing us back and winning one against the head. They won most line outs but we caught them sleeping at one of the early linouts, throwing in to Tall Steve without a call. We ran several eight-man pickups, taking advantage of "seven-hundred pounds of back row" (320 kilos). This tactic would yeild some gains, but moreover force the french to commit four or five players to stop the advance. The Geese back line offense was decent, but stymied a bit by the young, fleet Frenchmen. The French had more cohesion than they had a right to for playing together infrequently, made a great game of it and will only get better with more games. All in all, it was a good start to the season for the Geese. Forwards linup: 1.Phil Emanuel, 2.John Boochever, 3.Neal Henderson, 4.(Tall) Steve Throson, 5.Guy Enderle, 6.Joe Freeman, 7.Jeff Walsh, 8.Larry Jannes; Subs: Henry Breton, Ken Worm, Mike Bruce, Roger Chaufournier, Cam Dunlop, Owen Walsh. French forwards well known to the Geese: 3. Nick Chaufournier, 7. Marc Florence Roux, 1, John Howe. Backs: Downs, Coogle, Collins, Arendt, Monahan, Gilgun, Snyderwin, Daly, Zack, Lough, French backs well known to the Geese: Niko, Jean-Louis. If I missed a name it was not from malice. Booch is the consensus Ironman of the match, for playing the entire game at hooker. Runners up include Larry J, Jeff W, Daly, Brian and Dave Stuart. Thanks to Roger C, John Howe, and Steve Lough for assuming the refing duties. It was good to see old vet Brian Stotler drop, despite the heavy press after being named one of AARP's hotest dudes. Even better, Geese (and Poltroon) Keith Neal returned sporting a little Afgan war memento. Though he has always played like he was bionic, he may soon be. Our next match is Saturday, Oct. 4. AT Western Suburbs. KO time to be announced but it should be around 2 pm. Lets have a good turnout there. Niko, Jean-Louis -- please invite some of the more mature French players to join us for Suburbs. Thanks to newcomer Patrick Button for taking pics. Thanks always to Jonathan for his pitch. Safe travels back from Africa. Thanks to our women for coming out (to watch). The Match Secretary | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2008 | Harrisburg | Won (31-20) |
|
Write-up (by Brian Collins): The following Match Report was written by Brian Collins with important contributions by Jeff Walsh. (Like Beowulf and other Norse Sagas, it is best sung aloud at a mead hall and accompanied by a steady beat on a goat-skin drum.)
Sunday the Geese took on our brothers from the North: Harrisburg. We fell behind by a quick 2 first period tries and then engineered a solid methodical comeback to win by a score of 31-20; five tries to four and we put up 3 conversions. The Harrisburg Pack came ready to play and smelled the try zone whenever they were inside our 22. The Geese used the 30 players that showed up by rotating to get everyone as equal playing time as possible (hey, why show up if you don't get a good workout). Willie took a high tackle and had to leave the game but appeared to be recovering at the social afterwards. Thanks to Wayne for his on-field medical leadership/and Captaincy. Jeff Daly started off the scoring finishing after a nice dish from Aaron who bursted on with great hustle to pick up a pass after a fortunate bounce of a pop kick. In the 2nd Period Jeff Arendt secured the lead by making a dummy pass and dashing 30 meters untouched for a nice try. The tide definitely turned when Arendt repeated the feat minutes later. The clincher was a try by 2nd Row Steve who took the pass at the 5 meter and plunged over the try line after securing the throw in. Steve celebrates his first try with the Geese. Roy played a nice game and had the last score of the game. On punching in to the try zone he went for center but was challenged by their hooker. The two collided badly. Roy managed to dot it, but both hobbled off holding each other up, requiring substitutes. A tough Harrisburg Pack worked us in the scrums early and scored all of their tries. Our forwards fought back and played a tough game in the loose and set piece and held their own as the game wore on. Frederick had a good showing with Pat Dumpe showing up at prop and other familiar faces making the trek. Thanks again to Jon Warner for hosting and mowing. Roger C. organized behind the scenes and in the Pack, and ran the grill afterwards. The best compliment of the day was the Harrisburg touch judge who said it was a fun game to watch. A compliment of the highest order. The Harrisburg team repeatedly mentioned how much they love coming to Jon's place to play us every Spring and we talked about making a venture up their way. In the post match bocci ball game they got their revenge. Thanks to our loyal female fans for cheering us on and supporting us: Pamela, Erica, Dusty, Michelle, and Ashburn wives Kristen and Kim, as well as the assortment of children who seemingly emerged from the forest. Larry was on the field early repainting the lines, and brought essential leadership during the game. We welcomed Touch Ref Tony back from a short tour in Iraq. He confessed that PTSD inflicted by the insults received while reffing us caused his early return home. A well earned victory was made bittersweet as we bid adieu to our Kiwi Aaron who packs off with his lovely wife and kids to the sunnier climbs and greener rugby pitches of Kiev. Aaron, we enjoyed playing with you and we'll miss your Kiwi skills. We'll hold a spot open for your return in a couple of years. Good luck to you and your family. We also say goodbye, at least for a while, to veteran Goose Keith Neal who is going to hot, bad, dry, sandy places for a while (no, not Ft. Lauderdale). Good luck, Keith. You always have a jersey with the Geese. Finally, remember that Summer Touch Rugby League sessions will begin Next Thursday, June 12th promptly at 7 pm. Potomac Elementary School. Niko says his French Embassy comrades may join us. Please tell anyone else interested to come join us. Good Spring Season, Geese. Well done. The Match Secretary | ||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2008 | Baltimore | Won |
|
Back's Perspective (Brian Collins) | ||
|
The Poltroons new pitch was hidden away so well we almost did not have a side but persistence paid off and we fielded a strong side to score more and lodge an away victory. The Hosts graciously bought a round for the Geese post game players at a nice nearby bar. All and all a great rugby afternoon.
Recap. The forwards dominated play providing a lot of ball for the backs to turn into tries. Niko, Jeff, Tom, and Chuck (Cole's bud that played with us a few years ago), all backs, each dotted with Niko and Jeff both putting down more than one with some crafty running and speed. Nick led the Pack up front with Booch raising hell at hooker. Neal and Steve were the power plant at 2nd row and Jeff (with stitches) had a stellar game at 8. Wayne, who at the after match party agreed to buy the next set of away jerseys (if they are pink) steadied the connection between the forwards and the backs. Niko was brilliant with his shifty moves and quick acceleration to space - maybe because his wife was photographer :-)? Cole came out of hibernation to dust a little rust off. Jeff Lange pulled pack duty at loose all game. Cam may have broken Aaron's nose by accident while playing for the Poltroons when his elbow came down after Aaron delivered a hard tackle. Aaron was running hard and breaking tackles so Cam may have tried to slow us down a bit, but Aaron was in good spirits and pledged to return to the pitch soon. Ross and Buck our other prop (sorry name slips me) with Nick helped fill out the pack (after reading Jeff's write-up I have to agree on the goal line stand at the end as the highlight, after Wayne delayed the game and they were awarded a penalty at the 5 meter line and fed it to Blitz for a high speed charge I thought he was in (from the sidelines) and then he stopped on a dime. Found out later from Erica it was her Hubby Neal that laid the wood to Blitz explaining Neal's Sunday evening plan to seek meds.) Pam played touch judge and felt disrespected when her girlie touch calls were occasionally ignored by Russ the Ref. Hey Pam, old boy rugby hearing is not like the college girls you coach - Congrats on you and Wayne's coaching job with UMD women to beat Va Tech Saturday! Jerry of the Poltroons turned 75 and we cheered him on at the bar afterwards. Blitz and the Poltroons ran hard but the Geese were too tough in the pack and quick in the backs. | ||
|
Forward's Perspective (Jeff Walsh) | ||
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Probably the most pivotal thing for us was scrum downs. We must have won at least 90% of their put-ins. One time when the ref announced that he was awarding a srcum to the Poltroons, Booch replied "Thank you Sir".
In loose play we won some and lost some, but seemed get enough clean ball out quickly to the backs. Line-outs were a different story. We definitely lost many more of our throw-ins than we won of theirs. Fortunately for us they never really capitalized on this. Cam, who played flanker for us for a little while then switched over to the other side, was heard calling out "Its going to the second jumper!". We might have changed our calls, but it was a challenge enough to get half of our forwards to remember the ones we had. Forwards never scored, but made several decent runs for yardage. In the final seconds the poltroons were awarded a penalty inside our 22. Wayne (scrum half) held the ball for several seconds behind his back (but when asked for it he threw it to them). For this they were given an additional 5-yard (?) penalty. The Geese stopped two valiant attacks by a large forward and Blitz. I think both sides would agree that this goal line stand was the highlight of the game. The backs simply made it look easy to run right through their defense almost any time they got the ball. I recall that Nikko, Daly, and Tom Gilgunn were among the try scorers A gash from a car door sewn up on my chin, Wayne called out "Stitches" when the ball was going to me. Collins wants me to get the laces tatooed on after the real ones are pulled so we can keep the tradition. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| March 9, 2008 | Baltimore | Won 26-24 |
| Write-up (by Brian Collins):
First Match of Spring ended with a win. It was a Windy cold day but
sunny with kickoff at 1:30 after allowing for everyone to get out of
bed the first day after the clocks changed and find the pitch despite
ice on the back roads and felled trees left and right from the high
winds and heavy rains of the previous day.
The Baltimore Boars gave us a tough match playing the first period to a scoreless tie. The 2nd period the Geese backs took advantage of the plentiful ball from the Geese forwards and put down 3 tries maybe 4 to one for the Boars. In the final 2 10min periods the Boars roared back after shifting their game strategy to keep things in the forwards only to ultimately fall short by a few points. Highlights include Jon Warner's return to the pitch with the Geese after successful rehab of knee surgery. The Geese fitness showed from weekly touch sessions during the winter at Roger C's training camp. Roger's son Roger Jr. lost his virginity on the pitch scoring for the first time after taking a nice pass from Jeff ? who is new to the team this year and played his first tackle game - well done. John France also was a welcome addition to the Geese forwards. Dave Stuart recovering from a sprained ankle donned some strange hat and ran touch and the grill after the game - trying to stay busy lest someone say something about his hat. We used the gathering of the clan to also wish Tony our touch rugby field leader best wishes and safe travels for his 6 mos. duty assignment to Iraq. I heard that Keith Neal from the Geese will also be going to Iraq again - Keith be safe. Back to the match. The forwards did an excellent job of providing a lot of clean ball for the backs but it took a while for the backs to finally finish after kicking away some golden opportunities (yes I am guilty) iin the first period. Larry at 8 man did a great job and was all over the pitch. Niko had a couple tries including a 95 yarder that showed great fitness and skill as he used the boot to guide the ball into touch and fall on a try. We won almost all of our set piece in the forwards. There were a number of new faces on the pitch so I apologize for missing a few names but it was great to have everyone out and we tried our best as usual to share playing time as equally as possible. Thanks to our fans with Roger's wife Nan showing, Neal and Erica who are headed to Nicaragua this week, and Dusty who slept in and showed up in time for the cookout. Jeff Lange's much marketed visitor took a pass so we will all have to wait until next time. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| February 22-23, 2008 | Ft. Lauderdale Ruggerfest 2008 | N/A |
| Write-up (by Brian Collins):
The Ancient Warriors/WildGeese had a good tour to Sunny Southern Florida and
returned before they lost power Tues. Great weather about 85 and sunny during
the day with rain showers in the middle of Sunday and beautiful nights. This
tourney has A+ pitches and a great mix of Old Boy, Men's, and Women's rugby
teams.
Here is a brief on/off pitch recap. We went 1-2 losing our first game to Life for no good reason as we dropped on left and right (blame it on a slimy ball - I did). Dave Stuart recalling his youth rugby days decided to party until 3, sleep in and take the field as Captain Hungover. Returning from the pre-kickoff Captains meeting with the ref he was unsure of who was kicking off. Dave lambasted the boys at half-time much like a Marine Drill Sergeant with the philosophy of breaking us down to feel worthless and then hoping we would get mad and take it out on the opponent - except that the only thing we got mad at was Dave. The Geese Pack won plenty of ball against Life but the backs squandered it. Willie scored a nice finishing try on the last play of the first game - but we should've had a least 3 more from the backs. They scored on the last play of the first half by Life was on a fluke play where a kick bounced right into an opponents arms for an uncontested try. After our 9am game we waited until 3 to play a Jersey team who punished us for not having an experienced hooker and outweighed our pack by a good 250 lbs. We could've run circles on them in the backs but they successfully kept possession in the Pack. We hung our heads for a bit, rescheduled our late Sat match for Sunday noon instead to allow us to regroup and we did. We came back Sunday and played a great fun game against Ft. Lauderdale winning 3 tries to 1 with Steve Lough scoring twice. Dave Martin took the leadership reins from Dave Stuart during the 3rd game and effectively used positive encouragement to get the most out of the Warrior Flock. The pack again produced steady consistent ball for the backs that was the difference in the game. The most amazing event of the weekend was the clinching Try of the Sunday match. Dave Stuart, either moping or because of a sprained ankle did not start in the Sunday game. Wayne Harrison's son, a budding 12 year old rugby master watching from the sidelines counseled Dave telling him that with time running out in the 2nd half "we need you to get in there, you can win the game for us." And somehow Dave believed it, entered the game and as he was watching a ruck on the opposition's 1 meter line the ball suddenly bounds his way and like a magnet it sticks to his hands - and at that moment the prior 24 hours flashed before his eyes and he recognized an opportunity to redeem himself and proceeded to charge and dive untouched in for the score. Miscellany: The women ruggers at the pitch were great fun to mix with as the young women helped us temporarily forget the age difference. The Virginia Cardinals won the 45 and over. Sat night under the lights the U.S. 23 and unders played a Scottish under 19 team in a match that was very fast and high quality with the U.S. falling short by 5 pts. Bryce and Radar from Frederick and Wendell and Pete from Severn joined the contingent for the first time and were great additions. We missed a few guys from past years - players missed from prior tours, Nick, Pat Dumpe, and Booch up front, and Jeff Arndt and Matt Downs in the backs were missed to name a few. Match report from the over 55 game is that Wayne scored twice, one after running over an opposition defender to dot. Team: Up front Bryce Cox, Mark Andrews, Henry Breton. Second rows Ed Shafer, Dave Martin and Phil Dorsey. Loose and 8, Dave Stuart, Dave Beaumont (sp), Roger LeCroy (living in Florida now) Radar (also played Scrumhalf), and Wayne and Pete Freeman at ScrumHalf, I played Fly and Centers were Red Scott Tilley (dinged Knee and out after 1st game) and a mixture of Cole, Steve Lough, Blitz and a few whores. Wings were OD and Willie. Hooker was whored out except for a few spells during the 2nd game. Fullback was a rotating mix of Cole, Steve Lough, and Michael?. Thanks to all those that made it and those that didn't try to make it next year. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| November 4, 2007 | American University | N/A |
| Write-up (by Matt Downs):
Yesterday, a thin but game Wild Geese squad took on an equally thin American
University squad. Fearful of playing the venerable Geese, the AU men took to
the liquid courage the night before. Perhaps they were celebrating their
first playoff win the day before. We'll never know for sure why, but
distracted they were indeed, letting the Geese forwards dominate the ball
and share it generously with the backs, who had loads of fun with it. The
scoring started with about two minutes in and didn't let up. Conversion
duties were shared by Jeff Daly, who has the most unawarded tries to date,
and Jerry Crute, who still has too many unexcused absences.
With one 20 minute period remaining, Brian Collins instructed the forwards to keep the ball inside and play possession rugby. After a brief explanation, the forwards did just that, which led to a couple more scores. Instead of demoralizing them, this roused the AU team from their doldrums. The last 10-15 minutes was good, hard possession rugby by both teams. The last play saw a few phases of possession by the AU pack followed by a very nice back line play for their only score. The Geese were undefeated this Fall. Well done Geese. Welcome again to all the new Goslings the last year or two: Tom Gilgun, Henry Breton, Aaron Mayhew, Jeff's Walsh and Daly, Chris's Linder and Gerrard, Larry Jannes, Niko Prat and Marc Floroux, Jean-Louis, Joel, Willie Monahan, and Jim who played with us Sunday. Missing names are due to dotage, not malice. Special thanks to Henry who is putting together the new Wild Geese web-site ( www.WildGeeseRugby.com ) with creative assistance by Jeff Walsh. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 20, 2007 | Poltroons | W 35-7 |
| Write-up (by Brian Collins):
The Wildgeese competed with the Poltroons in a tough and close match that the
Geese ended up winning after three 20 minute periods. A strong showing of the
Geese was welcomed by Jonathan Warner's beautiful farm and the leader of us all
delivered beautiful weather. There were some amazing feats like Nick Carino and
Dave Stuart, despite their girth managed to elude substitution and played all
60 minutes.
Jeff Arendt started the scoring with a "save my ass kick" high to their fullback that took an Arendt bounce that he fell on for a 40 meter kick and score. Later the shorter Roger made a beautiful scoop of a post tackle ball and niftly touched down in the corner. Nico showed beautiful form by kicking for post penalties and conversions - a rarity for the Geese. Nico also set down a try as did Aaron I believe. The Poltroons put down a try late. Somebody else for the Geese scored. It was a very entertaining action packed game. Several Geese filled with the Poltroons - Matt Downs and several others. The Geese match followed the Renegades hard fought close loss to the visitors from somewhere near the Bay. John France is continuing to improve this team and even played in the Geese match for the final 10 minutes that was really 17 as Matt Downs felt the need for just a little more rugby. Jon recruited several South Africans to bring some real intensity and fanfare to the world cup finals between South African and England that South Africa won in a dull game punctuated by more than excessive kicking. After the game hay rides, great food, and a variety of other activities greeted the sunset on one of the more beautiful spots in the Washington D.C. area. |
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| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| October 14, 2007 |
Poltroons West Potomac Western Suburbs |
1st - Geese 2nd - Western Suburbs 3rd - Poltroons 4th - West Potomac |
| Write-up (by Matt Downs):
The Geese, Poltroons, W. Potomac and Western Suburbs gathered for the
2nd edition of the Washington Area Old Boy Smackdown Mini Tourney.
The Geese fielded a strong team, thanks to Wild Geese version 2.0.
Veterans Roger C., John Booch, Guy, Roger (other), Dave Stuart (gamely playing
despite a bad dental condition), Cole Black, Jeff Lange, Chris Augusty and
Yours Truly were joined by v2.0ers Aaron, Henry, Larry, Jeffs Walsh and Daly,
Phil, Chris's Linder and Gerard (whoring against us), Jean Louis, Niko and
Joel, and v2.0 patch Scott Davis (?). If I missed a name, its due to age,
not malice.
The Geese played two 15 minute quarters against a good but not complete Poltroons squad. Scoring were Jeff Lange and Niko off good second phase ball from the forwards and good ball movement and support among the backs. Final: Geese 12, Poltroons 0. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2007 | Severn Old Salts | W27-10 |
| Write-up (by Matt Downs):
We again had a strong turnout for our match with Severn. We had 19 suited up
and playing and two others (Nick C and Gene) who were ready it step in if
something untoward happened. Nothing untoward happened.
As witnessed from the sidelines and reflected in the half-time score, the Geese came out fairly flat and Severn was a little eager. Both forwards and backs were getting and moving the ball, but not to where it counts. However, a glimmer of things to come was seen with about 8 minutes remaining in the first period when Jeff Walsh, playing inside center, had a nice break off a loose ball toss from Lee. Weak side winger Niko Prat, seeing an opportunity developing, crashed inside and was rewarded with a nice offload from Jeff which resulted in a beautiful 25 yard scamper. After a pep-talk at half, the Geese came out a new team. Excellent scrum and loose play by the forwards was matched by a back line that moved the ball beautifully. The result was a hat-trick by winger Wille Monahan, making his debut off the Injured Reserve list, and a 4th phase pushover try inside. Unnamed forward would have had another try but for his in-goal knock-on. |
||
| Date | Opposition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2007 | Renegades | W14-7 |
| Write-up (by Matt Downs):
We played a brutally hot 15 minutes on Saturday against a rusty but solid
Renegades. On field temperature was Dante's third circle of hell before the
clouds moved in and cooled things to a tolerable 90. The Geese started off
well, with good scrummaging and rucking by the forwards. Clean ball resulted
in excellent ball movement by the backs. In the short 20 minute first period,
Larry Jannes scored a pushover try and one of the backs scored on good second
phase play. I think Aaron was kicking conversions, and as far as I know he
was a perfect 2 for 2.
Second period saw another even match but with the Renegades scoring twice, almost a third but for new Jeff's shoe string tackle, and adding a pretty drop-kick penalty from dern-near midfield. Shortly before time expired, Referee Barr Snyderwine, fearing lawsuit, called the game due to lightening. |
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