Our Matrix Season is off to a good start! We beat Columbia at home 11-0. I would immediately like to recognize every single one of our Forwards for an outstanding game!! They were the unanimous choice for Man of the Match. It was absolutely the best our pack has played in 2 seasons.

The extra work being put in by all of our forwards showed on Saturday. And getting to the pitch more than 20 minutes before kick off was definitely a good thing. We got our plays and calls down; we got warmed up; and everybody got their head in the game from the start.

Faced with a much larger pack, we came out hard and kept it up. Significantly missing was our usual second half fade. I was impressed with our ability to keep up the pace for 80 minutes. Quick ball kept them from utilizing their size advantage. We also seemed to have worked out our lineout problems. The KISS method is working.

Except for a couple of long break aways we kept Columbia bottled up in their half of the field. On the couple of occasions they got close we showed tenacious defense, but also benefited from a couple of Columbia miscues that might have otherwise turned the game.

I think our game plan worked well, but only because our pack played 80 hard minutes. Our backs were not nearly as productive as they have been in the past. I attribute this to not getting enough practice time together. Forward attendance at practice has far outweighed that of the Backs. Let's see if we can change that.

Aside from a lack of production in the Back Line, there were some bright points. I want all our Backs to take a big swig of whatever Mike Drapeau was drinking before the match. He was the embodiment of Bad Mitch's "War Machine". Solid tackles and hard straight ahead running were his trademark in the first half. He also made some key plays consolidating possession for us.

Kristian showed remarkable speed in chasing down kicks and putting Columbia under pressure. This was key to our game plan. Rich Ferry was again solid at fullback and Kenya, taking over for Matt showed a good foot.

Our versatility was evident too. With a couple of injuries (thankfully none serious) we were forced to shuffle our back line, and did so with ease. Brian Johnson made a strong argument for being a starter, and Darryl Brown showed great poise and leadership coming in at Scrum Half. Newbie Pat Flaherty scored the only try of the match.... albeit on his second attempt! Don't worry Pat, we only abuse the ones we love.

Things to work on for our next match are simple: Continuity in the Backs- plays need to develop quicker and we need to better identify and attack weaknesses in the opposition. We need to believe in our speed. Turn the corner in attacking play and pressure the opposition on kick and chase for territory. Until somebody shows they can march the field from inside their 22 against us, speed will be our bread and butter.

Forwards need to continue to work hard at practice and build fitness. Penalty plays could be a little tighter in execution and we need to be able to wheel any scrum as needed.

Everyone needs to work on reducing penalties in and around the rucks.

It was a good win, but it is behind us. We need to continue building momentum and improving fitness and execution. Our goal is winning the South Division III Championship. Let's keep looking forward.

Cheers!
Buddha