Message for the Golden Oldies and Uni Rugby Club: Gordon Bray AM
The Hobart Lions were tamed. It has been a difficult year. Forget the USA elections. Forget the virus business. Forget the placards and protests. Ignore Belarus. Sidestep Hong Kong. Remember the thing which enables you to forget: not beer this time. No, this time: Rugby.
And it was as simple as that. After getting the end of 2019 season packed away, and the introduction of coach Matt Jensen, and the expression for energy into a cohesive club, with respect for all comers, visitors, patrons, past players, present players, partners and animals, flowers etc - it all turned into creme puffery.
Everything was suspended from March until July.
Then as a chrysalis the club doors opened again, and the many nations of rugby attended. Forgotten were the absence from lectures, the late essays. Now it was time for business, rugby business.
It was a slow start. Uneven, and with constant advice from the sideline committee: "do this, don't do that, winning is good, where is the jumper I ordered, how come beers are $3 for members when they only cost $2.50, blah blah blah".
A rugby friend of mine has kept bar at many establishments: the New Sydney Hotel, the Customs House, All Bar One, etc, says: "Funny thing working a bar. You might have bought the business, negotiated the lease, even sold your first born to get a deposit on a loan you can't jump over to buy the freehold; then you open the doors, and night after night you are on one side, and there are 50 or more punters on the other side of the bar, who know much better about how to run a pub than you......"
So too with coaching a rugby club.
But now the energy and consistency has paid off. Gnawing away at the doors of perception, heaven and hell, Matt has twisted the energy into the right framework - without losing the spirit of the more than 34 player squad.
Lions took the paddock after the Golden Oldies pre-match entertainment. They had high hopes. They had run away with a few too many easy tries in the last engagement at the War Memorial Ground up the road. Well, Memorial to you Lions. We remember.
Uni finished up on Saturday up 3 tries, and a total of 22 points. We were behind at 12-17 at the half time interval. Suddenly the captain turned and hit a ball with his raquette square into the throat of the linesman, was sent from the field, fronted the judiciary, and rested involuntarily for the US Open and all further matches this year. NO, sorry, that was a different game.
But what did happen in the change sheds at the interval? The difference between the roaring Lions' and their loud self aggrandisement, is that Matt Jensen listens. "Boys, how do you see us getting ahead? What do you need to do personally to settle it down in the scrum? You know what we are doing right - can you encourage your team mate to help you and be there, be closer, take the ball, give it more accurately?"
And so it was.
Throughout the 2nd 40 minutes, we held the line, kept them out of our territory, and speared across a couple more times to reverse the difference to end up Lions scoreless for the 2nd half, and Uni with a noble 22 points - you will note, never more than one unconverted try distance: but, a loss is a loss, a draw better and a win - the best.
Some on the sideline were caught up in the Golden Oldies euphoria or utopia. They were pleased to be with us as Uni came back to domination. Proud to be associated, even tangentially, with the oldest continuing rugby club in Tasmania. Proud to be with the workhorses, not just academics, but men with pliable brains, learning, getting better - and WINNING.
Sadly, photographic images defeated me for the main game, and I'm grateful to Miles Smith for his fantastic shots at the earlier game:
Collis: been to the whorehouse again on Friday night? Blames it on 'raking' in the rucks
But, wait on....
A great day. Well done Uni, Convicts, Devils and Lions.
