Pheasant Pluckers/Belly Dancers Summer 2005

Thursday 14 July (Grading Round)

Belly Dancers (9) v Swiss Cottage Cheesemen (3) - have to verify this score..

Stinking hot London day today, as we started the new season on the rearraged pitches that putting it midly, looked as though a digger had been used to create. A few of us who arrived early helped out a team in one of the earlier games which helped them get a win. The heat of the day though, had nothing on the first half performance of the Bellies, which was in a word, awesome. However, the heat began to take its toll and by the middle of the second half we were starting to fade. At the same time the other team started to play a bit better and they got back into the game towards the end. MVP (decided after he left the pub) was Peter.

Tries: Ryan(2), Iain, Peter(2), Gavin, Craig(2), Gibbo

Pheasant Pluckers (1) v Freestylers (5)

Bouyed by the performance of the lads, we were all ready for another good performance even though Gav (Judas) decided to play for the opposition in some sort of solidarity with his flatmates. After a pretty even first half, the previous game and the heat took its toll, and we faded out to what was a pretty resounding loss to a team that we had a fair chance of beating.

Highlights of this game worthy of note: Caz calling the ref a 'donkey' and Phil getting beaten on the outside, by a girl! The ref, if truth be told, was a donkey.
MVP: Daniel; Try: Craig

Thursday 21 July - Round 1

Pheasant Pluckers (4) v Just One (4)

With all sorts of people missing because of *another* bunch of terrorist bombs disrupting London's public transport system, we managed to get a team together on time, but alas (for Rose and Caz) there were only two girls so they sportingly managed to keep going for the whole game despite not being able to sub off. We played well in parts, but couldnt keep it together well enough for the whole game. A big well done to Kirsy who because of all the transport difficulties didnt make it until after the game, but managed to play as a ring in for another team, so at least got a run.

MVP: Daniel; Tries: Phil (2), Pete (2)

Belly Dancers (5) v Jones (4)

We had a reasonable wait for this game after the first, and with the shadows closing in took the field with only 6 players but got a few ring-ins conscripted by Dave who turned out to be our ref for the game. We once again played well in parts, and were helped out by a few fortunate calls from our man with the whistle.

Tries: Ryan, Pete, Gavin, Phil, Dan, ring-ins (2)

Thursday 28 July - Round 2

Belly Dancers (2) v All The Kings Men (7)

A rematch of the ill-tempered game from last season, with the same gormless ref. We gave away too many penalties, but recovered well to get a couple of conselation tries towards the end of the game. It was a pretty fast game, and despite the fact that they were the better team, the score flattered our opposition.

Tries: James, Pete MVP: James

Pheasant Pluckers (6) v TBA (4)

This was a closely fought affair, that got underway with a full quota of girls (just). We immediatly went down a try in the first few seconds of the game and things were looking ominous. However midway through the first half we got a couple of tries back which unsettled our opponents a little and Rachel arrived, so Caz got to sub off and bask in the glory of sprinting 10km and going around 100 opposition players to score her debut try for the Pluckers. Some good running by Rose and playmaking by Pete were other highlights in a hard-fought win.

MVP: Caz; Tries: Ryan (2), Pete, Caz, Nathan, Iain

Thursday 4 August - Round 3

Belly Dancers (0) v Swiss Cottage Cheesemen (5)

A rematch of the grading round which was going well until a crucial moment near the end of the first half. We got in a bit of a barny with the ref because Ryan was waiting to organise our lot before he played the ball from dummy half and the other team came up and touched him before he played it. The ref penalised us all the way back to our own line because we disputed the decision, but he wouldnt tell us what his ruling was. After half time he penalised us back 10m when it was our tap off.

We lost our cool -and the game, which was very even at the time. Pete almost got sent off, and the ref told some of us after the game that he was going to call off the game. As it turned out, we consulted the rules and we were right and he was wrong, but the whole thing certainly left a sour taste in the mouth.

Pheasant Pluckers (7) v (5)

Immediately after the ill-tempered match, we were on the same field with the same ref. We started with only Caz, meaning that we were only fielding 5 players but managed to get a couple of girls to fill in for us and one scored a magnificent try with a lovely pirouet through the opposition defense. Tina made it for the last couple of minutes, which was nice and Phil got a couple of scorching tries on the wing.

Tries: Ryan (3), Phil (2), Pete, Girly ring-in

Friday 5 August - Round 4

Belly Dancers (3) v Uma Rapitis (6)

This was the makeup round for the London bombings that were on the supposed first week of the comp. Tonight we put on a a good show against a team that had absolutley anhiliated us in the previous season. We were out played by a better team, but showed some good runs of form and were totally amazed by the attitude of the ref at the end of the game who refused to shake hands. Perhaps the antics of the previous night had gone the rounds in the refereeing circles.

Tries: Pete (2), Craig

Pheasant Pluckers v The Last Row (win by default)

Our opponents didnt turn up, so we had a decent run around on the spare field and repaired to the Chester Arms to enjoy some well deserved Friday night pints.

Thursday 11 August - Round 5

An amazing night! Everyone turned up!! Simply sensational, which was absolutely unlike the state of the pitches we were forced to play on as a result of the upcoming 'Scrum in the park' in the weekend. The ground was severely sloped and full of holes, not at all ideal for touch..

Pheasant Pluckers (5) v RPI (2)

Our opponents were totally psyched out by the size of our squad, and after a few early glitches meaning that the game was tied up at 2-all for a time, we pulled away courtesy of some good attack after resolute defense. The rain started coming down midway through the second half which meant that the surface was even more treacherous, and we lost Richard to injury after a collision with one of the opposition. Phil maaged to score a try a good 15m out from the line. HA!

Well done everyone for turning up!! We are now top of the league, if only by points difference. Tries this week to: Ryan, Nathan, Craig, Pete, ?

Belly Dancers (6) v Doogles Dozen (5)

In the second game of the hour, we started with a brilliant try to Craig, in which he just held onto the final pass with the tips of his fingers. The rest of the match was an up and down affair as the rain started making the surface very greasy. The win in the end was a little more comfortable than the score suggested.

Tries: Dan, Craig,

Thursday 18 August - Round 6

Pheasant Pluckers (1) v Paua Rangers (5)

On the nice green fields fresh from Scrum in the park, we failed to come up with anywhere near a decent performance. Luckily however the two tries that we got were enough to get us into the finals next week. Just! By one try!!! Ryan got caught in the face by a 'swinging touch' and was left with a cut above his lip, but otherwise there were few highlights. One lowlight was the other team scoring from the tap off.

Tries: Ryan

Belly Dancers (2) v Drop Bears (6)

Dave joined us for this game, which saw us return to the undulating pitch 1. Once again an average performance highlighted by Andy letting his opposite skin him in 1m space on the wing from a standing start.

Tries: Ryan, Phil

Thursday 25 August - Finals Round

Belly Dancers (1) v Jones (2)

Rubbish game played against a bunch of ring-ins. And we still lost! Provided a brief warmup for the Plucker's final later on in the evening.

Try: Gert, MVP: Gert

Pheasant Pluckers (2) v Just One (1) FINAL

WE WON!!! A team full of heros, we all pulled together for a really good game in the darkness of Regents Park at 8:20pm. Ryan got a couple of tries on the wing, but possibly the defining point was when Gert managed to make a touch in one of their breakaways from the restart. In the darkness our opponents who, as it turned out were aptly named, made too many risky passes which they consistantly dropped and we managed to take the ball up steadily. making good ground from our sets of six. MVP Lisa ran well and almost got a try early on but everyone was staunch in defense and patient on attack.

Full credit must go to the staff of the Chester Arms who bought us a round of shots to celebrate the win, and have been stars over the entire season.

Tries: Ryan (2) MVP: Lisa