Club Update
By Dan Henderson, Director of Rugby
With a winter chill and some light rain to begin the day, it was easy to remind yourself that rugby is a winter sport, and a nice surprise to see the grounds remained open.
An agreed later start time with Mosman showed dividends as our day began with a great turn out of 4th graders. They put in a very solid first half and showed good spirit when they were forced to press hard and close out the match for a deserved win.
The 3rd grade team have a lot of soul searching to do at the halfway stage if they want to be competitive in what looks to be a very strong competition. Time training together will see massive gains, as there is some obvious talent trying to play individual rugby which is a frustrating waste.
Our victorious (36-10) Dirty Red Colts are proving that a simple game plan, pressure and good shape will be tough to overcome, as combinations start to completely dominate teams.
This was a good old fashioned style game which meant they needed to show patience and ‘grind it out’ in the wet and muddy conditions.
It’s also the first time I have seen a win over Mosman. With many of this year’s players being part of a very disappointing one-point loss last year, it’s great to rack a commanding win on our home ground!
Our 2nds are really showing all the required signs of constant improvement, with the return of seasoned players combining with the younger up-&-comers who at times put together some fantastic running rugby.
The 17-24 loss will be tough to swallow as they managed to dictate play for the majority of the match.
1st grade again suffered an agonising loss (26-27) to top of the table Mosman in what was a very evenly contested battle. Mosman were really kept in the match by our own mistakes, including poor decision making and poor discipline, meaning we were again forced to play a portion of the match with 13 men.
The signs of improvement are promising and the desire to be better each match must be commended, as players continue to rally and show a genuine belief in this greater squad, with the subs always looking to add strength when asked to take the field.
Our competition’s second round begins with Colleagues (away) – time for retribution.
Club Captains Update
By Luke Fletcher, Deputy Club Captain
We knew this week would be tough, with Mosman recording some great results in the previous week.
We made a great start with 4th grade recording yet another win and making it three on the bounce. Mosman’s 3rd grade side were too good for us on the day. They had a very strong backline with their No.12 possessing a great step and pace to boot which we couldn’t contain.
Our Colts just keep getting better each week. A very convincing performance against a Mosman outfit who are always strong.
Seconds were off to a flying start with a few early tries, unfortunately, our discipline let us down once again and Mosman ended up back in the game.
It was a similar story in the first team. Too many penalties against such a good side cost us. The effort, team work and determination to play right through to the 80th minute were not missing from Drummoyne’s performance, however.
All teams seem to be improving each week but we need to turn tight games into wins and work our way back up towards the top of the Club Championship. A good show at training this week will be the best way to start improving.
Colleagues will bring a strong five teams with lots of reserves and we have to be at our very best to beat them and improve on our round one results.
On the social side, a huge thank you to everyone who attended the Harbour Cruise, a great night for everyone involved. Most importantly I’d like to thank Club Captain, Trevor Rangel, for the hard work in making it all happen.
We look forward to catching up with some of our most successful players of yesteryear with a 20-year reunion on June 18, the Wallabies v England match on June 25 will be huge and, for our Juniors and all those with kids as well as family in the area, Family Day on July 2.