1A vs Imperial 2s - 26/11/2018

BLWP 13 - 9 Imperial 2s

LUSL 1A came into this match with mixed emotions- still high from our mauling of Kings, yet wary of a team that had comfortably dispatched LUSL 1B only a couple of weeks ago. IC 2s rocked up meaning business, with a full squad of 13, compared to our smaller set of 10 warriors.

Our quality shone through early on, as a well executed tight press and incisive attacks meant we shot to a 2-0 lead within 3 minutes. IC had no answer for our tight press, and we had plenty of joy with quick breaks and combinations. Inexplicably, this is when we decided to stop all the good things we were doing. We let them have space to maneouvre and get the ball into pit- we conceded easy major fouls, and our rusty man down defence was porous. The first quarter ended a disappointing 3-2.

After harsh words at the break, the 2nd quarter was a story of aggression and kick outs. We collected a record 5 majors in the first 2 quarters, thanks to our overly enthusiastic heavyweights Tillicum and Water Aid. Some crisp combinations between Candiru and Monthly Dip paid dividends, with the 2nd quarter ending a respectable 6-4.

The 3rd quarter is when we hit our stride. With our team chemistry developing, we began to fight for our each other. Spurred on by being reduced to 9 man, we retaliated like a wounded animal. Tadpole Alex and Angela Mackerel found new hidden depths of energy, and worked tirelessly in the middle of the pool. Cutty Shark lived up to his name, bullying the men that dared mark him. After this pugnacious quarter, Barts seemed to be running away with it at 11-6.

The 4th quarter was a classic mixed bag, with sloppy play costing us in defence, and tired bodies failing to get us up the pool. Special mention must go to Mudskipper, who showed that training really does pay off, as she mercilessly worked the channels deep into the 4th quarter. Crucifish showed that fight and determination to crush the opposition can sometimes make up for lack of training (I wouldn’t recommend). The match came to a close with a very respectable 13-9 win to the Barts! Huge thanks must go to our resident grandad Paul, who lived up to his name, and spared our blushes more times than we could count in our sloppy quarters.

LUSL 1A remain undefeated, with our 2 wins propelling us to the top of the league. We’re all very excited to keep the momentum going with our next fixture away to ICSM 1s on Tuesday 4th December. Special shoutout must go to Tadpole Alex for putting in a phenomenal shift in one of his first matches, despite having an ICA coming up this week!

Goals:
Marco Coronelli (10)
Alex Hughes (3)