vs Fusion

ARGH! What a frustrating game. It also showed just how well we can play. We started strong, Genghis getting a layout block on the first pass of the game and catching the goal for the double happiness 1-0 lead; a Fusion throwaway on the next point got jacked deep to Mum for 2-0. Then we began trading. In the first half we got lots of blocks on the D line but stopped converting them, got a bit of tunnel vision and gave their O line a second chance time and time again. Our O line was scoring fairly effectively (courtesy of some ridiculous grabs from Sharples and deep strikes from Colonel, Smiles etc). We got broken once on a first pass block on our goal line, but managed to take our lead into half 8-7, that goal coming from a RIDICULOUS full extension layout grab from a bladey hammer that I threw to Ewen. We came out on offence and scored to make it 9-7. We took this 2 point lead to 13-11, game to 15. Cometh the hour, cometh the choke. We coughed up 4 points in a row to lose the game 15-13. There's not much to be said really; we know that every single turn in the game was due to a poor decision, poor cut or failure to attack the disc, and we basically gifted the game to Fusion. We found it easy to generate turnovers but failed to keep our heads and do the right thing after the turn; keeping the disc moving, swinging it, breaking the mark, etc. Two points away from a semi final; we've never been that close before and its nice to know that even though we were that close we still think we played badly and should have won.

vs Fire 1

Not a bad game; we scored our first point easily, they did the same, then they went on a little run to give them a 3 point lead that we traded into half. Traded to 11-8, they got another 3 on the trot, we got one more back and the game finished 15-9. Pretty much a non-event game. The highlights really were scoring our offence so easily; almost every time they came man we scored within 4 passes, and at the end of the game their defensive captain asked us what we were doing on offence to score so easily... lowlight would have to be getting beat deep time and time again by handlers busting deep (as per the Fusion game, but also seen in almost every game of the weekend).

vs Clapham 2

We were pretty pumped for this. They weren't so much. We traded out to 3-3, then we steamrollered them 15-4, clamping down on their handlers hard with our new defences, eventually forcing a deep shot that we would fish out of the air and work up the field for easy score after easy score.

Elimination Game: vs Discuits.

Traded for most of the second half, opened up a slight lead and then keep hard at them. Yet again our O line kept us in the running by scoring easily, and most of their points involved them swinging the disc for 20+ passes before punting it. The only real highlights I remember were an insane layout grab by Buddha, body fully extended as he toed the sideline to recover a wayward huck, and Pole's huge layout block on Lee Noble that had Lee ranting and raving. At game point they pulled to us, shut down our first cuts and Timmy is trapped on the sideline in our own endzone with nowhere to go. Swings to me, I attempt the break but he lays out on the mark, opening up the whole field; I spot Buddha going deep and jack the flick huck downfield, typically leaving him yards from the endzone line but we score it to win with Pole catching the final goal to keep us in the top 8, final score 15-11.

vs Brighton

Last time we won our top 8 crossover we came out a bit flat and lost a tight semi. Same again. After getting a block and Colonel punted it downfield to me, hitting Buddha for an early break 1-0, we didn't really apply any pressure on D for the rest of the first half, while our O misfired several times (turfing the first pass, etc) and giving them a three point lead at half, most of their goals coming off perfect deep throws. In the second half we woke up and played much better, but Brighton seemed to resist all pressure, bringing down 4 stall 9 hammers for goals... very frustrating for us, but worth remembering that this is the way they play, totally different to most other teams. We dragged the game back to 13-13 at the hooter, game to 15. They scored on their offence, we walked it up to the endzone, dropped the goal and they marched it back downfield for the win.

vs Leeds

We were all pretty up for this game, keen to show that our win at Tour 1 was no fluke. We carved out an early lead, scoring easily on offence and getting lots of blocks but failing to score effectively when we got the disc, then our O faltered and our 3 point lead evaporated. We took a 8-7 lead into half, then switched up a few things on defence, clamped hard on their handlers and forced turn after turn on the first or second pass. Even with our lacklustre defensive offence, we went on to totally dominate in the second half, and the final goal was our third attempt at making it happen, and came via a nice snap layout from Pole. 15-9. Way to crush!

Final position: 7th, holding our seeding.
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Brummie