Hibernian Men Match Reports Fall 2010

Wow ... what a game.  We made it harder on ourselves than it had to be, but what else is new?  I don't have the 'official match stats' from Pat yet so I will be working off my memory.  (which translates to me playing an awesome/flawless game)  Here it goes:

1)Romeo  2) Lee Mason  3) Pat Mason  4) Blue  5) Anthony*  6) Justin  7) Todd  8) Luther  9) Larry  10) Vinnie  11) Phil  12) Murph  13) Joe  14) Sal  15) Vella

Subs: Schmitty, Kyle, Ryan, Tattoo  (sorry if I am missing something here ... it's all a blur at this point)

After hearing about a bus trip (which I question whether or not we need at this point based on previous outings ... but that is a discussion for another time), that got turned into a 'van' trip, that ended up finding players carpooling their way to scenic Wilkes-Barre (thanks for nothing Johnny V) we found ourselves at a lovely pitch roughly 2 and a half hours before kickoff.  As I stood there in the land that time forgot I wondered to myself, 'wow, I just paid $8 on the turn pike to get this dump?'  Being there that early must be a new Hibo record.  With some bad weather causing some training issues it was a perfect time to go over some specific items with some of the newer players (more on this below) and we can safely say that it was beneficial. 

As with most of our divisional matches we expected the game to be physical and it did not disappoint.  With some familiar faces on the opposing team (i.e. Reef, Aaron, DiLiberto, etc ..) the stakes were raised even higher because nobody wanted to give an inch.  The Hibos conceded over 25 penalties throughout the game which makes planning the upcoming training sessions easy, but is detrimental to the flow of the game.  WB was able to capitalize on many of the penalties early in the match by kicking for points.  They were out to an early lead without having to exert a lot of force.  Thankfully some slick running and ball possession saw the ball out wide for 'Murph' to score a 50 meter try near the end of the first half to level the score.  In the final minutes of the first half we had a chance to poke one more in but fell short.  The score at the half was close with WB scoring a couple kicks and possibly a try, and the Hibos scoring 2 converted tries.  (Larry claims he has made his last 20+ kicks ... so someone will have to keep him honest)

2nd Half
More of the same from a penalty perspective.  Aaron Poster broke tackles the way he normally does and was able to score his second try of the day which may have put us at a deficit.  Fortunately we were able to tighten it up and poke a couple more tried in to seal up the victory.  The game plan (as always) was to get the ball wide.  When we did this successfully it opened things up for us and we made tremendous advances with the ball.  Joe Mullen actually stayed in bounds and finished a beauty of a try to seal the deal that we needed to secure home field advantage through the playoffs.  (4 tries and a win)  With some strategic substitution we were able to compensate for Pat and Todd leaving to go to a wedding 10 minutes into the half.  (trust me, we were happy they decided to play as long as they did, but disappointed that they left.  They were not even in the wedding!  Double 'Goose of the Week?'  I will let you all decide)  Schmitty came into the game for Mason (not 'Fit Mase' or 'Cool Mase' ... Just Mason) and made an immediate impact by clearing a ruck with authority.  Sure, it was a penalty, but it was an earned one at that.  Other substitutions found Sal moving to flanker, Sodano to the wing, Kyle Gibbons in the back line, and Tattoo Todd making his debut in the pack.

Overall, this was team rugby at its best.  Despite the countless penalties, being down early, and new players in skilled positions we overcame adversity and triumphed.  It demonstrates everything that is great about the game and our team. 

Anthony (picture attached)
This was his first start on the A side and he made an immediate impact.  I saw him make a few big tackles early in the game to help set the tone of the physical battle that was going to continue through the course of the game.  Unfortunately he took an elbow to the face and was cut pretty bad.  At the time I remember thinking that we would see him at the after party, but after we were able to track him down at the hospital it became clear that he would not make the party.  Thankfully he was administered pain meds, so essentially he had his own little party in his head.  I spoke to him last night and he is still pretty banged up but feeling ok overall.  His eyelid was split open and needed to be stitched and his eye bone was cracked.  (He can give you the specifics on this ... I'm not a doctor; and apparently neither are the people in WB.  Ha-ha)  The good news is that his wife was really happy to spend the weekend in scenic Wilkes-Barre and they turned it into a mini vacation.  She is eagerly anticipating his return to the game; and was extremely happy to hear that his brain was functioning.  (if you could call it that)  Special thanks to Romeo's dad for transporting him to the hospital, and to Jacki & Pat Mason for going to the hospital to check in on him.  I know this had to be difficult; and it broke Pat's streak for attending over 5000 consecutive socials.  Only Timmy D rivals those kinds of numbers.  Drop Anthony a line on Facebook or give him a call.  He plans on coming out to training to say hello, and I'm sure with a little encouragement we can get him on the field this Saturday.

B Side - Return of the Killer B's!!!!!
WB wanted a B side match and we managed to pull enough guys together to play them.  After being disappointed by many clubs over the years it was great to see many of our guys play 'double duty' to accommodate the game.  Highlights from this game include Kyle Gibbons blasting over just about every ruck (which is really impressive considering he was the fly half ... perhaps it is time to condition him to be a flanker???), some exciting wide ball action including Blue's 50 meter streak down the sidelines for a try, Lee Mason telling me that he was so tired that he couldn't even see, Ryan Sodano's debut as hooker, Luther's flawless scrum half performance, Nick Conklin's guest appearance (and the fact he played in a half shirt), and Johnny Vella's inspirational 'lets eat their soul' speech to start the game.  I am not sure what the final was, but luckily it did not come down to kicking because the only thing worse than Vinnie's conversation attempts was Lee's drop kick that went under the posts.  Again, driving home the point that a Mason should never kick a ball under any circumstances.

A-Side Man of the Match - Joe Mullen.  Joe has been playing great but he is the hero of the day for getting us the much needed 4th try on the day.
B-Side Man of the Match - Kyle Gibbons.  We are trying to get this kid on the field.  I have personally enjoyed watching him develop as a player.
Goose of the Week - This was a tough one with so many contenders.  As always, Vinnie was in contention (nothing in particular, he's just usually in the running by default), but after Lee's drop kick it looked like he would be the clear winner ... but alas, Johnny Vella kicked one directly out of bounds in a B side game while running with the ball around the 50 meter line.  There was a lot of other contenders, but this one really stood out because it was just awful all around.  Congrats to JV ... he wears it well.

All in all it was a great day of footy and I had a blast on and off the field.  I will go over the 'official' stats at training and the upcoming sessions will be targeted towards fixing the items uncovered in those metrics.

*Replaced at 30:00 by Luther, with Jason Hoffman going to #8.

** Replaced at half by Arturo, with Kyle Gibbons going to 12

*** Replaced at 45:06 by Steve Tormey

****Replaced at 61:02 by Lee Mason

*****Replaced at 72:08 by Anthony Semik

******Tattoo Todd Kelly replaced Kyle Gibbons at 70:08

******Replaced by Joe Mullen at 73:48  

The Hibo’s elected to kickoff, and didn’t waste their opening possession. Luther and Todd applied heavy pressure to the SJ receiver which enabled Dan McGovern to recover the ball. The Hibo’s then methodically advanced the ball downfield, recycling it through 4 phases until SJ surrendered a penalty.  The tapped ball was given to Justin and then recycled, fed to Ryan Sodano who recycled a second time, and an alert Luther stepped into scrumhalf to swing the ball wide.  Ryan Murphy took advantage of the defensive disarray to touchdown at 1:45 for the Hibo’s first try of the match.  Larry converted.  The Hibo’s scored their second try at 8:25.  SJ won their own scrum at midfield, but McGovern applied pressure to their fly-half and Vinnie recovered the ensuing loose ball.  Once again Luther was alert enough to act as scrum half and swing the ball out from a ruck.  Larry’s pass found John Vella at full stride and he was able to touch down between the posts with Larry converting.  Shortly thereafter SJ put the ball into touch at their own 22.  Larry executed a quick throw-in, and the ball traveled to Vinnie and then Sal.  Sal raced to the corner for his first try of the day at 12:31, with Larry converting from the touchline.  Not long after, the Hibo’s were awarded a scrum around midfield.  Luther executed a textbook #8 pick-up and put Vinnie into space.  Vinnie drew a defender, kicked ahead and was able to retrieve the bouncing ball.  Strangely enough he was able to outrun the remaining defenders to touch down at 15:15 for another Hibo try.  SJ was denied a try in the 21^st minute by extraordinary defensive efforts by Blue, Sal, and McGovern.  An overload and opportune possession saw 2 SJ players racing unmarked down the sideline with the ball.  Blue was able to pursue, slow the play and force the ball back inside 5 meters from the goal line where Sal and Dan removed the scoring threat.  Sal scored his second try of the day at 25:56. The Hibo’s won their own scrum 30 meters from their goal line.  Vella inserted into the line from fullback, drew a defender and fed Sal who then won a 50 meter foot race, with Larry converting.  Sal completed his hat trick at 29:41.  Recycled ball emerged from a ruck on the near-side touch line.  The ball was swung wide to Sal on the far side enabling him to score in the corner.  SJ scored their only try of the half at 31:43 when the Hibo’s bobbled a ball 22 meters from goal.  SJ recovered and moved the ball to space before crossing the goal line.  

HALFTIME

SJ opened second half scoring at 5:22 after a long series of 5 meter penalty kicks were awarded against the Hibo’s.  After being provided multiple opportunities SJ was finally able to cross the line for a try.  The Hibo’s were quick to respond.  Jason Hoffman caught the ensuing kickoff in the air, and the Hibo’s quickly recycled it and patiently worked it down field.  Jason continued to provide support, and he eventually took the ball, found a gap and crossed into the try zone at 7:26 for his first try of the day.  SJ responded quickly, scoring a try from a lineout at 10:03.  The following kickoff saw Hoffman again steal the ball in the air.  The Hibo’s recycled, and were in the midst of repeating their prior scoring process when SJ committed a high tackle.  Larry slotted the awarded penalty kick, and 3 more points were added to the Hibo’s tally.  The Hibo’s were able to score again at 21:02.  From midfield Arturo popped kick and pursued.  SJ recovered the ball 2 meters from their goal and kicked downfield.  Vella caught the ball at midfield, passed wide to Tormey who advanced with pace.  After drawing the final defenders, Tormey passed back inside to Larry who scored untouched.  The Hibo’s scored their final try at 29:24 after pressuring SJ heavily during open play at midfield.  Ryan Murphy was able to intercept an errant SJ pass and advance it to their 22 before feeding Hoffman.  Hoff dummied to supporting Larry, and then ducked inside to score between the posts.  Larry converted for the final Hibo points of the day.  SJ scored their final try at 34:34 off of a 5 meter Hibo scrum.  The Hibo’s fed the ball back into their own goal, where it was bobbled and then grounded by SJ.

Although this was a nice win for the Hibernians, it was widely recognized that there is still substantial work to do if the team is to be considered a serious playoff contender.  Most of SJ’s advances occurred during mental lapses by the Hibo’s, which is inexcusable for championship-minded teams.

Sadly, the South Jersey team was unwilling to provide a B-side match for the Hibernians.  This shocking display of self-centeredness was appalling to all seasoned rugby players.  The Hibernians had a full B-side ready to play, and it was heart breaking to see them depart unfulfilled.

This week’s Man of the Match was awarded to Luther for his alert and aggressive play in every facet of the match.  The Goose of the Week was awarded to Mike Romeo. Throughout the entire match Mike would show tremendous effort during loose play, repeatedly emerging from defensive rucks with the ball and quickly advance it downfield, only to watch it slip from his apparently fingerless hands.  Although there was no B-game, Ian Conklin was still awarded the B-side Man of the Match based largely on the highly anticipated personal “flair” that he would add to the Hibo Jacket.

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The inaugural Pelican Cup match was played under the lights in magnificent late-summer conditions at Falls Township Park. Although Blackthorn and the Hibo ’s have enjoyed a long rivalry, a decision was made to codify the relationship into a bi-annual competition involving a rotating trophy and the accompanying bragging rights. Both clubs rose to the occasion, and a substantial contingent of supporters and Old Boys escorted both teams to the pitch as well as the (lengthy) after-match social.

The Hibernian starting 15 consisted of the following players:

1. Jon Logan,  2. John Austerberry,  3. Pat Mason**,  4. Mike Romeo,  5. Brian Bluett***,  6. Frank Gray*,  7. Todd Mason,  8. Justin Zadnik,  9. Larry LaMaina,  10. Vinnie Salvatore,  11. Ryan Sodano,  12. Arturo Bravo Nuevo,  13. Ryan Murphy,  14. Sal Raniello,  15. John Vella

*Replaced at 25:02 by Jason Hoffman,  ** Replaced at half by Romeo, with Luther on at 2 ’d row, ***Replaced at 58:28 by Romeo, Justin went to prop, Lee Mason came on at #8,

The Hibernian ’s elected to kick-off, and didn’t waste the opportunity to draw first blood. After regaining possession, the ball was recycled several times to the 22 meter line. Ryan Murphy took advantage of the defensive disarray and was able to touch down at 1:37 for the first points of the match.  Blackthorn reacted quickly to this affront, and soon after poached the Hibo ’s ball at midfield. After moving the ball through several sets of hands Blackthorn was able to score their first try at 5:20.  Blackthorn found the goal line again at 17:07 by reacting quickly to an awarded penalty. The quick restart caught the Hibernians flat-footed and once the ball was moved into space it was advanced forward with pace for a converted try.  An offside ’s penalty awarded to the Hibo ’s 15 meters from goal provided the opportunity to score another try at 30:04.  The tap was given to Justin who forced his way between the posts to touch down, with Larry adding a conversion to tie the match.  Blackthorn closed the scoring for the first half by taking advantage of turnover ball at a midfield ruck. Only one recycle was required for them to find the goal line, and their converted try at 36:32 gave them a 19 – 12 halftime lead.

The second half was scheduled to be only 30 minutes duration to allow time for a B-side period to be played. The Hibo ’s decided to make a tactical change by having Larry and Vinnie trade roles with each other.  Blackthorn opened the second half scoring at 50:02 by quickly reacting to another awarded penalty at the Hibo ’s 22 meter mark. The ball was put back into play before the sound of the ref ’s whistle faded and moved 3/4 the length of the pitch for another try.  Blackthorn repeated this process at 72:33 for the final score of the match. A penalty was awarded to them on the Hibo 22 meter line, and precision ball handling allowed them to touch down for a converted try.

B-Side

Restricted access to lights at Falls Township Park resulted in the B-side match consisting of only a single 30 minute period. The Hibernian side consisted of the following players:

1. Tim McCall, 2. Jon Logan, 3. CJ Miller, 4. Dave Ayers, 5. Anthony Tatt, 6. Casey Dooley, 7. Frank Gray, 8. Lee Mason, 9. Donnie Catalo, 10. Kyle Gibbons, 11. Ian Conklin, 12. Tattoo Todd, 13. Ross Verbich, 14. Pat Smith, 15. Brian McCall

Although outscored during the B game, the Hibo ’s played with the toughness that ’s come to be expected from any Levittown team. Each player realized this was an opportunity to make a statement and shine in front of the large crowd of local supporters. Timmy Mac did a great job of taking control of the side. Tattoo Todd played with a frightening amount of intensity, and youngsters Casey and Kyle had the senior players starting to worry about their starting roles.  At the heavily attended after-match banquet the Pelican Cup trophy was presented to Blackthorn. The Blackthorn Man of the Match was Ewan Maisey, which makes him the MVP for this season ’s competition. 

The Hibo ’s A-side Man of the Match was newcomer Arturo (Artie? R2?) Bravo Nuevo. Artie recently joined us from Madrid, and although he claims he ’s a back he tackles like a forward. The Hibo ’s B-side Man of the Match was Donnie Catalo. Donnie is also new to the club and is proving to be an extremely imaginative and capable backline player. The Goose of the Week, to no one ’s real surprise, was once again Vinnie Salvatore. There seems to be a general feeling that Vinnie shouldn't ’t be so selfish and perhaps give another player a chance to earn the Goose shirt, but he insists on continually raising the bar higher and higher.  There is already strong talk of the spring rematch for The Pelican Cup. Ideas include making it an all-day event involving girls and boys High School matches, as well as an Old Boys fixture. Stay tuned for further details, but be sure not to miss the spring 2011 match.

First Period (40 minus):18 – 12

Second Period (30 minus): 7 – 17

Third Period (20 minas): 7 – 7