FOFC Rugby: Season 1.

[SirFozzie]

RugbyRugby.com:
Newcomers FOF Central accept position in English First Division

Local side Front Office Football Central accepted a position in English's 2nd highest level of Rugby Union today, after London side London Dragons went into receivership with over a half million pounds of debt.

The FOF Central team have only a few players that have played professional rugby before, but owner-manager David Yellope thinks his side are good enough for glory.

"We got some really good players. We'll do just fine. I don't think you can count us out of the race to the Premiership this year. Even though the Dragons cannot play this year, we managed to take over their deal to play at English Stadium, and knowing how many fans there are of Rugby Union in London, we'll get a good crowd."

The FOF Central side, nicknamed the Charging Rhinos, will be sponsored by AMD processors. Some of their top players from practice, according to a English scout who wished to remain anonymous:

Coffee Warlord (Fly-Half): "Got a solid boot, and real sure on the conversions. But there were a few times where his kicks dropped off to the left.. will have to watch that."

Sunny "Neuqua" Verna (Wing): "Buckets of pace.. sometimes a bit nervous on the receiving of the ball, but if he can cure the dropsies.. he'll be one of the leaders for tries"

Ardent Enthusiast (Scrum-Half): "I can see why the US Eagles national team called him up. Organizes the team well."

Nyar Lahotep (Number 8): "Very quick to get the ball out... doesn't make many mistakes with his passes.."

D Ragone (Centre): "Punishing hitter and runner. Will wear out quite a few sides"

FOFC Central will start the Division 1 season on August 30th with a game against Otley, followed by Exeter and Manchester.

[SirFozzie]

The following FOFC players contracts expire at the end of June of 2004:

Raven Hawk
Mord Heim
Ron Juckett
Jeeber Mack

We pay our 30 man squad nearly 90,000 Pounds per week: Neuqua brings home the biggest paycheck, with nearly 8,000 pounds per week. Coffee Warlord is 2nd best paid.


With the english system, we have to offer the four FOFC players a better deal right away, Rugby Union rules state that a player can "pre-sign" a contract for another team, up to a year before the contracts expiration. So we have to re-sign those four players.. get ready for a pay raise, boys!

[SirFozzie]

Raven Hawk gets a offer of 4,250 a week, up from the 3,000 a week he was earning..
Jeeber Mack gets an offer of 2,800 a week, up from 2,450
Ron Juckett gets an offer of 2,200 a week, up from 2,050.. but we're worried, his notes says he wants to play abroad.
Mord Heim gets an offer of 2700 a week, up from 1900

[SirFozzie]

Well, Raven takes his offer.. but we get three refusals. Let's see if we bump up the years to 3 helps on the other offers.

[SirFozzie]

The summer test season (games between international teams) has begun:

Selected games (home team listed first)

Argentina 18-33 England
South Africa 16-3 Scotland
New Zealand 5-3 Wales (yuck)
Fiji Islands 25-17 Ireland
France 49-21 Samoa
Tonga 34-23 USA (Ardent with a pretty decent 7.5 Rating on the day)

[SirFozzie]

Jeeber and Mord accept their offers, now if we could just get Ron to resign.. *grumbles*

Here's our juniors acadamy squad:

Level 1 Colts
Ronald Balding (14)
John Bunting (14)
Vinny Clinkard (15)
Francis Hall (15)
Mark Horsfall (14)
Richard Stowell (14)

Level 2 Colts
Scott Ashcroft (16-Wants to play abroad)
Jeffrey Coley (15)
Ed Cumming (15)
Fred Jacob (15)
Edgar Pierce (15)
Peter Sawyer (16)
Christophe Smart (15)

Level 1 Juniors
David Butterfield (16)
Gerald Davidson (17)
Lewis Julien (16)
Vaughan Luckett (17)
Dave Periton (17)
Michael Scott (17)

Level 2 Juniors (almost to the big time)
Fenton Bennetts (17)
Bev Forrest (17)
Mike Owen (nah.. couldn't be...) 18
Patrick Stout (17)
John Van Ryneveld (18)
Ron Vickers (18)

[SirFozzie]

Finally, Ron Juckett accepts a raise to 3000 for 3 years. Now stop whinging about playing overseas!

Let's get ready for the season!

[SirFozzie]

AMD has some problems with payment, but that's not such a big deal, as we sign with M Industries to be our gameday sponsor for 125,919 a year for this year only. If we make the premiership next year as is our goal, we'll be worth several times that.

Our goal is to fight for first place. (per management ;))

[SirFozzie]

South Africa win the Tri-Nations (3-1), over Australia (2-2) and New Zealand (1-3)

Ardent gets called up for two more for the USA, but it's no better luck for our scrum-half, as they lose to Tonga again, 16-3 (Ardent did not play), and then Samoa 42-21 (a barely average 5 rating). Not a good warm up for this winter's Rugby World Cup.

3ric has a bit of a better luck playing for Denmark (sorry, had to put you there because the other country isn't in the game ;)) , as they beat Belgium at home, 41-23 (earning a 7.5 for the game), but Denmark loses twice, first to Croatia, 36-22 (6.0, average game for 3ric), and then getting crushed by Georgia, 39-9 (another 6, but that was one of the better ratings)

[SirFozzie]

Here's our starting 15 for the first game of the year (forgive the weird last names on a couple ;)).. see the first post of the sign up thread for what the positions are:

Front Row:
1- Finken St
2- Raven Hawk
3- Jeeber Mack

2nd Row
4- Katon London
5- Alf Rennes

3rd row
6- Larry McGillicuddy
7- WSU Cougar
8- Nyar Lahotep

Quarterbacks
9- Ardent Enthusiast (Captain)
10- Coffee Warlord (Kicker)

Backs
11- Sunny Verna
12- D Ragone
13- Vex Roid
14- Kyle Kappe
15- Mord Heim

Subs Bench:
16- HornedFrog Purple
17- Ron Juckett
18- Wend Holness (non-FOFC)
19- Stephen Venable
20- Sterling Ice
21- King FC22
22- Blade 6119

We have 10 training points:

I want to be strong on defense till I can see what we do, 5 points.. 2 points to attacking rugby, 2 points to practicing the scrum (to score we have to KEEP The ball between tackles) and just 1 point on practicing line-outs)

This should be a fairly easy game, we out class them in the ratings by 10+ points in everything but cohesion.

Let the games begin :)

[Nyarlahotep]

WOO HOO finally get to play.

[Raven Hawk]

Well, Raven takes his offer.. but we get three refusals. Let's see if we bump up the years to 3 helps on the other offers.
Hell, yeah! I'll take a 40% pay raise! :) Cha ching!

[SirFozzie]

5th minute: We have a lineout, just outside their 22 meter line. Alf taps it down, and we quickly pass it across the field... great job by Vex Roid drawing the defense in before tossing it out, and by the time it gets out to Verna on the outside, it's become a footrace, and there's not many people in Division 1 who will keep up with him in the openfield! 5-0 FOFC.

Coffee misses the first conversion tho. Truth be told, it was a bad angle, but not an auspicious start, CW!

[Coffee Warlord]

Just warming up!

I have not yet BEGUN to miss!

[Nyarlahotep]

Just warming up!

I have not yet BEGUN to miss!
Well technically, yes you have. :p

[SirFozzie]

16th minute: Coffee tries to make up for his missed conversion with an attempted drop goal, but it hits the upright and bounces away. They ground it in the try zone, and will get the ball back after a free kick for them from the 22 meter line (a 22 meter "Drop Out")

[SirFozzie]

20th minute: We get a penalty inside their 22, but rather then take the sure(?) points from a penalty kick, we decide to take the tap and continue forward, and it works fine, as Larry McGillicuddy crashes over the line for our 2nd try! (10-0)

CW redeems himself with the conversion, (you take the kick from the position (left-to right) that the try was scored at, that's why you want to run the ball between the posts before touching it down to score), 12-0 FOF Central.

The Commentators are saying our class is showing ;)

[SirFozzie]

23rd minute: Otley break through our front line, and only a CRUNCHING tackle by Mord Heim stops them from scoring. They're still threatening... but an errant pass induces a knock-on (a ball passed or hit forward with the hand, a no-no in rugby).. and we get the ball back.

25th minute: Great play by Nyar Lahotep, crashing through two tackles, and drawing the full back in, and when the fullback is committed to the tackle, tossing it back to Ardent Enthusiast, and the USA International takes it the last 30 meters and touches it down unopposed. CW with the conversion, and it's 19-0 already!

[Raven Hawk]

We rock!

[Nyarlahotep]

Damn I'm smooth. Why doesn't my national team call me up? I am the greatest of all time.

[kingfc22]

Woot!!!

[SirFozzie]

29th minute: Kyle Kappe with a diving finger tip tackle with one of their flankers in the clear with no one between him and the try line.,, but they're inside our 22..but we get numbers over the ball, and they can't get it out.. so their threat is neutralized (once tackled, you have to release the ball, otherwise, the whistle calls the play dead, and the other team get the scrum)

32 minutes: Another tackle by Mord Heim saves our blushes as Otley's attacking again.. but it fizzles out 15 meters from goal, and we get the ball back.

35th minute: Another Lineout to the FOF boys.. and we attack well. D Ragone sells the dummy pass well, freezing one defender long enough to break through the Otley front line.. and decides that since he's bigger and stronger then the Otley full-back, rather then juking him, he's going...

RIGHT...
THROUGH..
HIM..

*CRUNCH*

It's like one of those old Miller Lite commercials with John Madden tearing through the screen as D breaks the full back's tackle with near contemptuous ease, and there's no one left to stop him. Well done, Ragone! CW converts.. 26-0.

[Nyarlahotep]

WOOT!!!

[SirFozzie]

40th minute: In the final minute of regular time (there will be some stoppage time added on.. Otley's defense is in disarray again. Kappe with a mazy run, only to be tackled by the full back.. but as Kappe goes down, he sees Ardent trailing the play, and twisting, places the ball clear of the tackle and Ardent swoops in before Otley can create the scrum, and there's no one left for him. 31-0.

Tough conversion by CW is good.. and it's 33-0. Four out of five, CW.. not bad! Looks like we can play some reserves in the 2nd half.

[SirFozzie]

No more action in the first half.. 33-0 at the break, and we start to warm up the substitutes.

[mordhiem]

23rd minute: Otley break through our front line, and only a CRUNCHING tackle by Mord Heim stops them from scoring.

Boo-yah!

[SirFozzie]

47th minute: Ron Juckett on for Jeeber Mack

48th minute: A case of the oopsies costs us a good attack, as Vexroid can't hang onto a pass, and knocks it on, before we could get it out to Kappe, who was wide and one on one..

52nd minute: Otley finally break through, it's their wing, Keeler who scores. It's a drop in the bucket, but there goes our shutout. 33-5.

The conversion is good, but it's still just 33-7.. and I think a couple of the players are steaming that their shutout is gone...

53rd minute: HornedFrog Purple on for Franken St

[SirFozzie]

58th minute: Yup.. we got the ball back.. and it's like a machine. BAM. BAM. BAM. right down the line the passes go. At the end of the line is Verna, who takes the ball 40 meters down field, and even though the full back wraps him up, on the way down, tosses it to Ragone.. who decides to show off his speed instead of power, and wins the footrace to the try line. 2nd try of the game for Ragone, but it was all set up by Neuqua's guy ;) 38-7...

CW makes the conversion from almost the sideline, and it's 40-7!

[SirFozzie]

65th minute: Ok.. D Ragone just ensured that he got my vote for Man of the Match. He saw the passwes going outside, knew that Otley were going wide, and the pass would necessarily be shallow.. so he sprang forward at PRECISELY the perfect moment, intercepted the pass and had lots and lots and lots of green field ahead of him. 3 tries. Wow! 45-7.

This one is easy for CW to convert. 47-7



66th minute: Holness on for Rennes and Venable on for Lahotep

70th minute: Keeler does it to us again.. Mord Heim is getting tired.. that's the only explanation for the strong arm that Keeler gave him, knocking him off the tackle on his way in. 42-12...

It's converted, and it's 42-14.Even though the 2nd half has been less then succesfull, you have to think we're the better side on the day...

[Nyarlahotep]

Oh yeah. Giggity giggity giggity.

[SirFozzie]

75th minutes Nice to see the subs acquit themselves well. We go with the power attack.. just gaining a few yards with every tackle, and staying safe with the ball. Stephen Venable is the last man with it, pushing off two tacklers and grounding the ball JUST over the try line. 52-14..

CW with the conversion, and for the first time today, the lead is 40! 54-14

78th minute: Still time for more offense, we get the ball wide right, and Kappe gets to show off his speed, slipping into top gear quickly as he gets past the first line of defense, and just outrunning the full back to the corner of the try zone. Great work, bug! 59-14.. Can CW make it 60? No.. wide right.. but even the best kickers in the game wouldn't make that more then 50% of the time. It's a really bad angle from the touchline.

[SirFozzie]

82nd minute: With about a minute of stoppage time, Ragone intercepts the ball again. This time, his tired legs can't push him through the fullback's tackle, but ever the opportunist, Ardent grabs the ball and finishes off the score. 64-14!. CW Converts, and Otley's heads go down. they've given up. 66-14.

Ardent does it again (didn't see how, forgot to pause it) in the final action, CW makes the kick for the final action of the game, and it's a wipe out. 73-14 is the final.

[Ragone]

we want 100, wonder why coach didn't pull me after my last try... :) regardless i hope that wasn't indicitive of the competition we are going to face this season...

[SirFozzie]

Match Ratings:

Front Row:
1- Finken St (8.5)
2- Raven Hawk (6.5) (get the feckin wads of bills out of your shorts pocket Hawk.. it's slowin ya down)
3- Jeeber Mack (8.0)

2nd Row
4- Katon London (7.5)
5- Alf Rennes (8.5)

3rd row
6- Larry McGillicuddy (8.5, 1 Try)
7- WSU Cougar (9.0)
8- Nyar Lahotep (8.5)

Quarterbacks
9- Ardent Enthusiast (Captain) (10.0, 4 Tries)
10- Coffee Warlord (Kicker) (9.5, 9 of 11 Conversions, 0 of 1 Drop Goal attempts)

Backs
11- Sunny Verma (8.5, 1 Try)
12- D Ragone (9.5, 3 Tries, Unofficial MotM)
13- Vex Roid (6.0)
14- Kyle Kappe (7.5, 1 Try)
15- Mord Heim (8.0, made five of six tackles)

Subs Used
16- HornedFrog Purple (10)
17- Ron Juckett (9)
18- Wend Holness (8.5)
19- Stephen Venable (8.5, 1 Try)

Subs Not Used
20 Sterling Ice
21 King FC22
22 Blade 6119

[SirFozzie]

Great win, no one really saw it (Otley's a small club, only 1,410 attended).. so hopefully the rest of the teams will dismiss it as a fluke ;)

[SirFozzie]

Week 1 results (Home team listed first)

Penzance/Nelwyn 15-18 Orrell
Birmingham-Solihull 19-27 Bristol
Wakefield 53-24 Coventry
Bedford 15-45 Worcester
Manchester 12-24 Plymouth Albion
Exeter 3-0 Henley
Otley 14-73 FOF Central :D :D

Week 2 matchups

Orrell - Bristol
Penzance/Newlyn - Otley
Coventry - Birmingham-Solihull
Worcester-Wakefield
Plymouth Albion-Bedford
Henley-Manchester
FOF Central - Exeter

Home opener guys :)

[Poli]

Ardent Enthusiast (Scrum-Half): "I can see why the US Eagles national team called him up. Organizes the team well."



Woot!

[Coffee Warlord]

Beers for all!

[SirFozzie]

Question for the readers.. do you like the way I do match reports, or would you just like one post with the final result, ratings and the like?

[Ragone]

I'll take a root beer.. gotta stay in top shape during the season.. won't be long now till we each are rumoured to be dating a spice girl! :P

[Poli]

I like it, but I wonder if you can keep that up. It's no big deal to just post final tallies.

[digamma]

Are we all doing Zulus for our first tries?

[HornedFrog Purple]

Exeter will be excrement. That is all.

Signed,

The Scrum Guys

[SirFozzie]

Oh.. I gotta find a link.. I saw the coolest rugby thing today..

in the cartoon Get Fuzzy, the cat does the New Zealand haka (a fairly ancient tribal chant and dance, designed to intimidate one's opponent). All of New Zealand's men's national teams do it before games. Trust me.. it's kinda cool ;)

[mordhiem]

The Haka is really cool, alwasy pumps you up when wacthing the All Blacks.

hxxp://www.rugbymuseum.co.nz/images/1997.wmv

[vtbub]

A raise!

Woo-hoo

[Nyarlahotep]

Question for the readers.. do you like the way I do match reports, or would you just like one post with the final result, ratings and the like?
I like it, but do whateever works best for you.

[kingfc22]

Should I bring the pom-poms next game???

[Raven Hawk]

Sorry, mates. I was tinkin abouts where I'd be spendin me cash. I'll do better next time. Promise.

[WSUCougar]

I think I deserve the "highest rating without ever getting mentioned" award. :D

Nice win.

[SirFozzie]

Game two will be Friday Night. I'll do a few more matches in "Expanded" view.. then some quick ones.

[Alf]

Great being mentionned, but 2nd row players are not the most sexiest of the group ;)

But 70+ points... Geez, there is no way with not promote.

[vex]

A 6 rating, I'm getting cut...

[MacroGuru]

Crying, i didn't make the roster this week.

[SirFozzie]

Don't worry.. there will be a lot of shifting of the roster. This game takes a ton out of you

[SirFozzie]

Game 2: (Home) Vs Exeter

Exeter had a 3-0 yawner in a monsoon attended by ducks, penguins, and some looney-tune claiming that he had to build an ark. I think we'll score on em ;)

Our Lineup:

1- FrankenSt
2- VtBub
3- JeeberD
4- Katon
5- Alf
6- Larry McGillicuddy
7- WSU Cougar
8- Nyarlahotep (Captain)
9- Breeze
10- SterlingIce (Kicker)
11- KingFC22
12- Ragone
13- Vexroid
14- IndoorSoccerSIm
15- Blade6119

Training: 5 to defense, 2 to the scrum, and 3 to attacking phases


Bench:
HFP
RavenHawk
Wend Holness
digamma
Coffee Warlord
Neuqua
Mordheim

[SirFozzie]

The Pregame matchup gives us good advantage in the power of our scrum and cohesion, but they have a slight advantage in the Backs. We're going to play power rugby today, I have a feeling.

Exeter must have their own private monsoon, because it's heavy rain at English Stadium. It's only 12 degrees celsius too.. (about 55 Fahrenheit), so we won't have to worry about the heat like last game.

[Poli]

I assume I'm on the bench as well.

[SirFozzie]

5th minute: Disaster, as they get an early turnover, and get it out to their centres, who beat our first line twice. The 2nd time, Williams gets it over the try line, and we're already down.

The conversion's good, so it's 7-0. The first teamers from the last game look at each other on the bench and shake their head a bit nervously....

[SirFozzie]

10th minute: The best teams know that the best time to strike is right after the opposition scores, and we get the bll back after a penalty. We manage a quick break, overpower Exeter at the scrum after the tackle, and before Exeter can set up the defense again, the ball's going wide to KingFC22.. and he is through. He actually has enough distance between him and the Exeter players that after he makes sure he's across the try line, he runs it between the posts before touching it down. Well done, guys!

It's a piece of cake for Ice to convert, and we're tied at 7-7.

[SirFozzie]

Ardent: You are on the bench, sorry.. but I'm hoping I won't need you. Between the USA games and the four try game, you're not exactly at 100%. Hopefully, since you won't have any more international games until the three pool games at the Rugby World Cup, we can use you just about every week.

During the World Cup, Breeze.. you better have eaten your wheaties.. because you are going to get run into the ground with Ardent in Australia wearing the Red White and Blue...

[SirFozzie]

15th minute: We're playing good power rugby, running it up the middle each time, getting closer and closer, but just inches away from the try line, our props are out of position after the tackle, and Exeter get it back, and Exeter frantically kick it away, over the sideline (into touch)

[SirFozzie]

18th minute: We're back on the attack, and it's just inches from the line, and this time we punch through, Vexroid dragging two Exeter tackles with him to the line before falling and touching the ball to ground (If the ball is "held up" in the tackle, IE, doesn't touch the ground, the try is not given) 12-7.

Ice converts, 14-7 good guys.

[SirFozzie]

27th minute: Now this is power rugby. We get it within five meters of the try line, and then Exeter stonewalls the attack. Time and time again, we run it up the middle for the try line, only to be met with a bone-crushing tackle after grabbing just inches. Breeze finally fakes the pitch out wide, and in the instant of hesitation by Exeter, dives for the line and gets it over. 19-7!

It's a fairly difficult conversion.. but Ice makes it look easy. 21-7.

[SirFozzie]

32nd minute: we lose an excellent chance on the attack and Vexroid can't handle the pass, and the sodden, slippery ball squirts out of his hands for a knock-on. Right now, we just want to get in out of the rain and into some clean uniforms. Ours currently look like the "before" part of a laundry detergent commercial. Except worse.

[SirFozzie]

37th minute: Exeter are penalized for not releasing the ball in the scrum. With just three minutes to go in the half plus any injury time, I'd like to get the points if we could. It's a really chancy kick, about 45 meters out from goal, in the rain.. but Ice punts it sure and true, and it's through the uprights. The 3 point penalty makes it 24-7.

On the bench, Ardent nudges Coffee Warlord and asked him if he could have made that kick, and vexroid and Radone are grinning at the master of the man with the crustaceans with lasers instead of claws...

[SirFozzie]

42nd minute (2nd minute of Stoppage Time): Well.. not a good way to end the half. They beat us wide, and Exeter's Wooster scores a try to cut our lead. Daydreaming of the clean, WARM lockerroom I guess. Guess that means it will be extra repetitions of the hill climb for the lads at practice tommorrow..

After the conversion, it's a 10 point FOF Central lead, 24-14.

[SirFozzie]

The horn has already sounded when we get the ball via the turnover, so we know if the ball goes out, the half's over. But since the half doesn't end until we kick it out or we foul.. we know we can just play good, strong rugby. It's one of the front line bulls who struggles the ball over the line.. but we stretch our lead again.. It's Katon who scores the try.. (a rarety for a guy at his position..) and it's 29-14.

Ice makes the conversion, and we go into the break 31-14 to the good.

Ok.. only HALF the extra repetitions of the hill climbs tommorrow. I'm feeling generous :)

[SirFozzie]

I think the try right before the half took the wind out of Exeter's sales. Five minutes into the 2nd half, KingFC22 gets the ball out wide, and sidesteps two diving tackles and it's a 22 point lead to FOFC.

I mean.. 24 point lead as Ice JUUUUUST gets one over the bar on the conversion.

[SirFozzie]

59th Minute: On comes the sub brigade:

HornedFrogPurple and RavenHawk for FinkenSt, and vtbub
Holness for Alf
digamma for Cougar
Neuqua for IndoorSoccerSim

[SirFozzie]

68th minute: Ice converts his 2nd penalty of the day (he's 5 for 5 on conversions, and 2 for 2 on penalties), and it's 41-14.

[SirFozzie]

70th minute Mordheim replaces JeeberD, who is exhausted. We're running low on subs... and Mordheim is out of position..

[SirFozzie]

72nd minute: Ice misses his first kick of the game, 45 meters at an angle, on a penalty. Somehow, we forgive him.

[SirFozzie]

74th minute: We disrupt a Exeter line-out inside their own 5m line perfectly, as we make them mishandle the tap, and as it rolls away, Neuqua dives on the ball and his momentum on the soaked turf sends him sliding to and over the tryline with the ball. One of the easier tries he'll ever score. 46-14.

Ice's confidence is somewhat shattered by his earlier miss, he makes a pretty simple conversion into an dventure, and it hits the upright and bounces away, no good.

[SirFozzie]

78th minute: Neuqua adds insult to injury with his 2nd try of the game, and Ice manages to recover enough to convert. 53-14.

84th minute (4th minute of stoppage time): They turn the ball over deep in their own half, and Nyarlahotep makes them pay with a final try. 60-14.

It looks like a nice win, but it's hard to forget that they had it within 10. We crushed their spirit in the 2nd half. Too much endurance and power for them.

[SirFozzie]

Post-Match Ratings:

1- Finken St (8.5)
2- Ron Juckett (9.5)
3- Jeeber Mack (9.0)
4- Katon London (8.5, 1 Try)
5- Alf Rennes, (10.0)
6- Larry McGillicuddy (9.5)
7- WSU Cougar (8.5)
8- Nyar Lahotep (9.0, 1 Try)
9- Breeze Williams (8.5, 1 Try)
10- Sterling Ice (9.5 7 of 8 Conversions, 2 of 3 penalties)
11- King FC22 (8.5, 2 Tries)
12- D Ragone (10.0)
13- Vex Roid (8.5, 1 try)
14- Indoor SoccerSim (6.5)
15- Blade 6119 (6.5)

Subs
16- HornedFrog Purple (9.0)
17- RavenHawk (8.5)
18- Wend Holness (8.0)
19- Stephen Venable (8.0)
21- Sunny Verma (10.0, 2 Tries)
22- Mord Heim (8.5)

Sub Not Used:
20-Ardent Enthusiast.

[SirFozzie]

Week 2 Results (hometeam listed first)
Penzance/Nelwyn 14-22 Otley
Conventry 17-44 Birmingham/Solihull
Worcester 33-15 Wakefield
Plymouth Albion 15-33 Bedford
Henley 18-33 Manchester
FOFC 60-14 Exeter

[kingfc22]

2 tries in my debut. Looking to impress the coach to get some more PT.

[SirFozzie]

Ok.. I'll sim out weeks 3-6 now.. watching blowouts is no fun ;)

Week3: 46-0 win at Manchester (Tries: Cadman, Nyarlahotep (2), Ardent (2), Ragone, Vexroid)

Week 4: Back at home, we beat Bedrord 31-14. (Tries: Ardent, Coffee, Sunny, Vexroid, Kappe) (Stephen Venable was sinbinned for unsporting behavior with a scuffle after the whistle)

(Rugby uses a system like soccer, where two yellow cards=a red card (ejection from the game), but a yellow card also incurrs an additional penalty.. if you are yellow carded (booked).. you are sent off the field for 10 minutes and your team plays a man down)

Week 5: 10-9 win over Wakefield (we kept them without a try, only allowing three penalties. They were up 6-0 with 14 minutes to go in the first half when one of their players got sinbinned for a high tackle. Ragone used the man advantage to HIS advantage a minute later in scoring the try.... the difference in this game was Coffee Warlord's penalty with just 13 minutes to play. Really good game)

Week 6: A 22-0 win at home afainst Bedford, but we paid for it in a scrappy game more suitable for a hockey rink then the gentlemanly sport of rugby. Both Mordheim and Ardent Enthusiast picked up injuries, we injured one of theirs as well, but the big news was Kyle Kappe taking a swing at their Prop.. and holding his own in the resulting scuffle. Of course, the referee solved it by sending BOTH men to the sin bin!

(Tries: WSUCougar (2), Kyle Kappe)

Mordheim will miss 2 months with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder after a dirty tackle, and Ardent's Elbow is about twice the size it normally should be. Ow. Gonna be a rough few weeks..

[Poli]

Haters. :)

[MrBug708]

Nice Nice

[mordhiem]

Mordheim will miss 2 months with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder after a dirty tackle

Dirty? Moi?

Whatever an AC joint is, I imagine it hurts sprained.

[Neuqua]

I really have 0 clue as to whether I am contributing anything. I need to brush up on my Rugby reading.

[larrymcg421]

Yeah I don't know what I'm doing either as I haven't been mentioned yet, but that 9.5 ratings makes it look like I'm doing pretty good, whatever it is.

[SirFozzie]

Dirty? Moi?

Whatever an AC joint is, I imagine it hurts sprained.

I meant a dirty tackle ON you, of course ;)

[vex]

At least I got an 8.5 rating instead of a 6. How are ratings figured? What is the highest rating possible?

[Raven Hawk]

Yeah, I liked my 8.5 much better than my 6 as well.

[Nyarlahotep]

8- Nyarlahotep (Captain)

Finally some recognition. Now if only my national team coach would wake up and realize that he is ignoring the greatest #8 to ever play the game all will be well in the world.

[finkenst]

We manage a quick break, overpower Exeter at the scrum after the tackle
JeeberMack, HFP, VT BUB and I are during the work... :)

SirFozzie, are the ratings postable to keep track of how each player is doing match-to-match?

If you elect to post one long match report, can you separate the minutes with some space to make it legible.

thanks!

Excellent work, FOFC!

[Alf]

I got a 10.0 on match 2. WooT !

[Poli]

I had a lot of haterade.

[JeeberD]

Ahhh, power rugby. That's the way the game was meant to be played... :)

[Ragone]

what nationality are we? english? american?
in general :)

[SirFozzie]

mostly English

[SirFozzie]

I'll try to get proper stats up in a bit.

Well, we have to do without two of our top players for a bit, and we're not as crisp. It does help that Orrell, our next opponent, loses two players to injury in the first half.

We do trail at the half time whistle, two Coffee Warlord Penalties counteracted by a try for Orrel after FinkenSt was sinbinned for Unsporting conduct.. but Coffee Warlord scored the winning try with 10 minutes to play, and we added another try with two minutes to play and we win 18-7.

Luckily, we have three weeks off after that, and we get mostly healthy, although as Ardetn Enthusiast gets healthier, it also gets close to the Rugby World Cup.. so we'll lose him again!

Jeeber Mack looks like he'll head to Australia as well, as the 21 year old Prop looks to get a call up from Wales.

After the break, we are up 13 on Penzance before they score, and we score three more tries afterwords to win 30-7.

[digamma]

Fozzie,

Maybe I missed this earlier, but what sim are you using?

[Coffee Warlord]

We do trail at the half time whistle, two Coffee Warlord Penalties counteracted by a try for Orrel after FinkenSt was sinbinned for Unsporting conduct.. but Coffee Warlord scored the winning try with 10 minutes to play, and we added another try with two minutes to play and we win 18-7.

See haters! I told you I would lead you to victory!

[SirFozzie]

Look at the first thread in the Signup thread. ;)

Pro Rugby Manager 2004 (www.prorugbymanager.com)

[JeeberD]

Jeeber Mack looks like he'll head to Australia as well, as the 21 year old Prop looks to get a call up from Wales.

Heck yeah! World Cup, here I come!!!

[finkenst]

bump.. sirfozzie, any updateds?

[SirFozzie]

Some more tomorrow. Trying to do some tech support on one of my other games ;(

[finkenst]

Some more tomorrow. Trying to do some tech support on one of my other games ;(
ahhh..
no worries sirfozzie...

[sterlingice]

Bump. I don't know what a kicker is, but apparently, in my first game, I was pretty good at it. In fact, I don't even know how to play rugby. Got a brief summary of the rules (i.e. Rugby For Dummies, not the official 100 page document of rules)?

SI

[Breeze]

AE - get well soon. I'll be tired enough if your healthy.

[Poli]

Roger that.

[SirFozzie]

Sterlingice: Here's some quick things about Rugby to get you started. I'm going to advance this game tonight, so hopefully, you'll be able to see it in action ;)

A rugby team is made up of 15 players. There are 8 forwards, who concentrate on winning possession, and 7 backs, whose chief job it is to advance the ball. All players, though, get involved in offense and defense. (I posted a list of what each player does in the signup thread)

Players advance the ball by running with it or kicking it. Forward passes are illegal. All players on a rugby team have the opportunity to run or kick the ball.

There are two basic ways that you can score points in Rugby.

The first is to ground the ball in the scoring area at the far end of the field (the 'in-goal' area). Grounding the ball must be done with downward pressure (no 'spiking' the ball like American football, you push it onto the ground with your arms or with your upper body) and results in a 'try', worth five points.

The other way to score points is to kick the ball through the goal posts and over the crossbar. How many points you get for a successful kick (a 'goal') depends on when you do it: a goal scored after a try (like a safety in American football) is worth two points while a goal scored other times in the game or from a penalty kick is worth three points (just like an American football field goal).

If in the attempt to score a try or a goal a foul is committed by a member of the opposing team, the referee may award the points if he or she considers that the try or goal would otherwise have been scored.

A tackle is completed when the player is held and brought to the ground, or held in a manner such that the ball is brought to the ground, if a player is merely knocked over then they are not considered to be tackled and they may get back up and continue playing. If a tackle is made above the shoulder, or if a player does not make an attempt to wrap their arms around the player (i.e. shoulder charging) then the tackler will be penalised and may face a spell in the sin-bin.

When a player is tackled they must release the ball immediately. Holding onto it will result in a penalty to the opposition. The tackler along with any other player coming into the tackle area must be on their feet before playing at the ball. If any player enters the tackle area and does not remain on their feet they will be penalised by the referee.

After a tackle there are two scenarios that can occur. If the tackled player is on the ground, it is called a Ruck. The ball cannot be handled in a ruck, instead the ball must be rucked backwards by players using their feet. At least one player from each team is required to form a ruck. Players must join a ruck from behind the hindmost foot of the hindmost player otherwise they will be offside and penalised.

[sterlingice]

It's mostly straightforward. Thanks for the primer, SirFozzie :D

SI

[sterlingice]

Just a bump.

SI

[SirFozzie]

Sorry.. was going to get back to this tonight, but sadly, Pro Rugby Manager does not have a place on my machine now.

PRM uses the StarForce Copyright "protection" malware, and I don't want that crap on my box.

[Alf]

sux

[JeeberD]

:(

[SirFozzie]

yeah, the game is really fun, I'd been trying out some of the features (Drop Goals are fairly easy now).. but StarForce hath been removed from my machine and won't go back on it.

Good Game, Bad Copy "protection"

[Poli]

sigh