2009-06-06 - Stirling Tournament
After a good run of results in the leagues, the SuperHands squad had much to be hopeful about as the Scottish Touch Series came near. A winter of hard training, led by team Head Coach Pierre Joly had been the reason behind the SuperHands sharp ascent to success, both in the summer leagues and in cup tournaments. The first fixture of the Series was in Stirling...
Click on Read more for result, photos, summary, etc.
- Team composition
Captain: Rob Lee
Jenny, Maddy, Lesley-Anne, Freshy
Doug, Fran, Dave, Colin, Rob, Dunkan
- Photos
- Summary
After a good run of results in the leagues, the SuperHands squad had much to be hopeful about as the Scottish Touch Series came near. A winter of hard training, led by team Head Coach Pierre Joly had been the reason behind the SuperHands sharp ascent to success, both in the summer leagues and in cup tournaments. The first fixture of the Series was in Stirling (Gateway to the Highlands apparently). However despite the good form of late, the days running up to the tournament had been a series of disasters for the SuperHands team. Wedding commitments for Fliss and Capt. Ali were known about and could, at a push, be accommodated. The Pre tournament injuries to three of our core female players however could not. Narinder’s sprained elbow, Caroline’s broken arm and Leslie’s back problems left SuperHands without a team and on the brink of pulling out, Ali Freshwater and Jenny being the only remaining female representatives.
Much work was done in the days before the Tournament to try to bundle a team together. Lesley Anne was flown to America to see a back specialist, and consequently passed a late fitness test. This bumped our female numbers up to 3, still insufficient for a days tournament. We needed a ringer.
Catriona had made her debut for the SuperHands on the Wednesdays game and despite being new to the team had put in an magnificent effort to contribute to the teams 1 – 0 victory against TouchEY. So the call for help went out on the Friday afternoon. With the rest of the team anxiously watching their emails, Ali Fresh spoke to Catriona. Just like the Wednesday before the call was answered. SuperHands were going to Stirling.
The day began early. Four cars brimming with tents, sleeping bags, beer and excitement rolled up the M9. Once in Stirling the tent was pitched and the team registered and it was only a matter of minutes before the first game of the day kicked off, with SuperHands drawn against a formidable opponent, the Glasgow Spiders.
The game didn’t go well. Spiders showed why they were one of the top teams in Scotland. Their defence rushed the SuperHands, and the driving fell apart. We struggled to create many try scoring opportunities against such a competitive team and understandably concentrated on damage limitation. The SuperHands lost the game 4 – 0, and while this hurt at the time, we were later consoled when we found out that this was the Spiders toughest group game.
After the game the depleted squad gathered themselves and an impromptu training session was held to try and resolve the problems that stifled the team in the first game.
The second game was against an unheard of team, Rugby Vice. As the rain began to pour, the SuperHands warmed up and sized up their opponents. Though trying to avoid complacency, the SuperHands became quietly confident as they watched the ‘Vice’ mince about the pitch in their shades and head bands. The toss was brilliantly won by captain of the day Robert Lee, and SuperHands kicked off. The players bounced back from the opening defeat at a furious pace. Turnover ball rushed by the tireless SuperHands defence and the Vice often failed to get out of their own half. Of greater concern to the Vice was the try scoring form of the Lurking Opportunist Doug Cameron. The slightest whiff of an offload ball in the scoring area and Cameron’s deadly instincts were on full alert, leading him to a three try haul over the shell-shocked Vice.
The SuperHands retreated to the shelter of the stands to savour the 3 - 1 victory. With the drives working more effectively and a more proactive defence, confidence began to come back to the players. The game had seen Francisco, Godfather of the SuperHands team make his first and last appearance as an ongoing achillies problem caused him to prudently rule himself out for the rest of the competition. Fran stayed around and cheered on his team for the rest of the day along with fellow SuperFan Maddy Graham.
The next game was against Aberdeen based outfit Guerrilla Energy. The sun had come back out and as the Energy tapped off, and it was quickly evident that the SuperHands faced a more apt outfit than in the previous game. The Energy took the lead twice in a game of attractive, classic touch play, the Energy benefiting from some fine scooping and running from their captain. SuperHands remained resilient however coming back both times, firstly thanks to another Doug Cameron try and secondly from Ali Freshwater. Both tries coming off the slider - diesel.
A win a loss and a draw left SuperHands needing to win the final group game against the tournament hosts Flossie Possie, a team we had beaten 3 weeks before in Newcastle. The atmosphere was tangible as the Stirling men and women lined up against the thinly stretched SuperHands faithful. They must have fancied their chances. “Revenge would be so sweet”.
The Possie tapped off and threw themselves at us. The experienced players commanding the drives through the heart of the Hands defence. SuperHands were squeezed back to their line, but on winning the turnover ball recoiled in a plethora of counter attacks. The Flossie Possie pressure was absorbed, the Hands defence was squeezed and covering one another. In attack the SuperHands spread the ball about with growing confidence, Slider and Hollywood were utilized. The Possie line was broken on a number of occasions by quick scooping. A well worked diesel by Rob Lee and SuperHands Physics boffin Colin McLean opened the scoring. Colin later went on to write a thesis about the gravitational forces effecting the ball as he scored, which he then used to impress all the ladies at the Ceilidh.
Aother dump and split on the right wing almost let Doug Cameron in for another score but a speculative overhead pass from Lee found Doug over stretching to control it, and the ball was lost. The Possie then came back with an attack on their own. With the ball in midfield, one of the Possie players ran a line which caught SuperHands Golden Oldie Dunkan Armstrong snoozing. The runner went on to score, drawing the Flossie Possie level.
This try against the run of play did little knock the SuperHands momentum. In the following attacks the SuperHands regained the lead through another dump and split. The same move almost worked again, Dave ‘Never Ever Drops the Ball’ Bartlett coming close to a touchdown, but he unfortunately dropped the ball. Even Dave, the most placid man on the pitch, could not hide his frustration, for the first time the man had ever mishandled the ball coincided with his would be wonder try.
The nail in the Flossie Possie coffin came moments later. Some fierce driving down the right hand side drew the Possie defence in. Good vision and huge fizzling pass from Dunkan left the majority of the Possie players stranded. The pass found Captain Fantastic, Robert Lee in acres of space. Lee was left with a footrace to the line and ran in to the delight of the on looking spectators. The whistle went. SuperHands had beaten the hosts and could now concentrate on the semi finals.
The draw for the next fixtures left the Hands with a local derby against fellow Inverleithers, the Ruckers. The Ruckers are a team with abundance of talent and experience, and a team that inflicted the first ever defeat on SuperHands in their first ever game. Every great team has to begin somewhere.
The Ruckers tapped off. Their driving was more central than that of the SuperHands, after three drives they span the ball out to the wing, where their captain Nick was waiting to capitalise on some sloppy SuperHands defending. More sharp play lead to them getting another score. The Hands were not playing their best game. The handling of the Ruckers was faultless and they were able to drive the ball at pace. The lack of subs was starting to show, but the team dug deep and managed to get a try at the beginning of the second half. McLean and Lee linked up again on the right wing and the reliable Diesel move lead to Lee getting his second touchdown of the tournament.
SuperHands left the game with the feeling that they had been beaten by a slightly more skilled and experienced side but the Hands made a good account of themselves in what was a very well tempered and enjoyable game.
The Hands had lost out on the final, however this apparent cloud had a particularly big silver and juicy lining. Losing the semi final set the Hands up with a fixture against another old enemy, the Glasgow Lions. A fixture which would see SuperHands Devious Danger Weasel Doug Cameron pitted against his slightly more attractive sister Ruth. The two had crossed swords in Glasgow tournament several weeks before and Doug Captained the SuperHands to a tournament victory, beating the Lions in the final, and just like the Flossie Possie, the Lions were pining for vengeance. The Lions outnumbered the SuperHands, with almost twice as many players, and after a full days tournament, this was a huge advantage.
The shear intensity of the game and acute focus of every team player meant that the details of this epic battle seam to have been forgotten. It was the most exciting game of the day, I remember that much. The excitement was compounded when, after a 2 - 2 tie and a two player drop off, Colin scored what must surely be one of his most memorable tries ever. It was not a team try. But who can complain. Hats off to you McLean, you did what needed to be done in what was an incredibly tight, competitive battle of attrition.
It has been speculated since that Colin got one of the other scores in normal time which helped us secure extra time. The source of the other try is as yet unknown. It would be fair to assume that the try came from a wonderfully executed Slider/Diesel. The details of the game were surpassed by the delight of the victory.
And so the Lions had been slain again. While they went off to lick their wounds, the SuperHands prepared to party.
Not content with 3 triumphs on the touch field the SuperHands went on to be named the best Ceilidh dancers by the band. Not for the first time the SuperHands were recognized for their sporting attitude, be it on the pitch or the dance floor. The Ceilidh, like the tournament, was fantastic and great credit has to go to the Stirling Touch for organizing the whole thing.
Putting the pomp and ceremony aside for one final moment, I would like to thank every player that made it along that weekend. We proved to ourselves that we can play together well as a team and can compete against anybody. We also showed again how much of an asset we are to a tournament, in terms of sporting attitude and general good chat. We are really putting the SuperHands brand out there for all to see. Long may it continue.
Special Acknowledgements to Catriona for joining us at such short notice, to Lesley Anne for playing on with a bad back, to Fran and Maddy for coming and supporting us, to Lesley Anne, Freshy and Jenny for teaching me to Ceilidh dance, to Pierre for helping out with pre match training and advice, and to Dave, Doug, Dunk and Colin for playing superbly and being great company all weekend.
Well done everyone. Enjoy the Memories.
From your one day captain.
RobLee