It wasn’t pretty, but we did the job. A tight game from the start which wasn’t much of a spectacle, RCL faced a pack that wasn’t huge, but was very well-drilled. Our backs had to deal with a lot of changes, so it was difficult to get our game plan going. While the first half wasn’t hugely eventful, and was played almost completely in the middle of the park, the second produced most of the action. Chaux-de-Fonds battered the RCL line with wave after wave of pick-and-g0 rucking, which were defended well. Sadly, our attack failed to threaten their defenses nearly as much as it could have with the players at our disposal. In tight play, and particularly the line out, RCL worked well and contained the Chaux-de-Fonds threat. Still, a lot of improvement is needed in defending opposition moves and set pieces.
Still, if we can play significantly under par, and still manage a win against good opposition, that says a lot for how our season is slowly improving. We welcome the return of the last of the injured players, and those absent for the last few games. There is no question over the ability of our players; increased coordination and consistency, however, will help us hugely.
At this stage of the season, and considering last season too, complaining about referees’ curious interpretations of the rules is starting to sound a little thin. However, this issue had a massive effect on the game Saturday. With a total of 4 yellow cards, with the first 2 running almost concurrently, and God knows how many penalties, this was never going to be a pretty game. It is a terrible shame, especially for the younger and newer players trying to learn a game whose rules are complicated enough already. Still, we have to take responsibility for those infringements that were our fault. Cleaner rucking in particular will help RCL’s chances this season, as opposition kickers have shown, to our detriment.
Result:
RCL 8 – 7 Chaux-de-Fonds
Try:
Dani