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22 - ECB 3
Match report: SEMI-FINAL
Saturday, 6/10/2007, Fana Stadium, Bergen
By Tom 
(Click on photo to download hi-res version)
Shakespeare once said, “Best men are moulded out of faults,
and for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad”…..earlier
in the season BRK were indeed bad and thoughts of that debacle over
in Tønsberg were begot in the ventricle of memory on Saturday,
with BRK comfortably beating ECB 22-3 in the semi-final clash at Fana
Stadion. A focused lead up to the match which included the narrow victory
over Stavanger and some energetic training sessions mid-week lead the
foundations for a strong fifteen to take to the field, knowing a full
bench could also add some power and pace in the second half. ECB arrived
without a full contingent despite pacy halfback Wesley getting his bacon
and eggs down in record time at Willies gaff shortly before kickoff.
In the good spirit of the mighty game, Bergen were to provide their
own version of Sebastian Chavel, big Boris, and Nikki to make up the
ECB forward pack, and to their credit, they kept their socks pulled
up and gave it their all. Well done guys.
The match
kicked off in calm and reasonably dry conditions with ECB on the attack
and it was the visitors who opened the scoring with an easy penalty
from fly-half Roger. Subsequent penalty misses let BRK off the hook,
and it took some twenty minutes before the home side stepped into gear
and started to impose their forward power. The first try came from a
fine break away from Willie, who showed few signs of
his sick-note week to dot down close to the posts. Tim
calmly converted and Bergen was up 7-3. The remainder of the half was
an evenly contested affair noted by fine defensive work on both sides,
and few scoring opportunities. ECB may well have been pleased to hear
the half-time whistle of Aussie Dave, thinking they were indeed in with
a chance to strike in the second spell.
Karl and
Ian spoke of the need to clear the rucks cleanly and start to use more
mauling play that had been practiced during training. Too many penalties
were being given away when the ball within our grasp and possession
was the key. Indeed, nothing is but what is not. With the BRK bench
still fresh, ECB was bound to tire without any reserves and it was indeed
the home side that found the try line first, and again it was the Minde
Magnet, Willie who bustled his way over to score his
second after Dave consulted the video replay (if we had one). Conversion
missed and BRK led 12-3. ECB were not out of the match yet, and spend
much of the next fifteen minutes in Bergen half, but resolute defending
around the rucks and especially by wingers Marcus and Kjartan provided
no way through for ECB and their game-breaker Shelton.
The
third try came from some fast hands in the Bergen backs, and a nice
offload from Kjartan gave yours truly a short run in
to dot down much to the confusion of the old man walking his dog in
the far corner. I’d tried to stake money on scoring a try, but
bet365.com had stopped taking bets on the game after it was discovered
a triad-syndicate in Hong Kong had infiltrated the ECB ranks. 17-3 and
the game looked safe for the Bergen side who remained composed, knowing
a couple of quick scores from ECB would have put the squeeze on. It
was not to be though, and the final squeeze came not from big Boris
who was starting to hallucinate in the center of the park…”the
heaven’s breath smells wooingly here, so I have heard, and do
in part believe…”, but from from Samir
who burst off a ruck and dove over in front of the main stand to rapturous
applause. No conversion from Tim who must have taken Albert's boots
by mistake, and 22-3 was to secure BRK’s place in the final. The
eager Bergen reserves for the day finally got on the park and provided
no respite for the tired ECB boys, but they fought out the remainder
of the match and could be quite happy to limit the score line to four
tries.
The win
was a much better performance by BRK than the previous nail biter against
Stavanger, with less silly mistakes and a better defensive structure.
Despite the chorus of “Gullet ska’ hem….”
ringing out from the packed tribunes, BRK will have a big week ahead
of them on the training field in order to be primed for the final and
everyone needs to remember to eat well, as Lord William Stowell once
said, “a good dinner lubricates business”. The
business is the final: Be ready…time shall unfold what plaited
cunning hides….
The team:
- Mick
- Karl
- Samir
- Will
- Ian
- Joe
- Willy
- Stian
- Hanro
- Timmy
- Kjartan
- Eugene
- Even
- Marcus
- Tom
- Russell
- Nikolay
- Tim
- Colum
- Frog
Eric
- Emmet
Best player:
Kjartan
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