2 more points in the bag

Another stunning summer day greeted the Karlstad rugby Boys at 07.30 Saturday morning, plus of course the Wonderful McCallion-Stegman household had prepared a great breakfast feast for the lads. It nearly felt like we were a professional set-up.

We landed in Borås a bit later than usual and the sun was beaming I remember the bus clock read 25 degrees and it felt it. Borås who had been struggling with numbers fielded a full team with men to spare a great sight for us and of course I would say wonderful for Borås.

We talked about wanting a tough game and without sounding arrogant we felt Gothenburg were very weak last week and Borås’s previous results would have suggested similar. We were certainly wrong and another lesson in play what’s in front of you and not what you read.

We started pretty shaky and that is the norm after such a journey and a limited warm up period But having defended well from a throw-in we created a ruck about twelve metres out and all of Tobbes (who got 2 tries on the day )experience came into play when he spotted a gap and managed to get over the line. We put on another score I am sure it was Eric Ceder who ended up with 2 to his name on the day as well before Borås, through some good commitment and effort crossed our line to make us well aware a game was on here.  But this is the bad side, the ref was calling some very debatable decisions and unfortunately we had a similar experience last week, bad both from a game perspective and terrible from our disciplinary perspective. Simply we lost it again. I do understand frustration but if we make promises to ourselves we got to keep them. So the biggest compliment of the day goes to the backline who never once made a comment to the ref nor allowed some of those dubious calls to get to us even though we were the victims of as many bad calls. Personally I felt the first half was a write off, our heads were gone and the tension towards the ref was coming inwards with a lot of comments amongst ourselves. Borås got a few more scores in a tit for tat battle with us, their third was our own doing getting caught up with dealing with the ref and some very poor defense, as senor devitt was shouting we were staying too high in the tackle and failing to stop them.

The second half started a bit tensely but my man of the match Johan Tervell ensured against it affecting us by really proving what being a captain is all about. The moaning stopped and the game came back under our control with 3 unanswered tries in the space of ten minutes I felt we had it in the bag. We started to do things right, the backline again wonderfully led by Marcus Nyren had in my opinion a stormer, the training ground moves were working the ball was coming all the way down the chain, but we were a different unit to last week, cohesive, good in defense and enjoying it, so it seemed. But credit to the pack as well they had broken down boras with about 20 minutes to go, we simply started to overpower them in the scrum and our experience was beginning to tell, following our oldest rule ‘do the simple things right’. Had we played like the first half then the score line would have been flattering but I think in truth we got our game on track played some reasonable rugby (far below our potential). But a win is a win and sometimes we forget these things (but that is for my column this week). Borås was a test and they never let up, it’s not like they thought it was a tickling contest, them boys hit us if they needed to and there was no easy root to goal yesterday, they also exposed some of our weaknesses, one being lacking concentration for the full eighty minutes.

Worth a mention Tobbe and Ceder for getting two tries each but the backline in general had a good game, Marcus was very good yesterday, some fine kicks and great awareness, roffes solid, tony some good runs and Sefton was very sharp in the second half. I don’t always see the full extent of the hard work of the pack but Daniel, Maake, Lolla, Ragge were solid got on with their jobs the front row really powered on in the last twenty. For the last time I will mention our two promoted juniors Björn and Mattias who acquitted themselves really well, from now on they get a mention because they are playing well as established senior squad players. Arron made a fine contribution when he got on. Eamonn and Thierry when refocused showed what effect they have on a game years of experience and quality.

But for me my man of the match is Johan Tervell and I will tell you why. Last week Herr Tervell by his own admission will say he lost it in a few aspects he fell into the arguing with the ref and didn’t control us while we were all bitching and this knocked on to him playing way way below his standard. Now some men would take a while to recover from that but Johan’s reaction and his composure in the second half yesterday are complete and utter confirmations that this club has the right man as captain. He captained us to victory over ourselves first and then our opponents yesterday, he steered us back on track, he controlled the referee scenario and finally he had a great game throwing himself around making tackles setting up plays. To you sir my hat is tipped.

I also know I bash the ref a bit, but remember boys he knows he made some very poor calls and in this sport poor calls can get people injured, however he too must develop and where else will he get the opportunity to do so then in the development league, a league we are in by our own makings.

Last but not least, a huge thank you to Borås for not only being a tough and sporting opposition but also for the welcome and hospitality we received and a large pat on the back to men like Albert Cort who are the backbone of small town rugby in this country. They cook, clean up after us they organize the kit and all so they can see their beloved sport being played. We really look forward to you coming up here; we assure you a fine reception and hopefully one of our ‘social events’ afterwards.

But if there is a plus point remember everyone stayed for a wee Barbeque (thanks to Eamonn and dave for sorting that) after we got home and a few well earned scoops together in good spirits, so we are still a great unit we just forget it in the heat of the moment.

Viva La Karlstad