Obelix 1 – RCE 1 : 12-13 Character, character and character! That’s what won this game. Such a hard-fought contest, with defences on both sides making hit after hit after hit. No quarter given. The score was made up of a total of six penalties, one try and one conversion. From the kick-off (Obelix playing with the wind and the sun behind their back) it was clear that RCE had to be very disciplined and not get sucker-punched into giving away penalties. And that’s what happened when the referee was awake to foul play … on our side. Result: a penalty to Obelix and a punishment (albeit not fitting the crime) to RCE. OK, but this team does not get disheartened by refereeing decisions. It accepts them and gets on with the game. Just reward as Roel dashed over the line and converted his own try. But this was a lead that would be eroded away by some fascinating refereeing and two more penalties tucked away by the Obelix kicker (‘kikker’ also appropriate in the yellow and green strip). Half time: 7-9 down but not down in the mouth. Determination to get back and get ahead. Second half – sun behind the clouds but the wind in our favour – was played almost exclusively in the Obelix half. Despite losing Shahin, Piers and Chevy to injury, and Martijn lucky to stay in one piece after a late tackle, RCE had only one thing on their minds. Pressure. The pressure paid off after Obelix were unluckily caught trespassing the laws of the game and Roel struck a penalty to restore the lead by one point. But then, just as RCE thought that there might be some equilibrium in the whistling decisions, another infringement of one or other rule saw Obelix retake the lead with a penalty in front of the posts. Obelix 12 RCE 10. So, with just fifteen minutes remaining, RCE parked in the Obelix half. Driving and driving and driving but finding no way past a determined home defence. But then, in an extraordinary twist of fate, the referee saw an unfortunate Obelix player do something he shouldn’t have done and, to the astonishment of the Eindhoven supporters, replacements and coach along the touchline, he awarded RCE a penalty at the death. Cool Roel stepped up and popped the kick right between the sticks! Obelix 12 RCE 13, and the final whistle sounded. And, as Al Pacino might say, justice for all! It may have been tight and it may have been furious and we paid with injuries by bodies thrown into battle in the cause but we deserved a victory that was sweat, sweat and, ultimately, sweet. Once again the supporters that travelled to Nijmegen to support us – John Gielens, Hendri van Kuijk, Hans Verburg, Mike van Lierop, Eloy and his dad, Anouk van Leeuwen, Martijn’s girlfriend … and anyone else I may have missed – gave us that extra spirit. This was a result for the whole club. It’s now played 7 won 7 and still only 2 tries conceded!
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 19:00:20 +0000
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