What did I say?
I feel like that sums it up, but I will elaborate. We beat
NRU today. 14-10. Close. Tough. A battle. An assault. A campaign. They scored
in the first. We didn’t. We went up in the second. Scored again. And then they
evened the try tally. But we made our kicks. And we won. If you didn’t know,
NRU has won the NASCs four years in a row. I don’t even know when MARFU beat
them last (that is before 6 hours ago).
This was one of the sweetest victories of which I’ve ever
had the unbelievable chance to be a part. I knew we were ready for a grueling
physical clash in the humid Pennsylvania heat, and I knew NRU would have to man
up to beat us. They wouldn’t be able to mosey on past us, with a casual
brushing of the shoulder, on their way to defending their crown—they would have
to defend it against us first. However, I didn’t know that we would beat them,
although I wanted it, and I knew we were capable of it. It feels amazing to
have done it.
A few match-related notes, and then I’m off to bed. This
MARFU team is awesome—from our hard-hitting pack to our speedy wings—and we had
to put together an amazing game to beat an extremely tough NRU team.
Did anyone notice that we played most of the match in the
end closest to the parking lot? I didn’t mind it so much in the second half,
but it was a killer defending our end for a majority of the first half.
Speaking of killers, what about the effin’ heat, and the fact that we didn’t
get any water (after that first, quick try) until about five minutes left in
the first half. That sucked.
Also, all of you players, make a mental note that the
scoreboard clock is not, in fact, the official game clock. I made the mistake
of assuming it was and kicking the ball out at, what I thought was, the end of
the first half. Mea culpa. Actually, mea culpa for about three of my kicks for
touch, plus the first one.
Lastly, I am offering a reward to anyone who can show me
where running out is explicitly prohibited and results in a penalty. Seriously.
I haven’t decided the reward yet—maybe an ice cream cone at the little parlor
on the corner, or the ten dollars that I will inevitably owe someone for our
coaches gifts, or maybe a sweet MARFU visor…no, strike that, not the visor.
Anyway, I’m off to sleep now. Can’t wait for another 5-star
continental breakfast…we had danishes, guys.
**Title ©Eli White
