Erin Hughes.com

We have had practice 2 weeks in a row. The next 5 weeks will be games. This was also our last practice with Joe as the coach and after doing so well in the 100 meter sprints I was looking forward to showing off a bit more. Of course always what I want and what ends up happening is different.

We started with a quick game of soccer and I could feel that I was not warmed up enough to play and after a intense chest trap and left footed shot that JUUUUUUST went wide I felt every muscle in both legs just clamp shut. It was a pretty intense crapping type of pain that stayed with me the rest of practice. I was very disappointed as we did our 20 X 50 meter sprints only to be beaten 1/2 the time by my 5 year old son. Let alone being able to beat anyone else who I had beaten last week.

I was not alone others felt similar affects as the practice got on.

We did some Line out drills and rucking and mauling and it would have been allot better if more that 2 of the tight 5 and 3 of the loose forwards had shown. I understand that people have other commitments, but I know all these guys will be there next week to play, and I will not get to play more than 20 minutes.

We did a team run and again I spent more time in the way then anything. I was not only in the wrong place more than twice but I was standing flat or not in the right position to receive the ball when I did.

Later Joffa and Dave, Chris and Pallo pulled me aside and explained that;

1. I do not have to ruck over every single ruck or maul
2. I should run in a kinda lazy L pattern
3. I should if I can not make it into the ruck and the half back is already there be ready and moving behind the 5/8 and be ready to do a forward crash run and or pull defenders away from the ball as a dummy runner.

We had practice and a BBQ. The practice was hard fought training with a warm up team jog for a couple hundred meters followed by some stretching. Then the work began, 10 X 100 sprints. I was surprised at the fact that I could keep with Joe and had a good battle with So which he ended up trouncing me most races but I stayed with him. Practice went on as it usually does but we were missing a bunch of our forwards and that made the forward workout tough. We did a team run and I couldn't get things to click like I had previously and kept going offsides and getting in the way. ERRR! Finally we played touch and it was as always irritating I am not sure what it is about touch but it is so hard to grasp all the work we just did and having it come down to touch. Set pieces and other things do not happen all you can do is stay on a line in defense and try to go mark your man and not get caught out.

Practice finished with some more calls and then A BBQ! BBQs are always a good time cause all the family members come and drink, cook, eat, talk and drink some more together. The kids who are all roughly the same age play and it is a good time for all. Wifes and kids eat free and the team sucks up the cost. It is really one of the best times to be part of the team.

We had two new guys come out to training. Dan and Matt, said that they have been looking for a good social rugby team to play on for 11 months, I am sure they will both be back to play for us.

On the way back Jesse saved me. As Eric and I were going up the escalator at the station a older man dressed in kinda Japanese biker styled clothes with a tan and a shaved head except a little tuft of hair in the front. Did what I can only describe as a rude gesture towards Eric. I got upset of course but he was going down the escalator and we were going up. So I let it go. But as we were sitting down to wait for the train, the guy came back up the stairs and started yelling at me in Japanese and calling me crazy which of course started me yelling back. I stood up and the guy moved on down to the other end of the tracks. Just then Jesse came up the escalator. I called him over and told him what happened he laughed. But now on the way back the guy looked at me and looked at Jesse and decided we were both a little more trouble than he was bargaining for. He walked silently past and went down to the escalator and appeared on the other side a few minutes later.

I got on my bike and made my way to the station. Joffa, Dave and I all met up, and wiated for the train. While we waited for kicks Joffa and I called up team members who we were unsure about or KNEW for CERTIAN that were not comming, and harassed them.

Finally we arived and started getting the field ready which was a task bordering on futility. The line painters were all getting clogged up because of all of the rain and we were having alot of trouble measuring the lines and getting things straight.

Durring that time a team mate informed me that the leader of the leuge (who is also the oppositions manager) said "Agghhh its raining to hard lets just do rock paper scissors and call it a game."
After hearing that in my mind the game was already won.

Our forward pack was strong all game and Murray kept things constantly rolling along. Our back line was also strong even though the conditions were not perfect for passing the ball.

When we were up by a good number of tries, with about 15 minutes left I got the call to go in.

My tackles are still weak and from the moment I got on the field I could feel that it was a problem. The slippery conditions made it tough even with cleats to get my footing. I do not think my tackles are particularly bad it is just my anticipation of what the runner will do and abilty to react to it quickly is well pitiful.

This week during my personal training time I will try to see if there is some exercises I can work on to help rectify this. I think it is just a matter of 3 things;
1. Not standing to flat on my feet
2. understanding how to read a backs moves as to where he will run

1st game of the year. (JAPAN) Tokyo Gaijin VS The Crusaders. (WIN)

I woke up in the morning and I just didn't feel right. I felt weak and constipated and just generally not in good health for a day of rugby. I did some last minute finishing touches to the fliers and then woke up Eric so he could watch some cartoons while I got our gear ready.

After calling and waking the team manager Joffa up we aranged a time to meet and Eric and I were off to print some more fliers. We went back to Gera Gera where Eric refused to sit down and refused to be quite but I got the rest of them printed and we headed out to meet Joffa.

After hooking up with Joffa his wife and Dave we got on the road, or the train so to speak and made our way to the meeting point. When we arrived at the station within a few minutes almost the whole team was there. It was awesome there was 15 guys at the station and when we got to the field there were another 5 at least. I started to feel a little better knowing I would not have to play a full game.

We warmed up and practiced a bit and to quote Muz I felt a bit more "switched on" then normal. Still far from what I needed to be but playing defense against my own team in line outs and scrums helped me realize what my job was gonna be when I was in. If I got in.

Practice finished up and I the starting line up was called out. I was not on it. I was a little bummed out not to be starting, because over the break I put a lot of work in for the team getting myself in shape, I ran about 10 times and I can feel my legs getting stronger. In addition to trying to improve my fitness, I have also been studying the game of rugby. Finally I have been working on the team site allot and been the pain in the ass that has gotten it up to date. I should have been carried around the rugby pitch by two of my team mates instead of having to run and get all sweaty.