We were really looking forward to our first pre-season game against the Japanese. Several of the Japanese boys play for us and they are greatly respected for their toughness and passion for the game. We were expecting a tough match.
It turned out to be one. There were a few injuries in the match, notably a cut head for a Japanese player and there several sore heads on our team too.
We were pleased with how we played. We scored several good tries both with great individual efforts and also good hands in the backs. Excellent games came from Reedy, who scored a great individual try after ripping the ball from a Japanese attacker and also put on some great hits; Sparky, who also hit hard all game and showed great flair in attack and Calum who was rock solid under the high ball and set up a great try.
The forwards were also impressive. Near the end of the match they put together some good pick and drives and generally competed well for the loose ball. Adam and Ting both had great games, as did several others.
It reflects the spirit of the match that we forgot to ask the ref the final score but we’re pretty sure it was about 35-7. The Japanese as usual impressed us with their courage in both attack and defense. Despite being the smaller side and taking many big hits they kept on coming. We look forward to more games in the future.