Taringa Whakarongo!

Saturday, on route to Twickenham to embark on a weekend of football, I jokingly remarked to a few of the team that the team that we were going to take over Twickenham!

I imagined heroically sticking a Hampton & Richmond Youth flag into the centre of the pitch on arrival and turning to the opposition and boldly announcing “this hallow earth, once your home, is now our land”!

All this with a backdrop of screaming 12 yr olds – picture a Liam Neeson or a Mel Gibson only with me being mildly more hungover.

I continue to mutter…..

“Well for the weekend or at the very least until the car park monies run out – this is our manor” which get engulfed by the general noise emanating from the rear of the car and then one child mentions “How about the Haka”?

Now onto Sunday.
Organised transport failure!

Driver reports that designated car to carry 3 players and two dads / 8 corner flags – don’t ask & a very large kit bag is “somewhere else & I have been left with a Smart car”?

There was other small incidents, standing on the oppositions coffee whilst they kindly helped to set up nets.

Have I mentioned Sunday’s match?

Up against SPL Premier Elite side “Onslow FC”. Played them last year and drew 1 all – today we lost 9 to 1 after their Manager announced they had brought along their very top team for the day. Gulp! I think it was around the 12th minute before they let our boys touch the ball and perhaps paralysed by stage fright, we quickly returned it to Onslow to ensure they had it just about long enough to score their 9 goals.
Yes we had our moments however this weekend was all about playing fitness and by facing two teams of varying quality we understand approximately where we stand and where we need to go.

MOTM: Jointly awarded to two players Seb Lawson & Max Adams – resilient throughout and exceptional attitude despite some difficult moments.

Max took his goal excellently to score 3 in two games – nice!