I really think that drinking three pints of beer post-Touch Rugby is a bad idea. Unless, of course, you play three matches, which is what happened last night.
First up, we managed to get a friendly game against another team whose opponents didn’t turn up. I even managed to score a tri and we played pretty well as a team.
Then it was our league game, which didn’t go so well. Not only did I fail to score, but we were the wrong end of a 5-3 scoreline. At least the team’s namesake Michael managed to get on the scoreboard and is currently our top tri scorer this year, all the more remarkable given that he spent seasons without scoring. I know how he feels.
Our de facto (he’s the most experienced player) coach Nick reckons we’re all improving game by game, but I think he’s just being nice. I would say, however, that now into my second year of playing, it is all starting to make a bit of sense, even if our league position doesn’t reflect the improvement.
After playing two games, the pub beckoned, but then three guys came over and asked if a few of us fancied being ringers, as a car load of their team failed to show. Given the opportunity to run my frustration off, I accepted, along with Andy (probably our second best player) and Rashid.
I felt like a boy on the first day of ‘big school’. It was the serious men’s league and the Aussies had been playing alongside each other since they were kids. There were cross-overs, 30 yard passes and it was all very fast. I could blame the fact that it was my third game of the evening, but the reality was that I was well out of my league.
But, by virtue of being randomly in the right place at the right time, I managed to get a tri and we finished the game 4-1. They were delighted and bought us all a beer – the alternative for us not playing was having to throw the game – and Rashid and I just about held our own (Andy wouldn’t have looked out of place in their line-up). Let’s see if playing with the big boys helps our game next time.