Treasure Coast RFC is looking for players vs Krewe this weekend in Port St. Lucie. Please let Steve Williams know if you would like to play as he needs to give them an estimate of numbers. Gavin Curtis is the referee.
Here’s the directions for those travelling down this weekend.
Steve,
Thank you for the offer. Here are the directions: (Kick off should be at 2)
From I-95: North or South Get off at the Gatlin Blvd exit. Head east towards US-1, you will come across Port St Lucie Blvd take a left on to PSL Blvd. Continue heading east on Port St Blvd, the third light you come across will be Cameo take a left. Turtle Run park is a mile down the road on the right hand side @ the 4 way stop sign
From The Turnpike: Get off @ the Port St Lucie Exit. Take a left at the tight. You will be heading west on Port St Lucie Blvd. The fist Light you come across will be Cameo Make a right, Turtle Run Park is a mile down the road on the right hand side @ the 4 way stop sign
You can contact me, my cell phone number is 772-519-1772.
mikey@piratesrugby.com
Ft. Lauderdale Ruggerfest results and articles are available online at www.goffonrugby.com . Temporary access (1 week) to the site has been set up using:
Username: gratis
Password: prev0304
What a nice day for rugby, or just to be outside - a beautiful day in paradise! Dry and warm with just enough humidity to break a sweat and a cross field breeze pushing many kicks into the woods next to West Cocoa Community Center. Daytona RFC came down with 23 guys and gave us two games; with some of our veterans filling in their B-side and our U19 wearing the Red & Black. The score in the A game, refereed by Pat McCollum, was 20-12 Daytona. We were also fortunate to have Chris Hardcastle on hand to officiate the second game which resulted in a 15-14 victory for the Red Eyes. Afterwards, we retired to JD’s for refreshments and wings but many of our players had to leave early because of commitment to the Men Cooking From The Heart fundraiser for Big Brother Big Sisters that evening at Melbourne Auditorium.
more to come ….
One would not think that on a day with low ceiling fog, clouds full of intermittent rain and a slow, soggy pitch, two forward oriented teams would engage in a flury of backline attacks. The Red Eyes, unwilling to let Jacksonville’s large forwards hammer them again, stymied the opponents relentless pack attack while spinning most possession. But Jacksonville, on their heels early on, adjusted. Their big backs supported by their quick flankers, capitalized on mistakes in the Red Eye attack then began slicing through the defense like a hot knife through butter. The end result, officiated well by John Seldon, was a 51-5 lesson for the Red Eyes.
The early tempo of the match was set by the Red Eyes as their kickoff, aimed away from the forwards, was caught by a Jacksonville back who was then pummeled by the Red Eye centers. Jacksonville forwards tried to pound their way upfield but instead lost yardage as the Red Eye forwards aggressively attacked behind the gain line in defense. The result was a struggle for field position with the Red Eyes controlling the flow, position and for the most part, the possession. The Red Eyes spun their ball, but could not overcome handling errors to cash in on the opportunities. A sequence of three penalties against the Red Eyes resulted in a 3-0 Jacksonville lead but that was the most effective offense either team could muster early on.
By midway through the half, Jacksonville had adjusted their game and began to execute their backline offense with good support, while deploying a slide or out defense. This brought more manpower to bear at the breakdown in the Red Eye attack while applying offensive pressure with depth in their wide attack; confident in the knowledge that the Red Eye forwards were committed to stopping the inside game. The result was devastating as the home team cashed in repeatedly on Red Eye miscues while also creating overloads outside the centers on offense. To their credit, the Jacksonville backline, playing in wet conditions, had but one knock-on all game. And when the ball was misplayed, their offensive depth was there to clean it up quickly. Ironically, this was precisely the plan the Red Eyes had hoped to execute.
The final scoring was 8 trys, 4 conversion and a penalty kick for Jax against one try for the Red Eyes. DJ Hewett was awarded Man-Of-The-Match for his work in the front row, at flanker and in defense. Virgil Russell scored the only try for the Red Eyes off a maul driven in from a full lineout and had a fine run on his first opportunity at outside center while substituting for backs in the 2nd half. Dean Pitcher won the jersey lottery.
Hopefully it was learned today how important adjustments and execution can be in the game of rugby. Jacksonville RFC is not only big and fast but experienced. The Red Eyes took them out of their forwards game but they adjusted then attacked repeatedly with their backs where they perceived weakness to be in the Red Eye defense. They are clearly a level above the other Division III teams in this state, and in my opinion, could compete successfully in Division II. Nonetheless, that is the level to which the Red Eyes aspire and saturday they witnessed first hand the type of play and gamesmanship that it will take to reach that goal.
The B-game was a loose, slippery, free flowing affair won late by the Jacksonville B-side. Thanks must go to the many Jacksonville players who played for the Red Eyes and to those Red Eyes who gallantly played two full games. Anthony Madland, with some crushing hits, earned Man-Of-The-Match honors at center.
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
For the third game in a row, the Red Eyes spotted their opponents a large, early lead then staged a gallant comeback, however, this time they came up short, suffering their 2nd loss of the Spring. In the match Saturday at Tradewinds Park, the Ft. Lauderdale Knights took an early 19-0 lead then held on to defeat the Red Eyes 38-29. The scoring consisted of 6 trys and 4 conversions for the Knights to 5 trys and 2 conversions for the Red Eyes. Gavin Curtis did a fine job officiating and Danny Dugan was awarded Man-Of-The-Match.
Ft. Lauderdale, playing at their new home pitch with tall, regulation posts, had a generous crowd on hand enjoying the cloudy, breezy yet warm weather. With their Division II side idle, our 2nd side played against a seasoned pack and very quick backs and endured a 50-5 pasting for their first loss of the year. Chris Reohm was the referee and our sided was also honored to debut the Madland brothers and RJ on the pitch. Man-Of-The-Match ended in a tie but a late recount, upheld by the US Supreme Court, awarded Bob BuchanAn the honor. Trouper Green won the jersey lottery. Joe Pearce won the ‘Wrong Way Feldman’ award for his tour of South Florida prior to the match. And can anyone explain why Santa Claus was at the ‘world famous’ Parrot Lounge after the match?
The scoring in the first game began fast and furious. A clearing kick was run down by the Knights and 3 quick phases later they held a 7-0 lead. The ensuing kickoff was controlled by the Knights and led to a lineout which the opponents also stole. Their Fly took advantage of a staggered defense for a long run deep behind the Red Eye forwards, leading to their 2nd converted try as they dominated the resultant phase play against the outnumbered Red Eyes. The Knights, with their backrow consistently in the backline, then turned the right corner for a long run down touch where the Red Eyes were penalized for killing the ball within 10 meters of goal. A forward rush later, the home team held a 19-0 lead with 25 to play in the half.
To that point, the Red Eyes struggled to control their 1st phase possessions as the opponents wheeled the scrum and the lineout ball was consistently overthrown in the gusty breeze. Phase play was no better as the opponents successfully broached the gain line with hammers against the flat footed defenders and tackled our runners aggressively; poaching or spoiling most of our possession.
Mid way through the half, the tide began to turn as the Red Eyes woke up and began to control and spin the ball. A poached possession midfield led to a ruck/maul/whatever sequence which was finally settled and spun wide to Josh Gruner who turned the corner and beat their fullback to the flag for our first score. Minutes later another overload opportunity was muffed but the weakness in the home teams’ defense was clearly exposed. Then from scrum center 60 out, a well executed 8-man pick was supported by both the flanker and inside center and the clearing pass was taken by Matt Henderson for a score under the posts. Just like that, it was a 19-12 game.
Then another kickoff, deep, muffed, dispossessed, resulted in a quick and easy 7 for the home team - is this sounding familiar yet? But the Red Eyes responded with heart, taking the final possession of the half down for a 5 meter scrum but a costly penalty in the loose was subsequently cleared by Ft. Lauderdale and ended the threat and the half with a score of 26-12 against.
With additional adjustments at half, the Red Eyes took the field and Steve Williams quickly scored in the right corner off some nice ball movement along the whole backline. Chandler Wilson converted a tough kick from the right sideline and the score was 26-19. But the Red Eyes gave it back again as an offside penalty inside our 22 was pounded in by the Ft. Lauderdale forwards for another try. Some minutes later, a kick was misplayed by our deep defenders and the home team scored again to hold a commanding 38-19 lead with about 20 to go. A subsequent 2nd phase possession from a scrum in our half was spun wide left to the fullback in the line and Chandler sliced through the defense for a long, well executed try. Another attack to the left almost succedded as Josh Gruner kicked ahead and gave chase, tackling their wing in goal for a 22 drop. Their fullback foolishly came over and raked Josh, drawing a red card, and awarding the Red Eyes a penalty 5 meters out. Danny Dugan took a quick tap from the penalty and scored the final points of the game as the Knights were able to hold off the Red Eye surge for the victory.
The B-side match was a mis match. The clearly more experienced home team creatively attacked our defense using deft plays and more than abundant speed. Still, our 2nd side played tough, tackled hard, and competed well, especially in tight and in the sets. The try pounded in late in the game by Joe Pearce demonstrated to all present the no quit attitude and heart of these young players.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Brevard Youth Rugby Football Club played the Lincoln Park Academy Greyhounds Saturday, January 31, 2004 in Fort Pierce in what was a first for many involved. The match kicked off at 2 p.m. with overcast skies and a light drizzle that would last for most of the day.
Scoring started when the Young Red Eyes committed a couple of penalties in their own half and the opposing flyhalf took one quick penalty wide, juking and sprinting into the corner :06 minutes into the game. Josh Gruner, playing flyhalf for the first time, chased him down and tackled him into touch, but the ref saw a high tackle and awarded them the penalty try. The conversion was missed, Greyhounds 5- Brevard 0.
Several spirited minutes later, an offsides penalty to grey led to a 10 meter lineout and a strong push across the try-line scored by #10 of the Greyhounds put the score at 10-0 at the :14 minute mark. The conversion put the score to 12-0 in favor of the home team.
From yet another penalty, Josh took advantage of generous space from the defense and sprinted up the field, supported by #8 “Medium Joe” Tropea and blind side flanker Bill Tuttle and lock Kyle Frieberg. Successful rucking and maintaining possession in the backline led to fantastic position inside the Greyhounds 22 meter zone. Sadly, the games first knock on (at the 19 minute mark!) gave the hosts the scrum just short of the goal line. The clearance kick was covered by winger #11 Charlie Staples under pressure, and the Red Eyes were awarded another penalty when he was high tackled during the counter-attack. Josh took advantage again, and scored in the near corner. The conversion by captain and hooker Joe Fisher was a bit short, and the first quarter ended with the score 12-5.
The second quarter yielded much smoother play by both teams as the initial jitters were overwhelmed by gasps for air and pounding hearts. Possession and defense was markedly better by both teams, but despite the apparent increase in experience, the quarter went scoreless for the most part. Highlights included line-out dominance by #7 Ryan Daly, defense of a speedy experienced opposition scrum-half by Red Eye #9 Skyler Van Der Molen, and perhaps the biggest job of all, marking the Greyhounds Big #12 undertaken by our own center, #13 Tim Bleigh.
The second half had our heroes down a player due to a calf strain, so fullback Chris Welch and #11 Charlie Staples reacted and played a two back defense to pick up the slack. Lincoln Park foolishly kicked to Joe Fisher who chipped to space just in front of their fullback. Flyhalf Josh chased and splattered the receiver, drawing “Oooooooohs” from the crowd of parents and coaches. The unlucky fullback knocked on and was left on the pitch rubbing his head in the dirt! Our scrumdown on the 30! “Medium Joe” picked from the base of the scrum and stiff armed the defense into their 22, but an offsides call due to overaggressive rucking gave the ball back to the Greyhounds. Their backs took the ball quick and their big #12 crashed through our line and up the field to our own 10, where Josh had chased him down from far-far away. Thank you, Josh, for saving the try. The opponents were to score, unfortunately, using hard rucking and despite the Young Red Eyes attempts to hold him up, a “big-un’” 16 year-old prop fell over the line at the :44 mark to put Lincoln Park ahead 17-5.
Six minutes was all their centers needed to score again, and their successful combination of slick-speedy #13 with their popular oversized #12 led to a try under the posts. Conversion straight through. Lincoln Park 24 – Brevard 5.
The ensuing kick-off to the host winger allowed the Red Eyes to crush him and take the ball away after the tackle. Fantastic rucking by forwards #1 Dave “Bubbles” Brassell and #4 Kyle Frieberg helped us maintain possession, but an obstruction penalty gave it back. Hard hitting by lock Kyle highlighted the next 10 minutes but opportunistic hustling by the opposition flyhalf gave the experienced high school senior another try to bring the score to 29-5.
Understandably, the messiest rugby of the day was produced by two extremely tired teams for the remainder of the game, and only hard tackling and opponents’ errors kept the Red Eyes safe. Highlights were continued support by “Medium Joe”, sprints by Josh and Kyle, and definitely, hits by Kyle. The game ended unceremoniously with the score 29-5.
While the match was marred by too many stoppages by the referee, all players had a great time and put on a heck of a show. The fans loved every minute of it, the coaches were smiling at the end of the game, and the players could not wait for a rematch. It was a great day for rugby. Man of the match honors for Brevard went unanimously to lock Kyle Frieberg for cleaning out rucks, leveling ball carriers, and gaining position almost every time he touched the ball.
The Brevard Youth Rugby Club is playing the Lincoln Park Academy High School Club this Saturday, January 31st, at Turtle Run Park in Port St. Lucie. Kick off is at 2:00 pm.
For those leaving from Brevard, We’ll be picking up players and leaving from the Super Wal-Mart (I-95 and Wickham Rd) at 10:30 am. We’ll stop at Albertson’s on Palm Bay Road and pick up/car pool down anyone else who needs a ride. We’ll leave Albertson’s at 11:00 am.
Directions are as follows:
From I-95 go South to Gatlin Blvd. From the exit go east approximately 2.5 miles to the Port St. Lucie Blvd. intersection. Turn left onto Port St. Lucie Blvd. and go approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Cameo Blvd. and go approx. 1 mile to the first stop sign. Turtle Run Park is on the right.
Post game BBQ after the game.
All are welcome. We will début our new jerseys this weekend. The new jerseys were sponsored by Wire and Cable Specialties., Inc owned by Terry Mulreany.
Youth web site: http://groups.msn.com/BrevardYouthRugbyClub
Raymond Campion
Rugby Youth Development Officer
of the Brevard Old Red Eye Rugby Club
P.O. Box 060431
Palm Bay, Fl. 32906
321-626-3556 cell phone
Raymond.J.Campion@usa-spaceops.com
On a sunny, dry, afternoon with little wind, 28 Red Eye players and their guests traveled to Dyer Park in West Palm and won the A and B games; both refereed by Paul Higgs. The field was a converted soccer pitch laid out in a basin between the “hills” with short, uphill try zones and soccer goals as the platforms for the posts. Afterwards, we were treated to Bar-B-Q and refreshments at O’Sheas Irish Pub on Clematis St and quite a few of our players decided to stay for the night.
In the A-game, West Palm struck first, converting a try off a blocked clearing kick for a 7-0 lead just minutes into the match. After an exchange of penalty kicks, the opportunistic home team broke through our inside defense off their lineout to take a 15-6 lead at the midway point of the half. Brevard chipped away at their lead, drawing to within 15-12 before Palm Beach struck again using their strong running 8-man and effective kicking game to take a 20-12 lead. Brevard, while dominating lineout play and after exposing weakness in the opponents defense wide, responded with a cross country, ‘8 men touching the ball’ type effort which resulted in a beautiful try. The match, well played to that point, then regressed to sloppy and somewhat confused effort by both sides and the score at half was 20-17 West Palm.
In the 2nd half, the Red Eyes entered the land of missed opportunities as we could not finish multiple breakaway chances. With frustration levels increasing, we began to vocalize our opinions on the pitch and the referee properly responded by penalizing us repeatedly. West Palm used these penalties to pin us deep and we would work our way out the hole only to be penalized again - a somewhat insanely typical period for us which we luckily escaped with only a 26-17 deficit. The Red Eyes, finally regaining composure, drove deep into the opponents territory and punched in a well earned try after 8 phases in front of their posts; cutting the deficit to 26-24. The effort was a thing of beauty. With 8 minutes left, we converted our final penalty kick to take the first lead of the day, 27-26. West Palm responded with a quick kickoff over a complacent Brevard team, deep into the corner which they subsequently hammered in for a converted try, taking a 33-27 lead with about 5 to go. But the Red Eyes still had some gas left, and quite a bit of heart as well, as they punched in a converted try and retook the lead at 34-33 with just a couple minutes left. The subsequent series resulted in a lineout to Palm Beach 30 meters out, and the drop kick by their fly half sailed just left of the posts as the whistle blew.
Chris Vandetti and Aaron “Bubba” Zrimsek got their first A-side starts, both at lock, Colin Scott got his first A-side start at scrum half and all three responded with solid efforts. Virgil scored a try and Chandler Wilson scored two trys, went 5/7 on penalty kicks and 2/3 on conversions was unanimously awarded Man-Of-The-Match.
The B-side game, featuring the father / son team of John and Colin Scott, was played with two full sides over 20 minute halves and refereed by Paul Higgs. The first half, dominated by the Red Eye forwards and played mostly at the Palm Beach end, resulted in a 0-0 draw. There were multiple chances to score but these were nullified by knock-ons in goal and others on the final pass. The second half opened with a lineout 60 meters out and three quick bangers later the visitors had a 7-0 lead. The forwards, lead by Big and Little Joe, and a miraculously healthy Cheese, got a good taste of the ball, began to ruck and run, hammering the opponents into submission. The few balls left for the backs were spun wide where Jimmy Webster, in his first full game, nearly broke free from wing on multiple occasions. The second side played very good, fundamental, rugby as a score of 26-0 accurately reflects.
Danny Dugan, Little Joe and Cheese all scored trys and Trouper Green kicked 3 of 4 conversions to lead the scoring. The best all round game was played by rookie tight head, Joe Pearce, who won the Man-Of-The-Match honors.
The day was warm, the grass was short, the sky was cloudy, the breeze was from the SE and the referee was John Seldon. But that’s as good as it got as Jacksonville thumped the Red Eyes in the A game 53-18. The B-side countered with a stirring 22-13 victory in front of a large home crowd at West Cocoa Community Center.
Talk about horses - these guys were big. I think we gave up 25 lbs at each position and maybe more in the backline! The game began with a strong defensive stand by the Red Eyes but that was a warm up for the stampeede that was to come. Jacksonville ran their big fowards hard and often using accurate pop passes to their support to control possession and led at half by 27-6. In the second half, the Red Eyes countered with ball spun wide and struck for two tries but could not overcome the relentless Jacksonville forwards attack. Josh Gruner earned Man-of-the-Match as he showcased his skills and speed from left wing.
The B-side, consisting of two full teams and 30 minute halves, resulted in a 22-13 victory for Brevard. The match was well played as the Red Eyes took the game to the visitors. Brandon Kern, playing 8, earned Man-of-the-Match honors with his long break aways where he demonstrated great open field running ability, toughness and fitness.
Great crowd of folks yesterday - good to see Leon, Des, Josh Corban, Don Hoover and so many othersat the pitch.
Location: West Cocoa Community Center
Referees: Pat McCollum w/ Ray Campion
Structure: 4 - 20 Minute Periods – 10:30am Kickoff
Final Cumulative Score: Brevard 25 – Orlando 17
Weather: Partly cloudy, cold early, N wind 10-15 along pitch
Kicking: Eli 2/3 conversions, 2/3 penalty kicks.
Trys: Tom, Ben, Virgil.
Injuries: Danny Silva - stitches to eyebrow. DJ won the stitch pool.
Inactive: Bubba (ankle), Bill Kaiser.
MIA: Scotty McLachlan, Bob Buchanon, Brandon Kern, Chandler Wilson, Ricky Aguire, Trouper Green (knee), Dana Kuchta.
Summary
1st: Brevard 7 - Orlando 0
2nd: Brevard 3 - Orlando 10
3rd: Brevard 12 - Orlando 0
4th: Brevard 3 - Orlando 7
We scored our trys into the wind and our penalty kicks with the wind. The first 10-15 minutes were very well played, keeping ORFC on their heels, then we resorted to sandlot rugby. Our scrums were ineffective and they spoiled too much of our ball while we wheeled a lot of theirs. We compensated by dominating both sides of the lineout. Bangers looked good both ways though we need to improve our poaching and stop running away from support - stay with your units in traffic. Ball handling was decent for a windy day but we did not finish some golden opportunities. Our defense inside the centers was stingy but seemed disorganized wide and we missed quite a few tackles. Penalties in the loose snuffed out opportunities midway and in the 4th, we really got flat.
Overall I came away pleased with our efforts, especially after only two training sessions. Everyone got plenty of rugby today and it allowed the coaches a chance to mix and match players. I marveled most at the pressure, discipline and control we exhibited early - I hope we all got a good peek at the future.
Thanks to all the guys who played, especially for Orlando, to Pat for coming over to ref, to all the fans who showed on a chilly Saturday morning and to Tyrone & Peggy for hosting the after party.
Hardware Baby!!!
With team consisting of just three Red Eye's, two of them rookies, one traveling Australian, two Jacksonville scrubs and one Naples whore, the Red Eye's took home a trophy for runner up in the Bowl division.
We played six games in one day with no subs. We knocked Jacksonville out of the championship game and generally surprised everybody with our intensity and determination.
The tournament was a great time with Outback providing 100 lbs of ribs and 100 lbs. of chicken; while Budweiser pitched in about 30 cases of beer. Special thanks to Lisa for sponsoring the trip and supporting the Red Eyes. Everyone who didn't go missed out on an awesome tournament.
Virgil
Brevard plays Orlando Iron Horse at home (Cocoa West Community Center) on Saturday, November 15. Match is at 2:00 PM. Which is normally a given. But after this season, you can’t be too sure…
We travelled with about 26 players —- including a couple of transfers who would be playing their first match for us, others who would be playing out of position, and some who had never seen a rugby match before—-to take on an FAU side that is in the process of rebuilding and could only field about 17 players, some of whom were also playing their first match. So, knowing we weren’t going to get a full B match, Ben negotiated for free substitutions. We had quite a few fans and cheerleaders who made the trip and livened up the sidelines. We also broke out the new Paddy O’Dell’s jerseys and christened them with a few grass stains and a 22—8 victory.
Brevard kicked off with the wind at our back and Eli gave a glimpse of what was to come later by putting up a beautiful kick that bounced out on about FAU’s 15 meter line. In what was to become a common occurance, we stole their lineout and made a couple of forward movements before an offsides penalty was called on us and they kicked to about the 40 meter line. We promptly stole that lineout, ran a hammer and had a penalty called on their tackler. Eli calmly slotted a 30 meter kick from about halfway to the sidelines for a 3—0 Red Eye lead.
We continued to press the attack, with the 4 man lineout totally confusing FAU. But sloppy ball handling stopped a couple of scoring opportunities—-including a knock-on at the try line—-before Cheese picked up the ball from the resulting scrum and dove across just to the right of the posts for the first try of the fall season. Eli made the conversion and Brevard stretched its lead to 10—0.
Although we were stealing almost all of their lineouts and their scrums, some fatigue started to set in resulting in more sloppy ball handling and a couple of needless penalties. But Lil Josh made a try-saving open-field tackle on one of their biggest players giving us a little spark that we used to make a couple of good runs off hammers (Porter and DJ) before we had a penalty called on us and they moved down the field with the ensuing kick. Another penalty on us at about our 30 meter line allowed them to cut the lead to 10—3.
After the kickoff, we again made it hard on ourselves with a stupid penalty and poor ball-handling before Bill, from the weak side, countered on a kick at about mid-field to start a break. He made some good moves to link with the strong-side backs before passing to Eli, who passed to Virgil, who fed Josh, who almost outran the opposition but got knocked out at about the 5 meter line. Of course we stole the lineout but they made a good tackle to stop the attack. After a knock-on by FAU resulted in a scrum to us, Ben picked up and dove in the try zone. Eli made the kick and we closed the half leading 17—3. The score was not nearly indicative of our dominance of them—-only poor ball-handling and penalties kept the score down.
To start the second half, we substituted Tom for Jessie at second row, Simon for Barak at hooker, and Vega for Bill at wing. The first play after the restart completely changed the tempo of the match. Their only experienced prop hurt his shoulder and had to go out. His replacement had never played before so we went to uncontested scrums which negated our advantage and blunted our aggression. They never even took a penalty kick to touch again, opting for scrums instead.
Ten minutes into the half, we subbed Brian for Cheese at wing forward and Monk for DJ at tight head. Either confusion or fatigue on our part (and some poor attempts at tackling) allowed them to take a penalty and pass out to their backline, resulting in an unconverted score to cut our lead to 17—8.
However, we started to pick it up again, with Eli’s foot getting us out of trouble several times with beautiful penalty kicks way downfield—-but again poor ball handling, running sideways and not taking the ball hard on hammers kept stopping us. Eli was just wide on a penalty kick at some very crooked (and narrow?) posts from about 40 meters out.
We put Jessie back in for Porter and that quickly paid dividends. After a brillant 60 meter penalty kick to their 5 meter line, Jessie took the Cadillac lineout and almost drove across the try line, before Andy spun to the weak side and dove into the corner for the try. Eli made a great kick for the conversion but it was just wide (according to the TJ) on those same narrow, crooked posts. The score stood at 22—8.
We put Brandon in for Josh at wing and continued taking it to them. Full time was called on a crushing tackle by Jessie, and FAU was surely glad to hear the whistle. We had man handled them in a very physical but clean match.
The Man of the Match award voting was close between Eli and Josh, but it was well-deserved for Eli in his first match for us (not counting Savannah).
For the B-side match, we managed to play 8-a-side, with a little help from FAU (2 or 3 guys) that at least introduced some of the new guys to the contact. Mike Vega dominated the match with his speed and physical play, resulting in a unanamious Man of the Match award. Thanks to everyone that played twice.
Our cheerleaders with their hand-made uniforms were the hit of the day. Tyrone was the hit of the party with the pizza and Jessie had the hit of the day.
The Brevard Old Red Eye Rugby Club sent 10 ruggers to the 12th annual Todd Miller 7’s tournament held on June 14, 2003 at the UCF campus.
 |
 |
There were a total of 32 teams with 7 women’s teams attending this USA Rugby South Qualifier. Originally intent on a fast and fun outing with the enjoyment of a few good hard tackles here and there, the Red Eyes earned respect by sweeping their opponents 4–0 en route to a first place finish in the Men’s Open division.
The first match pitted the Red Eyes against a much larger Mad Dogs side from Augusta, GA. Despite a rather large size disadvantage, the Red Eyes countered with better strategy and capitalized on just about every possession. Captain Ben Buchanan’s opening highlight 40 meter gallop set the pace for the day.
After a prolonged break, the second match kicked off with 95° temps in the blazing sun against another larger side from Gainsville. Aggressive tackling and opportunistic running by our heroes proved to be too much for a disoriented side and Brevard walked away victorious again 26–14. Florida Select U-19 Josh Gruner’s wide sprint 60 meters past the opposing winger highlighted this game.
The third match of the game was played just 30 minutes later and the barely rested Red Eyes went against a speedy and experienced college side from Boca Raton, Florida International University. Despite having Argentinian players and coach, our man-up defense would prove to be enough for the win. A spectacularly creative cross-field punt by Sean O’Farrell over a napping defense into Chandler Wilson’s waiting arms 1 meter deep in the try zone even brought the FIU cheerleaders to their feet. The sidelines could not help but marvel in amazement at what was arguably the try of the day. Well done, boys. Final: Brevard 31, FIU 7.
In the Open division final, Brevard was matched against the other bracket’s undefeated first seed, Jacksonville. An experienced side who weren’t against encroaching offsides, playing the ball with their hands in the rucks, and high tackles, Jax required the Red Eyes to come together, gut-check themselves, and continue to persist in attack and defense. With the majority of the second half played inside Jax’s territory, the Red Eyes came from behind with a Chandler Wilson try in the corner set up by scrumhalf Rob Saunderson to win 12–10 shortly before the whistle. The try earned Chandler Man of the Match honors.
The Brevard Rugby club would like to acknowledge the help of Trinidad RFU player/coach Sean O’Farrell for his priceless help the past few weeks preparing us for this and other upcoming tournaments.
HAP - EN - STANCE !! HAP - EN - STANCE !! HAP- EN - STANCE !!
I guess one had to be there but that's a round of Guinness I won't soon forget.
More than 50 players and fans traveled to Greenville this weekend, 37 on the bus, to support the Red Eyes in their quest for the Division III South Championships of the USA Rugby Football Union playoffs. That was more support than a couple teams there combined! It was quite a showing and my hat is off to all of those who traveled. I also want to recognize Ant, Bubba, Bev & Leon, Mary Ann, Sharron, My Place Realty, Bill Dog and others for their generous contributions which made the bus trip possible and for all the encouraging email and phone calls from Red Eye fans all over the world. To all of you, a huge thanks and our deepest gratitude.
The game vs Pensacola began fittingly enougha weak side break at mid-field by our 8-man was worked to the wing who scored in the corner but it was called back because he stepped out of bounds avoiding a tackler 15 meters out. Minutes later, the opponents drew first blood when our other wing lost his footing covering a deep kick which was converted for a try against. Pensacola used this turn in momentum to lift their intensity and pretty much controlled the remaining balance of the first half. The Red Eyes countered with tenacious defense and good kicking but the opponents scored with polished movements from their backline while getting more to the ball in the loose. The Red Eyes fought back to score off the 2nd banger after a penalty and the the half ended with the score approximately 24 7 against.
The second half is a testament to the heart and soul at the core of this team. Penascola scored early but the Red Eyes fought back hard, scoring a couple tries and having another called back on a questionable advantage call. The score at the end was 45 19 but the Red Eyes played hard the full forty, never conceding the match against the more experienced and very fit, armed services side. To summarize, this was a loss we will build on and everyone was very proud of the effort put forth by our club.
Don't forget about the Bar-B-Que at Tyrone's this Saturday. Everyone is welcome to attend. And the golf tournament on May 10th. Also, Scotty is putting together another Bahamas tour June 13 15 so be sure to sign up for that one.
Cheers,
Pedro
We're off to Greeville, South Carolina to compete for the USA Rugby South Championship. Results will be posted Monday.
Remember our first game last Summer vs Treasure Coast when we barely snuck out a win. Or that game in October against USF when they ran through us? Or vs UCF a few weeks later when they poured it on in the final 20 minutes. Or vs Daytona at the Florida Cup when the referee took it away?
Now think back over this season. We began by avenging our loss vs Daytona. We beat Iron Horse and Krewe in spite of the referee, coming back in the last 8 minutes to beat Krewe. We beat Palm Beach the first week after we began to adjust our offense and by 14, What was the score against Treasure Coast, 70 - 5? Towards the end of the Sarasota game they were praying for the final whistle because we were scoring pretty much at will. A slight let down vs Ft. Lauderdale but we didn't lose and they didn't beat us either. Against Savannah, once we settled down in the 2nd half, it was a train wreck, to quote Tyrone. We own the last 20 minutes.
Did we pick up a few ringers which made the difference? No. John Hearin and Scotty came back and Bill Walker joined us, and these guys have helped us a ton - I'm not making light of that. But we also lost Silverback, Joel, Aric, Bob and many others too. My point is that by and large, the players who practiced on the field behind Cocoa Expo last Summer are pretty much the same guys who will be in Greenville this weekend. And it took a lot of hard work and running and pain and passing and yelling and rucking and more pain and more yelling and more running to get this far. And I don't think we have played our best game yet. This team has more up side every week.
That said, we also know there are no easy games ahead. Every team at this level has earned the right to be here, every team has won their division, every team has worked hard, every team is nicked up, every team is fired up, every team will play from their bench. And we're gonna get scored on and we're gonna score our share. But in the end, the team that wants it more, that keeps playing hard through the pain, through the adversity, through the fatigue, will rule the day. We will be tested to our limits; it will be a battle, a bruising fight and those who step up under these conditions will know what it really means to have played this game.
Welcome to the dance.
pedro
The Old Red Eyes added to their already stellar season with a 3013 victory over the Savannah Shamrocks on Saturday, April 12. Brevard advances to the USA Rugby South semifinals in Greenville, South Carolina during the weekend of April 26 and 27.
Brevard opened the scoring early in the match with a kick fullback by Chandler Wilson. Flyhalf Mike Nevin followed shortly after with a try, converted by Chandler, to put Brevard up 100. After a Savannah penalty put Chandler in position for another great kick, Savannah answered with an unconverted try to close the half at 135.
The Shamrocks seemed to find their game at the beginning of the second half, scoring an unconverted try and a kick to tie the match at 1313. But their momentum was ended when the Red Eyes hammered back with a converted try by flanker Bill Walker and two tries by eight-man Virgil Russell to close the match at 3013. Virgil won Man of the Match honors, with a nod going to John Porter as well.
This win marks the farthest Brevard has ever advanced in the championships. Such a momentous occasion, coupled with the outstanding win, demanded an equally outstanding victory party. Tyrone and Peggy Mulreany delivered, and then some, with their great hospitality and fireworks! Our gratitude also goes to our hog, venison, chicken cooks; Tex, Rick, Todd, Turtle and his wife Donna who worked so many long hours in front of the grille and smoker yesterday. But especially to everyone who pitched in to make that party one of the best in recent memory there had to be well over 100 people. A great time after a great day.
Brevard travels to Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday, April 26 to compete in the USA Rugby South semifinal match, followed by the Championship match the next day.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
You’ll be glad to know that I had a long, at times, very heated, discussion with our flyhalf (me) about his game vs Ocala today, both at the pub and on the way home. He has assured me that he won’t strap on his boots again and play a skill position without taking training, conditioning and the game itself more seriously. Almost had to pull the car over to beat this assurance out of him but after pretty much single handily being responsible for our first loss this Spring, not to mention the first win ever by Ocala, I was not going to let him off the hook. For those of you who missed the game, I’m being nice! A half blind, one handed, crippled monkey trained to catch and pass would have made all the difference today.
After taking almost 4 hours to arrive due to a wreck on I-75, we played Ocala RFC on their pitch. Ocala is a scrappy young side with good speed and forwards who like to hit and fly into rucks. Most of these guys have less than a year of experience though the skill positions were populated by good players. Reminded me of our club a year or so ago. The referee allowed us to play but still controlled things well enough while giving us water breaks every 15 minutes as an edge against the blistering hot sun. We played thirty minute halves with 13 forwards and two backs and all but the front row playing out of position. We were there to have fun, they were there to win their first game.
The first half started with us defending our goal and winning lots of 4 man lineouts. Our offense consisted of kicks to touch, bangers off the lineouts and a couple double dummy plays which went awry at the most critical moment. Otis had a good game at scrum half, improving measurably as time went by; you should consider playing there more John.. Rookie Mike scored a tough try in support midway (you still owe us a zulu!) and things seemed to be falling into place. Then right before the half, with a “critical player” out of position, we spun the ball but it was picked off for a goal under the posts. Ocala went into halftime with the lead on the conversion and all the momentum.
Except for a couple long, opportunistic runs, we didn’t get past the 50 very often in the second half. With standing orders to spin the ball wide, “it” always seemed to either go weak, straight up or on the ground. We even switched to a full lineout and ran Tennessee or Cadilac which produced ample opportunities for the backline but … well lets not go there too much. They began outrucking us as we tired of playing defense and, against the coaches explicit orders to the contrary, “someone” began whining about the quality of the forward play. Defensively, about midway, they punched in a try from about the 2 though it would have been very easy for “someone” to bury the ball in the ruck which set it up. Their third try came on a scissors at the wing that was telegraphed a mile away yet the opponent still managed to elude our “tackler” to the inside. I don’t remember whether they converted those so the score ended up 3 tries or more to one.
The RedEye Youth team played extremely well against Gainesville HS, defeating them 17-0 (I think). This was their first contact game ever, with unopposed scrums, and they were spinnig ball, rucking, tackling and supporting like seasoned veterans. Ray and the other coaches should really be proud of this bunch. Awesome job, everyone.
Lots of questions after a 12-12 tie. We had moments yesterday when we played very well and long stretches where we looked very sluggish. Hindsight is 20/20 and there’s a plethora of questions rolling around in my Guinness soaked head on this rainy Sunday after a tie…
Read what the Knights have to say.
Many times, especially in close rugby games, tactics are as important as anything else. Just as good technique can overcome brute strength, good tactics, the ability to recognize opportunities on the pitch during the game and the willingness and ability to adapt our game to take advantage of them, are very important qualities in a championship team. We have worked very hard to develop the skills and conditioning to take advantage of these opportunities, now we just have to begin to apply them in the right ways and at the right times.
Ft. Lauderdale was a good test for us because they are fit and well coached. They are much better than their 2-4-1 record represents. They played us hard but they also had vulnerabilities, weaknesses, areas where we could have attacked, where our player could have beaten their player.
But we were flat - everyone seemed to be waiting for someone else to pick up the tempo, provide the spark, lead the way. And we were lucky to come away with a tie.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bill Walkers’ home club, the Dayton Area Flying Pigs, took these action shots during the tournament (follow the ‘Old Red Eye’ links on their web site):
http://daytonrugby.com/photos/other.html
Now, other entertaining pics ….
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Red Eyes clinched their first Florida Division III Championship in 16 years on Saturday, March 9, with a 43–14 victory against Sarasota RFC on a hot and humid afternoon on the Polo Grounds near the Gulf Coast. The Red Eyes, with a 6–0 record and one divisional game to play, exploded for 28 unanswered points in the second half to clinch their spot in the Division III National Playoff Championship Series which begins in April. Their final divisional game is at 2 PM at the Cocoa West Community Center on March 22nd against Ft. Lauderdale. However, the Red Eyes will advance to the playoffs regardless of the result.
Sarasota opened the scoring in the first 5 minutes with a converted try, and the Red Eyes answered right back with an unconverted try by fly half Mike Nevin on a quick penalty play. The Red Eyes, playing against a much larger set of forwards from Sarasota, began spoiling the opposition scrums at will but more importantly, began controlling the tempo in the loose. Tenacious defense, effective rucking and quick loose ball wore down Sarasota's big men and created many scoring opportunities for the visitors. But the Red Eyes only produced a converted try by scrum half Danny Dugan and a penalty kick by fullback Chandler Wilson for a tenuous 15–7 lead going into half time.
Sarasota opened the scoring again early in the second half with a converted try and almost took the lead minutes later but knocked the ball forward in goal. That was to be their last opportunity as the Red Eyes upped the tempo and took over play in the loose. Bill Walker, who flew in for the game from his assignment in Dayton Ohio, opened the second half scoring for the Red Eyes at the 55 minute mark. Virgil Russell and Mike Nevin then combined for a well executed switch move in the loose to score on the dishearten the opponents. John Otis Biggs and Josh Gruner each came off the bench to score converted trys at the wing in the final minutes. But it was the tempo set by the better-conditioned Red Eyes, and led by flanker and Man of the Match Scott McLachlan, that ruled the day and won the State Championship.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
It’s pretty hard to not be happy with a 73-5 win against Treasure Coast, especially since everyone (sorry Steve) got a chance to play in the A-game. We were also treated to an excellent referee who I hope we see again down the line. So let me leave it at a great team effort in a fun game, with a special thanks to those who played for our opponents. Just keep in mind that the secret is out now, at 5-0, teams will be gunning for us.
Although Saturday’s match will count officially as a 15-0 forfeit, it may be a mute point with Krewe’s rumored loss at Palm Beach last weekend. That loss is significant because it diminishes any chance of a 3 way tie between us, Krewe and Sarasota. In such a tie, the division winner would be decided by point differential, greatly in our favor today independent of this weekend’s match. What that means is that the game at Sarasota on the 8th is paramount; it will be for all the marbles.
pedro
We continue winning, ugly yes, but winning none the less. Our club has developed the skills and toughness to find a way to win and that is nothing to scoff at. I pity the club we play on the day we put it all together. Still, what can I say this week that I didn’t say last week?
In summary, we dominated the first half, with the wind and with a referee who allowed us to play, staying on their side for all but a few minutes. Early on, we converted that advantage into two penalty goals and a try to lead 13-3 midway. Our scrums and lineouts were under pressure but we handled the loose play and our tactical kicking was on the mark. The second half seemed like a role reversal. We defended our goal for most of it, lost a ton of loose ball, but settled down in the scrums and lineouts. Our defense saved the day again but there was a measurable loss of intensity, especially in the loose, after our second try of the period put us up 27-6 with 10 or so to go. We escaped with a 27-13 win on our heals and with two significant injuries to our starting forwards. Matt Henderson was awarded Man-Of-The-Match.
The B-game, and yes there was a bona fide B-game, seemed to also flow with the wind as we won it late in the second half, compliments of a hat trick by our wing and Man-Of-The-Match, Josh Gruner. I saw a great individual and team effort in that game and believe me when I say that there is not a significant drop off in skills or talent on our B-side. It is mostly a question of positional experience and/or fitness.
pedro
It’s the measure of a good team to play as badly as we did Saturday and come away with a 17-14 victory against a decent club. And to do so by scoring two tries in the last 8 minutes.
It’s also the measure of a good team to win when penalties are being called against us at a 5 to 1 rate for the second week in a row. To stay mentally tough enough to continue to fight and struggle even when our ball is being stolen by either the other side or the referee. To remain composed enough at those times, to keep our heads and our cool and still come back and take the victory. To have the depth to go to our bench unplanned and have each of those players contribute so significantly. To lose so many of our lineouts, so much of our loose ball, knock on or throw away so many opportunities, not dominate in the scrums or produce much clean ball yet still win. And to do so with a back row hobbled with swollen knees, pulled groins, dislocated ribs and yes, even frostbite. That’s the measure of a good team, make no mistake about it.
But we also need to continue to improve and we have been. We would have lost this game last Fall, and in fact, did so. We need to work on our lineouts because we can dominate that phase even against good jumpers or schemes. Our scrum is small in stature but big in heart but we need to continue to improve that unit until we dominate any beef the other side has to throw at us. Defensively, we have the best backline I’ve seen in a long time - and that will always come first in my book because offense is played with the mind but defense is played with the heart. We have to adjust our loose play to emphasize more quick mauls and rucks and thus minimize the penalties by not giving the referee the time to decide or blow his whistle. And to do so requires a dedication to fitness and a concentration on basic technique and fundamentals. Then, once we win clean ball from the loose we need to recognize and take advantage of the overloads in the back line that our bangers have created; that’s why we do them!!! And we need to be much greedier with our ball, much more protective of our possession at all positions. One bad pass can turn a game - ask Krewe.
So lets focus these next couple of weeks on doing the little things right. Sure we’ll still run the swing and other plays but we need to get back to what got us here; playing sound, fundamental, rugby for 80 minutes at a pace greater than our opposition.
Cherish this victory because it is a good one, a sweeeeet one. But don’t be satisfied. We still have a ways to go.
pedro
We beat them in Winter Park, they scored in the last few minutes, there were lots of penalties against us in the loose - that’s about all I remember.
For those of you who couldn’t make the match, you missed a dominating performance by the Red Eyes from the opening kick-off.
The final score was 25-7, but in reality, it wasn’t even that close. Our over-eagerness at the start of the match and the cold breezy weather caused a few dropped and mis-handled balls that should have resulted in an even higher score. We spent the entire first half at or near their try-line - against the wind.
Score at halftime was 15-0 and was pushed to 18-0 shortly after half before Daytona scored a converted try. We soon answered right back with our own converted try and the outcome was never again in doubt.
In his first real match with us, Bill Walker was voted Man of The Match in very close voting over Virgil. Both players had excellent games and were always running over people with the ball and then dishing or setting. Our second phase play was awesome. And the referee didn’t keep blowing the whistle!
There are a few minor things we need to work on, but all in all, it was an EXCELLENT match. Congratulations are well deserved.
Now, for the B game. After we talked Daytona into putting out a 10-side (much thanks to Little Josh for playing for them) for a B-game, we proceeded beat them 36-5 in a single 15 minute period.
Bill Kaiser single handedly scored more points than Daytona. 2 tries, and who knew he could kick, too? Nate was unstoppable and Jessie was running through/over people like a man possessed. Daytona would kick off and we would score. The continutity was absoulutely textbook……even the forwards were ball handling fiends.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching both matches and can’t wait for the rest of the season.
Again, congratulations, gentleman!
Corkey
