NationStates Jolt Archive

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RPs, rosters, scores, everything goes in here.

Please keep any extensive OOC comments to the signup thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=559312).

GROUP A
Icy Cold Death Touch
kenavt
Sorthern Northland
Candelaria And Marquez
Kose and The Turkomans

GROUP B
Kelssek
Solenial
Lovisa
Taeshan
Milchama

Fixtures
July 6 - MD1: 1v2, 3v4. Stadiums 1 and 2 respectively.
July 8 - MD2: 1v5, 2v3. Stadiums 3 and 1 respectively.
July 10 - MD3: 1v4, 2v5. Stadiums 2 and 3 respectively.
July 11 - MD4: 1v3, 4v5. Stadiums 1 and 2 respectively
July 12 - MD5: 3v5, 2v4. Stadiums 3 and 1 respectively.

July 16 - Semifinals
July 18 - Third-placing
July 19 - Final

Scorinations will take place at about 11am-12 noon UTC.

Venues
Group A
1. Canada Stadium, Neorvins (68,400) +Final
2. Skydome, Kirkenes (52,200) + SF1
3. Kanard Park, Clayquot (32,600)

Group B
1. Konoha Place, Burnaby (59,800) + 3rd-placing
2. Le Stade Olympique, Outineau (65,200) +SF2
3. Pacific Park, Breton (36,500)

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Kelssek Rugby Federation | Fédération kelssekien de rugby

First-choice lineup
1 Evan Benacki (Clayquot Reds)
2 Pierre-Marc Lafleur (Burnaby Lions)
3 Kenneth LeGrady (Neorvins Battery)
4 Ross McLachlan (Redswyth Rebels)
5 Josh Lachlan (Latrobe AFC)
6 Stephane Fournier (Kirkenes Crusaders)
7 Julian Smythe (Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
8 Terrance Bay (Burnaby Lions)

9 Michael Wainwright (Neorvins Argos)
10 Joel Danforth (Latrobe AFC)
11 Richard Duclos (Mazinaw Stallions)
12 Hugh Kitchener (Vickery)
13 Matthieu Duclos (Outineau Nordiques)
14 Thomas Pyatt (Neorvins Argos)
15 Rendel Clark (Wentonweakes RFC)

Other squad members
Owen Vanderbiss (Neorvins Argos) Prop
Lyle Andrew (Rotor Novanaya) Flanker
Bryan Cantoney (Breton RFC) Lock
Alexandre Ducque (Kirkenes Crusaders) Fly-half/Scrum-half
Lionel Beauvais (Outineau Nordiques) Hooker
Alain Lafleur (Redswyth Rebels) Wing
Douglas Weiss (Clayquot Reds) Wing/Centre
Daniel Worsley (Breton RFC) Fly-half

Tel Morelia Picayune-Times-Sun-Journal-Daily-Weekly-Globe-Gazette-Defender-Communist

Sports Section

Rugby World Cup to take up space in newspapers

That's right folks another international competition has Milchama entered and that means one thing, more reporting on it from news organizations like ours. So we start reporting in the usual way, with the Milchama roster.

This team is coached by Collonie rugby great Etan Hushber, the prop.

1. Thomos Afal- While a rough and tumble player who is very physical for his position. Afal is also known for his exemplary passing skills, sometimes becoming the backup scrumhalf if Henshin is stuck in the ruck.
2. Koom Jones- Nothing interesting to say here. Big, strong and good at throw ins.
3. Evan Yument- A little small for a prop but Yument makes up for it with a strong drive and excellent scrum play that make him appear bigger then he is.
4. Tiko Cloove- He and Hill are often times called Number 8s in disguise for their back breaking and defense splitting runs. Still a rough and tumble forward though.
5. Ari Hill- Look at Cloove. Very similar players. Hill also is very tall and catches a lot of balls off of the lineout. Not related to Damien
6. Boris Flateau- A surprise inclusion into the squad considering his injury history. However last season, when he was finally able to play, captained Turkos to the championship.
7. Ian Richards- With a Celtic background he was a lock for the team. A solid player who leaves very few impressed, until he is off the team and his team does worse.
8. Arrington Matthews- Captain and the most exciting player on the squad. Considered by many the best player in Milchama his bone breaking runs, great passes and excellent forward play make him a man to be feared.
9. Tanner Henshin - Very controversial choice because of Willard Lopez's great season but he's a solid scrumhalf known for his willingness to go for Gerry Owens in weird situations (and being successful).
10. Casey Cohn- Electric player. Very fast and shifty with a great leg that many xenophobic Milchamians consider the best in the world.
11. Damien Hill- Not related to Ari. He is however our biggest try scoring threat. Getting him on the outside is a task no defender should want. Still needs to improve a rough game otherwise, particularly his defense.
12. Duncan Hunt- Big, strong, fast, and technically gifted. Despite these qualities most consider him overrated and watch for any mistakes to be greeted with boos. Will be needed to back up Hill and make sure the Warriors don't get outrun.
13. Yoav Markas- Slippery, slidy little bastard as a player. Sometimes used as a surrogate full back Markas is most notable for his individual try in the semi final that let the Teutons get to the final.
14. Kenny Radel- Not as fast as Hill but more slippery. Also a better all around defender and player. Covers up a lot for Hill's weaknesses.
15. Xoqih Vewiz- The only Mongolian in the squad. Vewiz is a fabulous catcher of the ball and loves the Milchama use of the fullback as the main starter of any counter-attack.

Subs:
16. Kepler Channing (forward)
17. Demetrius Folton (forward)
18. Vivian Hercus (forward)
19. Entern Icansu (forward/back)
20. James Felton (back)
21. Drew Kenter
22. Mario Slavitsky

Strategy:
So will we be seeing anything different from this Warriors squad? I really don't think it will be that different from our fledging professional league. Expect a lot of superfluous (read: stupid) kicking that tends to stay in play and a lot of attempts to jump start quick counter attacks.

A Similar but far from identical squad to the RWC 8 Squad, the average age of the squad is now 26.

Backs

Harry Williams - Full Back - Cos
Tomas Pieterson - Full Back - Jevyol Dolphins
Mark Farrel - Centre - Cos
Andrew Caterson - Scrum Half - Terra Wolverines
James Wakefield - Centre - Terra Wolverines
Petr Gibbs - Full Back - Walliano Horimphs
Sean Noon - Centre - Cos
Thomas Hunter - Scrum Half - Terra Wolverines
Ricardo - Scrum Half - Cos
Renn Jones - Wing - Sharks
Rackey Minshk - Wing - Cos
Bebé - Wing - Jevyol Dolphins
Matthew Robinson - Fly Half - Cos (C)

Forwards

George Laird - Lock - Walliano Horimphs
Conner Fry - Hooker - Sharks
Naniol Ji - Number 8 - Jerkravi Badgers
William Gareth Smith - Flanker - Sharks
Accel Trumpel - Number 8 - Cos
Freiderik Jones - Prop - Cos
Lee Kay - Lock - Terra Wolverines
James Craighford - Hooker - Jevyol Dolphins
Lewi Grant Delap - Flanker - Cos
Reece Opel - Flanker - Sharks
Harri Opel - Hooker - Sharks
Sheridan Gumphrey - Lock - Lovinia County Nests
Matt Williams - Prop - Gaston
Evan Naysmith - Prop - Cos
Harry Quakyvent - Prop - Cos
Joe Dean Smith - Flanker - Cos

The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>Rugby>Latest News

The Minister for Citizenship & Immigration, Union Fairfax, has confirmed in the last half hour that C&M would be opening its doors to some two hundred residents of the self-proclaimed microstate of New Rugby, amid fears that the hotel-based republic is on the verge of civil war.

The tiny country, established around four years ago in the Taeshanese capital Atlantea following the collapse of the ninth Rugby World Cup, is recognised only by the C&M government, though both the current MLP and previous Unionist administrations are privately known to view it as an embarrassment. Its population consists largely of former Candelariasian international players and supporters, though there remains a significant population from other rugby playing countries angered by the event’s indefinite hiatus, as well a small community of Taeshanese dissidents. With the stated constitutional aim of forcing the government of their new home to continue the event from the third matchday, New Rugby remains officially classified a terrorist organisation by certain Q Continuum authorities, though the Taeshanese government itself has had a not unreasonable policy of disregardation towards the seven-hundred strong community.

The failure of the self-declared city-state’s President Krishna Crow, the former coach of the C&M national rugby team, to achieve the state’s goals led to the government’s collapse last month, after key members of his People’s Party, including Interior Minister Howard Hoare (the former Arrigo Eagles hooker) and the Vice-President Sean Raffety-Dhong (a Sorthern Northlandish rugby fan) defected to the Ulterior Party. The formal opening of the tenth Rugby World Cup appears to have been the final straw however, and late yesterday the first group of refugees, led by the former Albrecht Zpinh centre Adi Kinsella, departed Taeshan for Kelssek with the aim of joining up with the nascent Huge Blues squad in the East Pacific.

Though a large proportion of New Rugby’s population is expected to follow them to Kelssek, depart for the Candelarias or travel to their other, disparate, countries of origin; a substantial number still look set to defy the pleas of the Candelariasian government and the Candelarias Rugby Union Union by remaining in Taeshan. Rafferty-Dhong, whose relationship with Crow is believed to have soured following the latter’s attempts earlier this year to annex several bungalows outside the designated RWC9 “supporter’s village”, told RZA last night that he was in the process of forming the ‘New Rugby League’. “As players and supporters of the great sport of Rugby,” he explained, “It is utterly within the rights of the New Rugbonian people to remain in Taeshan and continue to campaign for the resumption of the Ninth Rugby World Cup, regardless of what these lily-livered union types would have us believe.” He added that he expected any new government to decline to recognise the tenth tournament.

For Kinsella, and a significant number of C&M’s RWC9 squad, the start of the Kelssek event means that the matter is now closed. Several who opted to return home to play in the CRUC three years ago will be joined by New Rugbonians Darian O’Reilly, Craig Trumble, Miho Tipton and Carlos Constantino in Kelssek, where Adi Kinsella will take charge of the Huge Blues as manager.

That move by the CRUU is transparently designed to placate the New Rugbonians on the squad and among the travelling support, since the thirty-eight year-old Irish Street native has no prior managerial experience. He will be assisted in Kelssek by the veteran Arrigo Eagles coach Nic Jones, alongside former C&M international – and noted campaigner for the disestablishment of New Rugby – Frederick Bardi.

The turmoil in the aftermath of the ninth World Cup leaves the Huge Blues distant contenders for the title among most bookmakers, both domestic and overseas, and are expected to struggle in a group including Sorthern Northland and the Turks. Kinsella’s opening challenge will be to face his father’s homeland and the competition favourites in Kirkenes.

Candelaria And Marquez Official Squad for Rugby World Cup Ten

Probable Starters
1. Oberon Elliot (Loosehead Prop), 22, Clotaire Stags
2. Albie Gajarsky (Hooker), 19, Onwere Glory Pheasants
3. David Morales (Tighthead Prop), 31, El din Bulls
4. William Yordanov (Lock), 29, Bass King Sharks
5. Ed Usta (Lock), 20, Capital City Panthers
6. Darian O’Reilly (Blindside Flanker), 27, New Rugby Expatriates
7. Alex Baron (Openside Flanker), 27, Albrecht Zpinh
8. Trevor Graham (Number 8), 31, Allemali Black Rats

9. Miho Tipton (Scrum Half), 29, New Rugby Expatriates
10. Damien Mella (Fly Half), 29, Albrecht Zpinh
11. Mark Webb (Left Wing + Penalty/Conversion Kicker), 26, Arrigo Eagles
12. Yehudi Bailey (Inside Centre), 29, Bove Bats
13. Alfredo Silva (Outside Centre), 28, Arrigo Eagles
14. Craig Trumble (Right Wing), 26, New Rugby Expatriates
15. Douglas Lassissi (Fullback), 26, El din Bulls

Other Squad Members
16. Gangly Colachal (Prop/Hooker), 26, Allemali Black Rats
17. Sandy Fischetti (Lock), 28, Capital City Panthers
18. Florian Zurbrugg (Scrum-Half), 21, Caires Hedgehogs
19. Wayne Glover (Fly Half/Centre), 32, Bove Bats
20. Tom Richardson (Centre), 25, Zapata Turtles
21. Enilson Beattie (Right Wing), 28, Vo Rugby Club
22. Carlos Constantino (Flanker), 25, New Rugby Expatriates

Starters
#3 Erlin Spector 22
#4 Asia Perkins 21
#2 Zack Fricnek 20
#7 Theo Grady 25
#10 Sulivan Myers 24
#12 Slyvester Stalane 27
#13 Ryan Balchfelder 25
#25 Perry Oslav 28
#16 Steven Arrington 26
#11 Deven Baker 24
#19 Xavier Mercury 19
#44 Freedie Ashington 20
#50 Seth Mellinger 20
#49 Cedric Eves 21
#60 Ari Devlonagaas 22

Subs
#33 Gerry Hinerkentinghull 23
#57 Jeff Sledginbenginger 24
#14 Ricky Gerard 27
#90 Qraig Fisher 22

Sport in Solenial

And so Wilbury will promise to be an exciting competition.

In other news the Rugby World Cup is fast approaching and the Solenial squad are going out to defend the title. There are many strong teams to face but there is yet a repeat signup of some of the last competitions favourites such as Ariddia and Alba Scotland.

Matthew Robinson, the captain, said that this will be a very exciting competition. "I am now 26 years of age and have already peaked, we have a number of younger players now on the squad and i am in Kelssek to captain them. This is my chane to go out and prove we can still play rugby union, and there's no doubt we can make our mark on the 10th RWC too."

After those inspiring words by the captain himself we can have a strong sense of trust, trust that those lads will go and represent our country well. So far that is all on the rugby news but check back tomorrow.

Thank you and Goodbye.

Tel Morelia Picayune-Times-Sun-Journal-Daily-Weekly-Globe-Gazette-Defender-Communist

Sports Section

Group Draw Guarantees Space for Rugby World Cup

The Group Draw of the 10th Rugby World Cup was announced yesterday and while very uninteresting because of the length between this World Cup and the last World Cup the group draw did produce two very distinct groups.

Namely the Long Named Group (Also known as Group A) and the Short Named Group (or Group B). With a name like Milchama, which as a relatively short nation name, we were banished to Group B along with such short named luminaries as Lovisa and Solenial.

A look at each groups and there name discrepancies.

Group A
Icy Cold Death Touch- 4 words and 17 letters. While short on letters for the amount of words the 4 words make this a very long and detailed nation. Bonus points for the morbid name.
kenavt- WAIT! 6 letters, 1 word! What are they doing here? kenavt need to switch groups ASAP.
Sorthern Northland- Only 2 words but 17 letters (same as Icy Cold Death Touch which took 4 words to achieve this feat). Still looks very long and the oxymoronicness of the name is also a nice touch. Quality.
Candelaria And Marquez- The true great name in the group 3 words and 20! letters. The longest letter count in the cup and the group. Expect good things from these guys.
Kose and The Turkomans- 4 words and 19 letters. Another quality nation name. Really good.

So Group A full of nations with multiple words, long space taking names and a lot of letters. Let us compare that with Group B.

GROUP B
Kelssek
Solenial
Lovisa
Taeshan
Milchama

We don't even need to go individually for this group. All one word names and none more then 8 letters. Small group. Do not expect good performances from these teams.

So what does this name discrepancy mean for the cup?

Expect someone from Group A to win it all and an all Group A final because good names mean good players and good teams. Something Group B lacks in droves.

(Though Milchama can buck this trend and win the tournament, if you didn't think that we weren't going to be egotistical and jingoistic then you really don't know us well enough)

Rivalries, old and new set to be rekindled at Rugby World Cup

It seems a long time ago now but once upon a time we were ranked fourth in the world of rugby, and I suppose we still are really as since then no tournament has been played. Today though we stand on the brink of another tournament of rugby. Will the 10th Rugby World Cup fall by the wayside as the 9th did? Hopefully for not, the hosts for one this time round seem to actually be ready to host such a competition and boy what a competition it'll be.

Just looking through our group alone there are two games (for us at least) that immediately jump out. The first game is a game between two sporting rivals that dates back almost the entirety of both nations histories. It could in fact be argued that this sporting rivalry started way back at RWC8 when the two nations met twice (SN winning both). Since then the two nations have met on several occasions in football and a sporting rivalry has been built and games between the two sides are always excellent contests. Certainly the two teams will be amongst the favourites for the competition (whether that has anything to do with length of name remains to be seen however) and Sothern Northland versus Candelaria And Marquez will almost certainly give us an early heaveyweight entercounter.

The second of those two rivalries is an altogether newer one and it remains to be seen if it will even spill over from the football pitch to the rugby pitch. Being on the last day of the group stage I think there is every chance that it will but whatever happens this game will decide what type of rivalry it will be. The start of it all? A football friendly in Little Greece a few months ago during a World Cup qualifying break between SN and Kose and the Turkomans. That match was abandoned after rioting between the two sets of fans broke out, rioting that was only quelled by Sorthern, Koesnic and even Bostopian armies clashing in a short war. A peace treaty between Sorthern and Kose was signed but will the two nations rugby fans be held to that? If they do then with the amount of passion both teams have this will be another excellent game, if they don't then expect then very nasty scenes.

Whatever happens though, with SN and C&M being the only two teams in the group to have previous experience of playing world cup rugby (albeit with squads who by now will have retired) a semi-final place is the least that is expected. That though is only going on what happened last time round. That competition is a long way in the past now though and the nations who are returning from that competition will have completely different squads and anything can happen.

Sorthern Northland Rugby World Cup 10 squad

Probable Starters
1. Ben O'Bagels (Loosehead Prop), 37
2. Ryan Hughes (Hooker), 19,
3. Christian Trout (Tighthead Prop), 21, El din Bulls
4. William Ledanov (Lock), 23
5. Archie Ervin (Lock), 24
6. Alejandro Wright (Blindside Flanker), 25
7. Paulaui Marika (Openside Flanker), 33
8. Nkosazana Belenki (Number 8), 35

9. Robert Parker (Scrum Half), 19
10. Aedan Bennett (Fly Half + Penalty/Conversion Kicker), 34
11. Christian Clarke (Left Wing), 21
12. Hayden Wilson (Inside Centre), 23
13. Trevor Wilson (Outside Centre), 23
14. Craig Wilson (Centre), 23
15. Shayne Lovett (Fullback), 26

Other Squad Members
16. Iger Borelli (Prop/Hooker), 23
17. Dom Faustinni(Lock), 20
18. Jan van-Deij (Scrum-Half), 21
19. Minh Heim (Fly Half/Centre), 17
20. Lukus Volzski (Centre), 20
21. Will Cairns (Wing), 19
22. Jérôme Cloutier (Flanker), 18

Kits

First/Change

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/1457/snrugbyhomeyo5.png (http://imageshack.us)http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/9179/snrugbyawayvy6.png (http://imageshack.us)

If My Opponent RP's First they may:

Choose My Goal/Try Scorers: Y
Godmod Events: N
Injure My Players: Y
Put my players in Sinbin: Y
Other: (Please Specify)

Group A
Icy Cold Death Touch 13-13 kenavt
Sorthern Northland 14-11 Candelaria And Marquez

Group B
Kelssek 26-10 Solenial
Lovisa 9-15 Taeshan

Tables will be posted from MD2 onwards.

Taeshan wins for the first time ever

Last night for the first time ever the Purple Knights of taeshan rugby team won a game. I dont now how it happened but we won 15-9 over Lovisa shocking reallly. We won.

OOC: Wouldn't it be better to have tries scored/converted, drop goals and penalties scored listed with the scores?

OOC: I'd decided to leave it up to participants to RP it, so I programmed the scorinator only to give the points total. Partly for simplicity to avoid asking people to come up with skill ratings for their teams (kicking, line-outs, scrum, etc.) and to allow more free play with the RPing - last-gasp heroics, drop goals, etc.

OOC: Fair enough, I just think it's easier and more likely to encourage users rp if those things are listed.

C&M beat SN or SN beat C&M... or something.

I mean let's face it, half the SN team are either Candelarian or Marquezian, if not in birth then in ancestry, and it appears a similar situation in C&M with a number of there players being Sorthern in birth or ancestry, not that I've actually checked mind, I'm just going on the past. Especially as their coach is a Sortherner whilst our coach is the Sorthern born Pepi Ireland who comes from a family of Marqueszian Irish-Sorthern immigrants. I for one am lost!

In fact I have been lost for most of the day so I didn't actually see the match this report is supposed to be about having failed to find my way to Outineau let alone Le Stade Olympique. So instead I set about breaking into highly secretive government buildings and uncovering more on this conspiracy that my colleges reporting on the Cup of Harmony have uncovered!

And I can reveal that it is indeed true! Kelssek are indeed it is TRUE!!! Yes, Kellsek realy does have a crack riot squad in their police force. How do I know this? I came upon this after ending up in Clayquot where Kosenic fans are gathering in preparation for their game there in a few days. In an effort to build relationships between our fine lands and to size up one of the challengers in our group I joined them for a few drinks and some good old banter with opposition fans and locals.

For some reason certain people seemed to object to our bit of fun and the riot police immediately wandered in, hitting any random Kosenic or Sorthern journalist that they came across without indiscretion. Once the police had finished their unprovoked attack they quickly moved in to arrest anyone they'd injured refusing to even let them have hospital treatment first. I was one of the unfortunate ones to be unfairly and wrongly arrested and have since been charged with charges of inciting violence, being in the possession of highly sensitive government documents and trespassing on to government property.

All of them of course are clearly highly preposterous and baseless accusations as I'm sure you'll agree.

"No," said the Clayquot Police Service spokesperson. "That's not true. Didn't happen. Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."

As the journalists pursued him, he locked himself in a cubicle and refused to come out for several hours.

The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>RWC10>Latest News

By Nic Scotland in Kirkenes Both the major codes of rugby, as everyone in C&M knows, had all but died out in the Candelarias prior to the second great wave of Northlandish immigration in the second half of the twentieth century, their presence reviving a sport that had slipped behind netball, field hockey and rounders in the national consciousness.

Both major codes of rugby, as everyone in Sorthern Northland knows, were in danger of fizzling out prior to an Filleann Mór, which saw thousands of Candelariasians, both those of Northlandish origin and otherwise, swarm back to the hopeful new independent Sorthern state, and introducing their new countrymen to a sport that could genuinely be played bladdered without obvious ill-effect.

Basically, like a great sporting STD, no-one knows for sure who delivered the game unto who; but today the international players from both countries are pretty much ethnically inseparable. But then, so were the Serbs and Croats, so what does that prove? But anyway, this was a joyous occasion, with the ancestral Northlander Adi Kinsella sending his team that included Rothsbere-born Albie Gajarsky and Alfredo Silva, a Marquezian Spanish-speaker whose mother’s maiden name was O’Tighearnaigh, out against Sorthern Marquezian-Northlander Pepi Ireland’s team that included Alex Baron’s cousin Archie Ervin and El din native Christian Trout. In Kirkenes, Kelssek’s most ethnically diverse city, the crowd included travelling Candelariasian, Sorthern, Candelariasian-Northlandish and Sorthern Candelariasian fans, as well as local Sorthern Kelssekians and members of the long-standing Hispanic Marquezian population of the city, who were probably there to cheer on the Sorthern Northlandish, except when David Morales had the ball. The huge young lock Ed Usta’s parents are actually from the Kosenic city of Kuzeykoy, but never mind that. The colours and flags may have been different (although I think we all know who had the nicest flag), but this was less a sporting event than a mutual love-in. So it hardly matters who won, does it?

Probably only to Christian Trout, a natural tighthead who plays out of position on the left for the El din Bulls to allow the veteran David Morales to retain his own favoured role. Their coach Jonno Mullarkey (yeah, probably) has continued to insist this season that Trout’s versatility is his undoing, and the player himself has repeatedly described himself as happy with the situation. His performance at the Skydome suggested otherwise, with Trout and Morales eyeballing each other from opposite ends of the early string of scrummages. After a scoreless half hour, young Ryan Hughes delivered Trout the ball, who drove forwards with abandon and delivered the killer pass to Trevor Wilson, the smallest of SN’s triplets, who delayed the pass to his winger brother Craig long enough to give the number fourteen a clear run.

Aeden Bennett failed to convert the try, but he made good with a couple of penalties before half-time after a naïve high tackle from Ed Usta. The veteran fly-half remains arguably the Sortherner’s star man, and has been the difference against C&M more than once in the past (twice, in fact). He would prove the deciding factor once more, towards the end of a second half which the Sortherners dominated with no reward. Instead, C&M got back on level terms after Mark Webb had kicked a couple and Alfedro Silva’s powerful run met with Craig Trumble’s expertly-timed move. It was the CRUC and New Rugby players working perfectly in tandem, and had Webb put the conversion away the Huge Blues could have taken a memorable win. Instead, Bennett had the last laugh with a third late penalty.

In truth, the scoreline flattered C&M, who were inspired only in patches and whose line-outs in particular left a lot to be desired. The Sortherners are justly the favourites for the Cup, but the Huge Blues now get a weekend off to reflect on their defeat ahead of must-win games against two tournament debutants. They could yet sneak through, but Kinsella would clearly hardly relish a rematch against SN.

Whoever gave whoever the game, they really are better than us at rugby. But never mind. We’ll smoosh them in the Di Bradini Cup.

Candelaria And Marquez 11
Tries: Trumble 57
Penalties: Webb (2)

Sorthern Northland 14
Tries: T. Wilson 31
Penalties: Bennett (3)

GROUP A
Icy Cold Death Touch 7-13 Kose and the Turkomans
kenavt 6-21 Sorthern Northland


P W D L F A BP Pts
Sothern Northland 2 2 0 0 35 17 1 9
Kose and The Turkomans 1 1 0 0 13 7 0 4
Icy Cold Death Touch 2 0 1 1 20 26 1 3
kenavt 2 0 1 1 19 34 0 2
Candelaria And Marquez 1 0 0 1 11 14 1 1


GROUP B
Kelssek 14-21 Milchama
Solenial 15-10 Lovisa


P W D L F A BP Pts
Kelssek 2 1 0 1 40 31 2 6
Milchama 1 1 0 0 21 14 0 4
Taeshan 1 1 0 0 15 9 0 4
Solenial 2 1 0 1 25 36 0 4
Lovisa 2 0 0 2 19 30 2 2


Just as a reminder (and to conveniently allow checking of my godawful math):

Win - 4 points.
Draw - 2 points
Loss - 0 points
Bonus point awarded for losing by 7 points or less, and for winning by 14 points or more.

Tie-breaking
1. Head-to-head result
2. Points difference
3. Points for

GROUP A
Icy Cold Death Touch 8-27 Candelaria And Marquez
kenavt 5-14 Kose and the Turkomans


P W D L F A BP Pts
Sorthern Northland 2 2 0 0 35 17 1 9
Kose and The Turkomans 2 2 0 0 27 14 0 8
Candelaria And Marquez 2 1 0 1 38 22 2 6
Icy Cold Death Touch 3 0 1 2 28 53 1 3
kenavt 3 0 1 2 24 48 0 2


GROUP B
Kelssek 20-21 Taeshan
Solenial 22-12 Milchama


P W D L F A BP Pts
Taeshan 2 2 0 0 36 29 0 8
Solenial 3 2 0 1 47 48 0 8
Kelssek 3 1 0 2 60 52 3 7
Milchama 2 1 0 1 33 36 0 4
Lovisa 2 0 0 2 19 30 2 2

"Wait! We're in a rugby tournament?"

"Yep"

"And we have a real roster full of ordinary players?"

"Yep"

"That's just weird"

"Yep"

"So how are we doing with regular players?"

"Pretty well, we won the first game 21-14 over the hosts. Hill scored twice and Willard Lopez got the other"

"He should really be starting"

"Hill is starting"

"I mean Lopez, he's a much better scrum half then Henshin. He's so much more explosive with his first step and creates a lot more opportunities"

"Whatever"

"No! Not whatever just look at the second game"

"I thought you didn't know this tournament was going on"

"I watched the second game, actually, I just forgot after our dead guys got obliterated 2-0 against Bazalonia in the AOCAF semis"

"Goddamn MFA"

"Yep, they better get competent in charge soon"

"What were we talking about?"

"A dissapointing 22-12 loss against Solenial"

"Yeh no tries"

"That's awful, at least Cohn went 4 for 4"

"That's not the problem, the problem was that we had 60% possession and 56% territory and still lost"

"Our offense sucked, we couldn't move the ball at all"

"You know why? Tanner Henshin. He sucks! He needs to be out of there now!"

"I think he deserves another chance, another game, we shouldn't be so quick to judge, our forwards couldn't do anything either"

"They don't score, our backs score and Henshin couldn't deliver. That's his fault. 2 interceptions returned for tries, that's beyond unacceptable. Lopez should be in the next game or else we've signaled we gave up on the tournament."

"He's not that awful, his kicks led to a try in the first game, plus he led us to two penalties in this game"

"So? He's not a game changer, that's what we need and he doesn't do that. That's unacceptable."

"Can we focus on something else now"

"Sure how about them Chi Cubs"

"Come on you Warriors?"

"Yeh that too"

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Friday 11 July 2008
KELSSEK FUMBLES AGAINST TAESHAN

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John Baynard
L'Étoile Sports

Kelssek's chances of progressing to the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup are in serious jeopardy after a one-point loss to Taeshan last night at Le Stade Olympique. Taeshan came from behind to score a late try, winning 21-20 over a team which failed to make the most of its numerous opportunities.

Taeshan conceded two penalties early and gifted Kelssek with a 6-0 lead by the time the first quarter of the match had elapsed, and Joel Danforth converted a try in the last act before the half-time whistle blew following a brilliant individual effort by Pierre-Marc Lafleur, who barged right through the defensive line, requiring three tacklers to bring him down, whereupon he slung the ball to Josh Lachlan, who had an easy time scoring his first test try.

The momentum was firmly on Kelssek's side as the second half began and a clever kick from Thomas Pyatt set up a lineout deep in Taeshan territory. Brute force won the day as the ball was carried over the line by Julian Smythe, helped by a rolling maul.

The problem, however, was that Kelssek did not score another point for the rest of the game and two horrible defensive lapses later it was 20-14 and over 22 minutes still to play. And although the defense held out bravely and disciplined play prevented them from yielding so much as a penalty, the momentum had well and truly shifted and Kelssek were on the back foot, desperately defending.

Holes appeared eventually and a Taeshan overload on the left wing led to the critical try as Seth Mellinger found a gap and grounded the ball right and took out the corner flag; and after some deliberation over the video replay it was ruled a try despite the fact that the home fans were adamant that he'd gone into touch first. With the match at his feet Mellinger made no mistake with the conversion.

Although Kelssek picked up a bonus point from the match, qualification prospects for the semi-finals now seem grim and their next and final game against Lovisa is now a must-win proposition.

Icy Cold Death Touch 7-40 Sorthern Northland
Candelaria And Marquez 33-10 Kose and the Turkomans


P W D L F A BP Pts
Sorthern Northland 3 3 0 0 75 24 2 14
Candelaria And Marquez 3 2 0 1 71 32 3 11
Kose and The Turkomans 3 2 0 1 37 47 0 8
Icy Cold Death Touch 4 0 1 3 35 93 1 3 X
kenavt 3 0 1 2 24 48 0 2 X


Kelssek 34-13 Lovisa
Taeshan 27-24 Milchama


P W D L F A BP Pts
Taeshan 3 3 0 0 63 53 0 12
Kelssek 4 2 0 2 94 65 4 12
Solenial 3 2 0 1 47 48 0 8
Milchama 3 1 0 2 57 63 1 5 X
Lovisa 3 0 0 3 32 64 2 2 X

“…or the love of God, I don’t even know how to play Bocce!’”

“Oh, those crazy Italians!”

“Yes. Although not actually crazy, of course.”

“No, obviously, just suffering from a severe psychological imbalance, and deserving our support and sympathy.”

“Mm. Though not pity.”

“No! God no, absolutely.”

“Well, elsewhere in the world of sport, and the Huge Blues’ Rugby World Cup Ten campaign looks to be back on its feet following that disappointing opening defeat to the Sorthern Northlandish. Lizzy Capper is in Kirkenes for us, but first Charlotte O’Sullivan has travelled all the way to the land of Icy Cold Death Touch to give us low-down on our Group A rivals… Good morning, Charlotte! Or ‘The Tact of the Brotherhood will Bring Death to the Daemons!”, as they say over there. Charlotte?”

“Nn..nn-nn…Nn-n… Nnn!”

“Um… Of course, it’s an evocative-sounding name, but is it really as cold as they say?”



“Charlotte?”


“Charlie…?”


“Oh, dear God.”


***


The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>RWC10>Latest

By Nic Scotland in Kirkenes After a third defeat to their Sorthern Northlandish counterparts in as many encounters, the Huge Blues have retained their honour in their Group A campaign by easing past their next two opponents. The results leave Adi Kinsella’s team with their fate in their own hands, and what should be a simple task against Kenavt in order to qualify for the semi-finals.

A wounded tiger, Kenavt have totalled fewer points than any of the tournament’s ten sides and were mathematically eliminated from the competition yesterday without tossing a ball, but they could yet provide a banana skin. As Kinsella pointed out yesterday, if the example of their soccer team is anything to go by, C&M would well be up against a sixteen-man side and, although the Blues with the round ball easily swept their own Kenavtan opponents aside earlier in the week, the extra man could give a worn-out C&M something to think about. Seriously, why would anyone in their right mind mess about with the number of players on a rugby team?

Their victories were hardly thumping, though enough to pick up potentially vital bonus points, but the Huge Blues never looked unduly challenged by neither Icy Cold Death Touch nor the Turks. Their rugby remains not the inspirational stuff of the Sortherners, intelligent play of the Taeshanese nor the free-flowing (if porous) Kelssekkians, but on these performances C&M remain one of the globe’s leading forces. Their set plays remain a problem, Mark Webb’s assured left foot not entirely compensating for the lack of emphasis placed on line-outs and the scrum in the Candelariasian game. In the last two games Webb has notched up six completed penalties from nine opportunities and finished off all the available conversions, and keeping him fit and on form will be utterly vital while our scrummage remains so poor.

C&M’s moves from open play are rather more impressive still, and the seven tries thus far have been shared around the team, with only Douglas Lassissi and Craig Trumble registering more than one. Both players may well be rested against Kenavt, but Webb looks set to continue – Kinsella really has no choice in the matter – for as long as the Turks seem to be challenging the Sortherners over in Clayquot. The relatively small Etnier city and its stadium may struggle to deal with the influx of Sorthern and Kosenic supporters with little great affection for each other following the recent conflict. Pepi Ireland’s team’s place in the knock-out stages is assured, and defeat might not be such an awful result with the Taeshanese looking a more inviting prospect than the hosts. Perhaps the sheer number of Candelariasian nationals, former nationals and decedents in the Sorthern ranks will be committed to doing us a favour though, and making the result of our Kenavt encounter an irrelevance… Well, you never know…

With the Canada Stadium seating over sixty-eight thousand, the CRUU are expecting a record attendance for a rugby match involving a C&M side, and the Candelariasian Ambassador to Kelssek, José Fernando Lopéz de Quintana, has warned Neorvins to expect quite a party as thousands of Candelariasian fans use the Kenavt match to celebrate their coming of age, and the ceremonial end of the New Rugby crises.

GROUP A
Sorthern Northland 18-9 Kose and the Turkomans
Candelaria And Marquez 25-9 kenavt


P W D L F A BP Pts
Sorthern Northland 4 4 0 0 93 33 2 18 Q
Candelaria And Marquez 4 3 0 1 96 41 4 16 Q
Kose and The Turkomans 4 2 0 2 46 65 0 8 X
Icy Cold Death Touch 4 0 1 3 35 93 1 3 X
kenavt 4 0 1 3 33 73 0 2 X


GROUP B
Lovisa 16-16 Milchama
Solenial 17-22 Taeshan



P W D L F A BP Pts
Taeshan 4 4 0 0 85 70 0 16 Q
Kelssek 4 2 0 2 94 65 4 12 Q
Solenial 4 2 0 2 64 70 1 9 X
Milchama 4 1 1 2 73 79 1 7 X
Lovisa 4 0 1 3 48 80 2 4 X


Semi-final 1: Sorthern Northland vs. Kelssek (SkyDome, Kirkenes)
Semi-final 2: Taeshan vs. Candelaria And Marquez (Stade Olympique, Outineau)

Knights win

In a suprising turn of events from there first two rugby world cup this time the Purple Knights rugby team won a few games. In fact four on there way to a 4 and o 16 point performaqnce in the group stage, and for the first time ever will advance past the group stages in a sport beside baseball. Stay tuned as in the next game the Knights face Calendaria and Marquez a friendly rival and a team that should easily wipe the floor with the suprise unbeatens

Sortherners cruise through

In what has seemingly for the international community been an uninteresting Rugby World Cup, the Sorthern team leisurely beat Kose and the Turkomans in a fixture that was quieter than expected.

With qualification pretty much assured for SN, a number of first teamers, noticeably the identical Wilson triplets much to the relief of commentators worldwide. Or at least those that have shown up.

For that is one of those things that is noticeable at this World Cup. Or it would be if there were more media coverage of it. Whilst rugby is never likely to be the main sport in the world or even in many nations around the world but it is still disappointing for rugby fans that only four nations have reported on the event, and perhaps it is unsurprising that those four nations make up the semi-finals.

For Sorthern fans though the most disappointing aspect will be Sorthern media's almost complete lack of coverage. An opening day victory over Candelaria And Marquez aside, there has been nothing. Fans hoping for the good days of RWC8 will have been left disappointed, for pubs and bars havn't been filled to watch the games as they were back then, the games haven't been the talk of the office, national holidays haven't been declared. This World Cup has almost passed without barely a care in Sorthern Northland shown so far.

Yet, when it comes down to the business end of the tournament, we are still there fighting it out for a place in the final. Our players have given it their all, as have the small band of fans to travel to Kelssek. And now, in the semi-finals, and coming up against the hosts, they will be needing the backing of the nation more than ever, so come three o'clock at Kanard Park, Clayquot, let's be there, or at least watching on TV and let's back the boys and maybe just maybe, we can be in the final.

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10TH RUGBY WORLD CUP
Semifinal preview: Kelssek face a tough match-up

Kelssek are through to the semi-finals, but before anyone gets excited, the team faces a tough match against Sorthern Northland, the team most bookmakers here have as the favourites to lift the trophy after running a convincing clinic through the group stage to emerge with a hundred-percent record.

As the groundskeepers tend to the turf of the SkyDome, head coach Gordon Canvey looks on what will be the battlefield this Wednesday and forsees a "tough fight".

"This is the biggest game any of us will have played in. I do not expect anyone to be slouching out there. I certainly won't have any problems firing the boys up for the game."

But Canvey also admits that it will be an uphill battle. "They're much more established as a rugby power, they've definitely got more depth in their line-up, and they won all their group games, while we were fifty percent and had some close shaves. We're not where we should be in terms of defence, and as we've seen Sorthern Northland are pure quality out there."

He shakes his head as he recounts the rapidity with which Kelssek conceded 14 points in the second half of the Taeshan match. "That can't happen again," he said.

With all that weighing on his mind, at least injury worries won't add to them. Evan Benacki and Joel Danforth, who both went off injured against Lovisa, have been cleared to play by doctors and Canvey will be able to field his first-choice team for the match of his life.

- by KEN THOMPSON in Kirkenes

The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>RWC10>Latest

By Nic Scotland in Outineau “A historic opportunity to open a new and brighter chapter”, Sport minister Nolan Parker said yesterday in Outineau, and his comments, though related to C&M’s foreign relations, could just as easily be ascribed to the state of Candelarias rugby in general – for, without truly noticing it, we have happened upon a unique golden age for the oval ball in these islands.

Politics first, as there is no doubt that the likes of Parker will be eager to gain as much capital as they can from the meeting with the Purple Knights. Taeshanese-Candelariasian relations have been strained for too long by the New Rugby crisis; and the near-dissolution of that ‘state’, coupled with the advent of this fixture, represents a fine opportunity to put to bed the diplomatic disputes of the past. Reports from the Continuum suggest that, of C&M’s travelling squad to the ninth World Cup, only manager Krishna Crow remains a holdout in Atlantea. Sean Rafferty-Dhong returned to Sorthern Northland by the cover of darkness late last week, and the remaining members of the New Rugby League are in transit back to the Candelarias. Their point has been made, but the loss of public support in C&M appears to have been the final blow – with the Huge Blues into the semi-finals, who really cares about the abortive ninth tournament any more?

The often foul abuse meted out against Jacin Raellis, the Taeshan and Radyukevich defender, and the great Taeshanese-born snooker star David oh my god we have a rugby team, has at times been truly unpalatable, and the New Rugbonians – including those now in the C&M squad – must take their share of the blame for encouraging this attitude among their Candelariasian countrymen. And this true rugby fan says: a line in the sand has been drawn, and forwards is the only plausible direction from this day forth.

Which is kind of ironic when you think about it.

Anyway, what of the sport? On past history, this semi-final should be no contest. The Huge Blues opened their extra-regional history with a 47-12 beating of YO Mama’s Taeshan in Solenial, and would later add a barely credible 57-3 victory over their callow opponents. But that says nothing for the development of Taeshanese rugby in the intervening period; who remain fully deserving of their unbeaten record in Kelssek. Their lack of bonus points speaks volumes for the risk-averse style employed and, though the match against the hosts could have ended very differently, their beating of the still-competitive reigning cup-holders Solenial will have raised nerves among the Candelariasian camp.

C&M’s own final group stage victory was rather trickier than the scoreline suggests; an inevitable result of playing against sixteen men throughout. Adi Kinsella’s side managed only the single try, the early effort from Craig Trumble, and were once again heavily indebted to the boot of Mark Webb. A worthy successor to Warren Ubiña; the Arrigo native, who isn’t even remotely Northlandish in his heritage whatsoever, scored two drop goals and readily penalised Kenavt four more times for their various indiscretions. Should C&M emerge victorious on the nineteenth, it will surely be thanks to Webb – and Kinsella for picking him. Damien Mella is a fine goal kicker also – and a fine defender, given his try-saving tackle on a Kenavt player half a metre short of the line – but Webb well deserves his place in Kinsella’s affections.

The Huge Blues will start many peoples’ favourites against Taeshan but, in either case, a semi-final finish would still represent a real achievement. Yes, as many have commented, this is far from the strongest international field of all time. There is no Ariddia, no Starblaydia, no Snake Eaters, and Rorysville are long forgotten. But the naysayers must remember that, when all is said and done, this is global sport. We now have, official like, one of the best four rugby union sides in the world. That’s something to celebrate, surely?

A final thought, one which – without getting ahead of ourselves – we can no longer avoid thinking about. The Rugby World Cup final is on the nineteenth. The Cup of Harmony final is on the nineteenth. What are the odds against C&M facing Sorthern Northland in both? What are the odds on them losing to the Sorthern Northlandish in both?

Okay… On second thoughts, let’s not think about it.

Semi-finals
Sorthern Northland 27-24 Kelssek
Candelaria And Marquez 36-24 Taeshan

Third-placing
Kelssek 17-22 Taeshan

The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>RWC10>Latest

By Nic Scotland in Neorvins Candelariasian-Northlandish (and, latterly, Candelariasian-Sorthern) relations go back quite a long way, comparatively speaking. A random Kerecan may just have saved them.

Permit me to stray into the realm of the round ball for a moment, where none could have failed to notice that the Big Blues are through to the final. O!, that our national rugby team, playing in the actual World Cup, could have garnered a fraction of the coverage that their counterparts have achieved during their stay in the globe’s secondary tournament. But in any case, their final opponents will not – as everyone had suspected – be Sorthern Northland, but the relative unknowns of Kereca, after the latter’s semi-final victory on penalty kicks of the under-the-bar variety.

It’s a nightmare for the editors of the Saturday papers, who had the pull-out sections all ready for the two C&M v SN encounters. Those covers – like the Herald’s own – featuring a purposeful-looking Albie Gajarsky (the Rothsbere-born C&M international hooker) and Lee Waywide (the Khatib-born SN international striker), will doubtless become collectors’ items in years to come. They haven’t even got a Di Bradini Cup encounter to fall back on, poor things.

The police, on the other hand, are breathing a sigh of relief. Two defeats against Sorthern opposition could have seen the Northlandish population of the Candelarias become targets for retribution, particularly given the tense situation in Albrecht these days. One loss – particularly in rugby – would not so unleash the fury of the customary thugs; and, by all accounts, the Irish Street District of the capital is likely to be bangin’, whatever that means, tomorrow, regardless of the final outcome in Neorvins. Law enforcement officials will still be on hand, to ensure that partying Sortherners and their sympathisers don’t get beaten up for their trouble but, in any case, Albrecht and numerous other cities in the Candelarias may well see some of the best general public atmospheres for years. At least up until lunchtime.

Of course, a Candelariasian victory is far from out of the question, and an Filleann Mór expats in the Eastern Westlands, from Beningrad to Little Clotaire, would be wise to keep their heads down in expectation of that outcome. Yet, for all that, this final should prove to be one of the friendliest in years and, if nothing else, formally prove the intertwined supremacy of Sorthern and Candelariasian rugby.

It could well have been different, Kelssek certainly giving Pepi Ireland’s team their greatest test so far. Matching up to the invention and speed of Gordon Canvey’s hosts will be vital, though Adi Kinsella will have gained some confidence by Taeshan’s third-place play-off victory. Playing at home, this was a game which Kelssek would certainly have wished to win, while for the Taeshanese it meant little. The comparative simplicity by which C&M overcame the Continuum outfit, then, must surely bode well. Or perhaps I’m just clutching at straws.

The Huge Blues were a step ahead of the Taeshanese throughout, stubbornly remaining camped in the opposition half and held off only by some desperate, if effective, defending. What has been truly noteworthy about Taeshan is that they are a true team, rather than a group of individuals, with no clear sense of each player’s place on the pitch. Sometimes that remains to their detriment, but their unpredictability was clearly a major factor in lifting them beyond the reigning champions Solenial and the ever-present might of Lovisa.

Taeshan were punished for failing to open the scoring themselves, after Ryan Balchfelder put a penalty in the corner and Douglas Lassissi brought Steven Arrington down a metre from the line, when Craig Trumble continued his tryscoring form for C&M with a powerful run. His wing colleague Mark Webb, once again utterly vital to Kinsella’s plans, slotted the conversion and added two quick penalties not long after.

Webb has barely missed a chance to score all tournament, and notched up twenty-one points of C&M’s thirty-six in Outineau. For the first time in Kelssek, he also registered a try; coming from a move that showed why his country deserve their place in the final. Trumble took hold of the ball in the midfield and found Yehudi Bailey who promptly passed it on for Alfredo Silva. The Eagles star reached the corner and completed the inside pass for his domestic team-mate Webb, who touched down with more plomb than you can shake a stick at.

Though the Huge Blues were soon to score again through Damien Mella, Taeshan were never entirely out of it. Their two touch downs came courtesy of C&M mistakes, and some poor handling from set pieces in particular could have been punished further. Such errors could yet prove meat and gristle to the Sortherners, and Kinsella will have his work cut out before the team reassemble in Neorvins to ensure that Ireland’s team are not given anywhere near the number of potential openings gifted to Taeshan.

The match will almost certainly be a cagier affair, and it would be a surprise indeed if Sorthern Northland do not attempt to take charge early on. C&M’s flowing breakaways have been the most impressive in the tournament however, and if the Huge Blues can get two or three of these on song, coupled with Webb’s left boot, they really will have a chance. Whether anyone very much will notice back home is another matter, but while the soccer boys face the pressure of a final against a side ranked forty-five places below them, their rugby-playing counterparts have a chance to revel in the classic Candelariasian role of the underdog. Win this, and they’ll probably never have an opportunity to claim that status again.

I reckon that’s a risk worth taking, don’t you?

Candelaria And Marquez 36
Tries: Trumble 25, Webb 56, Mella 66
Conversions: Webb (3)
Penalties: Webb (5)

Taeshan 24
Tries: Stalane 39, Mercury 74
Conversions: Balchfelder (1)
Penalties: Balchfelder (3), Gerard (1)


TV1’s coverage of the Candelaria And Marquez v. Sorthern Northland RWC10 final from Neorvins starts at midday (NWR+1)

Final Canada Stadium, Neorvins
Candelaria And Marquez 30-23 Sorthern Northland

Just Typical

Football and rugby. Two of Sorthern Northland's major sports, games against Candelaria And Marquez are not uncommon in either, and with the mass migration between the two nations it is sometimes joked that no matter who wins, both nations have such a large diaspora of the others citizens that the other nation one. There is a set trend in both sports as well, C&M win in football while SN win in rugby. Going into todays Rugby World Cup final, the history books lead to a Sorthern victory. Past encounters between the two have always gone to SN and yet the trophy will be heading to Albrecht and not Beningrad. The first time that Candelaria And Marquez manage to beat us and it's in the final, it could hardly be more typical could it?

Yet we can't really complain about the result, and I don't mean because C&M's coach and a number of their players are Sorthern born so we could count it as our victory, but because today C&M were the better team, not by much but the seven point margin of victory was fully deserved as while both teams were equal in many areas of the pitch, C&M had that clinical edge that was needed in front of goal and in the try area.

Things though could not have gotten off to a worse start for Candelaria And Marquez when an late and high tackle by Archie Ervin sent talismanic winger and kick taker Mark Webb crashing to into the turf. It was an unusually unfriendly clash in a game with a nation that SN has a largely friendly relationship with, but then the two players involved were seen to be having an argument about something after the group game between the sides. Perhaps something to do with the dispute between who owns a bit of land back in the birthplace of Webb and hometown of Ervin, Snowspire. Back on the pitch Webb was clearly in no state to carry and was stretchered off with a suspected broken collarbone whilst the referee was having none of Ervin's protests that Webb had gone into the tackle deliberately high to draw a foul and was sent to the sinbin. Wisely the management Dom Faustinni on in his place when the sin bin period had been finished.

Losing Webb was clearly a blow to Cadelaria And Marquez, with substitute Enilson Beattie usually a right winger initially struggling to adapt to playing out on the left. Sorthern Northland took advantage of the disarray in the C&M team to record two converted tries before half time to put them into a 14-0 lead. With the three Wilson triplets off form it fell to the experienced Aedan Bennett to lead the team and by scoring all 14 first half points he did just that. Unfortunately though Bennett is well into the twilight of his career, indeed were there any serious challenger to SN in rugby other than todays opponents he may well not still be an international, as great a player as he is.

Simply put though his gutsy first half display added on to the toll playing as many games in such a short period of time as a World Cup can allow had taken it out of him. For the first ten minutes of the second half he was reduced to pretty much being a spectator. Candelaria And Marquez noted that he was on his last legs, and used it to their advantage, Yehudi Bailey first scoring a try, and then just a couple of minutes later Beattie having grown into his role on the left. Both tries were created in the space Bennett should have been defending but no longer had the energy to. And with both tries converted with ease it seemed like Webb wasn't such a big loss after a all. A drop goal from Rothsbere born Albie Gajarsky and C&M were ahead.

The Sorthern management quickly changed things around Minh Heim replacing Bennett and Lukus Volzski replacing the lacklustre Craig Wilson. Initially the changes worked to perfection. Volzski with his first touch of the ball sent a long range drop goal right down the middle of the posts to bring the scores back level at 17-17. Sorthern Northland dominated the next ten minutes but failed to show much threat to the scoreboard with strong Candelaris defending keeping them at bay. It was only two mistakes by young Florian Zurbrugg that allowed Sorthern Northland to put points on the board. He was twice caught offside allowing Minh Heim two opportunities to kick at goal. Both penalties were converted to give SN a 23-17 lead.

That didn't last long though as inexperienced play from Ryan Hughes and Rob Parker gave C&M two penalties, both of which found their way over the bar and between the posts to bring things level with ten minutes left, and on onslaught from Candelaria and Marquez. In the final ten minutes the ball was firmly stuck in the Sorthern half. The only times it found it's way to the Candelaris half was when a Sortherner got hold of it long enough to boot it away to safety. Or relative safety anyway as every time it was back around the Sorthern 22 within seconds. Whilst Canderlaris fans desperately called for someone to just try for drop goal and get ahead, the players were clearly looking to win in style. Passing quickly through the hands, looking for a gap to break through and spark wild celebrations all the way from Albrecht to the seemingly Candelaris town of Rothsbere. With the clock running down, Candelaris fans were clearly becoming nervous. Their players weren't however, but the Sorthern players were. With each pass and each run by a Candelaris player, the Sortherners become more nervous and tired, gaps started to open up and with a couple of minutes left Enilson Beattie cut inside from the wing to the centre, broke through a gaping hole in the Sorthern defence and planted a try right beneath the posts to seal the victory for his nation, and spark wild celebrations in the stands. A conversion meant Sorthern Northland would need to quickly score and convert a try to take the game into extra time. No one had the energy to do so.

Speaking after the game, a crestfallen Sorthern Northland coach, the Sorthern born Marquezian Irish-Sorthern-Candelaris-Sorthern-Marquezian, Pepi Ireland was full of praise for the winners whist also admitting he could have prepared his team better. "Canderlaria And Marquez fully deserved the win today, they played some terrific rugby, and although it was close and we may even have had the better of the territory and possession we were lacklustre when we had it. They weren't. They were clinical and took their chances and on the whole were better. Looking back, I'd say our preparation for the final was completely wrong. After the semi-final we didn't really do much to prepare for the final up to yesterday, we were just celebrating getting to the final really and it's come back to haunt us," he said.

And so Sorthern Northland's unbeaten record over Candelaria And Marquez comes to end, and typically it was in the most important game of the lot. Considering that, Canderlaria And Marquez will no doubt care that they have lost every other game to us, for they are the world champions, and whilst we may be as they claimed after our group victory over them the better rugby team, they are world champions of rugby and fully deserving of it, (Sortherners desperate for something to cling onto could claim that the number of Sortherners in their team proves we are the better rugby nation, but make no mistake, Candelaris and Marquezian players are just as talented, as out team proves). However their is no doubt that Sorthern Nortland and Candelaria And Marquez are at present the two best rugby nations around, and come the next Rugby World Cup I wouldn't bet against another Sorthern-Canderlaris final. And whilst that would be a great thing, SN C&M games always are, it would be a shame if the sport were to be dominated by the two nations, in the interest of competition we can only hope that another nation comes along to challenge the SN C&M dominance. Taeshan and Kelssek look best placed to do so and with a little luck hopefully they will.

The Albrecht Herald Online>Sport>RWC10>Latest

By Nic Scotland in Neorvins The Huge Blues needed a hero. They found him, then they lost him, and then they found eighteen more. And now, they stand on top of the world, after one of the most sensational comebacks in living memory.

For all that the naysayers may gripe over the current quality of global rugby; the importance of this game to the competing nations was inarguable. In a very deliberate show to the effect that the chance of genuine world-level success was being favoured over a lowlier but publicly more popular contest; President Morton had elected to travel to Neorvins and attend the World Cup final instead of the Cup of Harmony. Her aides were quick to stress that there were no political ramifications for this choice, and that she was merely making a flying visit (though it’s surely hard to argue that Kelssek’s current awkward and flimsy Liberal-Conservative coalition aren’t natural international partners for Morton’s current awkward and flimsy Modern Liberal-Conservative coalition), and today, certainly, she seemed like just another Candelariasian fan, living and breathing every moment of this incredible encounter.

The final kicked off slightly later than scheduled; perhaps to allow a few drunken Sorthern stragglers to make their way into the Canada Stadium, more likely to avoid a potentially awkward clash with the dying moments in Zwangzug. All the talk prior to the first whistle involved the behaviour of the Sorthern travelling party – and ‘party’ being the operative word. The respective pre-match rituals of the two sides were first noted back in the eighth World Cup, and their particular cultural stance did not seem to do the Sorthern Northlandish any harm back then. This time however, even some of the Sorthern journalists were wondering openly if the Candelariasians – who had knuckled down and behaved themselves between the Taeshan game and the final – would have the early edge over their lethargic counterparts.

They need not have worried, and the Candelariasian nation tuned away from the celebrations in Spenson to watch in horror as the side in red battered their opponents in Neorvins. Quite literally, as it turned out; and you can guarantee that Archie Ervin’s ruthless tackle on Mark Webb would have barely left our screens for the next fortnight had Miho Tipton not ultimately lifted the trophy. As it was, C&M’s chances seemed to dissipate the moment Webb left the pitch, and the Arrigo Eagles can forget their hopes of retaining their CRUC league and championship titles with Webb out for months.

It was an incestuous little encounter, no doubt a hangover from days spent in youth sport together in Snowspire. The decisions of the likes of Webb and Albie Gajarsky, and Adi Kinsella before him, to represent their new land internationally has often gone down as well as, well, that of a Lee Waywide or Christian Trout in reverse – and Trout was both born and brought up in El din, lest we forget – and, given the manner in which both migrant communities have taken to sport, such uncomfortable choices are well likely to remain a feature of C&M-SN relations for some years to come. I certainly know for a fact that Trevor Organ, the current coach of the under-21 soccer team, kept a close eye on the recent SFL season on the off-chance that a rare gem with a dad from Talinger or Trayectoria del Encargado suggested himself. Rothsbere Athletic’s promotion can only be a good thing. Even if they are all commie turncoat grass-is-always-greener two-faced paddies.

Yet out there in Neorvins, any residual sympathies for the opposing country soon dwindled as the Sortherners stormed into the lead. Taking advantage of their now hopelessly lopsided opponents and Enilson Beattie’s wholesale lack of defensive skills, the veteran Aeden Bennett twice caught the VRC man out to leave Darian O’Reilly (not Northlandish! Not even remotely!) too much to do. Sorthern Northland have had the advantage of quality all over the pitch in a way that C&M, with Webb as their focus, could only dream of. Yet as Bennett began to drain away, SN began to face their biggest test of the tournament so far, and began to feel the pressure. If Yehudi Bailey’s was simply a superb solo effort, stretching past two attempted tackles and scoring in the corner, then Beattie’s was a sign that C&M had collectively grown an inch while the aging Bennett shrunk into himself.

Gajarsky’s audacious drop showed the confidence suddenly streaming through Candelariasian veins but, if Lukus Volzski’s had more of the air of desperation about it, it worked just as well. The quality, inevitably, couldn’t possibly stay this high; and C&M gave up two needless offsides, but the Huge Blues were soon breaking the defence again, and Damien Mella kept up his kicking duties after young Ryan Hughes had fouled in the ruck.

After putting over another penalty from another offside, and taking the lead once more, it was time for the killer blow. You don’t need me to tell you how Beattie finished it off. You’ll see it just about every day for the next couple of years…

And so, the Huge Blues lifted the Cup, and it was just about deserved. Me, well I reckon rugby was the winner; and I spent the hours after the final whistle enjoying the little things. Mark Webb, in his neckbrace, kissing the trophy. Alex Baron consoling his second cousin Alfie Ervin, with a smirk. Adi Kinsella walking around in a daze, as if he simply couldn’t believe it. The beautiful and long-awaited mangling of ‘Candelaria And Marquez’ on KBC’s SportsWorld. Thousands of fans lining the streets of Neorvins, draped in a flag which, while not as fine as the opposition flag, is still a fine flag, on a day like today.

And beating Sorthern Northland in the final of the Rugby World Cup, of course. Not a bad day’s work, for a Saturday.

Candelaria And Marquez 30
Tries: Bailey 46, Beattie 54 and 76
Conversions: Mella (3)
Penalties: Mella (2)
Drop Goals: Gajarsky (1)

Sorthern Northland 23
Tries: Bennett 28 and 37
Conversions: Bennett (2)
Penalties: Heim (2)
Drop Goals: Volzski (1)