It's not always easy picking the right starting team. It's not always easy deciding someone is better than another. It's not always easy to get the balance of players vs position equal. But today, Chief and Cal managed to pull it together nicely. Having our focus on the conditions of the day and the team we're playing against instead of choosing a player for a specific position because "that's where he goes" are over. I hope.
It was shown today by the full 100% Champagne Keith Rugby performance that when we go down that route, we're a much better team for it.

Mark in his very long awaited 50th game, anchored the front row nicely, thereby setting up our locks well. The Tongan trio in the loose gave us options we've always had, but seldom used, with last weeks game showing us the way, we used those options again to great effect.
All the other forward reserves who came on added to the Keithliness of the game, even Mike who came up from Queenstown for it.

Two skitteries, Toad and Not Griff because the real Griff was NOT AT THE GAME AT ALL AND DIDN'T BREAK HIS ARM, had to come off early due to ummm, injury. Replacement parts have been ordered. The replacement players, however, proved instant successes. Georgie's boot was phenomenal both in accuracy and distance. Excepting one or two occasions. If Trouty is impressed, we should all be impressed. Mossie and Shane went hell bent for leather tackling and chasing doing skittery things in a skittery fashion. They no longer looked out of place at all. Hopefully they're both having a good time playing rugby.

Stand-out back was the ever dependable Ross. Leaping onto the backs of Belfast players to bring them down like a leopard onto a tree monkey. Plus, he tackled well too.

While the score at the end wasn't the desired one, the effort we put in was. The first half was magnificent in almost every aspect, but particularly in our defence. Murray took 22 minutes to score the first points of the game, which shows how hard both teams were fighting for dominance and possession. He took only 2 more minutes to not convert his own try. Georgie, then took over the kicking with two excellent penalties.

The second half we remained scoreless but just because we let Belfast across the try line does not mean in any way shape or form that we didn't play well or play like demons or be Keithly. Because we did and today, for me, and others watching, was the game of the year. So Thank You Keith for that.

Next week we have Christchurch, with many Keiths away in Wellington. We've proven this week and last that players who push themselves while in positions they're not comfortable with, can often come out on top. Let's do that again.