Big Day 'O' Footy. And decision time too. Do we play to celebrate our seasons end, play to deny Lyttelton a chance at the title or play just to get an awful season over and done with? I'm proud to say we played for Keith and our Team mates and Toad and Kev and Freddy and Chester and Jonesy and Jamie who all reached personal game milestones. And we played because we wanted to beat bloody Lyttelton whom we have never beaten before.

Toad gave us some inspiration to help us on our own way to reach the same number of games (300) and the same number of points (806 or 2 ⅔ points per game) as he did. A remarkable achievement that the club didn't seem to really care about as much as we did.

As expected, Lyttelton came out strong in their pool of available players, while we came out strong in scoring first. Which set the tone for the entire game. Until it changed a bit to pushing and shoving and sin binning and stuff later on. But the start was the start we'd been wanting for the previous 16 games or so, so I was well chuffed we finally got it right.
Tito, once he learns the rules and where to position himself and gets to know the difference in wing and full back will be a bloody good asset to the team next season provided his probation officer (Webby) can get him to the games on time. Or at all.
Bravo and his Dad also have a career in Keith rugby if they want it. They've only played 250 (actually 249 but who's counting) games between them and both dotted down in casual, yet comfortable style each.
Dick, the friendliest player in the team with more friends than you and I and 4 random strangers put together have, kicked most of the tries (including his own) which went down well with his friends. many of whom were at home flicking through the TV channels trying to find the game but eventually giving up and watching women's softball instead.
Oh, and Sam scored too.

I think we actually lost this game, and last weeks game, three weeks ago we the team somehow or other decided to not put the effort in. I also think we lost this game we the team somehow started relying on players who we knew may not be available and still didn't factor that in as a possibility. I also think that it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you guys want and it matters how you guys respond to set backs.
The response, no matter how solid and Keithly it may be, may not be enough in the time frame left to us.
So if we give up and say the season's finished or give our all to make the season end worthwhile is the choice that is put before us. Choose wisely.

Was good to have Ross back to replace the sudden departure of Murray and good to have Uli, Freddy and Mark settling the forwards. Some aspects of forward play were better than others and I wont mention the lineout throw ins at all except to say that can Kevin Mealamu come and give us some pointers please?
Webby talked his way into a marriage he didn't know he was partaking in and yet still managed to talk the forwards into doing excellent forwardy things at rucks and mauls so the skittery backs could do skittery back things like run and pass and stuff. I'm still not sure if I prefer Dick up front or deep in the back, but whichever position he finds himself in on a week by week basis, he doesn't disappoint. Bravo and Ross also did not disappoint but Toad who pulled a hammy last week came off early with the same problem. His old old old mate Rob filed in nicely for him though.