Round 5 v Manly Savers
Hello to all oysters, pearls, crustaceans and land based beings – welcome back to another Circular! With the election and 4 rounds of McLean Cup rugby behind us, the stage was set for a mouth-watering top of the table clash between yours truly and our fellow aquatic rugby goers from across the bridge – the Manly Savers. With the continued deluge across Sydney in recent weeks, the Oyster men schlepped it out to Gunyama park once again, deep into the concrete jungle of Zetland, for a joyous dose of synthetic symbiosis. With the session and a quattro pizza under our belts, all eyes turned to Saturday for what shaped to be an absolute hum-dinger of an encounter - and oh it did not disappoint! A classic vignette of suburban rugby; the air was thick with Deepheat and Vicks, moreton bay figs swayed in the breeze, and a golden ray of light shined down on our number 1 ticket holder; a rather fiery and boisterous character who dined with John Laws at Catalina pre-game. “Thou oysters doth build up courage, go forth and conquer”... he muttered (or something to that effect 100 times over).
Exhibit A: The Ferry Cup - Silverware was on the line
Now after three years of cementing our club into the streets of the Eastern Suburbs, like an Oyster latches onto a Suez Canal container ship, we’ve no doubt won over many local fans who are proud to call us their local team. While some like Max at the Light Brigade fell in love with us quickly, other local Rushcutters residents are a little slow to purchase our club merch (Available here) and we came across one on the weekend. We have to give a special mention this week to “Rate Payer Pete”, who bravely decided to walk up to 25 steaming Oysters and Coach Wiv to let us know we were doing our famous warm-up Karaoke skips on his favourite 10mx10m blade of grass, and as such were really ruining his weekend! The Oysters were “in the way and hogging the park” (which we book) and to that we must ask, what was the charge?! Playing some park rugby? Some succulent local park rugby?! After a heated discussion, which ended in a firm handshake from him and a firm head shake from us, the Oysters had even more fire in our bellies to amp up for the Ferry Cup. So we really must thank Pete for his public commotion, we couldn’t have done this week’s win without ya! And so it was game time baby! Mollusc vs mollusc, corso vs opera house, steyne hotel vs light brigade hotel. It was on like Donkey Kong…
Exhibit B: 15 fine Oyster men ready for kickoff awaiting a late Manly Savers team.
Coaches Report
Finding the heart of a mongrel dog might be through an oyster.
Lyne Park was looking an absolute treat for the early season top of the table clash with the Manly Savers. As the Oysters warmed up, there was a fairly fired up member of the public that wanted to join the oysters for the first hit up of the back fence, it must’ve had something to do with how the oyster boys looked during the warm up, fired up is an understatement, it was peak Lachy Argiris territory as he pumped his chest out declaring Lesssgoooo.
Exhibit C: #8 Lachy Argiris with his chest pumped out taking it to the savers defence
The final words from skip Angus McClelland, was about fun and mongrel dogs, something which brought a tear to the coaches eyes. The Oysters went out there and from the first whistle to the last, they showed that a mongrel dog does have the heart of an oyster. It was by far the clunkiest the Oysters attack looked all year, where the ball wasn’t as slick as it had been in recent weeks. Opportunities in the first half were missed, but none of the bruising defence was missing, for the Oysters were truly turning up for one another, with no player laying on the ground for a rest but rather eager like a mongrel dog getting back up for more.
Exhibit D: Openside Flanker Nick “Senator” Findlay stealing another ball like Pocock does Senate Seats
It was a back and forth first half with the Oysters working hard to preserve themselves in the scrum due to Manly having complete and utter dominance at set piece, it lead to the first penalty attempt at goal for Manly to take the lead just before half time making it three nil.
Exhibit E: Kiwi Import Seb Gould going for a charge down the left wing
At half time, the coaches were impressed with the resilience of the Oysters, the message was very simple, continue with the mongrel dog mentality and defensive mindset, with the positive that staying in the fight is what the mongrel dog loves. Ohhhhh the coach aka Wiv’s heart was melting.
The tight tussle continued into the early moments in the second half, with the Oysters putting themselves under pressure with unforced errors and the ball not going to hand. During the second half, there was a clear change when Nick Findlay of Doctor Doctor fame, produced a steal for the ages, that put the oysters on attack, the oysters strung some phases together prior to a penalty. The penalty was tapped quickly and continual goal line play saw a nice, neat pass from skipper Gus to Jack Remond to score next to the post for Hamish Lorang to slot the extra two points. As the half went on the hit’s kept coming, with the finishers coming on to lift the intensity and keep the oysters line intact. The defensive efforts from Nick Stubbs, Duncan Hood, Dan Bottrell and Harry Tate set the standard for the oysters to finish the game winners.
Exhibit F: Flyhalf Jack Remond dives over for the only try of the game
It was by far the toughest game of the year and a lot of sore bodies post game, we really want to thank Manly Savers for coming back to support our sponsor pub the Light Brigade, it is was club rugby is about, having a tough game and getting back to the pub, sharing a drink, a laugh and stories about the game.
Exhibit G: WANTED: Scrum Doctor! Enquire Within
- 4th June: Sponsors day v Renegades at Woollahra #1 Oval
- 11th June: Queen's Birthday Weekend. No Games. Long live Liz.
- 18th June: Oysters v Merrylands at Holroyd Sports Ground
- 25th June: Oysters v Redfield Old Boys at Redfield College
- 2nd July: PEARLS’ DAY (LADIES DAY) v Epping @ Woollahra #1 Oval
Exhibit H: An essential date for the diary for all Oyster loving ladies. Girlfriends, sisters, mums, aunties, grandma’s etc. See you all there!
Sponsors
As always thank you very much to our generous sponsors. Without them there is no Oysters Rugby. Please support their businesses where available
Thank you and have a great week.
#SHUCKEM