Mavs lose out to a stronger strong Team

Once again The Mavericks we’re measured on the strength of their resolve as opposed to the outcome.
After a prolonged absence due to the Christmas break and New Year celebrations The Mavericks returned to the field relishing the second half of the season and looking forward to the challenges ahead. Today was going to be the beginning of a tough few weeks of rugby for the men from Malone Field. The Mavericks had beaten a strong Birkenhead Park Team earlier in the season and as we travelled we knew that the main dish on the menu would be revenge. As we all know it’s best served cold, however, today’s performance was anything but.
Once again the woes of the Gaffer could be heard following an eventful morning, but not to dwell on the matter the Mavericks eventually arrived with an anticipated 15 players following a late reorganisation from 17. Once again the team were effected by no shows which depleted the team to 14 for kick off. Before the game the Gaffer pulled the players together to emphasise a few key points, the main one being pride in performance followed closely by commitment and pride in the shirt. As we knew it was going to be a hard fought battle and if we weren’t ready to put everything we had into the game it was about to be a torrid eighty minutes.
What followed showed what being a Maverick is all about, yes we were beaten by a better, fitter and stronger team 41-10 however the way the team played, the way the team soaked up pressure and the way the team fought for every single minute of the eighty was a real strength for the future. Individually every player gave 100% and as I’ve said manny many times before. If we play well and lose then so be it , f we play badly and lose that is unforgivable. The former took the spoils today and everyone could leave that pitch with their heads held high (despite the result).
The game itself started well with Mavericks soaking up pressure for the first ten minutes before Park went over for the first of there tries for the afternoon. With the exception of two well worked tries from Parks back line most of the damage was caused by the big runners at centre and in the back row and despite some typically abrasive activity Park ran out clear winners from this confrontation. Approximately 30 mins into the second half and cometh the hour cometh the man and a figure is seen approaching from the club house in the form of Andy Thompson who had managed to slip the bonds of previous arrangements and arrived to take up his rightful place at 10.
This seemed to re-invigorate the Mavericks and with 15 on each side the tide turned with increased possession and increased territory which ultimately resulted in a typically robust and sniping try from Neil Brookes who managed to run through the large forward Park defensive line and force himself over the line to score.
Half time came and went and following a quick ‘chat’ by Andy Smith and the Gaffer realisation dawned that The Mavericks were achieving a majority of territory and the failings appeared in our ability to finish from the final quarter. Something to build upon !
More Park tries finally put the game out of reach for the plucky Mavs. However Andy Thompson had other ideas with some inciteful running and clever kicking Andy charged down a defensive kick by the Park full back and outran the covering defence to score an excellent opportunistic try to complete the game at 41-10. The final 15 minutes were played again with 14 men following an injury to Dom Neville who once again produced a fabulous performance at 10 and then switching to the back row to provide stability in the pack in defence.
Noticeable performances this week are very difficult to highlight as every player contributed everything they had. Mike Potter responded well and Graham Keen continues to perform well in the front row. The backs played well together and the introduction of a new player Josh Ward on the wing shows another talent on the way through the ranks. Dom Neville, Andy Thompson and Andy Smith continue to provide impetus and direction on the field, however, for the second time this season my man of the match this week goes to Nev Pickard who provides a level of commitment and ability that continually allows the forwards to make ground on the opposition. A proper tough uncompromising forward who is at the bottom of every ruck and at the front of every maul. A very close call between him and Dom Neville both players suffered at the hands of the opposition which shows their impact.
A fabulous committed performance from everyone and one that was a privilege to watch, looking forward to a repeat next week.

Semel a Mavericus, Semper a Mavericus

The Gaffer