This is part 2 of a 5-part series. See also: part 1, part 3, part 4, and part 5.
After 3 beautiful days of weather, Sunday September 11th dawned with some windy bluster and sheets of rain. Today was obviously an important day of remembrance for Americans everywhere, and for your favorite tourists it was no different. Massey RFC hosted us on a day that started with the roar of a lion, but tapered off like a lamb by kick-off.
The match kicked off at 1pm, and was a closely held affair. The final score was 17-14, with Massey edging the tourists in extra time by scoring 7 tries to our 1. Editor’s note:There were no kiwi birds killed in the mathematics used to determine this score.
An important component of rugby is the post-match recognition of the players of the match. Rugby is a game that prides itself on teamwork and annononimity, but rewards outstanding individual achievement in the player of the match awards. As rugby consists of foward and back positions, we tend to award one such recognition per position. For the forwards, Matt “Stubbs” Czerniak displayed a tenecious ball hawking on kick-offs, as well as some fantastic loose play.
For the backs, Sarah Thomas took the trophy. She was able to overcome stereotypes and weather to put on a defensive clinic on the wing. Needless to say, she was the most popular tourist to date.
The aftermatch consisted of some fine speeches, as well as a rousing and tear jerking rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by the Harlequins prior to the USA Eagles kick-off vs. the Irish. Massey RFC provided an awesome spread and embraced us as one of their own.
One more hospitable evening in Auckland awaits us, as Hamilton beckons your adventurous tourists. The hospitality of the Massey folks, and the New Zealand people in general, has rarely been seen on any tour, and will not be soon forgotten.
Yours in rugby,
Prince Jim
