The Barbarians copped a second straight loss today against a dogged Eastside Banshees visiting from Minneapolis.
The first half was a tight contest to be sure with both teams trading barbs.
But the Barbarians accuracy with ball-in-hand, and their ability to convert red zone entries into points, saw the hosts ahead 17-7 at the half-time whistle.
But the Banshees — still stinging from their loss on the same pitch last year in the 2023-2024 Midwest semi-final — flipped the script in the second half and scored 14 unanswered points.
Although the Banshees gave up numerous penalties, handling errors from the Barbarians provided a good counter-balance for the visitors. They used the possession to attack for long periods and penetrate the hosts defense.
And while the visitors only converted 1/5 red zone entries in the first half, they converted 2/4 in the second earning 2 converted tries.
In the dying moments, the Barbarians were pressing inside the visitors half, but the Banshees held on to take the win 21-17.
Congrats to Luke Ellis on earning Man of the Match honors.
The Barbarians are now 2-2-0 in Division 2 play. In their next D2 match, the Barbarians meet their cross-town rivals Milwaukee RFC on Saturday 10/5/24 at the Old Gun Club pitch.
Match statistics
| KPI | Barbarians | Banshees |
|---|---|---|
| Penalties | 10 | 14 |
| Knock-ons/Forward Pass | 10 | 10 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Line-out Success | 78% (7/9) | 78% (7/9) |
| Scrum Success | 89% (8/9) | 100% (9/9) |
| Red-zone Success | 50% (3/6) | 30% (3/9) |
| Cards | 0 | 1 (Y) |
| Tries | 3 | 3 |
| Conversions | 1 | 3 |
| Penalty Kicks | 0 | 0 |
| Points Scored | 17 | 21 |
