AFRC (Blue) vs Superman (Black)
The All France Rugby Club hosted the Superman for a friendly match on a beautiful spring day.
Last year, their Tokyo Cup clash ended in a heavy defeat for the Blues (47–0). No Tokyo Cup for All France this season — but perhaps a chance for revenge next year.
On their side, the Superman, currently competing in the Tokyo Cup, chose to protect their squad: their full lineup only played the first half, with many changes made after the break.
A tight first half
From kickoff, both teams set a high tempo. The Superman showed great intensity at the breakdown, fighting hard to win turnovers.
But the Blues struck first: after a great break down the wing by Felix, they opened the scoring with a converted try.
The Superman quickly responded. Following a powerful maul starting from their own 22 meters, they applied strong pressure and eventually crossed the line to level the score.
Coach Masa then made a few substitutions that brought fresh energy to the team. Shortly after, from a 5-meter scrum, the ball was spread wide and grounded between the posts.
Despite about ten minutes of sustained pressure from the Superman, the All France defense held firm, even managing to stop a try in their own in-goal area.
The turning point came from Augustin: an interception followed by a full-field run. Stopped just short of the try line, the ball was quickly moved to the right wing where Felix finished the move.
21–7 at halftime
A dramatic second half
The first ten minutes after the break saw no scoring, until the Superman broke through on the right side and finished with a well-followed kick into the in-goal area.
They then added two more tries, including one from Wouter, coming back strongly and even taking the lead.
But All France responded immediately: a quick pass to the wing allowed Martin to score a brilliant try, putting the Blues back in contention.
A few minutes later, after regaining possession, the ball was quickly moved to the left wing where Martin scored his second try of the match.
The final blow came from a superb team move, with the Blues running the length of the field and Masa scoring just before the final whistle.
Final score: 38 – 26
A great comeback and a strong performance from the All France Rugby Club in a thrilling and hard-fought match.
