A VICTORY IN PAIN – a fabulous game displayed by Maxime GAUDEMER
@ Sunday 10 April 2016 – Yanokuchi rugby ground
2016 AFRC deVere Cup, report by Mr Le President, Bruno LEROY
AFRC 24 – Gentle Mushi 19
AFRC Team : Tanaka, Matt Pasini, Sano, Cedric Rubak, Anthony Estrella, Maxime Gaudemer, Baptiste Dufresne, Florian Larramendy (C), Onda, Atsushi, Kazu, Taka, Dan Connor, Yas, Jerome. Substitutes : Kosuke Yamamoto, Ryo, Ras
Score:
4min : 0-7 (converted try)
22 min : 0-14 (converted try)
28min : 7-14 (Try Maxime Gaudemer – Conversion Taka)
Half time : 7-14
38min : 14-14 (Try Atsushi- Conversion Taka)
41 min : 19-14 (Try Ryo)
56 min : 19-19 (Unconverted try)
64 min 24-19 (Try Maxime Gaudemer
Final score : 24-19
Are we satisfied with the game played by the AFRC last Sunday? Yes, if we consider the full time score, a victory 24-19 which let us hope to get back the trophy vs the Dandelions…… but surely not with the game displayed by our team. Let me explain you my disappointment.
1st of all, we have seen too many tactical errors, particularly from our centers who have played the same strategy the whole game : CHALLENGING THE OPPONENT SIDE even when we outnumbered our opponents for a surely scored try if we had opened wide.
We experienced again, in fact, the problem we got for the last seasons. We played individually and not at all collectively.
A bit same when we insisted to skip the pass to our center and Gentle Mushi was so happy to intercept the ball, an action which cost us 7 points and more if the referee was not keen enough to signal an off side position from their dangerous and speedy #13.
2nd of it: we lost many balls on our own throw-in at line out. More coordination should be worked out.
At the opposite, our forwards made few mistakes. Our scrums were strong and dynamic, leaving the Gentle Mushi in difficult position to use correctly their own throw ins.
We were able to make nice mauls particularly from Maxime Gaudemer who played his best game so far this year.
Finally, Atsushi, as full back, saved 2 tries with perfect tackles at 5 meters from our try line which should have led to a defeat since these 2 actions happened in the last 10 mns.
Once again, our play was levelled up when Ryo took over the fly half position at the start of the 2nd half. His vista and speed helped us to take, for the first time in the game, the lead 19-14, thanks to 2 tries in the first 6 min of the 2nd half.
Idem with Kosuke who showed us great runs when he replaced Matthieu Pasini after half time.
5 min later, the Gentle Mushi scored an unconverted try to level the score at 19-19, profitting from a yellow card given to Anthony for a dangerous tackle on the Gentle Mushi’s flanker which has left the AFRC playing at 14 vs 15 for 10 mns.
From that time, no team showed superiority and the territorial domination was well balanced between the 2 teams leaving the attendance along the ground in big nervous tension and worry that the worst may happen at any moment.
Thanksfully, Maxime Gaudemer scored his 2nd try, 6mns before the end of the game to give the final word to the AFRC which won its 3rd game in the 2016 AFRC deVere rugby cup.
I would like to conclude by thanking Jo, Mika, Keisuke Kinoshita, Alexandre and their friends to have come to support the team. We appreciated their efforts.
Next game will be the virtual final deciding the 2006 cup winner between the AFRC and the Dandellions which have won their games vs Mocossus by 65 to 36.
Pooling ranking after 3 days :
AFRC de Vere cup table
1st : AFRC : 13 pts – 3 games – 3 victory – 1 bonus pt
2nd: Dandellions : 10 pts – 2 games – 2 victory – 2 bonus pts
3rd : No side : 5 pts – 2 games – 1 victory – 1 defeat – 1 bonus pt
4th : Gentle giants 1 pts – 3 games – 0 victory – 3 defeats – 1 bonus pt
5th : Moccosus : 0 pt – 2 games – 0 victory – 2 defeats
