by Escalator Puncher
It was a sunny October day as the Crusaders convened in Edogawa for a friendly with the Meguro Chasers. Though the match was to be off record, both sides were anticipating a strong showing to bolster their ranks for the upcoming Shuto League fixtures. In a welcome turn of events, the Cru were joined by their budding counterparts of Squires RFC (A U23 side created by ex-Crusader Roy Yorke) in an opportunity to cut their own teeth prior to registered competition. Likewise, the opponent would be a mixture of both the Meguro Chasers and Fuji club, Barbarians if you will. As the captains convened prior to start, it was decided the match would be played in scrimmage format with three periods of 20 minutes each. As the ball was sent on high by Captain Sparrow (ha), it quickly became apparent this Barbarians side was not to be trifled with.
By the end of the first period, the Barbarians were up by a margin 0f 21-0. Vice Captain of the day Brett Pentland Smith refused to lay down and die though, sending a chip kick through near the 35th minute to setup a CRU try and reinvigorate the boys. David Limin wasted no time getting stuck in as well, running crash ball to the level of putting numerous Barbarians on their rears and points on the board. Valiant defense by the visiting Squires proved invaluable although futile as the final score line read 56-21 in favor of the Barbarians. The chosen MVP of the match was Robin Tapuvae, whose brutality made a name for himself and the team weekends over.
See you next time!