D1: Old White  23 -- Nashville  15

 

Atlanta -- Saturday, November 8th 2008. by Bo Marr.

 

"You don't have anything else to worry about today. Today, your job is being a rugby player. Today, its just you and your 14 brothers."
--Charles Mcfeaters 

 

Old White and all of her fans had one of those days which reminds us all why we are so passionate about rugby. It was a perfectly beautiful fall day in the south and Atlanta Old White was playing their first Division I matrix match of the 2008-2009 season against conference rival Nashville. Tension and excitement were thick in the air with the knowlege that every matrix match is so important and with the hope that only a new season can bring.

 

Nashville played a courageous match having travelled the 4 hours from Nashville, TN early that morning with only 15 men. However, even the most outstanding courage was no match for the aggressiveness of a hungry Old White team playing on their home turf with an energetic crowd behind them. Thanks goes out to all of the Old White family that made the day possible. Having over 200 fans cheering for you makes such a big difference as a player. Big Ups goes to Joey Bambinelli and the Bambinelli's restaurant chain for sponsoring the social after the match.

 

The game started off with several bone-crushing hits by the Old White pack, setting the tone for the game very early on. Several balls were almost picked off as the Atlanta forwards got such a good jump from the scrums and lineouts that the opposing flyhalf and scrumhalf were taken down with jarring hits as soon as the ball arrived in their hands. The scoring was started off with a good Atlanta team effort establishing field position deep in Nashville territory when a penalty was committed. Dave "Dangerous Hair" Winiarczyk put a kick through, Atlanta up 3 - 0. Nashville started off with good strategic kicking and eventually were able to get in range for a kick themselves, score tied early in the match 3 - 3.

 

The referee of the game admitted afterwards that Old White was simply more physical all day with our strength being our gang tackling, and this held true allowing for the first try of the match. After Nashville was put on their heels, Mike, the promising rookie wing fresh from Georgia Tech, put tremendous pressure on the Nashville deep three with a kick deep into opposing territory. Blind side flanker, Bo, was able to scoop the ball up from the kick where the other loosies, Charlie and Kevin Warde, quickly secured the resulting ruck. With a broken Nashville defense, rookie scrum-half Lee, sent the ball out to the backline where Marty dummied to Eric ATF and sent a ball out wide to Marnus where he broke several tackles and dumped the ball off to another great rookie find, Matt Grinney from Emory, who was able to scoot around the defense and put the ball down for an unconverted try. Lee and Marty were an exceptional 9-10 combo, generating offense, securing rucks, and tackling throughout the day. Atlanta up 8 - 3.

 

The second Old White try of the game was one of the biggest momentum shifts a game could have. Nashville had setup for a penalty kick to get within 2 points. The kick bounced off the post and landed in Lee's hands who sprinted back up the field and once he met the defense, popped the ball to a berserking Charlie McFeaters. Charlie broke a tackle, stiff armed a second man, and dragged a third man behind him, effectively sucking in the entire remaining Nashville defense. At the last minute before finally going down, he popped to a lighting-quick Marnus who outraced the rest of the defense for a 95 meter converted try. Atlanta up 15 - 3.

 

The final Old White try of the day occurred when Old White was deep within Nashville territory. A few kicks, a few won rucks, a maul off of a lineout, saw Old White down on the 5 meter line. The advanced territorial position can in large part be attributed to the Old White tight five made up of starters Hunter, Wally, Joe Lang, Joe Bambinelli, and Joe Guilmartin and where Keith, Stetson, and Francois substituted, controlled the lineouts and scrums all day. Several balls were won off of defensive scrums solely because of the machine-like force of these men. On the 5 meter line, twins was run with the pack and the ball was eventually sent out to Marty who dummied a pass outside and then bolted for the try-zone himself. After several tacklers closed in on him, he somehow shoveled a pass through the defenders to Bo who put the ball down for an unconverted try Atlanta up 20 - 3, which was the score at the half.

 

A note-worthy play occurred in the second half. Wally, who had been putting devastating hits on the opponent all day -- even taking one Nashville player temporarily out of the game -- collided with teammate Dave W. and had to be taken to the hospital for 12 stitches on his forehead. He's doing well, but the same might not be said for the emotional state of his new fiancee. We're all glad the engagement pictures have already been taken.

 

Brian "Stetson" Fenik, Dave Ngamau, Keith Strellis, and Francois substituted in for the pack in the second half. Ekypop "Iggy" substituted in for scrum half with Seth and Ron Omondi coming in at wing. All did exceptional jobs, holding Nashville to 2 tries for the rest of the game. Final score 23 - 15.

 

 

Old White D1:

1. Bambinelli

2. Joe Lang

3. Joe "Minnow" Guilmartin

4. Hunter "Stonewall" Clark

5. Wally Mlynarski

6. Bo Marr

7. Charles "Sideburns" McFeaters

8. Kevin Warde

9. Lee Kornfeld

10. Marty O'Donoghue

11. Mike Aaron

12. Eric "ATF" Degree

13. Marnus Coetzee

14. Matt Grinney

15. Dave "Metro" Winiarczyk

 

16. Dave Ngamau

17. Keith "Bullet" Strellis

18. Eakypop "Iggy" Pairam

19. Brian "Stetson" Fenik

20. Ronn Omondi

21. Seth Gazes

22. Francois De Bruin