New York-Manhattan vs NYAC “B”

29^th April 2006, Pier 40. Kick-off 7:30pm

Score: NYM 22 - 20 NYAC

After a 4 week lay-off NYM finally got their spring season going by beating arguably their toughest opponent so far. This was despite 4 men being sent to the sin bin. One conversion was the difference between two sides that scored four tries apiece. Just reward for NYMs endeavor in training over the last couple of weeks.

It was a beautiful day in the city, perfect for rugby. The Tribeca film festival and the lack of a 1 train meant that traffic made it difficult to get to the pitch. NYAC “B” was made up of players who didn’t travel to Chicago for the Super League side but they would be well drilled. Promising signs were seen in the warm up and that was translated to the game. NYM started by hitting their straps and after a couple of nervy moments in their own half won a scrum just outside the NYAC 22. Ben Whitney picked up from 8 and went open. Matt Beckley came charging onto the quick ruck ball to set up a second phase and tie in defenders. The ball went out to the backs where Duncan Heilbronn dragged his defender across and gave a deft pass to Fitzy coming back on the angle for the first try. NYAC worked their way quickly back down though and despite some stout defending put their prop over on the right wing from a quickly taken penalty. Shortly after Ryan McElduff was sent to the sin-bin for throwing a punch but NYM came back. A penalty in NYACs 22 was tapped quickly and given to Matt Beckley who charged straight for the line, hit a couple of players and just managed to ground the ball on the line. Unfortunately Metro-East missed the conversion. NYAC came back strongly into the NYM half and NYM made it harder for themselves by committing numerous penalties for not coming through the gate at the ruck and not getting back 10m. This eventually resulted in Matt Persanis and John “Rockhead” Yuhas getting sent for 10 minutes cooling off time in quick succession. With NYM down to 13 men for the remainder of the half NYAC piled on the pressure and spread it one way, then the other. Eventually NYM ran out of defenders and NYAC were able to go over in the left corner. Again the conversion was missed to leave the scores at the half 10-10. NYM had played hard and although rookie inexperience meant John Yuhas got himself sent to the sin-bin he had been everywhere on the pitch. In one effort he made a stunning hit on the NYAC full back, rocking him backwards, while simultaneously stealing the ball before the guy had hit the deck. NYM had looked very solid at set piece winning all their lineouts and even nudging NYAC back in the scrums a couple of times.

The second half started with NYM down two players and they let NYAC in for a quick score but once Matt and John were back on the pitch they came back strongly. A couple of penalties were kicked to touch and NYM decided it was time to test NYACs defeding of the rolling maul. Showing great control NYM rolled it close to the line but couldn’t get the score. NYAC stole the ball and relieved the pressure but NYM instantly got back into a similar position and tried the same tactic. This sucked in defenders and the ball went out to Matt Smith. With the NYAC centers flying up a gap opened between the fly half and inside center which Matt gratefully accepted to ghost through and score, but again the conversion went begging. Duncan Heilbronn then had to go off due to a sprained ankle so Mike Annicelli came into second row, with Gabriel moving to flank so that Toth could move into the centers and find more room for his barnstorming runs. Gabriel continued his harrying of the NYAC scrum half and cleaned up at the back of the lineout, the NYAC hooker unerringly finding him. NYAC were resorting to long, wide passes as they attempted to spread NYM and look for gaps on the outside but the NYM cover defense scrambled well with Fitzy, Danny Sonon, Pat Schaal and Eastman snuffing them out. Danny had put in some of his trademark bone-crunching, made in PA tackles, while Pat Schaal relished the defensive work getting up time and again to make two or three tackles in quick succession. A breakout from one of these defensive efforts put Eastman away, with the cover getting across to him he slipped a pass inside to Toth just before he hit the sideline. Toth got away from the NYAC defense but with the supporting Matt Persanis covered he took it into contact. NYAC were penalized for diving in and while they protested to the ref that Eastman had been in touch earlier in the move Matt Smith took the quick tap to get the try. He converted his own try to put NYM in the lead 22-15. NYAC came back with their wide-passing game and a few minutes later were able to make it tell as their center cut back against the flow to go in under the posts. Astonishingly the kick was missed. Keelan Walker was brought on at this point to slow the game down as NYAC attempted to run us ragged but after just one strong run he was involved in an altercation with a NYAC flanker and both sent to the sin-bin. NYM resisted the pressure from NYAC in the final minutes and rocked them back into their own half. Their scrum half, who had tried to orchestrate things for his team, tried a couple of little dinks that didn’t quite come off. NYAC committed two penalties though that allowed NYM to relieve this pressure and put them back into their half. Pressing for a final try Matt Smith put a beautiful kick into the NYAC corner 5m from their line. Although they won the lineout the kick to touch was the final action of the game. Everyone had left it on the field as NYM lived with a NYAC team who were fit and fast. We took it to them in the forwards when we had 15 men on the pitch, and resisted well even when we were down.

Man of the Match: Matt Beckley and Mike Toth ran hard and fast, John Yuhas was everywhere, Ben Whitney controlled the back of the scrums and the contact area very well but it goes to Matt Smith. He controlled the game very well, AND bagged two tries and the all important conversion. Dicks of the Day: All those who got a yellow card - Ryan, Matt, John and Keelan.

1. Ryan McElduff, 2. Matt Persanis, 3. Matt Beckley, 4. Gabriel Fuoco, 5. Scott Crafton, 6. John Yuhas, 7. Mike Toth, 8. Ben Whitney, 9. Ed Brydon, 10. Matt Smith, 11. Danny Sonon, 12. Duncan Heilbronn, 13. Brian Fitzgerald (c), 14. Pat Schaal, 15. Brian Eastman. Subs: Mike Annicelli for Duncan Heilbronn (60 minutes; Mike Toth to center, Mike Annicelli to lock, Gabriel Fuoco to flanker), Keelan Walker for John Yuhas (70 minutes), Steve MacLeod for Pat Schaal (75 minutes).

The B game was a messy affair with NY Americans bringing only 10 men with them and a young inexperienced ref. Players shared sides in order to make up the numbers and we had uncontested scrums. Several players stood out well though including Henry Williams, who scored two tries with quick and strong direct running, Cody “Big Stewie” Eckstein used his bulk to good effect and Luca had some good runs from the back. We won although I didn’t manage to find out the final score.

Man of the Match: John Yuhas for his tireless work in his second game of the day, still putting in those hits.

All in all a good way to get the second half of the season rolling.