Rodillians Legends
 
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LegEnds
Saturday
21 March 2009

2:15pm Kick-off
v
Rodillians
LegEnds
  Harrogate
Pythons


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Coaching

Conditioning consists of arriving at Manley Park and having a pre-training cigarette. Get changed in the luxurious changing rooms (modelled on the Millenium Stadium) and spend 15-20 minutes strapping on neoprene and bandages.
Another quick drag, then a slow wonder up to the top of the first team field (this is the warm-up). Toss the ball about between yourselves for 10 minutes before launching into a fully fledged session of Touch and Pass.
Depending upon conditions (weather and the players), this may last up to 10 minutes.
Another walk back to the changing rooms and cigarette before the laborious effort of getting changed back into your street clothes.
Then a chance to rehydrate before heading off home secure in the knowledge you are maintaining your body as a temple.


Mrs Walton writes...

For those of you not taking your training seriously and thinking you can miss sessions and just play, please see this weeks attachment sent in by a concerned Mrs Walton who in an emotional plea says this is what confronts her every evening and quite literally doesn't know which way to turn !!



I'm starting to worry about Ray...


Ray Heslop, centre for Rods Leg-Ends and his surgeons Christoph Hoehnke, right, and Edgar Biemer, left, attend a news conference in Munich, southern Germany on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008. Ray who received the world's first complete double arm transplant is recovering well and able to perform some basic tasks, though doctors said it still could take up to two-years until he re-learns how to use his hands. This should not be a problem as he has spent most of his previous life doing the same. Doctors spent 15 hours on September 25-26 grafting the donor arms onto the body of 74-year-old Ray.



Fixtures

Good news on the fixture front. Stuart Knight has confirmed more fixtures. The dates for your diary are :

RFU Week*DateCoffin-Dodger XV versusVenue
3September 20, 2008Huddersfield YMCA IIIH
X1October 04, 2008WetherbyA
14December 13, 2008Aireborough IIIA
20January 31, 2009Huddersfield YMCA IIIA
22February 14, 2009Halifax VandalsH
27March 21, 2009Harrogate PythonsH
X7April 04, 2009WetherbyH
* The RFU Structured Season - might help when planning your International matches.

As soon as Stuart confirms remaining fixtures I will let you know.


Rugby Quiz

    So, you think you know a thing or two about rugby? See how you do on the Rods IQ test to find out if you know as much as we do!

    1Rugby is played witha tennis ball
    a bowling ball
    a rugby ball
    2Can you present a detailed analysis of the role of rugby in the decline of civilization as we know it?Yes
    No
    Huh?
    3Metric conversion. How many feet is 10 meters?33.3 feet
    as little distance as the referee will allow
    45 degrees farenheit
    4What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 1?Game time
    Practice time
    Beer time
    5Rugby is preferentially played:on a grassy pitch
    on a gravel parking lot
    under water
    6Spell the following words:Ball
    Knock-on
    Scrum
    7The most important thing to remember about the Laws of Rugby is:don't cheat
    don't get caught
    8The International Rugby Board has recently decided that any player, including backs, can wear padded helmets. My opinion of this desecration to the spirit of the game is: The IRB must be made up of a load of poofters who never played the game. Let's dump them all and get rugby back to the basics.
    Backs are rugged individuals who would never want to wear fairy pads and helmets anyway.
    Backs are an efeminate lot who want helmets to protect their delicate facial features, although they do tend to mess up the hair. But helmets and pads should be banned.
    9The final score is 35-0. The winner of the day is:the team that scored 35 points, of course!
    the team that ran naked through a crowded bar with burning newspapers tucked in their butts.
    10Which of the following statements correctly describes your attitude toward other rugby players: Forwards are an ugly, scruffy bunch of slow-moving, brain-dead drunks with a penchant for sticking their heads up other peoples butts.
    Backs spend most of their time standing around looking pretty, and throw the ball away whenever threatened as they don't want to get their hair messed up.



Rodillians Legends October 2006
Right Click here to download full size image (A4 printable)
'Left' clicking will open image in a new browser window

Match Reports


20 September 2008 - LegEnds v Huddersfield YMCA

LegEnds 31v12Huddersfield YMCA

The re-launched Stanley Rodillians LegEnds under the leadership of captain and director of rugby Richard Vasey enjoyed a hard fought win in sunny conditions at Manley Park.

The day started on a sad note with the players observing a minutes silence for former Rods player Steve Sykes who passed away during the week. The team, which included a number of Steve's ex team mates and friends, went on to give an excellent all-round performance.
Playing down the slope in the first half the Rods started strongly and took an early lead when teenage fly-half Chris Parker, the son of the returning Dave Parker, chipped over from 30 metres and regathered to score. The conversion was not added, however undeterred the Rods continued to play well with Heslop and Coleman?s assured handling in the backs being a highlight. The lead was nearly increased when deep in his own half veteran Mick Stanley hacked a loose ball forward to set up a chase to the line which the visitor's managed to clear.
As the Rods legs began to tire, YM scored twice before the interval to take a 12 - 7 lead. The deficit could have been more had it not been for the last ditch defending of full back Matt Whittingham and the resolute forward play of Odgers, Rogers, Parker senior and Dowling.
Playing against the slope, and losing early substitute Lee Pickup to injury the signs were looking ominous for the second half, however Rods were thankful of being able to call on a number of replacements and the fresh legs helped to re-invigorate the hosts with newcomer Tom Dark making several strong runs, and the centre pairing of the evergreen Andy Hall and Phil Bedworth defending well.
With Dave Amann and Darren Ward dominating play Rods took control of the game.

Chris Parker was revelling on his rugby union debut and added to his first half score with two more solo tries to which he added the conversions. With Allen and Harris revelling in the loose, the home side began to pass the ball around with replacement winger Ian Walton testing YM?s cover defence on a couple of occasions.
YM never gave in and launched several counter attacks one of which was stopped by a harshly penalised big hit by front rower Garnham.
Strong defence was being matched by strong attack when a try by Bedworth was disallowed with the wily Watts final pass being judged forward by the referee.
Bedworth didn't have to wait long to get on the scoresheet when shortly afterwards he finished off a sweeping move to score, with Chris Parker again converting. At this point he left the pitch to a standing ovation to be replaced by Stuart Knight.
There was time for one for more score when Tony Clisby danced and dodged his way through the visitor's defence to set up a try which Dave Parker and Strickland both claimed. Taking after his brother, Harris's attempted conversion didn't get off the ground!
This was a fitting end to a great performance with forwards with Drye and Jones both having strong games.

The LegEnds next game is away to Wetherby on 4 October.

Ian Strickland



31 January 2009 - Huddersfield YMCA III v LegEnds

Huddersfield YMCA III 12v10Rodillians Legends

The LegEnds fell to their first defeat of the season in another close fought encounter.

Despite a number of players missing due to unavailability, injury and ill health, Captain and Director of Rugby Richard Vasey was able to welcome new recruits Simon Edwards and Duncan Bullock to the fold.
The LegEnds started the game strongly with Knight, Edwards and Whittingham all making half breaks. Then, motivated by some astonishing handling by Karl 'The Cat' Bates, hooker Matt Harris broke free only to be halted inches short of the line. Shortly afterwards, not to be thwarted, Harris eventually crossed the whitewash after several passages of attacking play.

However, Rods early lead seemed to bring the home side to life, with a move along the backline leading to the left winger scoring in the corner, beating off a last ditch attempted cover tackle by LegEnds stalwart Ray Heslop. The try was converted from the touchline giving the hosts a 7-5 lead.
Boosted by having a large squad, Rods were able to make continual changes, replacement Tom Tooley nearly scoring after following up a box kick by scrum half Stewart Walsh. YMCA had chances too, but there was no change in the score at half time.

The second half started badly with the hosts quickly adding to their lead with an unconverted score, but as in the first half with YMCA, this only galvanised the Rods to fight back. Booth, Dobson, Kay and Illingworth made strong breaks and after good forward play by Drye and Lewis, winger Mosby was tackled in to touch. This pressure ultimately led to replacement fly half Scott Cramner breaking clear to score. Unfortunately, and what proved to be decisively, the conversion was not successful.

This led to a cagey last quarter, with initially YMCA attempting to add to their lead with a penalty kick at goal which nearly led to a try after Bates mishandled in his own in-goal. After YMCA followed up the kick only resolute defence prevented what looked like a certain score. Both sides had further chances with Rods closest being a Tooley brerak that was stopped by a hidden sniper and Peter Freeman being held up just short .

Despite both teams efforts there was no further score before the final whistle.

All in all a good afternoon's play. The next LegEnds game is on 14 February at home to Halifax Vandals.

Ian Strickland



Supporters

As well as players we are also keen to attract supporters, we received a great amount of support at our first home game, and for our second game a travelling support of four, plus some of the Old Mods substitutes who didn't realise which side that they had turned up to play for!

Thanks to Ian Strickland and Richard Vasey for the Legends page.