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| Ascrum 1 - DIOK 2 |
| Thursday, 08 October 2009 | |
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Last Sunday´s clash between the Ascrum first team and LRC Diok was a
high-scoring and entertaining affair in which the side from Leiden just
managed to cling on to the narrowest of victories after a second
half that saw them put under severe pressure.
The Amsterdammers started on top from the kick-off, succeeding to string together several phases of play, moving the DIOK defence around and creating half chance overlaps down the touchlines. This spell of pressure bore fruit when an Ascrum penalty just outside the 5 meter line was taken quickly by scrum half Dirk Veldt, catching the DIOK defence flat footed and allowing the energetic half back to power over in the corner. Characteristic of the frenetic nature of this game, this initial blow was met decisively by the visitors as their number 8 picked up swiftly from the back of the scrum that resulted from the kick off and ran strongly, breaking several (it has to be said rather limp) tackles, eventually allowing their side to put their first points on the board with a try and conversion. This signalled a spell a dominance from the Leiden side, whose back row were enjoying a lot of good ball in the loose and found that their hard running and clever off-loads were gaining them lots of ground against an Ascrum defence that looked like it hadn´t made it out from the changing rooms. In a short spell the visitors succeeded in pinning 3 more tries on their opponents. This seemed to cement the DIOK dominance over the game and it looked all to depressingly clear who would end up the better from this encounter. However this is not say that there weren´t any faint glimmers of promise in the Ascrum play. Better rucking and quicker ball resulted in the back line finding themselves in some space in the DIOK half. Quick hands and straight running from center Sam van der Zanden and full-back Frederik Bekker afforded winger Toby Robinson the space to round his opposite number and touch down for Ascrums second score. Unfortunately for the second time the resulting conversion was squandered. If the first half had been to the team from Leiden, the second was most certainly to the Amsterdammers. With the ageing Leiden pack somewhat tiring, and the superior fitness levels of the young Ascrumers starting to show, the home-side started to get a foothold in the game. The forwards worked like horses and succeeded in tightening up the scrum and reproducing evermore efficient ball for the backs to inflict incisive damage with. This hard work-ethic no more poignantly epitomised than in the warrior like performance of the bandaged flanker Angus Hyslop. The result was a succession of tries scored through this increasingly firm base and finished off by swift backs moves. Centres Wouter Walta & Geert Hogen Esch both getting their names on the score sheet. A comeback was on the cards. However reality is rarely as bittersweet as our Hollywood screenwriter cousins would have us believe. An incisive DIOK attacking move and score as well as a high tackle and (harsh) sin-bin for the up until then influential fly half Robert Bekker put any whims of a heartwarming Ascrum victory from the clutches of defeat firmly back in their place. Despite these set-backs, the momentum was still most definitely with the 14 men of Ascrum and from somewhere an inner self belief seemed to have been awakened that hitherto this season had been dismally lacking. And when on the hour mark, the iconic Ascrum veteran Hans Poolman entered the fray, the Amsterdam team seamed to steady their ship and make renewed assaults on the DIOK tryline. The resulting efforts got their just deserts with a last minute try, created largely by Poolman himself and which he duely converted. Alas it was not enough, with the scoreline teetering at 38-40, the referee blew the final whistle signalling an end to this end to end, crowd-pleasing encounter. Altough Ascrum are still looking for their first win of the season, their lion-heart efforts did earn them two bonus points, with the visitors mightily relieved at being able to take win back with them to Leiden. More importantly though is that Ascrum can take a lot of heart from this performance in which a lot of good phase play and some classy running rugby was shown as well as great spirit to come back from the dismall position they were in early in the game. It seems like the wind of change is blowing through sportpark de Eendracht and that the methods of coah David Jones and ´player coach´ Hans Poolman are starting to have an effect. I will be keeping a keen eye on developments as I believe there will be a lot more to come from on this young side. Special touchline correspondent - T. Robinson |
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