Date	Opposition	H/A	Result	Match Report
8/9/07	Quins Am 2	Home	W 36-24	Click Here
15/9/07	Merton 2	Away	W 5-56	Click Here
22/9/07	Belsize Pk 3	Home	W 54-7
29/9/07	Kilburn 2	Home	W 39-24	Click Here
6/10/07	Sutton & Epsom 4	Away	W 19-26	Click Here
13/10/07	O.Hamptonians 2	Away	L 10-31
20/10/07	Ealing 3	Home	Canx
27/10/07	Black Ba Bas	Home	L 0-41
3/11/07	H&F4	Away	W 6-22	Click Here
10/11/07	Staines 3	Home	W 25-0	Walkover
17/11/07	Esher 6	Away	W 12-21	Click Here
24/11/07	Haringey 2	Away	W 0-33	Click Here
1/12/07	Kilburn 2	Away	Postponed
8/12/07	O.Hamptonians 2	Home	W 26-0	Click Here
15/12/07	Old Pelhamians 2	Away	W 8-22	Click Here
22/12/07	No game
29/12/07	No game
5/1/08	Quins Am 2s	Home	W 65-17	Click Here
12/1/08	Twickenham Bulldogs	Home	W 47-0	Click Here
19/1/08	Black Baa Baas	Home	Postponed
26/1/08	H&F 4	Home	W 22-8	Click Here
2/2/08	Kilburn Cosmos 2	Away	L 14-13
9/2/08	Quins Amateurs 2	Away	W 19-20	Click Here
16/2/08	Staines 3	Away	W 25-0	Walkover
23/2/08	No game
1/3/08	Haringey 2	Home	W 45-12	Click Here
8/3/08	Black Baa Baas	Home	W 33-28	Click Here
15/3/08	No game
22/3/08	Easter
29/3/08	Play Off Semi, Kilburn Cosmos 2s	Home	W 45-7	Click Here
5/4/08	No game
12/4/08	Play Off Final, Black Baa Baas	Twyford Road	W 33-26	To follow
24/4/08 – 27/4/08	Nomads Tour to Lisbon

Fixtures in bold denotes a Middlesex Merit Table 3 game.

Match Reports 2007/8

Nomads 36 – Harlequins Amateurs 2s 24, report by Nomads Captain Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Dale, 2 Tom, 3 Bill, 4 Josh (subs: Sid / Ian), 5 Guinness, 6 Jazzy, 7 Matt, 8 Neil; 9 Mark (sub: Si), 10 Ben, 11 Eoin, 12 Roger, 13 Ed, 14 Andrew, 15 Stu.

A great win on the first day of the season for the new continental-style management structure against a well organised Harlequins Amateurs side who turned up with a big squad, including a (very over-worked) physio and some sort of technical director-type with a clipboard and everything. Rumour has it they’ve been training all summer as well, which is totally against the spirit of social rugby, but anyway.

We kicked off up the hill and against the wind and immediately put Quins under heavy pressure by disrupting the line-out, bossing it round the fringes and showing some early ambition out wide in the backs. A try was inevitable and after a couple of big charges from new boy Dale up the left, Neil managed to scrag a turn-over and bosh his way over. The conversion sailed wide but after some probing passing and kicking by the composed Ben, very ably supplied by Mark at 9, the lead was soon extended as Stu roasted several covering defenders to amble in under the posts. 12-0 and a well deserved lead. Just as things were starting to click, there was a major disruption – Josh charged forward to claim the restart but was pole-axed in mid-air and landed nastily on the rock hard ground, dislocating his elbow. For a second it looked like he was going to get up and “have a word” but quickly realised things weren’t right and was soon taken off to hospital. A real shame for the newly appointed pack leader and we wish him a speedy recovery. The disruption seemed to affect us most as we lost our momentum and let Quins back into the game, putting ourselves under pressure with a series of penalties (our indiscipline getting the better of us) which eventually led to a converted score to bring them to within 5 points. It could have been worse but for some fierce defending for the rest of the half, with Bill, Guinness, Sid and the rest of the forwards defending bravely, and Andrew relieving the pressure with a long counter-attacking run. Half-time: 12-7.

We started the second half like we started the first, tearing into the oppo straight from the restart. Jazzy and Matt were everywhere as always, putting in a series of big hits and winning loads of turnover ball, and Ian came on to give us some fresh legs and made a series of bruising runs. We kicked an easy penalty to put us two scores up, and from there we really opened up. Tom popped up in support yet again to dance over for a score, soon followed by yours truly to put us 29-7 up and from there it should have been game over. However, yet again, we let them back into it with some tired/lazy defending around the fringes and conceded 2 soft tries to make it 29-19 and game on again. We continued to make chances though – Roger ran straight and hard in midfield, Si got straight into the action (after Mark joined Josh in the ambulance with a broken finger) and Eoin showed the full range of his skills with an outrageous catch and pass on the touch line, coupled with some great running and handling. Stu soon added his second and our fifth, but there was still time for the oppo to have the last word to make the score 36-24 at full time.

Overall, a very impressive performance given the heat and number of new faces. When we did the basics well and kept the ball alive, we looked like a team that could do well this season – still a lot to work on but very promising.

Man of the Match: at the risk of sounding like David Brent, it’s hard to pick out one individual performance from a genuine team display, but I think special mention should be made of the various debutants – Dale, Ian, Mark, Ben and Eoin who slotted in seamlessly and contributed to a great win.

Merton 2s 5 – Nomads 56, report by Bill Young…..

Nomads : 1 Nick W, 2 Tom, 3 Bill (Dave), 4 Jim (Bas), 5 Jon (Sid), 6 Jazzy (JB), 7 Matt (Nick Mc), 8 Neil; 9 Tommy, 10 Alex, 11 Andrew, 12 Eoin (Youngie), 13 Ed, 14 Ian, 15 Stu.

The Nomads continued where they left off after the first game of the season with another convincing win, this time against Merton 2s, in the glorious South London sunshine. With a Lions Tour-sized squad of (mostly hung-over) players available this week, Captain Ed had a wealth of talent to choose from, including Nomads siblings Nick Wood and Dave Gyte thrown into the front row (naturally!) on debut. From the whistle the Nomads forwards tore into the Merton defence, creating ample space for the dynamic backs to take their chances. Tries for Stu (3T), Ed (3T, 6C) and Matt Mc (2T), perfect kicking displays from Ed and Tommy (2C) and a solid defence breeched only in the dying minutes of the game, sealed the Nomads authority on proceedings. Final score Nomads 56 – Merton 2s 5.

Nomads 39 – Kilburn Cosmos II 24, report by Ed Bracken….

Nomads: 1 Jamie, 2 Dave, 3 Lapin, 4 Jim, 5 Bas (Sid), 6 Nick, 7 Ed Bailey (Chris), 8 Matt; 9 Dan, 10 Woody, 12 Roger (Eion), 13 Ed, 11 Alex K, 14 Scott, 15 Martin. Tries: Alex K 3, Dan, Lapin, Ed.

After a very promising series of friendlies, this weekend we got down to the serious business of the league against a Kilburn team who have proved tough opposition in the past. Fortunately, a quick scan of their team suggested that their mutant full back was off being genetically modified somewhere and so wasn’t playing, and we even managed to get down to the Park in time for a proper warm-up, so the early indications were good.

We kicked off up the hill and against the wind, and the initial exchanges were frantic. After some early pressure we got the first points of the day with a simple penalty, and then extended our lead with a bulldozing run from our new Secret Weapon – Bas’s mate Alex on the wing, who ran 40 yards and swatted off several tackles to pile in under the posts. 10-0. The main exchanges were taking place in the forwards, with Jim and Bas carrying aggressively, Nick and Ploppy expert round the fringes and Matt and Dave in particular tackling savagely. However, despite being offered a hard-won platform, it wasn’t quite clicking in the backs and a slight tendency to over-elaborate saw us waste several chances until Kilburn managed to break through some loose midfield tackling to score in the corner despite Scott’s last-ditch heroics – 10-5. It soon got worse as our customary 15 minutes of R&R came earlier than usual this week and we let the oppo in for a lame score under the posts to make it 10-12, but we kept plugging away and after both Roger and Martin went close, Alex barged over to put us back in the lead and relentless pressure on their line gave yours truly a simple score to make it 22-12 at half-time.

Buoyed by our fight-back, we agreed at half-time that the next 10 minutes were going to be key. Chris came on in the forwards for his debut and got straight into the action (Sid came on later for a battered Bas), and Eion manfully stepped into the breach despite not being match fit (and got a broken rib for his efforts) to inject his own unique brand of style. Dan then capped his long awaited comeback with a fine scrum half’s try with a sneaky dive down the blindside (27-12), but with the ref becoming increasingly erratic, a series of bizarre decisions led to the oppo scoring twice in quick succession and suddenly it was 27-24 and very much game on again. We needed to step up another gear and it was the forwards that once again showed the way, with Lapin and Jamie dishing out some serious punishment in the scrum, to the extent that Kilburn were walking backwards and soon lining up defensively on their own put-ins. With Woody pulling the strings at fly half and Scott drifting through tackles time and again, we got the momentum back and Lapin took advantage of a quick penalty to triumphantly plunge over under the posts and it was game, set and match when Alex and Matt took advantage of more chaos at the scrum to dive over together.

The final score of 39-24 was a fair reflection of the performance, particularly the immense effort from the forwards, and with a bit more composure in the backs it could have been even more convincing. But overall it was another extremely committed, aggressive performance and we showed great spirit to come from behind in the first half and then keep our heads up when things were going against us in the second, and that perhaps was the most encouraging thing.

Man of the Match: special mention to Matt McKinnon for another imperious all-round display and Alex K for his devastating hat-trick, but the award went to Dave Gyte for setting the standard on the day with a massive hit in the first few minutes and generally leading the charge. He was joined by Alex, Scott, Chris and Martin in the post-match boat race which, with some fairly liberal spillage by both sides, finished with an honorable draw to maintain our unbeaten start to the season on all fronts.

Sutton & Epsom 19 – Nomads 26, report by Ed Bracken….

Nomads: 1 Jamie (Dale), 2 Pogo, 3 Bill, 4 Nick Mc, 5 Moff, 6 Nick W, 7 Scott, 8 Barr, 9 Matt T, 10 Woody, 11 Andrew, 12 Alex, 13 Martin (Simon Young), 14 Ed, 15 Stu. Tries: Alex, Scott, Ed 2.

We’re certainly not a team that likes to do things the easy way – but then again, easy is boring.

You could tell from one look around the faces in the huddle before the game that everyone, without exception, would rather have been anywhere else, and given how we started we might as well have been. In every game this season we’ve had 15 minutes of slumber, and this week it came in the first 15 minutes, with the result that we were soon 19-0 down and playing like total [insert non-family friendly word]. However, following this gentle boot up the ring-piece, we finally turned up and started playing, and sure enough the gaps began to appear. Stu started the fight-back with a long, snaking run through half the oppo defence, and following solid driving from the forwards, a quick change of direction from the returning Matt at 9 opened the space for Pogo to produce the sort of simple, effective pass that most of the outside backs otherwise failed to produce all afternoon to put Alex over for a tidy finish. Despite playing up the hill and against the wind, it was now one-way traffic. With Jamie, Bill and Nick W starting to do a Sheridan in the scrum, Moff (who was surprisingly quiet about his recent trip to France…) winning good ball in the line-out and several surging runs from Barr and the rampaging Dale, we got over again to further reduce the deficit before half-time: 19-14.

As so accurately pointed out by returning Nomad Simon Young (on loan from the 2’s) at half-time, we were producing some good individual performances but there was very little of the team display that has served us so well so far this season, but with the hill and wind now behind us we set out to complete the come-back. Scott capped an excellent all-round display with a well worked try after being set up perfectly by Woody and Martin. However, the conversion sailed just wide, Mortlock-style, to leave it 19-19 and, unlike the other Home Nations (ahem), everything still to play for…. Andrew made a couple of his customary lively dashes down the left wing, Barr got stopped just short by the pie-eating full back and after increasing pressure, Barr and Matt produced the classic 8/9 pick-up down the blindside from a scrum and the fight-back was finished.

Overall, very satisfying to come back after such a load of b*llocks at the beginning. If we start like that against a better side, we’ll get creamed, so we need to get that sorted. But otherwise a job well done in the end.

Man of the match: Matt T made a lively return (and finally broke his personal hoodoo on the team) and Scott had a blinder in his first ever appearance in the pack, but the award this week goes to Nick Mc for his tireless work behind the scenes and also the moment of the match: taking an outstanding catch despite being about to be lynched by half the oppo pack after the restart at 19-19 – it’s moments like those that set the standard.

Hammersmith & Fulham IV 6-22 Nomads, report by Ed Bracken….

Nomads: 1 Dale, 2 Nick W, 3 Lapin, 4 Bas, 5 Moff, 6 Nick Mc, 7 Matt P, 8 Matt Mc; 9 Tommy, 10 Alex (Woody), 12 Roger, 13 Dan, 11 Andrew (Youngie), 14 Ed, 15 Stu.

After successive league losses, this was a bit of a must-win game on what has been a lucky ground for us over the last few seasons. We had a very strong line-up (in total, 24 were keen for a bit of the action) and there was certainly plenty of determination before the game to file these boys under “p” for pain.

The game kicked off at a frantic pace and we started like we meant business with a series of punishing hits. We were soon camped in the oppo half and the first real signal of our intent came with the first scrum, where Lapin, Dale and Nick W completely Sheridaned the oppo front row, a feature of the game throughout. We quickly capitalised on such good ball so early in the game with simple hands in the backs to put me over for a score in the corner and although the kick sailed wide (sadly, another feature of the match), this was just the start we wanted. The rest of the half settled into a bit of a pattern of us having a lot of ball and territory and constantly probing for openings. Alex was unlucky with a couple of clever passes and kicks that very nearly came off, and both Roger and Dan in the centre put in huge tackles that kept the momentum up, but a number of handling errors (and surely a world record number of passes bouncing off people’s heads) and moments of indiscipline prevented us extending our lead. Half-time: 5-0.

There was definitely a sense of frustration at changing round only 5 points to the good, but we knew that if we could rule out the mistakes we could hand out a bit of a spanking. However, things continued to go against us and a couple of harsh penalties in front of the posts somehow saw us 6-5 down. This seemed to be the kick up the posterior we needed, and suddenly we were transformed. Bas set the scene with a great turnover, Moff continued to dominated in the line-out, Nick Mc tackled hard round the fringes, Tommy pushed us up the pitch with some incisive kicking and Stu was as elusive as ever with some rampaging running, regularly supported on the outside by Andrew. Despite the disappointment of a couple of easy penalties sailing pathetically wide from yours truly, our dominance finally told when constant pressure opened up the blindside and Matt Mc marauded over for a score his all-round excellence at the breakdown more than deserved. Woody and Youngie came on to inject fresh legs into the backline, and Woody soon extended the lead with a great dummy (ahem) that opened an enormous gap that he gleefully scampered through. It was now one-way traffic, with a steaming 60 yard break from the tireless Matt P leaving the oppo chasing shadows, and Tommy profited from quick thinking with a penalty to bundle over in the corner to complete the scoring. The only downside was losing Moff to a freak injury, the latest from the “I never touched him” school of getting hurt, but we wish him a speedy (he might as well do something at pace – boom boom) recovery.

Overall, this was an excellent win that puts us right back in the mix in the league table (we’re second equal after the weekend’s results). Perhaps the most encouraging thing was everyone keeping calm and positive when going behind so against the run of play – clearly the sign of a great side…

Man of the match: Matt Mc gave another textbook demonstration of the dark arts of back row, but the award this week is shared by Dale and Lapin for their demolition job in the scrum as well as some brutal running and tackling.

Esher 6s 12-21 Nomads, Ed Bracken writes….

Nomads: 1 Dale, 2 Bill (Lapin), 3 Jamie, 4 James, 5 Guinness, 6 Neil (Ed Bailey), 7 Nick Mc, 8 Michiel; 9 Dan, 10 Woody, 11 Andrew, 12 Alex J, 13 Alex K, 14 Ed, 15 Stu.

Revenge was sweet after a bitter defeat to these chaps back in January, but it was the classic game of two halves.

We started out with a very strong team, on a perfect pitch in good conditions, and even got there in time for a warm-up. So how can you explain what was without question the campest half of rugby we’ve produced all season? Things started well enough as we got a lot of territory and put them under a fair bit of pressure early on but, perhaps not aided by some truly pantomime refereeing (he wasn’t even sure which way to point his arm when indicating a penalty, which didn’t really help) we just never got going, and let them in for two of the softest scores imaginable. There’s not really much more to add about a totally Dale Winton first half, so let’s leave it at that: half-time, 0-12.

At half-time we all agreed that if we picked up the pace (i.e. actually started working), the game was there for the taking, and right from the off things improved. Boosted by the arrival of Lapin, the front row started to find their feet against a well drilled oppo pack, with Jamie, Bill and Dale (as ever) also showing in the loose. Guinness and new-boy James were aggressive in defence and also got their hands on the ball, while Michiel and Nick Mc did the dirty work round the fringes. Ed Bailey (on for Neil, who unluckily damaged his ribs after another typical charge) came on to cause chaos in the line-out and we now had the perfect platform. Dan and Woody were controlling the game perfectly, allowing Alex J to make a series of probing runs and Alex K to continually demolish the defence. A great counter-attacking run from Andrew put us in a good position in the oppo 22, and after another couple of phases, Woody put his head down and charged in under the posts from 15 yards out. Now under serious pressure, the oppo started to crack, and Alex K’s presence created panic in the backline defence allowing him to intercept a pass and scoot over in the corner. The conversion went over to put us ahead, and things got even better as Stu deservedly got on the score sheet after another move that went through a number of hands. It could have been more, it should have been more…but yours truly showed a total lack of class by failing to put Stu in with the simplest 2 on 1 you can imagine – my attempts at securing gold, silver and bronze in the D1ck of the Season award continue relentlessly. But another stirring fight-back was complete to give us our revenge, final score 21-12.

When you consider that, until the weekend before last, this Esher side had not lost in the 3 and a bit years since we beat them back in the second game of the 2004/05 season, this is actually a very impressive result, particularly given the head-start we gave them.

Man of the Match: Alex K played the role of the wrecking ball again, and special mention also goes to new boy James with an aggressive and physical performance, but the award this week goes to Woody for his central role in the fight back, not only with the extremely well taken try but also some excellent kicking and solid defensive work. Just shows what he can do when he’s not (such) a fat b*rstard.

Haringey 2s 0-31 Nomads, Andrew Bracken writes….

Nomads: 1 Bill, 2 Nick W, 3 Lapin, 4 Nick Mc, 5 James, 6 Ed Bailey, 7 Matt Mc, 8 Michiel, 9 Dan, 10 Woody, 11 Andrew, 12 Roger, 13 Alex K, 14 Eoin, 15 Stu, Subs: Scott, Rick

It was on a delightful Saturday afternoon which must have made all the boks and antipodeans in the team feel uttely at home that the Nomads were privileged to travel to this particularly celubrious part of North London.

The opposition clearly had absorbed some Nomads karma as they started the game very much as we had against Esher the week before – yes that slowly. The Nomads took advantage with some bullish forward play, especially in the loose to grab two quick tries, both scored by Roger, one after a great offload in the tackle from Alex. Woody looked like he’d been taking lessons from Jonny (Edward don’t bother bringing your boots next time by the way) to bag the goals. This seemed to spark the oppo into life and there were several sustained periods of pressure near the Park line (after yet another rash of penalties going against us) but excellent defnding, especially by the pack, held them out. The Nomads then broke down field and scored two tries in quick succession, the second by Dan off the back of a storming rolling maul by the pack which went about 25 yards to withing 2 yards of the line. Half time came with Park 4 in the ascendancy 4 converted tries to the good.

The second half was less of a dominant affair with the Nomads playing into a strong wind and the blistering sunshine in their eyes. There was only one score from Eoin which rounded off yet another good move following a turnover by the pack. Woody though ruined his 100% kicking record. Other highlights of the half included Bill taking scrummaging lessons from the ref, Eoin doing a fine impression of a seal in a bid to try and catch the ball, Scott throwing a pass that Dan Marino would have been proud of and the unfortunate sight of Matt Mck with a broken his nose having run into one of his own men (like he’d have allowed the oppo to do that to him). Having done the honours Lapin then obviously felt obliged to gain the same war wound and duly did.

Excellent result all round, especially to nil the oppo away from home. Needless to say the foundation was laid by the forwards from the sturdy front row of Bill, Nick and Lapin to great play in the loose and line out winning and stealing from James and Nick and classical back row play from Ed, Matt and Michiel. This enabled the backs to play the type of game they enjoy – fast and wide with Dan steered matters at scrum half and Woody sniping from 10 with Alex and Roger providing strong straight running in the centres and Stu and Eoin enjoying space out wide. The subs also did a good job with Scott showing once again he could play anywhere on the pitch and new boys Pete and Rick showing their broken field skills.

Score – 0 to 31 – a great all round team effort but Man of the match goes to Roger for two tries, excellent lines (of running lest you get the wrong idea), a calm clearing boot and in your face defence.

Roll on Old Hamptonians on the 8th December for what promises to be an ‘interesting’ return match.

Nomads 26 – Old Hamptonians 0, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Dale (Pogo), 2 Nick W, 3 Lapin, 4 Bas, 5 Nick Mc, 6 Bailey (Matt P), 7 Matt Mc (Dave), 8 Michiel; 9 Dan, 10 Mark, 11 Eoin, 12 Roger, 13 Ed, 14 Andrew (Scott), 15 Stu. Tries: Lapin, Eoin, Stu, Ed.

Revenge is a dish best served cold (and, in this case, in a mud bath). The last time we played this lot, they filled their team with ringers and even then we ran them close (and it would have been closer if I hadn’t thought we were playing American football). There was to be no let-off a second time.

We kick off playing into the howling wind and immediately camped ourselves in the oppo half. On a day when mistakes were inevitable, the set piece was going to be key, and the first scrum set the tone for the rest of the match. Lapin, Dale and Nick W pillaged the oppo front row, and we won the first of many against the head in an absolutely brutal display of scrummaging. We were straight onto the front foot and after a few half-breaks, we went through a number of phases through the middle until the pressure proved too much for Hamptonians and Lapin danced through the frantic cover to plunge over in the corner. The perfect start we wanted. As the game settled, Hamptonians relied on the predictable tactic of kicking into the corners and pressuring the line-out, but this too held firm admirably given the conditions, with Nick Mc and Ed Bailey claiming all their own ball as well as some of the oppo’s. Suitably inspired, we surged up the pitch time and again. Dale was always a willing and destructive ball carrier, the ever-elusive Dan somehow always managed to find space (a sign of his class) and the returning Mark pulled the strings at fly half. After a bullocking run from Michiel from the back of another scrum that was going forwards at jogging pace, a set piece in the corner gave us the perfect attacking platform, and Mark executed a magic double dummy scissors that left the oppo defence in tatters to put Eoin in for a simple finish his enthusiasm deserved (the less said about his balletic attempts to keep a kick in play, even though the ball was over on the other pitch by the time he got to it, the better). Perhaps the most telling thing was the sight of Andrew on his shoulder as he went over, all the way over from the other wing, a perfect example of the effort and hard work put in by everyone. Half-time: 12-0.

We made a few changes at half-time to keep things fresh, including Matt Mc who succumbed to another bloody nose after a typically combative display. Bizarrely, the tornado wind somehow disappeared as soon as we changed around and, benefiting from some generous refereeing, Hamptonians started to get back into the game. Pogo came on to show his nouse, and Matt P and Dave (who produced a scything tackle on their number got straight into the action as the forwards held fast, while Roger put in a series of hard hits in midfield to keep the defence intact. In the end, our line was never seriously threatened to maintain our record of three league games now since we conceded a try. We soon reasserted our dominance with another series of phases moving us up the pitch, and then a quick change of direction from Dan allowed Bas to charge 40 yards through the middle before offloading to the supporting Stu to dive over for a score his hard work in awful handling conditions deserved (I won’t mention the bit in the first half when he dropped the ball forward when trying to throw a dummy). This was followed by the moment of the match – a long kick from Mark left their Mini Me-sized scrum half isolated and, under pressure from various chasing Nomads, he turned and ran straight into Scott, who cut him in half in mid-air with a hefty thud. Magic. There was no way back for Hamptonians from this point and after Scott and Stu again went close, Mark opened the defence up for the final time to complete the job. Final score: 26-0.

A superb team display for 80 minutes, this match showed what we can do when we get the basics right, work hard and keep it simple in the backs. Outstanding.

Man of the Match: almost impossible to identify any individual in a performance like that. The forwards as a group were awesome, Lapin leading the charge as always, and in the backs, Stu deserves plenty of credit for another aggressive and dangerous display on a nightmare day for full backs, but the award this week goes to Dan for a typically majestic performance in poor conditions.

Old Pelhamians 7 – Nomads 22, writes Ed Bracken….

We produced another outstanding performance on Saturday to win 22-8 against Old Pelhamians, who were another well drilled side that train regularly and had comfortably the best backline we’ve faced all season. The quality of the tackling and rucking, added to sensible use of the ball in tricky conditions and constant support play, was awesome. That means we’ve won 10 and lost just 2 of our games in the first half of the season, leaving us second in the league table going into Christmas, a fantastic record. The new year is all about staying unbeaten and winning the league….

Nomads/Bs 65 – Quins Amateurs 17, reports Ed Bracken…..

Team: 1 Bill, 2 Arthur, 3 Hippo, 4 Bas (Swank), 5 Forde, 6 Scott, 7 Ross (Matt P), 8 Heardy; 9 Marcus DG, 10 Mark, 11 Eion, 12 Nick, 13 Ed, 14 Charlie, 15 Rick (Marcus T). Tries: Nick 3, Charlie 3, Scott, Eion, Hippo, Ed, penalty try.

A rampaging start to the year saw the combined “All Stars” Nomads and B’s side mash a useful Quins Amateurs 65-17 (whatever the ref’s questionable maths made it – we definitely got 11, and maybe even more if anyone wants to claim one…).

Despite the bulging waste lines and grim expressions after another Christmas of mass excess, the first half started at a surprisingly frantic pace, and we were 5 tries up within the first 15 minutes. Quins took a Super 14 approach to defending and watched helplessly as we played the simplest brand of support rugby and straight running. Nick helped himself to an early brace with some excellent lines, Scott finished a typical move that went through several phases, Charlie scorched the grass after receiving an attempted clearance 40 yards out and Eoin danced over after a sweeping width-of-the pitch attack. It was almost too easy – Bas and Forde supplied the muscle in the pack, Ross was everywhere in support, Heardy rampaged from the base of the scrum, Marcus and Mark pulled the strings with calm authority at half back and Rick showed his attacking threat from full back. However, just when it looked like turning into a complete rout, we took our foot off the gas and let Quins right back into it with three quick tries. This was a perfect demonstration of how fine the line is between winning and losing, and it basically all comes down to effort and commitment, as well as keeping it simple – as soon as we backed off in defence and started over-elaborating in attack, the game turned completely, something that we would all do well to remember as both Park sides push on to try and win the league this season. Half time: 29-17.

The second half was pretty much all Park. Swank came on and immediately threw his significant bulk around, Matt P produced another all-action display in the back row and Marcus T came on to provide fresh legs and strong running in the backs. Bill, Arthur and Hippo started to dominate the scrum, with Hippo in particular playing like a flanker in the loose and deservedly barging over for a try from a tap penalty, and with Scott “the Salmon” winning everything in the line-out, Quins were done for. Nick and Charlie completed their hatricks as we kept our shape and used our extensive possession well. Credit to Quins, who kept fighting to the end, but they had no answer to our direct, simple approach and we scored 6 unanswered tries in a vintage display.

Overall, an outstanding performance given that we were a semi-scratch side, that bodes very well for both the Nomads’ and Bs’ title pushes this year.

Nomads 47 – Twickenham Bulldogs 0, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Nick W (James E), 2 Pogo, 3 Dave, 4 Bas, 5 Scott, 6 Neil, 7 Matt P, 8 Michiel (Moff); 9 Mark, 10 Woody, 11 Andrew, 12 Pete, 13 Ed, 14 Youngie, 15 Rick. Tries: Rick 3, Youngie, Scott, Woody, Ed.

We continued our unbeaten run with a heavy thrashing of the Bulldogs, but it’s fair to say there won’t be a DVD of this match doing the rounds next Christmas (unless it’s being touted by Danny Baker).

We played up the hill in a slightly subdued first half, in which we played within ourselves but managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over. We dominated in pretty much every area, apart perhaps from the breakdown where the Bulldogs took a Richie McCaw-type approach to the offside rule – this is a key area of any standard of rugby, and one we need to improve on, particularly against the better teams. Anyway, despite the inevitable rustiness in the first game since Christmas, we put together some very tidy phases, and it was after one of these that Rick streaked down the right-hand side for his first try as a Nomad following a break by the ever-dependable Mark and Neil, who showed us some of what we’ve been missing this season with a bullocking display (and amazingly didn’t even break a nail). Pete (making his full debut), ran straight in midfield and constantly out-foxed the on-rushing defence with clever lines, and Andrew produced a number of his trade-mark runs in broken play. Nick W, Pogo and Dave showed the future of rugby with a revolutionary 3 hooker front row, and as well as competing manfully in the scrum against a hefty oppo front row, were everywhere in the loose as always, Dave in particular putting in some crashing hits. After regular forays into the oppo half, a surging drive from Michiel set up another slick move that saw Mark chuck a long pass out to Youngie who gleefully scooted over on his comeback. Scott was at his disprutive best in the line-out, and his constant support work brought him a well deserved try, to put us 19-0 up at the break and looking good.

The second half was not exactly the greatest advert for the game of rugby. The Bulldogs had obviously realised that we were going to do them in the game, so resorted to a variety of “alternative” tactics to try and disrupt the flow, accompanied at all times by a relentless bleating to the ref. However, despite painting on a dirty canvas, to our credit we still tried at all times to create a pretty picture (I’ve been doing some poetry in my spare time). James E came on at prop and got straight into the action (literally – he broke all Nomads records by getting into some handbags within 30 seconds; the injured Stu could only watch admiringly from the sidelines) and Moff offered another option in the line-out as well as his constant support play. Bas provided the muscle yet again, squaring up to a number of the oppo and getting stuck into the rucks, and Matt P was absolutely everywhere, and used his scorching pace to very nearly score the try of the season – collecting a kick-off, he surged past the entire tiring Bulldogs pack and was only taken down in the corner by the desperate cover defence. Your captain embarrassed himself with a high-pitched reaction to a flailing fist from the oppo number 8 (too many years playing girlball has had a ruinous effect – Joe, be warned), but the rest of our boys kept their heads and there was still time for Woody to put his head down and charge from 15 yards, and one more score in the corner to finish the demolition.

All in all, an excellent win in difficult circumstances – after all, you can only play what’s in front of you. There are a few things we can improve on, but it’s now time to focus on the big one against the Baa Baas next weekend – let’s bring it on.

Man of the Match: special credit this week to the various new(ish) boys – James for his grissly contribution to the front row and Pete for his clever midfield play, but the award this week goes to Rick for his clinical hattrick and general poise.

Nomads 22 – Hammersmith & Fulham 8, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Dale (Bill), 2 Nick W, 3 Dave, 4 Bas, 5 Moff (Nick Mc), 6 Scott, 7 Matt P (Ed Bailey), 8 Matt Mc; 9 Dan, 10 Woody, 11 Eoin, 12 Alex J, 13 Ed, 14 Youngie (Pete), 15 Stu. Tries: Eoin, Pete, Scott, Matt Mc.

This was the first in a series of key league games, and following H&F’s win over Kilburn last weekend, we knew another win against our local rivals was a must.

We kicked off down the hill but against the wind and right from the off it was clear this was going to be a frantically contested game. The forwards tore into each other from the first minute in a brutal battle for supremacy up front, which we knew would be so key in such a tight game. H&F were soon under pressure in their own 22 as we got the better of the initial exchanges, but we couldn’t quite turn the territory into points due to some fierce defending from the oppo, as well as a few mistakes as we looked to settle into our game. Gradually, with the strong wind in their favour, H&F started to force their way up the pitch but as always we showed a frightening level of commitment to maintain a defence that has only conceded 4 tries in the last 7 games – a phenomenal record. Dale, Nick W and Dave led the charge as always, and soon got us back onto the front foot with their latest demonstration of destructive scrummaging, and with this platform we launched a series of attacks. Alex J made a number of breaks in midfield, often supported by the ever present Matt P and Moff, Youngie showed a number of nice touches on the right wing and eventually a quick change of direction in attack saw Eoin finish with style in the corner to put us 5-0 up. Full credit to H&F, they came straight back at us as we started to lose our discipline and after an earlier missed attempt, they landed a penalty just before half-time to reduce the deficit to 2 points. Half time: 5-3.

We knew at half-time that it was well and truly game on, but also that if we improved our discipline and cut out a few of the minor mistakes, we were in a strong position. But I’ve rarely seen an oppo as rabidly up for it as H&F and the second half started straight where the first finished, with no relenting in the furious competition for possession. Slowly but surely we were able to increase the pressure, as Bas, Nick Mc, Bill and Ed Bailey maintained the forward surge, and the latest in a series of booming touchline kicks from Woody put us in a great position in the corner. From a ruck, Dan and Matt Mc showed their class yet again with a scything break down the blindside to put Pete over for a crashing finish with his first touch of the game – some might even call it an inspired substitution….. ahem. Things got even better as Scott continued his recent try scoring streak with a driving finish that was more than just reward for the enormous efforts from the forwards to put us 17-3 up. Yet again though H&F refused to give in, and after some frantic defending in our own half, with Stu in particular putting in a series of last ditch tackles (before the old boy succumbed to c(r)amp*), H&F finally got over for a score their endless effort probably deserved. However, we deserve massive credit for staying calm despite the onslaught and with more searing kicks from Woody, we stayed in the oppo half and yet another bit of lightning quick thinking from Dan saw Matt Mc plunge over to finish the game and secure our 9th win in 10 games against these boys in the last 4 seasons.

All in all, a fantastic result that was built 100% on effort and commitment. We’ve played more fluidly at times this season, but a sign of any good team is the ability to grind out a result and we showed immense determination to win this game. The oppo captain said to me afterwards he’s amazed we’re not walking this league – there’s still plenty of time to prove him right.

Man of the Match: in the backs, Pete made an instant impact and also developed an immediate understanding with Alex, whilst in the forwards it was a fearsome collective effort, driven on as always by Matt Mc. But the award this week goes to Scott for his excellent line-out work, immense work rate and yet another try.

*can you see what I’ve done there

Quins Amateurs II 19 – 20 Nomads, reports Ed Bracken…..

We won an entertaining game against Quins Amateurs 20-19 on Saturday, a match played in roasting pre-season style weather. We looked pretty comfortable at half-time but Quins came right back into it in the second half and in the end it couldn’t have been closer. Fortunately, no repeat of the week before…. Bill, Nick W, Dale (the Destroyer – he single-handedly injured half the oppo team), Andrew, Rick (who found his calling in life as a Quins lock) and me joined the massed ranks of B’s for the game.

Nomads 45 – 12 Haringey 2, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Dale, 2 Matt (Tim), 3 Bill (Jamie), 4 Bas, 5 Moff, 6 Ed Bailey, 7 Matt P, 8 Jim (Nick Mc), 9 Pete, 10 Roger, 11 James, 12 Eoin, 13 Ed, 14 Scott, 15 Rick. Tries: Pete 2, Scott, James, Ed 3.

The penultimate league game of the season, and an absolutely crucial game – we knew that a win was essential to keep us in the title race.

After a week of running around trying to make sure we had numbers for the game, it was a relief to finally get a (very strong) side out and get the match underway. We kicked off down the hill and immediately swarmed into the oppo 22. A few early drives and some quick interplay in the backs saw us open the scoring early doors and give us exactly the start we wanted. Playing with a man down, Haringey were clearly determined to make up for the shortfall, however, and we spent large chunks of the half tackling and defending. A combination of sloppy positioning and over-committing in the rucks (something we really cannot afford to do this weekend) saw us concede a number of chances. One in particular was surreal – 5 oppo players bore down on an isolated Rick at full back (supported by Bas who’d bust his guts to get back, while the rest of us stood and watched), only for a Haringey player to bizarrely drop the ball when through for the score. This seemed to give us the kick in the nuts we needed, and finally we started to get hold of the ball and win some territory. The forwards began to give us the edge up front – Dale charged about like a rhino as usual, Bill produced a couple of hefty drives, and new boy Matt was a strong presence in the loose. Driven on the by constant half-breaks and physical presence of Pete, who had an outstanding game at scrum half, the backs made the most of the platform to extend the lead, with a try from Pete himself following a quick tap penalty. The returning Roger pinned Haringey back with a series of monstrous cross-field kicks and his constant communication with the typically dynamic Eoin at 12 kept the supply lines open. After Jim went close with a surging break through the middle, Eoin’s magically delayed inside pass opened the defence up one more time to give us a 19-0 lead at half time.

We knew at half-time that the next score could be key, and that we needed a big 15 minutes to keep the momentum going. We made a few changes to keep things fresh – another new boy Tim coming on to pick up exactly where Matt had left off with solid scrummaging and strong running in the loose, and Jamie marked his comeback with a series of surges down the fringes. We were now in pretty much complete control, with the forwards making constant yards with Bas, Moff and Nick Mc constantly showing for the ball and driving into the oppo. Ed Bailey got his hands dirty with the ugly work at the break-down, and Matt P showed his pace in the loose and was always available in support of runners. As the game opened up, the pressure on an obviously tiring Haringey started to tell. Rick made one of a series of long, classy counter-attacks from full back and timed his pass perfectly for new boy James to show impressive gas to sweep over in the corner. That was followed by another try for Pete after relentless driving from the pack, and Scott then stormed through for his now customary try, to make himself the team’s third top scorer – a fantastic return given how many different positions he’s played in this season. Another surreal moment followed as the colossal oppo full back leapt up from under the posts to stop the conversion going over (having earlier charged down by slightly moronic attempt from right under the posts). Just when it was all going so well, we pulled our pants down and threatened to throw it all away by completely falling asleep and letting the oppo (who were now down to 13 after an injury) walk straight through us to score twice in a matter of minutes. It just shows what a simple game rugby is – despite having two extra players (and the luxury of subs), we were now chasing shadows against a seriously depleted team. Hard work, drive, momentum – that’s what it’s all about, and fortunately we soon stopped the rot and regained the initiative, and a late interception gave us the final score.

Overall, a fantastic result in tricky circumstances – we haven’t played in a few weeks, were missing a number of regulars and it would have been easy for us to have our minds on the Baa Baas game – but in the end it was a very solid performance (apart from the second half blip) that sets us up perfectly for next weekend. Bring it on!

Man of the match: massive credit to Matt, Tim and James who all contributed so much on their debuts, and Matt P was perhaps the pick of another huge collective forward effort with his support play and pace in the loose, but the award this week goes to two-try Pete for his intelligent, powerful display at the base of the scrum.

Nomads 33 – 28 Black Baa Baas, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Dale (Mark), 2 Pogo, 3 Nick W, 4 Nick Mc (Jim), 5 Moff, 6 Scotty, 7 Jazzy, 8 Matt Mc, 9 Dan, 10 Roger (James G), 11 Stu, 12 Eoin, 13 Ed, 14 Andrew, 15 Rick. Tries: Rick, Scott, Stu, Ed, Jazzy

An extraordinary end to our league campaign, which saw us twice mount frenzied come-backs against the league leaders to storm to an incredible victory.

We took to the field fully fired up to bring it on, on the biggest day in our history. We kicked off with the wind behind us but had to withstand an immediate surge from the sizeable Baa Baas pack who, aided by a whistle happy ref, waded straight into our half. The pace was frantic, as was the defending, until a pathetic midfield tackle from your captain let the oppo runner through to score unopposed. We hadn’t even touched the ball yet and within the first few minutes were 7-0 down. When we creaked ominously under the squeeze from the sizeable Baa Baas front row in the first scrum, it looked like it might be a long afternoon, but the response was immediate as we looked to fight our way back. The contact in midfield and round the fringes was brutal, but we managed to string together several phases and Rick picked a perfect line to sweep through the cover and under the posts. 7-7, game on again. Sadly, my kamikaze attempts to balls up everyone else’s efforts continued, and my two dropped passes gifted the delirious oppo a pair of simple tries – 7-21. Again, the response was immense. The forwards led the charge as always. Dale constantly showed for the ball and drove hard round the fringes, while Nick W and Pogo regained control in the scrum and scrapped doggedly in the loose. Moff, Nick Mc and Jim provided the grunt and were involved in everything, while the back row of Scotty, Jazzy and Matt Mc were supreme – rabid tackling and perfect technique at the break down won us countless turnovers, and they were everywhere in the loose. It was entirely fitting that they should contribute our next score, Scotty showing his full range of skills (and pace) to execute the perfect chip-and-chase – what a season he’s having. It could have been even better when Eoin surged through midfield to give us a 2 on 1 on their last man, but own personal misery was complete as I dropped the pass with the try-line gaping. Half time: 14-21.

There were mixed feeling at half-time. On the one hand, we were only a score down and the Baa Baas to an extent were living off our mistakes, but on the other hand we were now playing into the wind and had it all to do. We made a couple of changes – Dale had unfortunately got injured in the last few minutes of the half and was replaced by Mark, who stepped in at fly half in a backline rejig which saw the ever willing Andrew move into the pack (where he was involved in everything and worked like an animal). The second half kicked off at the same relentless pace, but things soon got worse as the Baa Baas broke through the stretched defence to increase the lead to 28-14. Half an hour left, 3 scores down (a draw would not have been enough) against the league leaders (who had been top since day 1) – our entire season was in the balance. Yet again, however, our resilience and belief was outstanding. Given the platform from yet another Herculean forward effort, it was now time for the backs to show what we could do. Dan was at his majestic, sniping best at the base of the scrum, and Mark had his dancing shoes on as he shimmied his way through the oppo defence time and again. Roger crashed into tackles and defended with his usual disregard for his own well being, while Eoin led by example as always, stampeding through the midfield. Rick added a monstrous boot to his usual calm and class under pressure while James provided a willing and pacy outlet on the wing. The try that started the comeback was straight out the training manual – fast, accurate passes, drawing defenders and offloading at exactly the right time saw Stu in space on the half-way line. He dummied inside, stepped on the after-burner and roasted the corner to fly over in the corner for his 11th of the season. It got better still – another surge through the middle opened up the space and Dan’s perfect change of direction put us in under the posts and we were now only 2 points down with 10 minutes left. The game was now being played at a thousand miles an hour, with possession changing hands every few seconds, but there was only one winner from here. The winning try happened in slow motion – Stu and Jazzy pressurized the Baa Baas half backs with their frenzied chasing….the scrum half panicked into chucking a wild pass….despite starting 3 yards behind him, Jazzy sprinted passed the despairing defender…..and leapt onto the ball for the score. There were still 6 minutes left, and again the bewildered Baa Baas battered at the door, but with nerves shredded and lungs burnt out, the ref finally put us out our misery and blew up for full time. The game was over, the fight back complete – we’d won 33-28 and overtaken the Baa Baas for the first time all season to finish top.

A genuinely extraordinary game of rugby. To constantly fall so far behind against such a confident, well drilled side, and yet keep on coming back is a testament to our resilience, determination and will to win. The team spirit was awesome, and that is absolutely priceless to any sports team. An unbelievable effort from everyone. Full marks to Moff too for getting in the champagne in the dressing room and leading the celebrations, which got extremely messy – magic.

Man of the match: it’s just not possible to pick out an individual man of the match after such an awesome team performance like that, but the award goes to the back row of Scotty, Matt Mc and Jazzy collectively – their expert work (both seen and unseen), including 2 tries, was the difference on the day.

MMT3 Play Off semi, Nomads 45 – 7 Kilburn Cosmos 2s, reports Ed Bracken…..

Nomads: 1 Bill, 2 Pogo, 3 Nick W, 4 Bas (Michiel), 5 Moff (Nick Mc), 6 Scott, 7 Matt Mc, 8 Neil, 9 Dave, 10 Alex J, 11 Stu, 12 Eoin, 13 Ed, 14 Youngie (Bailey), 15 Rick. Tries: Neil, Eoin 2, Rick, Dave, Scott, Ed.

Revenge was sweet on Saturday, if a tad on the muddy side. We put together one of our best performances of the season in the mud-bath of the big pitch to demolish Kilburn and get revenge for the misery of the last minute defeat at their place in February.

Despite the brief but violent monsoon that left puddles of standing water all over the pitch, the game kicked off as scheduled and, with the wind behind us, we stormed straight into the Kilburn half. After a flurry of forward drives, the Kilburn half-backs were put under frantic pressure from our back row who forced a charge down – Scotty chipped ahead, Neil surged through and sent pressure waves round South-West London by plunging on the ball to open the scoring. The exertion looked to have got the better of him as he lay spread-eagled on the floor trying to find the energy to get back to his feet, but fortunately he was able to call on previously unknown reserves and the game resumed. The game settled into something of a pattern – the Nomads pack tearing into the oppo and forcing the hard yards, the backs using the platform to try and spread the ball, but the odd (absoultely inevitable) mistake redeeming Kilburn, who would clear, only for us to start again. The pressure was relentless, however, and the first half was all about the forwards. Nick W, Pogo and Bill were immense in the scrum, and drove the bigger Kilburn pack backwards time and again. Bas and Moff gave the grunt in the second row and tackled relentlessly, while Matt Mc gave his latest masterclass at openside, winning countless turnover ball and making constant yards with the ball in hand. Further points were inevitable, and after more destruction at the set piece, a quick pass from Dave gave Eoin the simplest of finishes from 2 yards. There was no let-up for Kilburn, who were barely able to get out of their half, and the last 5 minutes of the half saw one scrum after another 5 yards from the Kilburn line which eventually decimated the defence to allow Eoin a replica walk-over from a couple of yards out. Half-time: 19-0.

We made a couple of change at half-time to keep things fresh among the forwards, who had put in such a monster effort in the first half. Michiel immediately picked up the baton by stampeding into the heart of the Kilburn pack, Nick Mc quickly got his hands dirty with a series of close-quarter hits and Ed Bailey came on to provide more zip and pace around the fringes. Given the relentless work-rate and yardage from the forwards, it was time for the backs to make use of the platform and the space. Dave was at his sniping, lively best at the base of the scrum, and Alex J pulled the strings at fly half with customary swagger. Eoin showed his unique (ahem) style with a pass between the legs, while Youngie showed his usual safe hands and all-round footballing skills. Rick was a threat every time he got the ball in hand and showed his class with his handling in the mire, while Stu made constant breaks and could have had a hatrick if the odd thing had gone more his way. I have to confess I can’t really remember the second half scores individually, but there were tries for Rick, Dave, Scott (his seventh in as many games since Christmas) and a tap-in for me from Scott’s pass, and the following are some of the more memorable moments of an entertaining half:
- Dave charging 30 yards across the pitch to massacre the Kilburn wing who was charging down the touchline: the tackle was so hard and well executed that both players flew off the side of the pitch and into touch
- Scott twice nailing the same winger (as well as cheekily fouling him off the ball as they fought for a loose ball)
- Stu single-handedly out-rucking 4 Kilburn players to secure the ball 5 yards from our line
- Rick catching Alex’s touch-finder and steaming up the wing, before passing inside to Stu who caught the ball with one hand and ran 15 yards holding it on the back of his head
- I’ll be kind to Rick and not mention his knock-on 2 yards short of the line for which he was punished in the bar afterwards (perhaps he felt bad and was trying to save Neil too much humiliation after he’d dropped the ball over the line from a push-over scrum in the first half)
- Scotty racing back 50 yards to bring down the Kilburn centre who’d intercepted a pass and was already celebrating a try
- Matt Mc and Michiel coming off at the end caked head to toe in mud

All in all, a highly entertaining and enjoyable game, and a great result against a team we’ve traditionally had very close results against. Outstanding.

MOTM: on a tragic day for pie shops in England (but a day of jubilation for the Middle East kebab industry), Neil showed what we’ll miss with a series of hefty charges and bruising tackles, while in the backs Dave produced the moment of the match with his savage hit on the flying Kilburn wing. But Scott crossed the divide with a supreme performance both in the back row and on the wing – crunching tackles, constant ball in the line-out, elusive running with the ball in hand, a try and an assist. He just keeps on getting better…