Coyote's Raiders Match Report: Raiders V HK Scottish Bravehearts

As is typical, the pre-game huddle was laden with bluster and peppered with rugby clichés plucked straight from Jonah Lomu Rugby 1997 commentary script.

For that brief moment there was a sense of hope in the air that, below these vapid words lay something of substance. How wrong we were…
 
The first half saw (occasional) Captain JJ the Unready lead the Sandy Bay Raiders to one of the worst defensive displays since the Battle of Little Bighorn. It was a slow stuttering start to a half that only went one way for a full 35 minutes of humiliation at the hands of a heavily bolstered Scottish side stacked with players from the higher leagues.  
 
Notable blunders from the Raiders team included a forward pass by James “Dick of the Day” Stevenson inside the opposition 22, thereby turning a potential scoring opportunity into a full field dash by Scottish to the opposite end of the field. Further handling errors, missed tackles and the inability to hit the broadside of a barn off the boot meant Raiders headed into the second half 19 points adrift of Scottish. The only 5 points earned by Raiders being down to Owen Pescod’s single handed slick skills uncharacteristic of NL1 rugby.
 
A half time call to arms by Josh “Super-Sub” Wrafter, galvanized the Raiders squad to hit the ground running as they took to the pitch again. There was an immediate change of pace and responsiveness by the Raiders team. The Scottish Prop who had run riot through our defence in the first half was brought down early with a head injury by Chris “Pegleg” Harris, presumably from a clash with his “regulation” reinforced steel leg. From then onwards the game swung heavily in favour of Raiders with barn storming runs from James “Man of the Match” Stevenson and Matt “ Jones setting up try after try for the Raiders.
 
Tries from Pescod, Chin, Balfour and Benskin ensured that Scottish were well and truly on the ropes with 40 seconds to play and one score needed from Raiders to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
 
Unfortunately it was not meant to be as Johnny Templeman lost control of the ball following a woeful pass from JJ “Butter Fingers” Nazer and the final whistle blew to close the curtain on what will forever be recalled as one of the greatest rugby comebacks since France overcame a 14-point deficit in the 1999 World Cup semi-final to beat the All Blacks.
 
Final Score 31-27

*subsequent to the game a formal inquiry has been launched into whether JJ Nazer is in fact a Scottish sympathiser sent to bring down Sandy Bay rugby. If you have any information, please come forward.

Tries: Pescod x 2, Jeff Chin, Paddy Balfour, David Benskin
Conversions: Pescod
MOM: James 'Pony' Stevenson
DOD: James 'Pony' Stevenson