Philly is, by all accounts, a difficult team to scrum against.
To be a lock on the smaller side of locks, against a pack on the large side of packs, is especially difficult.
And when I ended up being the larger of Maryland's locks?
Let's just say that those scrums were very inspirational, in the sense that I am now extremely motivated to head to a gym. Because my lack of gym-going recently was very, very unhelpful on Saturday.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Locking body position
When I first started locking - that is, when I first got dragged over from wing to be a flanker, and occasionally got thrown in to lock during practice - I learned to start on my knees. Put my head in low between my front row, then go up and make eye contact with the lock across from me.
Then I went to a MARFU scrum clinic with Lisa Rosen, and we talked about good body position and the advantages of second rows starting in a stable body position on her feet. Putting the head straight between my prop and hooker, and keeping it in a neutral position, looking through my eyebrows and "over the sunglasses".
After that, I felt much more comfortable when I needed to step in at lock, whether during practice or in games. I was more stable starting on my feet, instead of frantically trying to pop up and readjust my body position in the seconds before "Engage!" So I became a huge advocate of starting in that crouched position, stabilizing myself with my prop and ready to power forward instead of just resting on the ground.
That is, until I started locking for Maryland. We're short on second rows so I've primarily been playing there rather than in the back row. However, I've been having trouble getting stable - the front row has a different cadence than I'm used to, and it gets them lower, but has been throwing me off.
Until last night, when Maria suggested that I start on my knees, and wait to get up into good scrumming position until after the front row had dropped - but well before the ref starts calling the cadence.
And wouldn't you know, it worked! I guess there are advantages to both methods; now I'm just trying to figure out what, exactly they are, so I can begin using both more intelligently depending on who I'm second rowing behind.
Then I went to a MARFU scrum clinic with Lisa Rosen, and we talked about good body position and the advantages of second rows starting in a stable body position on her feet. Putting the head straight between my prop and hooker, and keeping it in a neutral position, looking through my eyebrows and "over the sunglasses".
After that, I felt much more comfortable when I needed to step in at lock, whether during practice or in games. I was more stable starting on my feet, instead of frantically trying to pop up and readjust my body position in the seconds before "Engage!" So I became a huge advocate of starting in that crouched position, stabilizing myself with my prop and ready to power forward instead of just resting on the ground.
That is, until I started locking for Maryland. We're short on second rows so I've primarily been playing there rather than in the back row. However, I've been having trouble getting stable - the front row has a different cadence than I'm used to, and it gets them lower, but has been throwing me off.
Until last night, when Maria suggested that I start on my knees, and wait to get up into good scrumming position until after the front row had dropped - but well before the ref starts calling the cadence.
And wouldn't you know, it worked! I guess there are advantages to both methods; now I'm just trying to figure out what, exactly they are, so I can begin using both more intelligently depending on who I'm second rowing behind.
Monday, September 22, 2008
On losing
There was recently an interesting article in the New York Times called Lessons Learned in the Losing. The author's basic point is that, in a winning-obsessed culture, there's still plenty of good to be found in a loss.
It's a particularly appropriate article considering how the past two weekends have gone for Maryland.
Two Saturdays ago, we played a heart-breaker against Raleigh in skin-melting heat and humidity. Despite the weather, it sure felt like we were winning - we kept up a strong defense, forcing turnovers, and kept possession well while moving the ball up the pitch - but when it was all said and done, we couldn't finish it. Though we spent a good chunk of time inside Raleigh's 22, we only managed to get the ball across the try line once. Added to a brief breakdown in our defensive line which Raleigh quickly took advantage of to turn the corner and run in a try, and we ended up on the losing end of a 5-7 scoreboard. It was an incredibly frustrating loss.
This weekend felt much, much different. We met the DC Furies on the PAC pitch across from the Washington Monument - the weather was beautiful, and we should've been ready for a great day of rugby, but everyone started out off. Our warm-up was messy and full of dropped balls; not surprisingly, the beginning of the game wasn't much better. As we missed our tackles, sat on our heels in defense, and got dominated in our own scrums, DC ran in try after try.
We were losing, no question about it. Standing in our own try zone as the Furies kicked yet another conversion, we weren't talking about winning anymore - just about how we were going to play.
And we pulled it together. First in the scrum - we stopped losing our own scrums and controlled a few defensive scrums well enough to wheel. Then out on the pitch, we got lower and hit harder on the tackles, keeping DC out of our 22 for the majority of the half. Alas, we never scored our own try, but even with a losing score of a lot to nothing, knowing we could pull ourselves together in a bad situation felt pretty good.
Two different losses, neither of which felt like winning. The first was a solid, well-played game where our performance didn't translate to the score board; the second showed how much passion we have for the game. Now our task is to hold onto our strengths and improve our weaknesses to play a coherent game that puts points on the board and a W on our record.
It's a particularly appropriate article considering how the past two weekends have gone for Maryland.
Two Saturdays ago, we played a heart-breaker against Raleigh in skin-melting heat and humidity. Despite the weather, it sure felt like we were winning - we kept up a strong defense, forcing turnovers, and kept possession well while moving the ball up the pitch - but when it was all said and done, we couldn't finish it. Though we spent a good chunk of time inside Raleigh's 22, we only managed to get the ball across the try line once. Added to a brief breakdown in our defensive line which Raleigh quickly took advantage of to turn the corner and run in a try, and we ended up on the losing end of a 5-7 scoreboard. It was an incredibly frustrating loss.
This weekend felt much, much different. We met the DC Furies on the PAC pitch across from the Washington Monument - the weather was beautiful, and we should've been ready for a great day of rugby, but everyone started out off. Our warm-up was messy and full of dropped balls; not surprisingly, the beginning of the game wasn't much better. As we missed our tackles, sat on our heels in defense, and got dominated in our own scrums, DC ran in try after try.
We were losing, no question about it. Standing in our own try zone as the Furies kicked yet another conversion, we weren't talking about winning anymore - just about how we were going to play.
And we pulled it together. First in the scrum - we stopped losing our own scrums and controlled a few defensive scrums well enough to wheel. Then out on the pitch, we got lower and hit harder on the tackles, keeping DC out of our 22 for the majority of the half. Alas, we never scored our own try, but even with a losing score of a lot to nothing, knowing we could pull ourselves together in a bad situation felt pretty good.
Two different losses, neither of which felt like winning. The first was a solid, well-played game where our performance didn't translate to the score board; the second showed how much passion we have for the game. Now our task is to hold onto our strengths and improve our weaknesses to play a coherent game that puts points on the board and a W on our record.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
3 reasons...
Our assistant coach Maria asked us all to think of three things that make us want to play rugby. At first I kind of rolled my eyes - geez, that's awfully touchy-feely! - but then I stared to wonder:
What is it that makes me keep coming back to this sport? Keep playing when it's so hot I get dizzy and wobbly, or so cold that it goes from numbness to pain? Come back from a Saturday that leaves me bruised and sore and achy to go to another practice to get ready for another Saturday? Push myself to go to the gym and do sprints because I just want to get better on the pitch?
Here's my top three:
1) Hitting a ruck and feeling it move backwards because of you.
2) Teammates - no game is won on one player alone and working 15 as 1 is a goal worth getting out on the pitch for.
3) Being able to walk off the field at the end of the day and think, I did something good today. I hurt but it's worth it. That sense of accomplishment that goes down to your bones.
And that's what I'll think about up until tomorrow's game.
What is it that makes me keep coming back to this sport? Keep playing when it's so hot I get dizzy and wobbly, or so cold that it goes from numbness to pain? Come back from a Saturday that leaves me bruised and sore and achy to go to another practice to get ready for another Saturday? Push myself to go to the gym and do sprints because I just want to get better on the pitch?
Here's my top three:
1) Hitting a ruck and feeling it move backwards because of you.
2) Teammates - no game is won on one player alone and working 15 as 1 is a goal worth getting out on the pitch for.
3) Being able to walk off the field at the end of the day and think, I did something good today. I hurt but it's worth it. That sense of accomplishment that goes down to your bones.
And that's what I'll think about up until tomorrow's game.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Pumpkinfest 2008
This past weekend was my first time at Pumkinfest. After a long drive, made longer by getting lost before we found Pennypack Field (tucked cozily between a river and a jail-slash-mental-hospital), I was ready to kit up, get out on the pitch, and play. The weather was oppressive - Hurricane Tropical Storm Hanna was heavy in the air, and everyone was drenched in sweat just a few minutes into warm-ups.
However, that did not deter the Stingers. Our first match was at 9:00am versus Atlanta, and we were ready for what would be a long, tough game. Though we only played two 20-minute halves, it felt much longer to me as I locked in scrum after scrum after scrum, painfully aware both of how out of shape I am and that Maryland had no second row subs.
When the ball stayed in tight, the match was fairly even, and neither team could create enough of an advantage to score. However, Atlanta clearly had the upper hand on the outside, scoring two tries in each half by capitalizing on their speed and ball-handling skills and our slowness in spreading the defensive line to turn the corner on the wing. With no conversions, the final score stood 20-0 in Atlanta’s favor.
Shortly thereafter, it began raining, and park officials announced they were closing the park at 1:00, effectively canceling the rest of the games for the afternoon. We headed back to the hotel to check in, shower, and relax for a few hours.
The Maryland Stingers, dressed en theme as Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkinfest, met up for team dinner at Lucy’s Hat Shop. Over french fries, quesadillas, chicken fingers, and adult beverages, a great time was had by all.
After finishing off our food and figuring out the tab, most of us headed over to Cavanaugh's Riverdeck for the official social. It was great to see all the teams’ costume themes. Personal favorites were Nova as secret agents, the Raleigh superheroes, and all of Frederick as Rosie the Riveters. Philly handed out glow bracelets freely, and the weather had cleared up enough to open up an outdoor dance floor overlooking the water and the night skyline; however, it had been a long day and it wasn’t long before your humble Pink headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
Sunday dawned beautiful, clear, and breezy – perfect rugby weather. The Stingers kitted up to play New York at 9:40. We played another strong game, improving our defense to put pressure on NY, but despite an excellent performance on our part, the game still ended a lot to nothing in New York’s favor.
We wrapped up the tournament with a consolation match versus a motley side of Rochester and Frederick (some of whom were still sporting their Rosie lipstick from the social!). After prepping against two very tough teams, the Stingers came out strong to set the tone of the game. We kept up a strong defense and were able to put into play an aggressive offense with great support, resulting in several tries. I was overjoyed in the second half to be relieved at lock by my old teammate and American’s current captain, Nips, who capped off her Stinger’s cameo with a try. Final score was 26-7, Stinger’s favor.
Didn’t stay long enough to figure out what the final tournament results were, but I will be sure to post them when I can find them online!
However, that did not deter the Stingers. Our first match was at 9:00am versus Atlanta, and we were ready for what would be a long, tough game. Though we only played two 20-minute halves, it felt much longer to me as I locked in scrum after scrum after scrum, painfully aware both of how out of shape I am and that Maryland had no second row subs.
When the ball stayed in tight, the match was fairly even, and neither team could create enough of an advantage to score. However, Atlanta clearly had the upper hand on the outside, scoring two tries in each half by capitalizing on their speed and ball-handling skills and our slowness in spreading the defensive line to turn the corner on the wing. With no conversions, the final score stood 20-0 in Atlanta’s favor.
Shortly thereafter, it began raining, and park officials announced they were closing the park at 1:00, effectively canceling the rest of the games for the afternoon. We headed back to the hotel to check in, shower, and relax for a few hours.
The Maryland Stingers, dressed en theme as Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkinfest, met up for team dinner at Lucy’s Hat Shop. Over french fries, quesadillas, chicken fingers, and adult beverages, a great time was had by all.
After finishing off our food and figuring out the tab, most of us headed over to Cavanaugh's Riverdeck for the official social. It was great to see all the teams’ costume themes. Personal favorites were Nova as secret agents, the Raleigh superheroes, and all of Frederick as Rosie the Riveters. Philly handed out glow bracelets freely, and the weather had cleared up enough to open up an outdoor dance floor overlooking the water and the night skyline; however, it had been a long day and it wasn’t long before your humble Pink headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep.
Sunday dawned beautiful, clear, and breezy – perfect rugby weather. The Stingers kitted up to play New York at 9:40. We played another strong game, improving our defense to put pressure on NY, but despite an excellent performance on our part, the game still ended a lot to nothing in New York’s favor.
We wrapped up the tournament with a consolation match versus a motley side of Rochester and Frederick (some of whom were still sporting their Rosie lipstick from the social!). After prepping against two very tough teams, the Stingers came out strong to set the tone of the game. We kept up a strong defense and were able to put into play an aggressive offense with great support, resulting in several tries. I was overjoyed in the second half to be relieved at lock by my old teammate and American’s current captain, Nips, who capped off her Stinger’s cameo with a try. Final score was 26-7, Stinger’s favor.
Didn’t stay long enough to figure out what the final tournament results were, but I will be sure to post them when I can find them online!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
And we're open!
So here it is - my official rugby blog. Finally up and running, after months of dreaming. Please excuse a bit of roughness around the edges; after all, I've never had a proper blog before.
Though the archives in this space go back three years, they have all been transferred from my "personal" journal; I created this blog for myself as more of a public space, a platform from which I can interact with other ruggers-who-blog without linking back to the more intimate, non-rugby details of my life.
Plus most of the readers of my personal journal are friends who, while I love them dearly, aren't ruggers and don't know a line-out from the touch line, and I wanted a space where I could delve into the finer points of rucking with at least a theoretical audience of sympathetic readers.
So that's what Rugger in Pink is for - and here I go.
Though the archives in this space go back three years, they have all been transferred from my "personal" journal; I created this blog for myself as more of a public space, a platform from which I can interact with other ruggers-who-blog without linking back to the more intimate, non-rugby details of my life.
Plus most of the readers of my personal journal are friends who, while I love them dearly, aren't ruggers and don't know a line-out from the touch line, and I wanted a space where I could delve into the finer points of rucking with at least a theoretical audience of sympathetic readers.
So that's what Rugger in Pink is for - and here I go.
Monday, August 25, 2008
And rugby's officially back in session
If this Saturday was any indication of how my rookie season with the Stingers is going to be, you can expect me to be quite the happy Pink for the next few months.
Exhausted.
But happy.
Our first game was an A-side match versus Chesapeake, played at the so-called Holocaust Field located next to the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum, across the street from the Washington National Monument. I haven't played on the mall since Cherry Blossom sophomore year, so that was quite a treat.
Apparently, the last time the Stingers played Chesapeake, the results were not so good, and everyone was determined to come out and show them who the better team was. I'm proud to say that we did, with gusto. The Stingers kicked ass 39-0, scoring six tries by six different people, with Heather kicking three conversions and one penalty. We worked at the early-season kinks as we played, improving the further into the game we got - at the half when the score stood at 12-0, Maddy insisted on another 30 points, and we did our best by adding 27 to the score board.
As for myself, I went in at lock in the second half, and ended up coming out a bit early when I hurt my shoulder [nothing serious, fine with a good stretching]. However, in the thirty minutes I was in, I managed a pretty decent showing - one of those six tries was mine. My first game, too! It was a "support" try; a few of my teammates had a good breakaway, and all I did was keep up with them in time to pick the ball out of the back of the ruck and dive the few meters into the tryzone.
Following the main event was a two-thirds Pax River/one-third Stingers side playing the Furies B. Pax River is a small side that has trouble getting a full side out to games (thus the Stinger supplements), but played a pretty decent game, though our motley didn't score any tries. I played the first twenty of this match as strong side flanker.
After the match finished up and we all slapped off most of the dust from the pitch, we headed to the Bottom Line for pasta and beer. With representatives from all four teams - Stingers, Chesapeake, Pax River, and Furies - it was a pretty busy time. I got to know my own teammates better, sat down and chatted with players I'd never met before, and reconnected with acquaintances I rarely see off the pitch.
Post-social I ended up heading straight to Baltimore for a teammate's bachelorette barcrawl - rugby-themed, so no need to stop home to grab clean clothes! It was a diverse collection of friends, from rugby, work, and school, and all of us did our best to give her a proper send-off before she heads into the wilds of matrimony.
All in all, a good Saturday to start the season.
Exhausted.
But happy.
Our first game was an A-side match versus Chesapeake, played at the so-called Holocaust Field located next to the Smithsonian Holocaust Museum, across the street from the Washington National Monument. I haven't played on the mall since Cherry Blossom sophomore year, so that was quite a treat.
Apparently, the last time the Stingers played Chesapeake, the results were not so good, and everyone was determined to come out and show them who the better team was. I'm proud to say that we did, with gusto. The Stingers kicked ass 39-0, scoring six tries by six different people, with Heather kicking three conversions and one penalty. We worked at the early-season kinks as we played, improving the further into the game we got - at the half when the score stood at 12-0, Maddy insisted on another 30 points, and we did our best by adding 27 to the score board.
As for myself, I went in at lock in the second half, and ended up coming out a bit early when I hurt my shoulder [nothing serious, fine with a good stretching]. However, in the thirty minutes I was in, I managed a pretty decent showing - one of those six tries was mine. My first game, too! It was a "support" try; a few of my teammates had a good breakaway, and all I did was keep up with them in time to pick the ball out of the back of the ruck and dive the few meters into the tryzone.
Following the main event was a two-thirds Pax River/one-third Stingers side playing the Furies B. Pax River is a small side that has trouble getting a full side out to games (thus the Stinger supplements), but played a pretty decent game, though our motley didn't score any tries. I played the first twenty of this match as strong side flanker.
After the match finished up and we all slapped off most of the dust from the pitch, we headed to the Bottom Line for pasta and beer. With representatives from all four teams - Stingers, Chesapeake, Pax River, and Furies - it was a pretty busy time. I got to know my own teammates better, sat down and chatted with players I'd never met before, and reconnected with acquaintances I rarely see off the pitch.
Post-social I ended up heading straight to Baltimore for a teammate's bachelorette barcrawl - rugby-themed, so no need to stop home to grab clean clothes! It was a diverse collection of friends, from rugby, work, and school, and all of us did our best to give her a proper send-off before she heads into the wilds of matrimony.
All in all, a good Saturday to start the season.
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