NOBS / Nomads Match Report

Puffin Gannets versus Niagara Old Boys/Toronto Nomads
Thursday 4th September 2008

The second international fixture of the week had the Puffin Gannets matched with a composite of two clubs from the Toronto area.

The Puffins’ started the match playing down hill into a slight breeze. The pace was fast and both teams looking in good form. After several bruising minutes of forward play Jason Logan broke away and sprinted down the right wing from well inside his own half to score the first try. The forward exchanges continued and Glenda, the 6’2” American/Kiwi lady referee was having a tough time seeing everything that was going on.
The second PG try came from Stuart Macintyre who intercepted a pass on half way however the opposition, with Iwan Tukalo of Selkirk and Scotland fame, kept pressure on the defence. NOBS pulled a try back after a break by Tukalo only to see it canceled out by another try from Stuart Macintyre on good ball won by the forwards.
With five minutes of the first period remaining NOBS were starting to feel the heat and replaced some of their players and brought on two young ladies. After some fine rugby by both sides Jason Logan again made a fine break to go over for the Puffins fourth try .It was at this point that the referee sent Iwan Tukalo off for his constantly disputing the referees decisions.
The second period had just started when Paul Devine made a rare tackle on an opponent only to find his face come into contact with his knee. Hospital treatment was required but it was good to see that Devo managed to drag his bruised and stitched face back to the bar in the late afternoon.
The game continued and became fairly physical with both teams playing good fast rugby. A great try saving tackle was put in by Dennis Mccafferty before Jason Logan made another superb break from the Puffins twenty two and scored a magnificent try to end the second period of play and bring the score to five tries to one.
The start of the final period saw the Puffins powering down hill again and after some good close play Ian Smith went over in the corner. The NOBS kept coming back but some fine tackling by the Puffins kept them out and almost against the run of play the ever dangerous Jason Martin broke away from his own ten yard line to sprint the length of the pitch for his first try of the day. NOBS had yet again slipped on an extra man/woman to bolster their side however this was pointed out to the referee by the vocal Puffins’ support on the sidelines Abbin Anderson then sprinted forty yards to score his first try of the tournament after good back up play. NOBS finally managed to breach the resolute PG defence for their second try again made by their big No.8.
With time and breath running out Jason Logan sent Stuart Macintyre in for a well taken try then Nobby Clark slipped a pass to the ever present Abbin Anderson who made some good ground before popping to a youthful Chris Macrae to make the final score ten tries to two in favour of the Puffin Gannets.