The Hourglass

June 14, 2002

A Publication of the Connecticut Grey Rugby Football Club
Dean Jorgensen, Editor

GREY RETAIN CUP WITH WIN OVER LION KINGS
Story by Scratch Cunningham

On Saturday, May 4th, the Grey traveled to Randalls Island, the garden spot of upper Manhattan, for another duel for the coveted sugar bowl. The day was warm and sunny and the Grey came with ample numbers but with some gaps at key positions -- especially in the backfield. Game time seemed to be in question from the start as there was some indecision as to which field we were to play on but once that was cleared, the kickoff time still loomed in doubt. What was to be an 11:00 kickoff was pushed back to 11:15 and then again to 11:30 -- actual kickoff time still wasn't clear as it appeared the Lions were waiting for more bodies to show.

Once the game began, it was apparent that the Grey came with a little more desire to win and continue the win streak of this spring. Play seemed to concentrate in the Kings' half of the field for most of the period and the Grey exhibited good rucking and some pretty smart backfield movements with the ball to keep pressure on the Kings and deflect play into the opposition's half. A quick break in the forwards found Mike Kosilla free and running up the right side of the field with Chicky in support, who received the ball and crossed over goal for the first try of the game. The conversion was not good and the Grey led early 5 - 0. The rest of the period was the usual tug of war over field position but the Grey showed more control and experience. Near the end of the period the Grey were close to the Kings' twenty meter line and after a ruck was won by the Grey the ball came out to Brendan Coffey at standoff who hit Tony Johnson on a burst that split the Kings' backs and resulted in a twenty meter run for the score. The conversion by Seeger was good and the Grey led at the end of the first period 12 - 0.

The second period was not at all like the first in that the Grey seemed to give up a little and allowed the Kings to make hay of the failings of the Grey. Penalties, knock-ons, and lack of support resulted in numerous turn-overs that provided some opportunities for the Kings to score. Only good tackling by the Grey and some handling mistakes by the Kings prevented any scoring. The Grey never really threatened to score in the second and although the Kings had some opportunities, they too failed to score and the period ebbed and flowed to a 0 - 0 scoring draw with the Grey still leading 12 - 0.

Captain Carr noted the lackadaisical play and voiced his displeasure with the effort in the second, rallying the Grey to do better in the third. The last period started off with a bang - but the barrel was pointing the wrong way. With a comment to start the period that the Grey shall not give up a score against us, the Kings scored quickly off a set scrum as the scrum half picked up and went tight around the pack to split the gap between the pack and standoff for their first score of the day. The conversion was good and the Grey were now looking down the barrel of a 12 - 7 game -- really close, and the situation brought to mind many of the games in the past where a nice lead by the Grey fizzled in the third period and resulted in the Grey losing the games. Not today. With a little sense of desperation and the feeling that we would not lose today, the Grey responded with an interception by Tony Johnson who drew in a few defenders and flipped the ball over the Daryl Garrison who found Jim Facey in support, who then passed out to Chicky who ran into score for his second try of the game. The conversion was not good but the Grey extended the lead and now had some breathing room with the score 17 - 7. The Grey stopped several attempts of scoring by the Kings with good defense that shouldn't have happened from the start. Many penalties were given up by the Grey where the Grey took their time getting ten meters away and with their back turned allowed the Kings to run off large gains of real estate -- many of which took the ball deep into the Grey half where the Kings had numbers but were unable to flip the ball out to an open player and thankfully averted any further scoring. The Grey regained some composure and again attacked the Kings' half. With a set close in, John Kerr passed the ball out to Chris Rose on the weak-side and as Chris was being consumed by the Kings' defense, he flipped the ball out to Kerr who was coming around end and bolted the remaining five meters for the score. The conversion was not good but with the lead now at 22 - 7, the victory was not in doubt. The game ended soon after and the Grey notched their third win of the season 22 - 7. The man of the match was awarded to Chicky for the two-try day. Then it was onto the party as the Kings did a really nice job of hosting a cookout and all the beer you can drink (in two hours). And, the cup was once again awarded to the Grey.

GREY MENTIONED IN JUNE ISSUE OF RUGBY MAG

Michael Malone's always entertaining column, "A Fine Disregard," pays a tip o' the hat to the Grey in this month's issue. From his article entitled "A Rainbow Coalition" comes this excerpt.

... Not quite of age for an old boys game, I figured I'd fill in where needed for the Lion Kings against the Connecticut Greys, get a brief run in and save my limited wind for the B game. And make a point of getting that scrumcap dirty, because nothing screams "hit me in the melon" louder than virginal white headgear.

I was leisurely making my way toward the field when an old teammate came running up, screaming at me to get suited up. Our old boys were down a few men, we needed a flyhalf and kickoff was in about 15 minutes. So there I was moments later, awaiting the Connecticut Grey flyhalf's kickoff, butterflies called out of retirement to patrol my stomach and slog through an unsettled mix of Power Bar and Power Aide and whatever other hastily-ingested power sources I bore.

Sixty minutes later, the Greys won the spirited match and retained the cheesy pewter cup we do battle for each year...

(Copyright Rugby Magazine, June 2002)

"Cheesy pewter cup???"

AROUND THE FIELD
By Felix "Bedbug" Farnsworth

Once again, a trip to the exotic Isle of Randalls for the game against the Lion Kings always provides new meanings to fun in the outdoors. One thing that was very apparent this last trip was the large numbers of people and activities going on at one time. There were rugby games, softball games, soccer games and baseball games for the more organized teams. It is also known that there are other games and events for the youngsters that don't require fields or balls but makes use of the numerous things found on the isle. Some of the games we saw were:

- Red Rover, Red Rover roll the bum over (followed by Hop on Pops) 
- One fish, two fish, count the dead fish 
- Hop-scotch bottles 
- Hide and go pee 
- Stick the needle in the Junkie (a take off on pin the tail)

There were a lot of spectators around following the Grey/Kings match and some were, well, exhibiting some anatomical attributes that they possessed. It was a little cool and some of the female participants were scantily clad which provided some interesting sights. However, it was decided by one member of the Grey (who we will leave nameless) that nipple beats cleavage. Which raised the question as to what beats nipple? Answer: Camel-toe. Camel-toe with spider legs beats all.

JOHN FALATYN MEMORIAL MATCH

Sunday, May 19, brought together over 50 ruggers and even more family and friends to remember the life of John Falatyn in the most fitting way possible -- a hard-played rugby match and a terrific cookout at the Falatyn family home. The weather in Port Ewen, New York, was cool and bright, the pitch soft -- ideal for all those former teammates of John who found themselves strapping on the boots for the first time in years.

John's more recent teammates from the Connecticut Grey turned out in force. What was more impressive was the turnout of former Mid-Hudson players, some from as far away as Florida, Ohio, and the left coast.

The match, itself, was a testament to days of former glory. Even on a slow pitch, the ball was played out, and over the course of 75 minutes, a total of ten tries were touched down. Plus, the kicking boots were on form -- a rarity in old boys rugby -- as seven of the ten tries were converted. It was agreed going in that the final score would be a draw but no one went into the match with the idea of loafing. That wasn't John's style and it wouldn't be ours either. For the record, the Mid-Hudson Old Dogs tallied 33 points to the Grey's 31. Every one of the fabled Mid-Hudson contingent of the Grey lined up on the Old Dog's side of the ball in the first period, but found time with the Grey during the contest.

The gathering after the match was a classic rugby social -- plenty of beer, plenty of food, and plenty of lies. The Grey and the Unicorns combined to raise $1,200 for the Boy Scouts of America, to whom John devoted a great deal of his time. Our heartfelt thanks to Pixie Falatyn and her children for making us feel so welcome. And a special thanks to all the "Grey Dogs" for making the day a reality.

GREY CONTINUE 23 YEAR REIGN OVER TORONTO

In the first match of the OMOM festival, the Grey were slated against the perennial opposition of the Toronto XL's. Andy Terry had spent a great deal of time the night before with members of the Grey sporting tales of how this was the game that the Grey would finally be defeated by the XL's. This is an old story and according to Sandy Woodard (who would remember this) the XL's haven't won once against the Grey since the inception of the club in 1979. Today, however, would find Andy sucking eggs on the sideline after the game.

With ample numbers and a relatively mild spring (only one game in the past four weeks) the Greys were primed for a game and this would bode poorly for the XL's. Once again, the Grey had superior strength in the forwards and, allowing for the fact that Toronto does not lift in the lineouts, the Grey tried there best to make the play relatively even in the pack. This didn't help too much as the Grey kept the ball mostly in the XL half and the backs had their way with the opposition. Failing to muster any offense, the XL's were backed into their half for most of the opening minutes. After several attempts at the goal line the Grey got the ball to the backs and Don Brancard dished off an inside pass to Tony Johnson who drew the first points. The conversion was wide and the Grey were up 5 - 0. Soon after, the Grey were once again flipping the ball from back to back and with a nice break, Joe Bordieri bounced outside with an XL in tow and flipped the ball out to Chicky who touched down in the corner for another score. Again (and get used to this) the kick was wide but the Grey were now ahead 10 - 0. As if the dust hadn't even settled yet, the Grey stole the ball inside their own 22 (which was only seen after we scored and had to go back there to receive the kick) and flipped the ball out to the backs where Chris Rose took the ball on a break and ran the full 75 meters for the score. Again, the kick narrowly avoided a few ants and a worm but the score now expanded to 15 - 0 in favor of the Grey.

At break there were the usual substitutions but this didn't really change the outcome of the game. The second half was more of the first but the XL's seemed to excel at stealing the lineouts form the Grey which kept the game more or less from being a blowout. Didn't matter though, for after a few minutes to the halfway point the Grey scored again thanks to Joe Bordieri and a nice team effort down the sidelines, pushing the lead to 20 points. This time the conversion was good and the Grey led 22 - 0. As time was running down, so were most of the XL's and the only way to prove this is to explain the last try where the forwards were mauling the ball downfield and broke free of the pack with the ball passed around, ending up in Ronco's hands who ran the last 15 meters on his own and barely, and I mean BARELY, made it into goal and either touched the ball down or fell down for the final try of the game. Again, the kick was somewhere short of Cincinnati but it didn't matter as the Grey ended with a 27 - 0 shutout of the XL's and a somewhat dejected (and soon to be deported) Andy Terry.

GREYS WIN HARD MATCH OVER BOSTON

In the final game of the season, the Grey drew Boston for the last game of the day and what a great way to end the season. There were some minor injuries sustained by the Grey in the first game and substitutions were necessary to ensure there was adequate defense and abilities. This didn't affect the Grey as much as it has in the past. Boston, on the other hand, appeared to have recruited some new players (and old ones like Keith Neal who is in second place to Lou P. for most games played for other teams) and the side looked as if they were going to give the Grey a real battle. And for a while it was, but the Grey were determined to win after the great, uplifting and motivational speech by Captain Carr before the game. It worked. After many back-and-forth skirmishes, the Grey camped out for awhile near the Boston goal and after several attempts to push one over, passed the ball out to the backs where a long pass to a bursting Chris Rose found the mark and notched the first try of the game. Well, you know how the kick went so the Grey were up 5 - 0 with a lot of time remaining. It wasn't long before the Grey were on the scoring track again and a break by Don Brancard between the Boston backs allowed him to slip through the missed tackle for the second try of the game. This time the conversion was good and the score was now Grey 12, Boston 0. Not long after, Boston got a little help from some Grey mishandling and a movement through their backs which was stopped by Bob Casey, was played on the ground by a Boston player (another obvious infraction not seen) knocked away from a Grey defender who was about to steal it and scooped up by Boston who took it in for the score. The conversion was not good and the Grey led 12 - 5. This was it for the half and the one-and-a-half game time was starting to take its toll on the Grey.

Fortunately, it was affecting Boston too -- but not as much. In the second half Boston seemed to have a little more spark right from the kickoff and were able to force the Grey deep into their own end. Things were getting tough and thankfully, Boston wasn't able to move the ball through the backs and the Grey defense was providing good opposition, otherwise the outcome may have been different. The Grey were able to notch on a few more points with a penalty kick converted by Don Brancard extending the slim lead to 10 points. As time went on, the Grey changed strategies and started kicking long deep ball in the hopes of keeping play in the Boston half and possibly taking advantage of a Boston mistake. This is exactly what happened as a long kick was played by Boston and went into touch. Tom "Nimble-Toes" Roncaioli was right on the mark and the Boston players, assuming it was their throw in, took their time getting to the mark and Ronco tossed the ball quickly to Bud Harvey who ran untouched the 20 meters in to score. This led to a long discussion as to whose ball was it when it went out of bounds but, and quite ironically, it was the Boston touch judge who called it Grey ball from about 50 meters away. With a 20 - 5 lead, the Grey decided to try to keep the ball in the pack as time was running down. Even attempting to control the ball and keep it in the pack didn't work out as planned. As a ruck was about to form, Brancard flipped the ball up from a tackle to Johnson who, expecting to be crushed by forwards, found himself free and clear and side stepped one Boston player en route to another try. Forget about where the conversion landed, the score was now a commanding 25 - 5 for the Grey. With only a few minutes, Boston was able to push the Grey back and off a set scrum found an overload in the backfield -- which we had expected would happen all day but, didn't -- and found the try zone for their second and final score of the day. In the end the Grey had triumphed 25 - 12.

FRANCONIA MEMORIES

Bill Earls sends us the following reminiscence...

My best Franconia memory is about 10 years ago. We'd played a couple of tough games -- I think we'd ended the day against a tough club from Vermont (the Hill Folk or the Green Mountain Boys or something ... I forget) and as the day ended, I remember sharing a keg with other guys and talking to one of the Boston players. He was my age -- close to 50 at the time -- and sort of wistful/joyful as he looked around. "I've been coming here for 10 years," he said. "I know all these guys -- the Greys, the Senators. Hell, I know their wives and I've watched their kids grow ... man, this is family."

Yup, it is. Still is. Sorry I couldn't get to any of the games this season but I hope to see you all in the fall. Shouldn't suit up -- electronics and all -- but I could always run touch. My best to all.

BLOCK ISLAND WEEKEND

We'll be heading back to the Block before long. The game against the Rhody Old Cocks is scheduled for mid-day on Saturday, July 27. Details, including transportation and lodging options (probably limited by now) are posted on our web site. Let Ed Carr know as soon as possible if you will be playing.

ANNUAL AWARDS

The Executive Committee has decided to revise the way in which we vote on annual awards. From now on, we will be sending out two ballots, one at the end of the spring season, and one at the end of the fall season. Results of the two ballots will be combined and a single winner in each category will be announced at the Annual Awards Banquet. This change is made to assist those of us with fading memories, who have trouble even remembering last spring when January rolls around. Ballots for spring voting will be e-mailed shortly.

THE STELLA AWARDS - AMERICA AT ITS VERY BEST!

In November 2000. Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma City purchased a brand new 32 foot Winnebago motor home. On his first trip home, having joined the freeway, he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly the Winnie left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not advising him in the handbook that he couldn't actually do this. He was awarded $1,750,000 plus a new Winnie. (Winnebago actually changed their handbooks on the back of this court case, just in case there are any other complete morons buying their vehicles.)