The Purple Cobras ran out as underdogs against a powerful Nadoes side which was yet to lose a game since a pool fixture against Ubumbo last year. The Cobras didn't have the best start to the season as the team struggled in the opening stages of the competition to produce rugby which has earned them the accolade of being one of the league's powerhouse side.
This was all to change as a highly motivated and calm Cobras side could possibly have tunred their season around with a historic victory of the 5 time league champions the Nadoes.
The Cobras won the toss and chose to run against a very slight breeze that was sweeping across the chilly green mile. Cobras recieved the kick and from the kick off looked far more composed than the Nadoes, as their backline struggled to produce the magic they have been known for with wild passes being thrown between flyhalf and second centre. The Nadoes have also been known for their powerhouse forwards who often try to bully their oponents, however this was not to be the case on Wednesday night as the young Cobras side didn't give the Nadoes half an inch.
The Cobras spent quality time in the Nadoes half with the forwards making sure that the ball kept going through the phases, but it wasn't long until the Cobras were on the back foot and the Nadoes were pushing for a try. After the ball got knocked out of Nadoes flyhalf Guy Loxtons hand on the Cobras 5m line, the defence ran up past the loose ball and a Nadoe coming through managed to pick the ball up and go over under the poles. 7-0 to the Nadoes.
It wasn't long before the Cobras struck back and after another clean line out ball the forwards trampled all over the Nadoes pack and were brought down just short of the line only for the Cobras scrummy Graeme "I pull tall chicks" Steen to go over untouched, conversion succesful half time 7-7.
The talk at half time was that we were very much in it and if there was an opportunity to take the Nadoes side down, this was it as the motivated Cobras side knew that we were well in the game, if not actually dominating the proceedings. The Nadoes crowd started to sense an upset and started getting rather vocal on the sideline. Penalty on the Nadoes 10m line after about the 15th offence of hands in. The Cobras elected to shoot at poles and flyhalf Warren Butler managed to land the penalty to put the Cobras in the lead with 15 minutes to play, 10-7. This is how the score stayed and the Cobras walked away from the victory unbelievably stoked as the general mood in the camp was that this is what could possibly have turned our season around after struggling in the earlier stages of the competition.
The Cobras pack was hugely influential in this victory as the stole the majority of the Nadoes line out ball and one all of their own throw in's with star lock Dugald McDonald being back from a long injury. It was against Ikhaya in the opening fixture of last years season that he did his knee and hadn't played since. Not only him, but Matthew Kelly too, the Cobras flank, wrote down Wednesday the 6th of August as their comeback date as they couldnt pass up the opportunity to play the Nadoes. It was an unbelievable comeback for the two who have both been out of rugby for months. The Nichol brothers also had huge games along with young Cobras prop Garth "Moeg" Adams and signing of the season Mr. Kyle Rennie. Its hard to mention all the guys who played huge roles at it can be put down to an awesome team performance.
The Cobras will take this momentum into the quaterfinals, and could not have asked to click at a better time.
- No game this wed, our pool has a bye
-Touch on Sunday 4pm sharp @ Bishops
Oh so brave...
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