In a season full of changes within the club, RM1 have had a tough time so far this season. Both stepping up from division 2, and struggling to field the same team regularly, have taken their toll on the results so far.
After a 3-3 draw on the home leg in their first match of the season, and recently adding winning members (Phil & Chris) of the RM2 side to his roster, captain Darren Moore was looking to start his winning ways this side of xmas. Prem made a return to the side after pulling his hamstring in his last outing, so First aiders at the venue were made aware not to leave early.
Darren & Prem, and Phil & Chris made the initial pairings, but despite high scores throughout, we could only reach 21 points once, taking one rubber to 3 games, but ultimately being edged out. So going into the split 4-0 down, the boys only had pride left to play for. Prem and Phil rekindled their partnership from their Leicester Men's days, but the strong split from St. Phillips proved too strong, and our pair lost in 3. One last chance for a smidge of dignity...
Darren and Chris took a different approach, coming in at 4-0 down, Darren chose to use his (not-so) renowned 'drive' service, and unfortunately the receiver couldn't get his racket in the way before the shuttle met his head. The next two serves were repeat performances, and our pair had their opponent rattled, even with an exclamation to his partner of "Why do they keep aiming at me?"... Like a red rag to a bull, and match play mode (finally) engaged, Darren and Chris piled on the pressure, pulling out a solitary rubber from an overall superior team on the night.
No Ice hockey style bust-ups fortunately, and I am told that the match was generally played in good spirits. However, with a 5-1 loss our trek off the bottom of the table looks insurmountable without some serious measures.
RM2's first match of the year saw them at home to Harris, possibly the smallest team in the league, with only 4 players. The away leg had been an enjoyable outing for the team, and they were looking forward to another good night.
Our team consisted of Phil, Chris, Dave, and Rob; as usual the Harris guys brought their best four. Everyone got there early (which is a victory in itself for our club at a home game), and the pairs started their warmups. Chris and Phil took their normal spot in the first pair, with Dave and Rob playing as numbers 3 & 4.
The match was more competitive than the away leg had been, with Harris showing ther improvment and claiming a couple of extra points each game, compared to their previous scores, but still not quite enough to get to 21 in any of the games. Another 6-0 win for Trinity should see RM2 still comfortably as the top dogs in the division.
After the match was finished, both teams had a mix around anad played a few social games, including mixing in some folks from the no-strings session next door. It's this element of the Rugby league / division that I think makes it unique over some others - the social side. The fact that people are willing to stop and play some social badminton after a match is a testament to the community feel.