North Shore 3 Boston "C" 43

September 14, 2002

The second league match for North Shore RFC took place in South Boston, MA
and was a tale of two halves. The first half was a lesson in defensive
coverage and saw many scores by an experienced Boston side. In the second
half, North Shore did a much better job of containing Boston's strong
runners and carrying much of the play.

The well trained Boston team (backs and forwards alike) were in constant
support of one another, which resulted in three quick scores for the home
side. Whenever a ball-carrier was tied up or going into tackle, a teammate
was there to receive a pop-pass or quickly produce ball otherwise. This did
not leave time for NSRFC's strong forwards to win rucks or tie up the ball.
Many overloads resulted and North Shore was not able to adjust in time.

With the score already lopsided at halftime, the Steamers did not hang their
heads. They came out strong in the second half, and despite giving up an
early score, carried much of the play and spent much more time in the
opponent's end. There was one instance where a series of runs left North
Shore literally on Boston's try line, but the ball was held up in the end.

Not to be overlooked was strong forward play in the loose, which did not
always result in clean possession but did show awareness and support. Also,
the combination of Jesse Brewer and Trevor Mazarura showed what dynamic
wings can bring to a team. Rich DePiero once again showed the value of his
boot in finding touch and getting NS out of trouble throughout the game.

Overall, breakdowns, missed tackles, and general lack of experience did
North Shore in. There was definite improvement from the first week, even if
the score did not reflect it. The periods of strong, focused play have gotten
longer each week, and if the Steamers can sustain this play for 80 minutes a
better result will surely ensue.

Lineup (may have some of the forwards mixed up)
1-Tom Moloney--->Matt Cogliano?
2-Dave Shannon--->Matt Richard
3-Danny Forsythe--->Steve Moloney
4-Jesse Wilson
5-Tony Buonaugurio
6-Matt Thibault
7-Jon Tiplady-->Chris LeBlanc
8-Matt Cogliano--->Cam Williams
9-Reade Morrison-->Gus Del Puerto
10-Rich DePiero
11-Jesse Brewer
12-Marw Swan-->Sammy Benson
13-Bret Picolo
14-Trevor Mazarura
15-Rob Moran