Saturday in Toledo, Ohio, the Green Horde visited the Celtics in a rematch from the Fall season. In their first encounter the Green Horde beat the Celtics handily, but that was with most of their primary players installed and gelling with the rest of the starting XV.  This week’s competition saw key players in vital positions missing from the match, so the starting line consisted of shuffled starters and starting subs. Any team would be shaky with such a line-up, but the Green Horde aren’t any team. The team came out firing, with fill-in lock Miles Papa playing great support to finish off a great series of play to put in the first five of the match. The Celtics fired back and would continue to make nuisances of themselves throughout the game.

The first 40 saw the Celtics holding strong and keeping the game close by capitalizing on errors made by the Cleveland side. Scrums were zero sum affairs with the teams drawing stalemates after a majority of the engagements and lineout throws generally went to hand without any issue. The Celtics took liberties in the rucks and let their feet fly free, kicking at the ball while it was on the deck. The Green Horde held a bit more sway in the lineouts on solid throw-ins and solid mauls. The complexion of the set pieces changed in the second 40, though; and they changed decidedly in favor of the Men from Cleveland. Offensive rucks were secured and cleaned up, a switch in the defensive arrangement made it so Celtics’ lineouts weren’t safe and scrums became one-sided as the Green Horde continued to secure their own ball and made a mess of their opponents’ put-ins.

The Green Horde’s A side took a close 31 – 26 win back to Cleveland with them.

The B side put up another impressive showing. Unfortunately, their opposition managed to eek out a victory at the death of the match. Much like the A side, the B side’s scoring came at the hands of another debutante. New back line player – and new player overall – Wreck It Ralph, got a pass in open field and took off down the field. He still had a lot of work to do after receiving the pass, but he was too much for the defense to handle and he went over for the first five of the game. The Green Horde B side impressed in their match with Toledo, despite the sour outcome so expect to see two things in the future: solid B siders stepping up to the A ranks and more wins in the B side stat line.

The 2013 Rock n Roll 7s Tournament will be held saturday July 13, 2013 so mark your calendars and get ready to enjoy some stellar  7s action in the Summer sun.
This year’s tournament will be held at Donald Kruger Park in lovely Mentor, Ohio. The address for the park is: 7556 Chillicothe Road, Mentor OH 44060.

Information regarding entry fees and brackets will be coming soon so stay tuned! This year’s tournament will once again have a qualifier bracket so expect the area’s top levle teams to converge on Cleveland in their chase for points during the summer’s slate of tournaments.

See you at the pitch.

Three hours. That’s about how long it took for the Green Horde to arrive in South Buffalo on April 20, 2013 for their match. Three hours to play in bitter cold, blustery winds and a bit of snow – at least the sun was shining the bulk of the time.

The first half was a close contest. Both teams seemed to wrestle for possession of the ball in the middle of the field. Once each side was pushed back to its defending 22-meter they seemed to turn up their efforts, turn up the intensity and push back the oppressive attack. The Green Horde drew first blood in the initial 40 minutes, establishing a small and hard-fought lead on the cold-blooded Buffalo ruggers. Conversions for the Cleveland side were an issue in the first half, an issue that would persist into the second half as well. The strikes had the legs and accuracy to put points on the board but South Buffalo’s 16th man – the majestic Buffalo wind – kept the ball from splitting the uprights.

The final minutes of the first half and the initial minutes of the second half showed that Buffalo wasn’t going to lay down and let their cold Cleveland competitors take the day from them. Brimming with confidence after their first strike against the ESRFC, one Buffalo player could he heard proclaiming to his comrades that they weren’t defeated, that they were still in the game, that they were on the road to rescuing victory from the jaws of defeat. From that point it was on the Green Horde to respond; and respond they did.

Once a minor issue with the scrums was resolved, the Green Horde asserted themselves and proclaimed their dominance. The forwards pushed the scrums around and made short of the rucks in the open play phases of the game. The only glimmer of hope for South Buffalo was in the lineouts. The wind’s gusts often carried the ball into Buffalo territory or sullied a solid throw and turned possession to the other side. Those minor instances weren’t enough to stem the tide of Cleveland tries, coming from backs dissecting their opposites and forwards making massive breaks through gaps in the defensive lines.

What really saw the Green Horde over their also-green-themed-opponents was a combination of crisp passing and supporting runners. Moving the ball quickly and effectively allowed for players to make the breaks that they did. Continued support ensured that if the initial strike didn’t result in putting up points the second wave would most likely cross over the whitewash for five points. In an effort to stop the bleeding, Buffalo produced some try-saving plays and made a number of long breaks that threatened to turn the tide. Fortunately, the Green Horde managed to run down their players and snuff out whatever hope that remained.

The final score was 43 – 15. Buffalo has a different score line on their records, but the result was the same: ESRFC over South Buffalo.

Three hours. That’s how long it took the Green Horde to drive to Buffalo. Three hours for 43 points. Not a bad trade.

On April 13, 2013 the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club welcomed the BGSU Mens Rugby team for a match that had a lot riding on it for the Green Horde. After a devastating loss to the Wisconsin Rugby club the previous week, this match offered the Green Horde an opportunity to rebound against a strong college side and regain some of the confidence they had left behind in Wisconsin. The Falcons had heard about the Wisconsin Incident as well and looked to exploit and destroy an already beaten Cleveland side. Two teams came together at one pitch with different intentions. The Green Horde came to play for pride. The Falcons came to run a clinic and pick the bones clean. No matter their motivations, only one team took a victory away at the end of the day; and when the final whistle blew it was the Green Horde that stood triumphant by a convincing 45 – 5 margin.

From the first minute the Green Horde imposed their will in every aspect of the game, dominating possession and and, for the most part at least, moving the ball with ease and purpose. Once the Cleveland side got on a roll there was little BGSU could do to stop them. Never ones to roll over, the Falcons fought every second of the match. For their efforts, BGSU created turnovers and made threatening breaks towards the Green Horde’s whitewash. Ever the opportunists, the Falcons really shone on defense, isolating ball carriers, tying up the ball in open-field mauls and making nuisances of themselves at the rucks. The score line might have been different had it not been for a few try-saving efforts from the Green Horde’s defenses.

The entire mach saw both teams unloading the entirety of their respective arsenals in an effort to outdo one another. The Falcons would hurl their forwards into the Cleveland defensive line, only to have the Green Horde repel the blows and return with another of their own. The young speedsters from the Falcons darted and dodged their way through traffic, but the Green Horde back line would clamp down, close off their running and passing lanes and answer back with devastating fashion. The ball volleyed back and forth like mortar shells as each team vied for territory and sought to put their adversaries under pressure. Though the squads shot back and forth at one another on the field, the Green Horde was able to minimize their mistakes and capitalize on their scoring opportunities. This sealed the Falcons’ fate.

Set pieces were where the Green Horde really showed their worth, handling lineouts with ease and imposing their will at the scrums. Offensive lineouts went smoothly for both sides, aside from the high winds taking the ball of its mark a few times. Neither team was able to take a lineout against their opponent’s throw.

There were a few moments of let-down and lax discipline for the Green Horde that resulted in them being pushed back for committing penalties. Fortunately, the Cleveland men regained their composure, tightened the reins and got back to business as usual. No one got down on each other or took an ill tone with the referee as they had been known to do. Hopefully, this is a sign of a new trend to come.

Perhaps the most promising thing about the day’s performance was that of the subs and B side players. When the fresh legs came in towards the end of the A side match there was no let down in intensity. As a matter of fact, they provided a shot in the arm and helped the players on the field reach a new gear. When the B side match came up the second side from Cleveland came in without fear and with an intensity to equal the first side. They mirrored the A side’s success in every step of the match, aside from some miscues in the back line. The success of the subs and the B side show that the Green Horde is turning a corner and is evidence of two things: that the ESRFC B side can compete with the intensity to match any A side player and that the future of the Green Horde is looking very bright.

Before March 23, 2013 the Green Horde and Scioto Valley had played each other twice in recent memory. The squads had split their encounters with one win a piece. Scitot took the first victory, a contest that was decidedly in their favor in both the score line and the play of the game. Not to be handed back-to-back defeats by the same team, the ESRFC took home the second match and proved that they were on the rise and stood as more than a match for the Columbus-based side. On March 23 the rubber match took place at SPIRE Institute to decide who would take lead in their in-state rivalry.

This most recent game was unlike most others in some respects, but in other ways it was very much the same. How often do games get relocated to a field 30 minutes from the original venue? On top of that, how often does a team’s warm-up consist of shoveling ankle-high snow said field? It’s never a good sign when a “warm-up” results in cold hands and frozen toes.

Though there was a lot of belly-aching about the temperature and the pre-game chore, when the whistle blew the Green Horde switched on and got down to brass tacks. From the first whistle to the last, the match was a back-and-forth shootout. Scioto Valley would put up a try only to have the Green Horde put together a sublime set of play and narrow the gap. There were plenty of hard hits and line breaks to go around as well. The big men on each team made their presences felt with every touch of the ball. Not to be left out of the fun, the back lines pulled out all their tricks to get the better of their opposite numbers. Nick Musarra linked up with newcomer, and now Zulu Warrior, Bryan Liberatore for a magnificent try that saw Musarra tightrope the sidelines before flicking the ball in bounds to preserve possession and secure the five points.

The teams were very evenly matched throughout the entire contest. They traded off snatching up loose balls in rucks and gave each other no end of trouble in the tackle and maul situations. The two squads split the set pieces though. As is their usual method, the Green Horde held fast and steady in the scrums, even imposing their will and driving over Columbus ball to steal back the possession. Scioto Valley outshone the ESRFC in the lineouts, though. When it was the Green Horde throw, Scioto Valley disrupted just about every throw; and when it was their time to toss in the ball they seemed to have little trouble getting it past the contesting Cleveland jumper. This didn’t spell the all-out doom for the Green Horde, though, because as soon as the jumper hit the ground he was set upon by the ESRFC’s defenses.

Despite a strong back-and-forth match that saw two teams braving one another, the forces of nature and the shoddy calls of a certifiable – I mean certified – referee, Scioto Valley came away from the day victorious. What sealed the fate of the Cleveland side wasn’t the overly impressive play from Scioto Valley. Rather, the inability to finish on their breaks and careless penalties put the game out of reach. Towards the final moments of the match, the Green Horde was within a converted try of being on top but Scioto Valley managed to cross over the whitewash enough to put the game out of reach: 32 – 19.

The next slate of games are home matches as well, but they will be played at the normal Metro Parks pitch. The Green Horde takes on Erie and John Carroll. After a strong showing in DIII this past fall, Erie is sure to be crossing into our territory with some steam in their stride, eager to make a statement. Well, when the first game kicks off at 1:00pm, it will be up to the Green Horde to shut them down and shut them up.

The Spring season is upon us and is in full swing. As the Green Horde makes their run at Midwest, they also have a more noble pursuit in their sights. As they have done in years past, the Eastern Suburbs Rugby Football Club is collecting toys to deliver to the sick children of Cleveland receiving treatment at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. Previous donations have filled bags upon bags of donated games and toys for hospitalized youths. This year, we would like to have even greater success and bring even more; and we need your help to do it.

During their upcoming home games, the Green Horde will have a box set up for anyone who wants to make a donation. Everyone is invited to come out, take in a game and drop off a toy or two. The game dates and locations are posted on the Games section of the site. If you can’t make it to a game, go to the Contact Us page on the site, let us know what you’ve got and we will do our best to come and pick up your items. Here are some of the items the hospital is looking for:

• For infants:
  • Mobiles
  • Toys with lights, sound, music and/or movement
  • VTech toys
  • Rattles with sounds and/or lights
• School age kids:
  • Wii games and controllers
  • 20 Questions handheld game
  • Craft kits
• Adolescents:
  • DVDs PG-13 and under
  • Gift cards
  • Earbuds for electronic devices

There is a full list of the Wish List for Familiy and Child Life Department at Rainbow that details everything the hospital is looking for. It is broken up by age group. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated.

The ESRFC is not just here to bring rugby to the masses and suppress the West Side Rebellion. We want to use rugby as a means to bring communities and people together and help improve the lives of people in our community that we otherwise might not see. Playing Cleveland rugby brings joy to the Green Horde, so it is only right that the Green Horde uses rugby bring joy to Cleveland. Please help us in our pursuit.

From the desk of Jim Farmer:

This Friday we are doing our Fallen Ruggers get together at Claddagh. We’ll be there between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, but I think their official Happy Hour prices go from 4:00pm – 6:00pm.

We get together like this every year to remember and honor our rugby brothers we have played with and against who have passed away. Anyone who has pictures of our departed goombas can bring them to share. If you want, we might have equipment there that can duplicate any photos you all might want a copy of. Copies can be made for a nominal price.

The list I have to date consists of 13 brothers. The women have been much more fortunate and I don’t know of any that have passed away, yet. The names I have are:

• John Bistrica
• Danny Corrigan
• Tony DeBaggis
• John Dloniak
• Pete Garriga
• Brett Jones
• Rich Miller
• Greg Mullin
• Dave Rahn
• Kevin Sopko
• Ray Tarsky
• Adam Wilson
• Rich Zepp

The local clubs they played for are the Blues, the Old Grays, Cleveland Rugby Club and Mentor High School. Obituaries for just about all the listed fallen can be found online at the PlainDealer or News-Herald Web sites.

As far as beverages go, everybody is on their own. If you do plan on stopping by, please let Jim Farmer know. Claddagh is either going to put us in the back room with the fireplace, where we have been watching Six Nations, if we expect more than 20 ruggers. If we’re going to have 20 or less they are going to put us in that smaller raised area by the back bar.

Any rugger or rugby fan is welcome. This is a memorial of sorts, but mostly a celebration of the time we had together with the Fallen Ruggers. We’ll try and do a toast and three cheers around 6:00 PM, but come and leave whenever you have to. We have done this as a fundraiser for 1964 Rugby Foundation in the past, and will certainly accept any donations people might want to give in memory of any of the Fallen Ruggers, but we are more concerned about your presence. There will not be any pitches for money. We just want to BS and remember old stories of our fellow ruggers that have gone before us. Hope to see you all Friday.

After a spirited and very physical match, the Green Horde brought back their first official win for the 2013 Spring Season, besting the Ohio University Bobcats by a margin of 62 – 17.

Despite what the score might show, the match wasn’t entirely lopsided in the Green Horde’s favor. In standard Cleveland rugby fashion, the Green Men dominated the set pieces, seemingly scoring at will off of lineouts with mauls and peels and holding strong in the scrums despite the slick and muddy conditions.

While the match-up in the forwards was a bit one-sided, the backs seemed more evenly matched. Each team’s speedsters threatened with every touch of the ball. Sometimes the only thing that came between a long run and converting into points was an errant pass, a misplaced kick or a try-saving tackle.

OU, not ones to be overlooked or be trampled underfoot with ease, did what all good teams do: applied pressure on defense and took advantage of their opponents’ errors. Every breakdown saw Bobcat ruggers swarming to the ball in a mad dash to get their paws on it. This feverish rush resulted in a few turnovers and even allowed them to cross over the whitewash and put some points up on the board. Every time the Green Horde touched the ball OU swept up to meet them, forcing the Cleveland squad to go through them and earn every point they got.

The Green Horde came out with a big win against the Bobcats, but the rust definitely showed in some aspects of the game. This rust needs to get shaken off quickly if they hope to take out Wisconsin. The Columbus Rugby Club invades from the south as the ESRFC’s next test. This should be a tougher match for the men in green and be more representative of what their Wisconsin game will be like. The Columbus Rugby Club and ESRFC have split in their previous two encounters, so this upcoming meeting has personal implications for the two clubs.

Stop by the Cleveland Metroparks Pitch Saturday March 23, 2013 at 1:00pm to see who wins, the Columbus rugby powerhouse or the Next Big Thing in Ohio Rugby.

While Wales may have taken home the Six Nations hardware this year, we had some lucky Green Horde supporters take home some pretty nice prizes this year as well. Before we announce who the big winners were,the entire Green Horde family would like to say thanks all for making this years Six Nation’s Raffle another huge success!

We would especially like to thank our event sponsors and those who donated prizes. This includes: Claddagh Irish Pub, Heineken, Kalahari Resort, the Cleveland Browns and Intercontinental Hotels.

Congratulations to the following people who won this year.

Derek Scott – Apple iPad

Terry Watson – Intercontinental Hotel package

Dave Jindra – Kalahari Resort Overnight Package

Kenton Grimes – iPod Touch

Colin Petry – Kalahari Resort Day Package

Carla Kozlowski – Autogaphed Josh Cribbs Football

Thank you all for supporting ESRFC!