The AEI RFC 81st Annual Club Dinner marked the end of a long and arduous season, characterised by many injuries, fewer victories and the appearance of an inflatable pig. The preamble consisted of the Club AGM where there was much idle talk of training, selection and blazer badges. As always, this proved an invaluable forum to spark the thirsts of the players (if not drive them to drink).
After the preliminaries of the AGM and the food were over, the post-dinner speakers took centre stage. Former players Rev Edwin Morris and Gary Smith spoke eloquently in support of the club, whilst retiring captain Mark McDonough broke with tradition and uttered more than three words in thanking the players for their season's efforts (won 13, drawn 2, lost 15, for 658, against 558). However, the speech of the night was given by young AEI fly-half and cross-dresser Paul Eaton who produced numerous 'alternative awards' from his bag of tricks, and finished off by ripping off his clothes to reveal an 'Eric the Banana Man' costume (you had to be there really).
When all had recovered from the speeches, the official prizes were awarded. Tim Sargent won the Captain's Cup for donating both blood and teeth in the service of the team, Nick Smith won the Second Team Captain's Cup for most improved player, Paul Eaton won Player of the Year for commitment and excessive grunting on the field, and Mark McDonough won a closely contested Players' Player award.
In a final shock move, Neil Waddoups (or was it Eamon Andrews) stood up and presented Paul Thompson with a 'This is Your Life' book celebrating the exploits of Banana the Pig. For those not in the know, Banana is an inflatable pig that Mr Thompson abandoned in the club one evening. The pig is now in the possession of the RFF (Rugby Freedom Fighters) and has since had her photograph taken in many exotic locations, to the great annoyance of Thompson (see the AEI web page for all the photos - maybe this should be the subject of a separate article...?).
With the formalities over, the beer began to flow freely, the songs began to ring out round the club and many players were heard reminiscing about the highlights of the season: the tour to Nottingham (and loosing Jocky Corbett), Nick Elliott scoring the one penalty kick of the season, the mini-tour to Kettering, the pig, and even the lost match against the women.
The new season starts on 5 September under newly elected captain Stevie Neal. Training has now moved to Wednesday evenings and will commence from July 1 at 7pm at the GEC Club - all recruits, young and old, are welcome.
Some cheating b*****d of a referee (no names, Mr Waddoups), made sure that there was only ever going to be one result. While the men were handicapped with wellington boots and oven gloves (the oven gloves actually improving the handling of many players), the women's only handicap was coach Terry Bott who became a natural target for many of the men.
After lots of silliness, the women won 40-0 (with only 4 tries!), with Terri Bott, Neil Waddoups, Ms Waddoups and Ms Sue Hague scoring the tries. An excellent afternoon round the BBQ was then had by all. Check out the pictures.
AEI finished off their season with an emphatic victory over a side with whom they drew earlier in the season. The scene was set from a scrum in the opening minutes when the ball was spun through the backs, winger Paul Thompson made a good break and Tony Chronnell popped up to score in the corner. Within five minutes AEI were further ahead with Thompson the provider again (!) this time setting up Nick Elliott to stroll through between the posts. Never content, Nick Elliott then got a second try, following a dummy-scissors in the centres, to confirm his position as top try scorer of the season.
With the AEI pack in total control in the scrums and their backs seemingly able to create openings at will, a large score looked on the cards but, although AEI continued to score regularly, the floodgates never opened. Further second half tries went to Paul Thompson, Paul Eaton, Tony Chronnell (again) and Mark McDonough in his last game as captain. Indeed, it was a match of farewells with Nigel Dale and Paul McLernon saying their goodbyes and heading off for retirement and university respectively.
The post match celebrations took on a rather
Gallic flavour with French maid's outfits and a garlicky Oswald being some of
the highlights, although the naked car park dash of three of the backs (OK:
Pinks, Yeung and Dale) will live long in the memory of some passers-by. An
excellent night was had by all and a club record of eight players actually made
it into the SAME curry house!
The final score was perhaps closer than it should have been in this typical end of season game. The try-fest started in the opening minutes with a try for Casuals but some characteristically strong running by Paul Thompson gave him a try to bring the scores level, and Nick Elliott's conversion gave AEI a brief lead. As the first half continued, Casuals eventually wore down the AEI defence and scored two more tries, the try of the day being by the Casuals' fullback with a side-stepping run from deep in his own 22.
AEI threatened a comeback early in the second half when Chris Hague scored following a good back row move, but after that the AEI defence fell apart for 20 minutes and Casuals ran in four more tries. Casuals then took their foot off the gas and AEI woke up scoring three late tries through Nick Elliott, Andy Sullivan and Mark McDonough to give the score an air of respectability.
A Nick Elliott penalty ten minutes from time clinched a match for AEI that for long periods had been in the balance. Despite widespread flooding around Leamington, the pitch was in excellent condition and the main factor affecting play was the strong wind into which AEI played during the first half. AEI did start the brighter side but a number of early handling errors in the backs let them down and gave away good possession. However, the handling skills eventually came together and winger Rich Pinks scored in the corner after a break by Paul Thompson. Things soon went from good to better for AEI when, following a excellent line out take by Mark McDonough, the ball was spun out for full back Tim Sly to dart into the line and score between the posts. Nick Elliott scored the conversion. Just before half time Old Leams scored a try from a well worked lineout move which left AEI leading 12-5 at the break.
Despite the wind at their backs in the second half, AEI found it difficult to make any inroads into Old Leams' territory and possession for the AEI backs seemed to dry up completely. Old Leams tied the score when AEI second row Neil Waddoups, playing on the wing for Old Leams, scored a try against his own club (and a costly try at that). This set up a tense final twenty minutes but eventually, following some AEI pressure on the Old Leams line, the decisive penalty was conceded.
A Milton Keynes try in the last minute put pay to a brave AEI effort on a day when many would have preferred to stay in the bar. With a contingent of AEI players on duty at Twickenham, the selection committee again had a difficult mix and match task, and came up with yet another permutation in the front row. However, the pack worked well together and, despite playing uphill and against the wind in the first half, AEI's teamwork and determination kept MK to only a 3-0 half-time lead.
The second half brightly for AEI who soon took the lead following a 50m dash to the line by stand-in fly-half Mark McDonough. Jocky Corbett capped an excellent game as stand-in hooker by scoring the conversion from in front of the posts. However, the turning point of the game came soon after when centre Nick Hayward left the field with a broken collar bone, leaving AEI with only fourteen men. AEI spent most of the remainder of the match defending and as they clung on for victory towards the end of the match, MK won a 5m scrum and the AEI defence was eventually over-run.
Cov Tech didn't bother to turn up.
An excellent performance in the circumstances with AEI fielding an 'experimental' back line (to say the least) which was not helped by the late arrival of scum-half Stack Stephens. Nick Elliott was first on the scoresheet for AEI following a typically strong run. AEI went further ahead after Mark McDonough drove into a ruck, came straight out of the other side with the ball, made 20m and passed the ball to Paul McLernon who skipped past the tackles to score. Nick Elliott scored the conversion but Cosby hit back just before half-time with a penalty to make the score 12-3 at the break.
The second half saw man of the match Mark McDonough score two tries himself, the first following a quickly taken penalty and the second in a well worked back-row move involving Andy Sullivan and Stack Stephens. In fact, forwards Nick Smith and Andy Sullivan also had notable games, especially prop Nick Smith who with two (previously unheard of) 20m breaks left both sides agog. With the last move of the match, Cosby scored a break-away try but by that stage the result was not in doubt.
A trip up the motorway to Nottingham saw AEI continue a worrying trend by winning on tour for the second successive season. Despite an unscheduled tour of Nottingham trying to find the ground, AEI arrived in plenty of time for their best (and possibly only) warm-up of the season. When the game eventually started the pre-match high spirits spilt over onto the pitch (in more ways than one) and a perfectly timed call of 'Dead-Ant' from the kick off confused Boots and AEI players alike.
Although for many the game was only of secondary consideration, Paul Eaton was taking things seriously against his former club and was first on the scoresheet with a well worked try. Much of the match remains a blur to many of the AEI team but the consensus is that they led 5-0 at half-time. Boots then took the lead early in the second half with a try and conversion following some missed AEI tackles. AEI hit back with 15 minutes to go and took the lead through centre Nick Elliott whose bulwarking run from halfway, which broke numerous tackles before he scored between the posts, was the highlight of the match (at least that's his version).
Boots proved themselves admirable hosts and, despite getting fewer marks than Norway for their early singing attempts, rallied excellently with "The Poppadom Song" and went from strength to strength thereafter. AEI are currently tending to numerous post-match injuries but still look forward to Boots' visit to Rugby next season. Pictures of the rubber glove inflating contest, the naked boat race (including whisky snorting) and the famous ketchup incident will soon appear in The Sunday Hangover.
This match was closer than the score suggests but in the end was won by the side making fewer defensive mistakes and fewer missed tackles. AEI started brightly and went ahead from the first scrum of the match, the ball being spun out down the line for Rich Pinks to score. This proved a tactical error for AEI who normally require an early score against them to wake them up. AEI therefore sat back and waited for further tries to come, unfortunately however these proved to be for the opposition and ONs ran in three tries before half-time.
Two half-time substitutions gave AEI some added impetus in the forwards but the speed and passing of the ONs backs again caught AEI napping and ONs scored again soon after the interval. Some good forward pressure near the ONs line eventually saw Tony Chronnell score between the posts to give AEI some hope of a comeback, but a final late ONs try sealed the game.
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