Great to have the Valley boys in town!

The conditions were soft underfoot as it had been raining all week. So the going was heavy and the ball was slippy but that did not deter the Nomads from playing one of the best games of 15’s rugby seen for many years on the Merville turf.

Considering that the opposition is one of the top sides in Hong Kong, having been the Champion Club in the HK leagues for many years – and that it including a few Hong Kong representative players – the Nomads team can be proud of the result. At half time Nomads were only down 2 points with the score at 14 -12. Two tries each but one missed conversion by Nomads. The final score at 32 - 12 after 80 minutes of tough rugby was a great result - and not the runaway victory for Valley that some pundits had predicted.

In the end, it was Valley’s fitness and team experience (those guys play a lot of 15's rugby together!) that carried them home. Their collective bulk and power proved to be the decisive factors in the last 40 minutes. But everyone who played for the Nomads team showed a lot of guts and rugby ability. And this was the first game of 15’s that Nomads had played together since December 2004.

Nomads Captain, Max “Chicken” Stewart was very happy with the performance of his team – but frustrated that he had been sidelined due to a previous injury (fractured ankle) and having to hand over the reins on the day to Brian ”Spam” Feldkamp. After the game the Valley team was very complimentary about the game and were very impressed by Nomads’ performance. For them, it was a pre-season “warm up” game and they certainly got the game they wanted. For many of them it was their first time in Manila, but we are sure we will see them back soon.

There were some great performances by a number of young (only about 17 yrs old!) schoolboys from ISM and Brent International School. Their playing skills – and speed - were much appreciated by the older guys and a special mention must go to these young players – Cory McQuirry, Phil Pratt, Mike O’Friel, Sam & Zack Martin.  Also, Nomads appreciated the help of the  4 guest players from the Alabang Eagles (Matt, Tom, Sam & Zack) who came along and played with them – and it was a good experience for all to be able to get together and compete against a quality side. And especially good for the future of rugby in the Philippines.  

And not forgetting the Match officials of the day Trevor Stott-Briggs, Phil Gittus, Jay Savage, Frank Evatt and Tom Matthews who also enjoyed the experience – tough though it was – of officiating a top calibre, fast paced game in tricky conditions. 

The Philippines has now set a marker for all visiting teams in the future – let’s hope that this is just the first of many!