The Oaks had their best showing at the annual All Saints tournament since this blogger joined the team with a 1-2-1 showing. The Oaks were triumphant against GAC, lost their games to Luther and Bemidji, and tied St. John's B-side.
The GAC game was a testament to the Oaks ability to comeback from a losing position in the first half to a dominant position in the second half with a final score of 19-10. Key to this game was the impressive play of the back three, as the Oaks played a kicking game. Often times after GAC kicked the ball it would be immediately returned and as soon as the opposing fullback had caught the ball he would be hit by either Reza or Ritter. The most impressive part of the game however was Dripps ability to make sure that whenever the ball came in on a lineout that Carleton would end with possession.
The Luther game was a reminder that size and fitness can be the most important aspects of a team. The Luther team was dominated by huge, fit players that despite a lack of knowledge of many of the rules of Rugby, if your big enough that it takes two people to make the tackle, you can still win.
The game against the Bemidji men's team was a game that had some of the most atrocious sirring this blogger has ever seen. If a sir cannot tell what forward pass or a knock-on looks like, they should not sir, especially if they obstruct the play. The game however, did allow for some rookies to really show their intensity. Danny "Quick-step" Ullman stepped up to the plate with an intensity and nose for the ball that is not often seen.
The Saint John's game was the most interesting game of the tournament. St. John leapt to an early lead of 7 points after yielding to the Oaks a penalty kick. This was answered in the second half with a try by Reza for the OAks bringing them to a 10-7 lead. The game ended with a tie of 10 all, with St. John's scoring the tying penalty kick with only minutes left in the game.
The competition overall was a success as the Oaks preformed better than they had previously and it saw the several players grow into their positions and become better Rugby players. It also saw some injuries from a broken nose to bruised ribs to a broken wrist along with the assorted nicks and scratches that tend to accumulate. It also served as a reminder of the importance of a full-sized field to the Oaks strategy and how narrow fields constrict movement.
