By Finno
April 12 2015
So...this was the big one ! The biggest game of the season and our biggest in years. The build up on 'The Craic' was up-beat and positive, although sometimes tempered with caution. Edinburgh were no mugs, had played well recently and had a great kicker, 'Yea, yea...but we can still beat them'
The big day arrived.....early Easter Sunday lunch arranged.....so I could 'go to the rugby'....currently in brownie point debt for the rest of the season. The normal 90 minute drive only took 68...yes I checked ! oh for every match day to be an Easter Sunday.
Walking from the carpark I hear an unusual sound....could it be bagpipes ?? Surely not, we were at home..or was there a black hole on the way from the carpark that I wandered into and came out in Murrayfield ?? No....it was the Reading Scottish band !....nice touch I thought, it will make the visiting supporters feel at home.
After obligatory wander around the Megastore (30% off don't you know), be strong and just look ! Unfortunately I slipped.....yet another shirt for the collection..this time the new away one....will I ever learn ?! And so, into the stadium, it's that sound again ! this time coming from the pitch. Ah come on ! There's welcoming and welcoming....at least the 'didily do's' were restored before kick off. We maybe welcoming before the match....but look out Edinburgh when the match starts !
How wrong could I have been.. Have some cheap penalties, let me kick you back some possession....want more ? let me kick it back to you again ! Don't mind if I do ! By the time we'd welcomed them enough, we were 16 points down.....weren't the bagpipes before not enough ?
What then ensued for the rest of the match, was a spirited comeback that I think made us all proud, helped and hindered by Sir (the same Sir that's going to be a RWC Sir...indeed !) After, multiple efforts to breach their line in the closing minutes....we eventually did it, virtually under the posts....didn't we ? The conversion will be a formality....we've won !! or have we ? It's okay the TMO will confirm it..with all those camera angles, won't he ? The big screen becomes the focal of everyone in the stadium, fans, players, officials, even the normally disinterested groundsmen ! Come on, there must be another angle to review ??!! Wait, Sir's returning to the scene of the crime, he must be going to give it to us !! What!! No try ??? you're joking me....we've lost !!! I still can't work out if we were robbed or it was great defending...or something in between. Ah well, there's always next season !
Final word goes to all the fans, who made it the best atmosphere of the season despite the low attendance. Everyone, please take a bow....I'm sure the players appreciated it. The Edinburgh fans played their part, friendly and magnanimous in victory.....apart from the guy up behind me who greeted Skiv's high tackle with a 'All the time ref..have a word!' which was funny after 40 seconds of the match, however, the same cry after every penalty or potential decision...and remember there were a lot of penalties, became just a tad boring. One trick pony I suppose !
Quote:SirBurger
Good read - think I must have been sat near you with the 'every time ref' call, unless it's something that they all do!