“I would have thought a little pre game pessimism was in order. Crap luck all season with the skinks and three straight games with all teams with luck ranging from 9% down to an insane 30% down in the most recent game (against this same coach resulting in 0 cas to 6 and a 2-0 loss). 10 lizards to start with yet I was told I had a good chance because the elves were missing 2 players mng... if we hadn't been missing two saurus as well and they didn't still have 12 fit players I would have agreed.

There were a few familiar themes. The lizards having less than a full team from the start, the elves copping a handicap which reduced them to under a full team as well, rain for the whole game, the dark elf apoth failing once again.

There were a few differences as well, no skinks getting hurt, the elves going nuts with the boot (not helping with their numbers problem but fitting the skinks season to date), and a saurus actually picking the ball up.

The handicaps almost certainly helped to decide this match. Morley's Revenge putting off the 3 best remaining dark elves (including that damned 5 ag thing) combined with palmed coin to ensure the skinks could stall out an 8th turn first half score. The second half followed a similar theme, the three elves still wouldn't come out to play and the left over ones ignored the ball to spend the second half in a spiteful fouling frenzy with no return.

Even with the handicaps though we've messed up badly from this position before, it was a credit to the skinks that they learnt from their mistakes. No handoffs or pickups by saurus until the game was safe, making sure to blitz an elf every turn to keep them honest, and stalling out the first half while the numbers were favourable instead of giving the opponent a chance to regroup.

3 Points: #1 Frost Warden. Kept beating on skinks and lasted out the whole game, was a little unfortunate not to get anything for his trouble.

2 Points: #12 Silver Corsair. Well he did make a pass for the vanguard's only spp and was awarded mvp for this. Who are we to argue?

1 Point: #11 Frozen Tsunami. Caused some minor difficulties for the big lizards until he was forcibly removed from the pitch by Rshcl.

PS: No need to sponsor the other teams, everyone already puts it to the skinks, 27 fouls from 5 games for the season with dorfs and CDs still to go.”