“What a fabulous game. Ignore the score, which makes it look one-sided, because two of the TDs came right at the end, when there was nothing much for the Athleticals to play for and things had got a bit silly. But up till then, it was a tough, close and challenging game - and, more importantly, a lot of fun.

The first TD was unremarkable, it was just elves being elves. Then the renegades got the ball and the bashing started. It wasn't as painful as it might have been in terms of injuries, but a lot of elves were leaving the field one way or another and I was finding it hard to keep the pressure on and get through the cage to the ball carrier.

I did manage a second score, however, while I still had something resembling a team, and then ineptmule pulled one back easily enough just before the half.

Highlights of the first half for me definitely included the tree failing his first three take root rolls and then passing all of them with pro. A fail on any of them would have changed the game completely because even though he came away without any cas today, he was right in the thick of things for most of the game and proved his worth just by standing there and getting in the way.

Anyway, the second started with the Athleticals wiping out the entire wood elf front line with their first three blocks (a BH and 2 KOs). Thank goodness for loners. With so few players left I had to rely on the tree going for it twice in order to break the chaos cage and the side-stepping catcher to soak up a few blocks and get in the way. Even so, ineptmule was able to clear a path and get the ball-carrier out, but what would have been an easy score turned into disaster when he fumbled the hand-off.

A 1-dice blitz left the ball in a single TZ and within reach of my thrower so I did what any self-respecting passing-obsessive would do - I ran the catcher as far downfield as I could, ran the thrower in, picked up and dodged out and long-bombed it to safety. There was nothing ineptmule could do to stop the score, so he revenge-blitzed the thrower instead.

POW. I held my breath... Failed armour roll. I shut my eyes... KO. Phew.

With time running out, ineptmule went for the throw teammate for a late score. It would have been the perfect end to a great match to see the little gobbo sail through the air and run in the score, but sadly the dice were having none of it. On turn 6, the troll failed his really stupid. On turn 7 (final turn after a riot) he failed his always hungry.

With nothing else to do, and for the sheer fun of it, the goblin then ran across the field for a last-minute foul. Tweet! off he went and the ball was left sitting there all nice and inviting. Okay, so it was in 2 TZ, the only blitz available was with a loner and the thrower would have to go for it twice to pick up, and would then have to pass from that square.

It wasn't quite a one-in-a-million chance, but I made it even harder by running the catcher into the endzone first, requiring the throw to be a long bomb...

The blitz worked. The two go-for-its worked. The pick-up worked. The pass worked. The catch worked.

Sometimes, I love this game.

But poor ineptmule, who was anything but inept here. If only a few more of his successful blocks had resulted in injuries, rather than KOs that always seemed to come back, then it would have been his game. If only the tree hadn't been so lucky with his pro rolls, or if only the renegades hadn't failed the easy hand-off when it really mattered... But this is the nature of the game. Sometimes nothing goes right, sometimes nothing goes wrong.

But what a great game we had, and I hope for many more in the future. Win or lose, I know they'll be fun.”