GBWR Nationals

Our first game was against a determined Gaelic Warriors team but the experienced Crusaders starting line of Brown (2.5), Frishberg (2.0), Barrow (2.0) and Coggan (0.5) had them covered for pace in all positions. A healthy lead at the end of the first meant that we were able to rotate our lines and bring alternates Semanaj (3.5) and Grimes (0.5) into the mix. The same went for our second game against the North Wales Dragons and we finished day one relatively fresh with two wins (56-33 and 53-35 respectively) on the board.

The next morning we rounded off the pool stage in style with another comfortable 57-24 victory over the East Midlands Marauders, setting up a semi final with bogey team, West Coast Crash that afternoon. A long break between games gave me the chance to go back to the hotel and rest. My elbow was holding up ok but even reduced minutes on court were taking their toll so I gladly took advantage of the opportunity. I wanted to make sure that we put the Crash away as early as possible to well and truly erase the bad memories from the Super Series meeting earlier in the month.

The beginning of the semi final was a far cagier affair than any of the pool games. Both teams were careful to avoid unforced errors but it was always Crusaders who had the edge. Strong driving from Brown and Frishberg scrambled Crash’s defense, while great picking from Coggan nullified the threat from danger man, Myles Pearson. By half time we were able to roll our lines and keep the boys from Southport off balance. We increased our lead throughout the third, using key defense to conserve energy wherever we could. Crash fought to the end but had no answer for our tactics and we booked our place in the 2011 National Championship final with a 60-44 win.

Inevitably our sister club, Storm had made similar progress through the tournament and for the second year running there would be an all-London final to decide the Nationals. However, before that came the annual GBWR awards dinner. This year’s winners were Mike Kerr (best low-pointer), Aaron Phipps (best high-pointer) and Myles Pearson (most valuable player). An honourable mention also goes to Coach of the year, Paul Shaw. Paul has been instrumental in turning West Coast Crash from a collection of novices into a cohesive team that has become a force in the 2011 season; a huge achievement in such a small space of time!

With the pleasantries over and a good night’s sleep behind me, I strapped up determined to leave everything on the court for the final. It was a warm afternoon and the temperature was pretty high in the hall; this wasn’t going to be easy. We stuck with the same starting line and Storm matched it with their most experienced four of Sehmi (2.5), Morrison (2.5), Palmer (1.5) and Hussain (1.0). The stage was set!

Both teams set a fierce pace, testing each other out for weaknesses. The score stayed close in the first but Crusaders just started to drift in the second. This game was a level above all others in the tournament so far and by half time I was really starting to feel it. I subbed out for half a quarter to try and recover while our other line-up held off Storm as best they could. Our opponents were feeling it too but didn’t have our depth and were forced to stay with their first line. In the end experience told and they began to pull away from us. I returned with our alternative line for the end of the third but Storm continued to turn the screw. Storm’s lead was seven with one quarter remaining and the game looked gone.

A rest for Coggan (not that he needed it), Frishberg and I had proved invaluable as our start line returned in the fourth and immediately unsettled a tiring Storm outfit. Errors started to creep into their game and the tide began to turn. A couple of loose passes and a big hit out of bounds brought the scores closer and closer together. Every turnover gave us a little bit more energy and further sapped the Storm. As the game entered its final minute Crusaders were still two down but we kept battling. By now both teams were on autopilot, playing on instinct alone.

A last massive effort saw us steal the ball, taking possession in the final play. This left us one goal down with the opportunity to level the game and force overtime. A frenetic few seconds followed with Storm hassling hard before using their key to try and stop us. (The “key” is a box directly in front of each goal. Only three of your team are allowed in on defense and you can only stay in your opponents key for ten seconds at any one time). Steve Brown was so close to completing the killer pass but it was deflected out of bounds with just four seconds remaining. Crusaders took a timeout and then tried to load the key. Brown’s pass found its way through the sea of arms but Storm’s defense held strong and the buzzer sounded with Frishberg blocked barely an inch from the goal line. Crusaders had fallen agonizingly short of an epic comeback with Storm just holding on to retain their title with a one-goal victory, 47-46.

After the game it was carnage with exhausted athletes strewn across the court as the crowd cheered what had been a fantastic final. I had mixed feelings about our loss. I was obviously gutted to have been so close to winning but tremendously proud of our team’s performance. We had shown real character and on another day the result could well have been different. Many thanks to Coloplast for sponsoring a great weekend of Wheelchair Rugby in Sheffield.

Next time I’ll be reviewing GB’s six match series with the visiting Canadian squad. Check back soon…

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