Tokyo Cup 1st Round

Tokyo Gaijin 41, Musashino B.P.C 3

The Gaijin are back. The new season was launched with a convincing victory
over well-drilled Musashino in the first round of the Tokyo Cup. After a few Sundays
training, the Gaijin were unusually coherent both in
the forwards and backs. This meant the team could make their weight
advantage tell in the loose, and by the end the smaller Musashino forwards
were on their knees.

New captain, Slow Joe Fisher, led from the front, scattering black shirts
with some frightening charges in open play, sound-effects included. With
Joffa and Murray also bashing
big holes in the defence, the wily Beard had a platform from which to make his backs work. And in the sunshine, work they did, Blake and Jyoh keeping the
impressive Musashino midfield runners at bay, while Chuckie came floating on
to
attacking balls from full-back.

After a few stutters in the early line-outs, the pack was
rock-solid, Mauro and Mike stoking it up in the engine room and Mark Pearson
an unshiftable cornerstone at the scrums.

This was a genuine team effort, with all the replacements keeping the
pressure on the opposition, Nick and Hiroshi in particular both relishing
the occasion as seven tries were scored from all parts of
the field. The combative Takashi sprinted one
in from close range, and I think Yukio finished some strong running
somewhere over the
try-line. As part of his overall dynamic display at open-side, So Nagishima almost
certainly scored, and Takeshi finished off a fluid back-move by dotting down
in
the corner. I seem to remember Todd (The Body) Collins running fifty yards
down the wing bouncing off any Musashiners rash enough to approach him. But
I could be wrong.

This was a great day out which made the collective effort and the long
journey into the northern suburbs more than worthwhile. The aim is to have a good time,
for players, supporters, helpers. Even Jerry. Mission accomplished, so
let's try and reproduce some more of the same for the 2nd round on May 9.

As the older guys like to say, with a nostalgic tear in their eye: Go You
Good Thing.

Special thanks to Ayako Number 1, Ayako Number 2, Aaron Dauber, Jerry, Sean
Brady, Shino Iwasaki, Mizue Sauco, Paul Williams, Terumi Harris, Niall Conlon, mini-Murray, and Joffa's brothers. New Gaijin motto: We Need You More Than You Need Us.