Maybe Next Weekend
SEOUL SURVIVORS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB IN BRIEF: This weekend is the second round of the Korea 10s League in Cheongju. All support is appreciated. We will have two teams and The Knights have a great after-party planned. Get amongst!
Dues for the year 2010 are 50,000 won. There will be a dispensation for those who register later in the year. You will receive a complimentary Survivors tie once they come on line.
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Survivors Hold Out Hairy Crabs In Tight Match
In 10s action, Gumi beat Jeonnam, 35-10, in Gumi on June 12th. Expat rugby is taking off in Korea. Get your friends involved all over the country. Check our website for details.
CONTENTS: Page 2: Shanghai report. Page 4: Farewell Les Edwards. Page 6: Survivors Mailbag. Page 7: Player Profile - Theron Fau. Page 8: Ansan 15s, Gangnam 10s, directions.
WEBSITE:
www.survivorsrfc.com
The Oakwood Seoul Survivors’ Mona Tumamao puts a massive hit on his Shanghai opposite, smashing the ball loose and setting the tone for a rugged showdown between old rivals. By Nathan Farren This Yellow Sea Cup (YSC) game had a massive build-up here in Seoul, the Survivors had turned up the heat at training and won the first YSC game away in Guangzhou; a huge feat in itself. The Hairy crabs have a history of coming to Seoul for the last couple of years and scraping by with hard fought victories due to the Survivors‟ lack of finishing skills. So this time, the Survivors, with three coaches at hand, had focused solely on tactical rugby. The day began in fine weather and the Seoul Sisters hosted the Shanghai Sharks, an entertaining display of Women‟s rugby with long range tries, some buckling defence as well as good ball movement. The ladies left nothing on the field except for skin and the crowd reciprocated with hearty cheering. The main game saw the Survivors kick off, lock
Rico Colón leapt high but knocked it on into opposition hands, prompting Samoan centre Mona Tumamao to come in and smash the hapless Crab ball carrier. The Crabs won the following scrum but the clearing kick failed to find the line. First five Ibrahim Zylstra put the ball under his wing and made some good yards up the middle before the ball made its way over the touchline. From the resulting line out throw, an unfortunate pattern worked its way in to the Crabs game. Throw in after throw in were not straight and this never bodes well for gaining momentum away from home. Halfback Newton Thompson gained valuable yards from the penalty kick and the boys worked up the middle showing great ball retention through the forwards. The back line finally got moving, ending in wing James Tucker copping a massive hit from the Crabs‟ brutal South African number 8. (Continued on page 2)
Seoul vs. Shanghai (Continued from page 1)
Somehow Tucker managed to get the ball back into the hands of Survivors Captain Simon Walsh and, as the overlap loomed, it was almost a given that the Survivors were going to cross when white line fever took over, Tumamao holding on a little too long and the next movement saw the ball lost ten metres out from the Crabs‟ try line. The Survivors upped the ante in defence, heaping pressure on the Crabs in their own 22. They held the line during a series of sustained attacks only to fall to a tricky lob pass from the Survivors captain that saw Kurt „Steam Roller‟ Taogaga regather off the bounce to cross the line out wide. Thompson missed the conversion but the first points were on the board for the locals. The game wore on and the Crabs were battling to get the ball into the Survivors‟ half. From a midfield scrum Alan „Savage‟ Nuusila broke through and made some great metres over the advantage line. The ball then flowed to the back line only to see the last pass fly over the Survivors‟ Japanese flyer Hikaru „Moto‟ Tamoto and dash another possible scoring opportunity. The Survivors forwards worked hard trying to contain the Crabs, who were starting to put together a lot of phases. Brian „Warhorse‟ Bruckman turned up all over the pitch to reinforce the defence with his mantra: „No one breaks the line‟. The Crabs continued to make
great yards into Survivors territory through the kicking of fullback James Elliot. Their third throw in penalty was beginning to cost them. A clever and deceptively slippery run by the Crabs first five had the Survivors on their heels. Fortunately for the home team, the ball went to ground and Thompson once again used his highly trained and expensive boots to work the ball back into the Crabs 22. A big jump by the Survivors line out saw Savage dash forward on the burst. He was hit high and a penalty should have brought some points but, alas, the Crabs number 15 cleared again and the visitors worked their way into the Survivors‟ half. This was the visitors‟ first attack at the line, the forwards were solid in defence, with Survivors hooker Steve „Big Tiger‟ Ko dropping big men all over the place; so too the rest of the pack. Eight phases later, the Crabs became a little frustrated and the fullback attempted a field goal that fell just short. Moto was on fire at the back, again clearing the ball mightily. The Survivors won the subsequent next line out and then Tumamao lost the ball in another good tackle by the Crabs number 10. During the next play, the Crabs tactical kick ricocheted off one of the big men and was caught on the fly by Tucker out wide. Several attacking movements were wasted, then Joshua „Bumbles‟ Pearce let another good pass go to ground, characterising a mistake ridden 10 minute period of the game. No team was able to gain ascendancy even when
The Survivors’ Rico Colón is upended with Steve Ko looking to support.
they applied good pressure. The Crabs were back on the Survivors try line, hearty defence and another clearing kick by Moto saw the play seesaw between the two sides‟ 22s. Warhorse put a great hit on a Crab forward inside the Survivors‟ 22 and caused yet another turnover in the game. From the scrum, the forwards put together a huge shove and the Survivors advance through Tobias Jerling breaking the advantage line only to be brought down, taking several Crabs to fell the big man. The Crabs were in defensive trouble 70 metres out from the try line and some slick work by Tumamao, who drew and passed to Walsh, who again gave the final pass to Nathan Atkins to burn rubber and avoid being chased down by the Crabs fullback to score a scintillating try in the corner. Thompson was left with another conversion kick out wide and was unlucky to see the ball drift to the right of the posts 10- 0 to the home team and the crowd was giving it their all but all too aware they had seen the Crabs victorious even with this kind of lead. The Crabs huddle behind the line was ominous; they kicked off and were on the prowl to put some points on before the half ended. Second rower Rico Colón took an AFL type mark and the ball was safe in the hands of the Survivors, the ball retention was good and the clearing kick had them back at the half way line. The Crabs won the line out and they drove straight up the middle, each tackle drawing more Survivors in, when Duncan Rogers the Crabs number 11 got the ball, it was all over. Swift foot work and a great line saw him cross the white line from 15 meters out. The Crabs full back converted and the score going into half time reflected the game 10 – 7 to the Survivors. The half time chatter in the Survivors circle was clear: no more miracle passes, hold the ball and we will win this game. The Crabs were indeed saying a very similar script but more along the lines of hold the ball. The second half started with a flurry and the forwards like Rico Colón, Beau Spencer, Tobias Jerling, Justin Jackson and the like worked in pods and secured the ball while making great metres. After bringing the ball out from their own half, the forwards let the backs do their thing. The Crabs defence was spread thin and this little extra space created by the forwards lead to
Seoul vs. Shanghai (Continued from page 2)
some good ball from Atkins to Thompson who in turn threw a great cut out pass that landed sweetly on right wing Taogaga‟s chest. The Crabs tried in vain to bring the „Steam Roller‟ down but he was over under the posts. With an easy conversion, the score line was 17- 7 to the Survivors. From the kick off the Crabs mounted endless amounts of pressure. The defence from the home team was up to the task and for ten or more minutes the Crabs were in the Survivors‟ half asking repeat questions. Colón stole a few line outs and Jerling just kept barrelling over the advantage line. There were several dropped balls from both teams and the heavy defence was taking its toll. Both teams made mass changes and the game continued in a punishing fashion. The crowd cheered to lift the Survivors as the Crabs looked to get closer and closer to the line. The Crabs back line were using depth and looked to score out wide but were only repelled by the Survivors young French flyer Antoine‟s last ditch tackle. The Crabs were in the game and the Survivors looked tired. With only ten minutes to go the game looked to be won but the Crabs were certainly not going to leave anything in the tank. The tactical kicking game was starting to reap rewards and the Crabs were definitely camped in the Survivors 22. Jerling gave a textbook lesson in defence as he cut down Crabs one after another (my Player-of-the-Match). The Survivors went away from the game plan of forward marching out of their own half and resorted to the kick. The Crabs kept on coming but Taogaga and Spencer joined in to snuff out another
Survivors prop Joshua ‘Bumbles’ Pearce prepares to engage the Crabs scrum. scoring opportunity. The defence was awesome and it looked like the Crabs would be held tryless in the second half. The Survivors captain played a decisive role in the final five minutes, catching the Crabs probing kicks and was the last line of defence as the Crab machine found energy that no one thought was possible. The visitors were on the march, they could sense a late last minute try. Their number 8 never stopped coming and finally someone slipped off the powerful runner and he broke the line. From the next phase, the Crabs used their deep and slick back line and ran the ball to the other side of the field. The passes were spot on and soon the Crabs number 10 crossed the line within easy striking distance for their full back to convert with his deft boot. 17 – 14 with minutes remaining saw the crowd jumping with anticipation, no one wanted this game to end except the
players who were bleeding and exhausted after a brutal 78minutes of classic rugby. In the final seconds, the Crabs good defence saw the Survivors pinned in their own 22 but the Survivors were not going to let this victory slide through their fingers. The whistle was blown and the crowds embraced. Player tunnels were formed and everyone was happy, well not everyone, there always has to be a losing team but the Shanghai Hairy Crabs played with real heart and were gracious in defeat. Les Edwards had done a fine job in refereeing and didn‟t have a great impact on the game which is always good on a rugby field. The night‟s festivities were as usual raucous and the beer flowed while the TV showed a victory nearly as impressive as the Survivors‟ - the Queensland Reds smashing the eventual Super 14 champions the Bulls at home; quite apt really.
Farewell To Les Edwards The Seoul Survivors recent fare welled a true legend of Survivor rugby. Les Edwards, affectionately known as ‘The Sock’, has been with the club since 1991. A living, breathing tome on Survivors history and a fountain of knowledge on our game, he has fulfilled many roles at the Survivors during his tenure on the peninsula. The greenhorns will know him as a referee, the ones who have been around a little longer will know he also doubles as the Club Treasurer and a few, scraping around in the dark recesses of their memories, will even remember him as a player. All will remember him as a jovial, chatty godfather to the club; quick with the wit and keen for a laugh. He has now returned to his native Nelson with his wife Susan and two daughters. Les Edwards, you will be sorely missed. By Joe Day Back in the early 90s Les was a more than decent Fly Half who insisted on calling himself First Five Eighth. He travelled well and often with the side when we were still active in the HK10s. He achieved lasting fame in Honkers, with probably the shortest playing mins/secs, when he trotted on as a replacement only to be galloped over by the rampaging opposition forwards. He was immediately carted off with footprints all over his back. In those old HK days there was usually an International Les Edwards Years Active : 1991-2010
Credits Editor: Kurt Taogaga Contributing writers: Joe Day; Nathan Farren; Ted Gray; Richard Jarvis; Jacob Leonard; Kurt Taogaga; Martin Watts Photos: Shanghai - JB Paquereau; Survivors ‘91 - Joe Day
By Martin Watts I've known Les for 16 years. I actually met him through cricket, but soon found him to have an equal level of talent for rugby. His contributions to the Survivors have been immense, as player (defined by enthusiasm and some neat one-eyed passing out of scrum half), referee, Sock, and a beer drinker who can stand up with - or fall over
Barbarians game during the week and again in the early 90s Les leapt to fame, when Joel Stransky, not noted for his tackling and usually sporting clean shorts through every game, was unceremoniously dumped in the mud. Les trotted on the park with a replacement pair. After his sojourn in Guam he returned sporting a whistle, increasing the number of round eyed rugby refs by 100%. He is the handsome dark haired lad standing alongside the ginger Brit in the early Survs picture.
MJD with - the most vigorous of you young chaps. Personally, I will always be grateful to Les for getting me involved with both the social and the rugby side of Survivors life, although I probably won't miss his tendency to answer the door butt-naked if he has had a few beers the night before. Best of luck in New Zealand, Les, and I hope to see you for the World Cup, if not before.
Farewell To Les Edwards By Jacob Leonard It is common for Survivors to come and go. It is almost a tradition. Do a year, get some cash and make a dash or you do your time on the peninsula and leave for “greener pitches.” Yet, there are some among us that truly enjoy the cheap beer and hard pitches a little too much. Among those Survivors, few have spent more time and given more than Les Edwards, “The Sock.” In his 17 plus years here in Korea, the Survivors have grown from an expatriate rugby team into a winning franchise similar to his beloved ABs. “The Sock” has been a part of the By Ted Gray
Survivors as a player, referee and more importantly the team treasurer. He and his family have sacrificed so much for our team. And on May 18th, Seoul said its formal goodbye to “The Sock.” The Kiwi Chamber of Commerce hosted the evening with our on-pitch captain, Simon “SMS” Walsh, as its narrator. In the jocular debate that followed, “The Sock” had two sets of close friends offer up reasons for and against him remaining in Seoul. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol ingested by all, each panel member argued his point well. It goes without saying that the panel in favour of his leaving these fair shores was victorious.
Martin “Suspenders” Watts and Ted Gray were on that panel and that makes one wonder if they have the Survivors‟ best interests at heart. Thank you to Simon and, incoming Kiwi Chamber Chairman, Chris Callen for hosting a wonderful evening for an outstanding friend and clubman. In closing, it is with a heavy heart that we must now say our goodbye to “The Sock.” May the next part of his life give him and his family as much as he has given to us.
“Once a Survivor; always a Survivor.”
advice when I was the pitch captain, and put, the club wouldn‟t be where it is now without the help and efforts of Les. He will certainly be greatly missed by the Survivors; but I know I speak for the club when I say that we wish him all the best as he and his family move back to NZ for the next stage of their lives.
A true Survivor legend, Les was with the club from 1991 until 2010, with a brief hiatus in the late 90s when he went to Guam. He played, reffed, and “socked” for the club during those years and has done much for rugby in general here in Korea as well as in Guam. Cheers Les – thanks for everything On a personal note, he was a constant he could always be counted upon to be and see you down the road! source of encouragement and helpful there when we needed him most. Simply
“ A true Survivor legend”
‘The Sock’ in his playing days. Standing next to Joe Day (far left) and apparently still yapping despite the photo opportunity.
Survivors’ Mail Bag The Emu brings a box of crayons and his own brand of irreverent humour to the Maybe Next Weekend newsletter this month.. Remember to send your questions to:
survivorsmailbag@gmail.com Dear Emu, now that we have all this apparel and we are easily identified on the streets of Seoul, what is the official club policy on public fighting, drinking and general raucousness? - 8 Ball. 8-Ball - this indeed is a very timely question. Like all football codes, player behaviour is important in this modern world of sponsorship and so on! This club was founded and forged on morals that are highly secretive but can be found on the walls of most dens of inequity. Even our motto 'Maybe Next Weekend' breathes a fire that leads to unquestionable leadership and would not be out of place in any of the 1000s of self-help books found in all quality bookstores. Let's look at the sum and parts of your question! Firstly, public fighting, I believe that not a single Survivor has ever fought publicly. I have heard of grown men jumping upon a captain’s fists to revive their sense of manhood but for all intents and purposes I believe the club should maintain a veil of secrecy, similar to those elite societies like the much maligned Fight Club and Free Masons. Public drinking I find very abnormal and I do believe that an all out ban on drinking should be upheld in the club. To achieve world rugby domination this particular ritual should be banished much like paganism and other cultish beliefs. But, and yes there is always a but, let’s take a small venue along a back alley of Itaewon, this wee Inn should bear the sign of sanctuary for those who crumble under the immense pressure of life. Those who are clever enough to make it to those 5 do in public. Overall, 8-Ball, the club’s image and its’ representatives know what they should and shouldn’t be doing. The old dogs of the club have to continue being role models and then the young pups will mirror us and all will be peachy!
Player Profile: Theron Fau Nickname:
Mr. Fav, Rhino
Position:
First-Five, Centres
Birthdate:
20/08/1979
Hometown:
Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Unfortunately, Fau’s exposure for the Survivors has been limited given his long-running knee problems. When fit and available, there are few, if any, playing the game anywhere in Asia who can match the Hawke’s Bay man’s ball skills. Seemingly able to produce attacking opportunities from nothing with his sleight-of-hand, he has continued to earn his spot through his silky running and creating space for his outside backs. His bulk belies his finesse and tactical prowess on the field. Mr. Fav, as he is known, has been a regular tourist with the Survivors despite living in Cheongju and balancing work with the needs of his young family
First rugby memory: Chasing sheep off the rugby field before our game and standing in warm shit. What are you doing in Korea? Teaching/family. Favourite thing about Korea: Playing rugby against Koreans. Least favourite thing about Korea: Living so far out of Seoul. What do you enjoy about your position? Get to touch the ball lots. What don’t you like about your position? Everyone tells ya to kick the ball. Do you have a good luck charm/ritual for games? Nope. What do you miss most about home? Pies and sausage rolls. What do you like most at training? The five minute run. What do you like least at training? The contact.
What are your interests outside rugby? Touch rugby, tennis, diving, etc Do you have a favourite quote or saying? Nope. How would you like to improve yourself off the rugby field? Become more involved with the team. If you were to die tomorrow, what would you be remembered for? Being injured.
Survivors Continue Winning Ways in Ansan 15s and Gangnam 10s By Kurt Taogaga 20 June 2010 - The Seoul Survivors produced another winning effort this weekend at the Ansan 15s tournament to beat out Seoul Buk Technical High School Old Boys and SNU Affiliated High Schools Old Boys for the honours and maintain an unbeaten record this year in Seoul. The team took part in a hitherto unheard of 15s tournament format against the two Seoul-based amateur heavyweights. Two games at 40 minutes each offered a regular 15s game worth of rugby against typically fast, fit and determined Korean opposition. Despite, sending a selection squad of regular A team players and Killer Bs, the Survivors managed to eke out a first up victory over Seoul Buk, 5-0. The Survivors‟ sole score coming through the hands of Steve „Big Tiger‟ Ko. The By Richard Jarvis June 27 2010 - Both Survivors teams finished the day unbeaten at the Gangnam 10s to continue a great season of rugby. The SS Killer Bees, swelled by imports from the Gunsan and Yongsan bases, easily dominated the middle pool, with good wins against Yonsei University Old Boys and the Incheon Anchors. The Survivors A were seeded in the top
game was characterised by a rash of handling errors by the Survivors under pressure from wild ruck engagements and very loose interpretations of the breakdown laws. Unable to settle into the normal rhythm, the Survivors began to mimic the frenzied play of the high School Old Boys team and were relieved to come away with the win. Rattled by a closer than anticipated match against Korean opponents, the Survivors rallied for a much improved effort against higher quality opposition. Settling into the typical Survivors patterns and organisation, the squad managed to leap out to a large lead before the SNU launched a courageous fightback. Nerves were frayed when Japanese flyer Hikaru Tamoto knocked on over the line while the game was still in the balance but that couldn‟t stop the Survivors from running out eventual 25-17 winners in
Ansan. Our friends, the Jeonnam Aliens, also made the considerable trip up to Ansan to participate in the second pool. Buoyed by half a dozen Survivor and Gumi ringins, the Aliens played hard, fast rugby and look to be in a good stage of their development. They were unable to get a win though and are still learning the intricacies of playing against Korean opposition under the local refereeing standards. Hats off to their dedication nonetheless. Thanks must go to all the players and supporters that were willing to sacrifice a Saturday night to play a Sunday tournament, especially Gumi Barbarian Victor Yang and stalwart supporter Nick Goodman, who apparently socialising to the wee hours of the morning and still managed to do the business come kick off.
division, but with SNU Affiliated High School Old Boys failing to turn up, they only had to beat old rivals Haka. Haka had a big squad and were well up for the game, but the Survivors held firm and did a good job of controlling the game to run out comfortable winners. After a long break, and some jiggerypokery with the schedule, each Survivors team was given one more game. The Killer Bs made tough work of beat-
ing Gangnam-gu Rugby Club, down at half-time, they made some tactical substitutions to ensure they finished the day with three wins from three. The Survivors A also had a tough final match against a weighty Bucheon RFC, but they held firm against some big runners to complete the clean sweep for the Survivors.
For more detailed directions and other useful information go to our website at www.survivorsrfc.com