RC Nyon vs RC Zug

 

Final Score: RC Nyon 15 – RC Zug 12

This was our first encounter with RC Nyon and having played other teams in the past from the same area (such as RC Lausanne) we were well aware of the high standard of rugby in the French part of Switzerland. Also looking at the results Nyon has had this season, it was clear that they are a force to be reckoned with.

Our mentality going into the match was that of an underdog, with the desire to play a fair game of rugby and uphold the gentleman’s tradition we have at RC Zug.

Tattoo vs. Branding

The match began and for the first 20 minutes it was stalemate. It took Nyon a while to realize that it was not going to be such an easy win. After things settled down Nyon opened the score with a try but they missed their conversion kick. Before we knew it we were 10-0 down, but we continued to play like it was still 0-0, knowing how we played at the beginning of the match, the game was far from over. With great tries from Iain (Else-Jack) and Severin, and also one kick converted we were in the lead 10-12.

We kept battling on to ensure the score stayed at 10-12 and it was looking like this was how the game was going to end. Then disaster struck when Nyon broke our defensive line to get their third try. Again they missed their conversion kick, so now with a lead of just 3 points and ten minutes left of the match, it was still anyone’s game.

The last ten minutes were played in Nyon’s half and in the last dying moments of the game we had an opportunity to go for a penalty kick, which would of made the game a draw. The decision was made to go for the try and the win. Unfortunately we did not make it over the try line.

We dominated the line-outs throughout the game (Alois was on fire) and even though the scrums from Nyon were technically superior to ours we managed to hook lots of balls.

Notable performances from: Tim, Ian (Else-Jack), Constantine, Simon (the beast), Alois and Severin. Normally after a game we would celebrate the man of the match but as it was truly a team effort we awarded the man of the match to the whole team. We played as one.

After the match we talked with the trainer and committee from Nyon about the structure of their club and was pleased to hear that they are involved with the local schools in training rugby, much like our Rugby4Schools program in Zug. We wish them the best of success with the schools in Nyon, as rugby at grass routes level is very important for the future of rugby here in Switzerland.

A special thank-you, to the referee, who was very fair to both teams throughout the game.

We would like to thank Nyon for hosting the match and look forward to playing them again in May.

RC Zug

One Team by Martin Condon

RC Zug vs RC Luzern: pre-season friendly



Rugby Club Zug 2012

To mark the start of the second half of the season we organized a friendly match against our close friends RC Luzern. The aim of this match was to give Luzern a good training match before they venture back into the wild world of the national B League and also a chance for us to try out our new players in a match situation.

As luck would have it, the weather was wonderful and it was also a perfect opportunity to try out our brand new pitch. If you are not aware, the local council in Unteraegeri has build RC Zug a brand new pitch. This field is not grass, but a special type of astro-turf, which is the first of its kind for Rugby in the whole of Switzerland.

As the match was a friendly/training game we decided to split the time up into four 20 minute segments with the possibility of rolling substitutes. This gave us a chance to not only try out our new players but also to see our usual players at different positions.

The game started well with both teams pressing hard. Luzern scrums had clearly improved since last time we played them, it is clear that their recent acquisition of a scrum machine has improved their technique in scrumming. Having said that, Zug still managed to win a large amount of balls.

Zug did achieve an early lead, but Luzern fought back and the game was quite balanced throughout. The match finished with Luzern just having the edge with an extra try and a couple of extra conversions. As we were not keeping score officially, our best guess is that the final score was 33-24 to Luzern.

Notable performances by Michalis, Seb (Vernon), Simon and also Sam.

Other than a few minor injuries (like any match) there was only one major injury, which was Claudio and his cheekbone. It was his first game back after his recent time in the Swiss military service. We hope for a speedy recovery.

After the match (as per usual) Luzern joined us in our club pub for a BBQ and beers, but most importantly we organised a projector showing the matches of the 6 nations.

We would like to thank Luzern for coming and wish them all the best for the rest of their season. We look forward to seeing them again soon for our 20^th anniversary celebrations.

RC Zug   

RCZ 6Nations 2012 Tour Scotland

Ziel der diesjährigen 6 Nations- Reise war Edinburgh, Schottland.

Am 24.02 2012 um 6.45 Uhr trafen sich insgesamt 16 Teilnehmer beim Busbahnhof in Unterägeri. Mit dem Taxi ging es dann Richtung Zürich. In Kloten angekommen, entgingen wir nur knapp einer Evakuierung des Flughafens, da plötzlich ein Koffer alleine beim Haupteingang stand und niemand wusste wem dieser gehört.

Als geklärt wurde, dass dieser Koffer zu uns gehört und keine Bedrohung für den Flughafen darstellte, ging es als erstes Reiseziel nach Amsterdam.

Angekommen in Amsterdam hatten wir eine kurze Aufenthaltszeit, bevor es Richtung Schottland weiterging.

Ankunft in Edinburgh

Alles klappte einwandfrei und jeder war wieder stolzer Besitzer seines Gepäcks.

Jetzt ging es mit dem Shuttlebus in die City. Nach einem kleinen Aufstieg standen wir dann im Backpackers und durften unsere Schlüssel entgegennehmen (auch dies klappte!)

Bei der Zimmervergabe stellten wir fest, dass unsere Zimmer auf 3 Gebäude verteilt sind und die Zimmer nicht gerade dem Schweizer Standard entsprachen.

Beim anschliessenden Abendessen wurde der Appetit auf Nachos von einer gewissen Person abrupt gestoppt, als dieser merkte, dass es Jalapeños in den Nachos hat und nicht Tomaten.

Nebenbei bemerkt: Knoblauchbrot kann man noch so deutlich sagen, sie verstehen es einfach nicht!

Fazit des ersten Abend: der Alkohol ist günstiger, jedoch sind wir immer noch der Meinung, dass dieser gestreckt wird.

Tag 2 Edinburgh Castle

Nach dem unsere Körper beim Frühstück durch Haggis und Bohnen für die nächsten Taten gestärkt wurden, stand die Besichtigung des Edinburgh Castle auf dem Programm. Zum Glück wurde uns der Weg gezeigt (!); wir hätten das Schloss nie gefunden.

Den Nachmittag verbrachte der Großteil der Gruppe mit dem Auffinden eines verlorenen gegangenen Fachgeschäftes, naja Edinburgh ist ja so groß, dass die Herrschaften gleich dreimal daran vorbeiliefen, ehe sie den Laden wieder erkannten.

Gestärkt in das Nachtleben wurden dort unsere Trommelfelder im benachbarten Club auf extreme Belastung geprüft, so dass wir nach ca. 60min. aufgeben mussten. Leider konnten nicht alle von uns dies miterleben, da einer Person der Zutritt verboten wurde (aufgrund seines Zustandes? Oder Aussehens?).

Tag 3 Schottland vs. France

Gemeinsam machten wir uns auf dem Weg Richtung Murrayfield Stadion, wo das Spiel Schottland gegen Frankreich stattfand. Mit den Red Hot Chilli Pipers wurde die Stimmung im Stadion so richtig eingeheizt. Leider wurde diese Stimmung durch den Sieg der Franzosen wieder gedämpft.

Nach dem Match ging es wie in einer Völkerwanderung mit den anderen 67`000 ZuschauernRichtung City zurück, wo wir diesen Abend ein wenig ruhiger angingen.

Tag 4 Die Rückreise

Früh morgens um 03.45 Uhr versammelte sich die Gruppe und machte sich auf, in Richtung Flughafen um den Rückflug nach Zürich anzutreten.

Leider traten nur 15 Teilnehmer den Rückflug gemeinsam an; Mit Verlust muss halt gerechnet werden.