Allsvenskan:
Hammarby – Exiles 5 – 80
Troján – Enköping 17 – 21
Vänersborg – Göteborg 0 – 69
Pingvin – Malmö 65 – 12
Enköping – Hammarby 105 – 0
Uppsala Berserkers – Exiles 0 – 82
Vänersborg – Skåne Ladies 5 – 15
Div. 1:
Berserkers – Uppsala 10 – 72
Kalmar Södra – Exiles B 36 – 15
Sorry, nine matches not ten, Spartacus vs Lugi is next week. Predictably, 6 of the 9 games ended in huge scores for one team or another. Only 3 games proved to be something like a contest.
A few notes:
Pingvin is very much involved in Skåne Ladies. All three teams in a district compete as one in the Swedish Championship. If they take the title competing against club sides will the SRF regard them as worthy winners? Tova Derk is registered for Exiles but will not, I believe, be playing for them in the 15s. The girls nevertheless put up a very solid display.
Exiles B managed to get 14 players together for the 400 km trip to Kalmar in Div. 1. It seems to have been not a bad game anyway but this is a ridiculous distance for a division mainly consisting of social players. Will Berserkers, after postponing a game in Stockholm, make it to Kalmar in two week´s time? And Kalmar have to make the trip twice or perhaps three times in five games!
Pingvin started off in their new ground but do not seem to be too happy. Getting a new designated rugby ground may prove to take as long to provide as Gubbängen in Stockholm.
It´s about time Exiles got some streaming equipment, all the other senior clubs seem to have it.
Comments on a few games:
Göteborg coming on to their game and are probably favourities to make it to the semis along with Pingvin.
Excellent streaming coverage by Hammarby in the return against Exiles. Their playing strength is improving but they had no answer to the many speedy new players from Exiles who excelled at tackling, rucking, mauling and turnovers. Difficult for Exiles to know who to choose for the important game next week against Troján.
Another poor refereeing display by the whistle-happy Nils Boyer in the key match Troján – Enköping. The game took nearly two hours with players standing aimlessly about for long periods awaiting discussions, decisions, kicking tees and treatment. 19 penalties in the second half; one every two minutes with 11 – 8 in favour of Enköping. Troján attacked repeatedly in the first half but were well held by Enköping who themselves looked more dangerous in the second half. Troján had the edge against a shaky Enköping scrum but in the second half Troján stopped competing in the lineout, giving Elias Granath a free hand. Welcome return by Tim J. who tackled well, controlled the midfield and ran strongly for a try. All in all, I´d give a narrow decision on points to Enköping.