Sing-A-Palooza! Home and Away Game 1

Compiled by Messrs Lewis and McCarthy:

Gentlemen of the Komodai, lend me you ears, and prepare yourself for a real cowboy legend...

On the 28th of August 2010, just before sundown, a brave posse of Komodo elite took the uncharted field on Evans Rd to withstand the famed Singapore Wanderers. Our players, moseyed in one by one, or two by two, as they winced under daylight - fresh off a wild night of Cowboy Mayhem. Our fearful of his Missus captain and Pack-leader, struggled mightily to come up with an appropriate starting line-up, with 2 last minute drop outs at the 10 spot really throwing a wrench in our game mechanics. Chris McCarthy (From the Great Train Robbery) and Dicko organized a proper warm-up which helped the Komodo kick the dust off their boots. As the minutes passed, an entire army of Wanderers (enough to field 2 teams) had formed from afar... it looked like this field would be our Alamo.

The 1st quarter, "sure as shit" felt like it, as the Wanderers spent almost the entire 20 minutes knocking on our try-line. The defense, however, was inspired by the tackles made by Brownie from his half-back position, and stolen balls by our Dicko led forwards. We hung on, by our fingernails for 19 minutes - as the waves of Wanderer attack hit us and regrouped on and on splashing against our mighty Komodo wall. In the dying seconds, we let one sneak in. The whistle blew.

The 2nd quarter started with much of the same, as we struggled to secure the ball or any field position. They took a quick penalty as our Komodo defense was on its heals and again snuck in for a quick and cheeky score. Brownie was livid... He would soon get his revenge. Off the next kick off, the Komodo would finally assert themselves. The forwards secured ball, their persistent and unforgiving tackling was starting to take its toll on the Wanderers as the Komodai began to retain possession. The backs would get some ball and we saw some excellent phase play. Rob the Rebel saw a gap and took it himself, shook 3 wanderers for a beautiful individual finish. Brownie then got a chance to show off his renowned speed; he took the ball at halfback, started running sideways, (ala ML) dummy's flying around like candy, eventually wheels around the entire backline to take it around the corner for the best try on the day—up to the point. And after the slow start, we were back in the game... from here on out, it would be slug for slug.

In the third quarter, ISCI played its best rugby, outscoring the Wanderers 14-0. With Rob ‘Al Haig’ Krauss limping off, McCarthy ambled inside with first Badlands Burgertron and then Shawn Reed aka ‘Duddles’ aka ‘Horror Show’ aka ‘Shoeless Joe’ aka ‘Orchard Road Trekker’ filling in at 12. Was it coincidence that with the hulking Behemoth Burger lurking outside that McCarthy tapped and went from a midfield penalty, showed and split the defense, stepping inside the fullback tracking across for our third try of the game? Whatever it was, the try put us on top, and almost on the very next possession we scored again, with Johnno “Apocalypse Cowboy”, our lucky #13 import from Saigon, taking a switch off evergreen McCarthy and smashing through four players to score under the posts. With Seb “Bobby-socks” Sharp converting again, we were up by two tries!

Alas, the fourth quarter saw the wheels come off the wagon, as we let in two soft tries by their suspiciously buff scrum half. But no matter—they missed one of the conversions and we had won by two points. We celebrated by quaffing an excellent 2010 tabasco-infused draught of Jose Cuervo. Damn you, Suresh!

Player Ratings

Nic from Bali: Solid in the scrums, flawless in the loose, and a beard straight out of Stagecoach—9

Manu: He got lifted in the scrums but did yeoman work in the loose, especially strong for a guy who never met a Trixie he didn’t like. 7.5

Frano—A few big smashes early on in defense, rock solid as ever in the scrum. Amazing work-rate in the 15 minutes he played. 7.5

Suresh: The aforementioned tipple knocks him down half a notch, but he was as dependable as ever. 8

Dicko “No back chat, please” Dickinson—What can you say about the oldest guy on the pitch winning one of the man of the match honors? It sure is nice to have him yelling at the ref instead of telling us off as the ref! 9

Sean “Pants Around The Ankles” Reed—embodied the indomitable spirit of the ISCI touring side by sobering up just in time to get smashed on several occasions. We look forward to more stories from our newest Afrikaans. 7.5

Chris “Badlands” Burgertron—deserving top 3 man of the match, proved his versatility when he stepped into the centers. Unlike “I’ve soiled myself” Reed, Burger was able to bounce back fantastically from an epic Friday morning. Breakfast, anyone? 9.5

Sebastian "Bobby on the job" Sharp--typical tireless work on and off the pitch. Quiet but committed, did all the little things in the loose. Was seen to be enjoying himself on one occasion. 8.5

Mark “Whipper-Snapper” Brown. Only Brownie could take 7 weeks off and still work as hard as he did. Always good to see his ornery side come out when we were going backwards in the first quarter. 9

Rob “Shimmy-Sham Flim-Flam Man” Krauss: Stopped talking long enough to step his way for a try before limping off into the sunset. Probably didn’t realize that playing number 10 would mean tackling most of the time! 8

Chris “hamstrung again” McCarthy—incredibly, lasted the whole game and scored a try to boot. Felt like Francois Steyn with Burger and Reed outside him. Is docked one full point for not going out Friday night. 8

Johnny “from Saigon”: heaps better than VanDers. Gets extra points because he brought his dad. Scored a cracking try to put us up for good. You’re welcome in Jaktown anytime, mate. 9

Rupert “Ruprecht”: Little action on the wing but was good value off the pitch. Docked .5 points because Rob built you up like the second coming of Serge Blanco. 7.5

Dan “Ole!” McNally—not one of his better performances, but didn’t get much ball either. Made up for most of it out on the town. 7.5

Ed “Burnt Cork” Carpenter: a late addition, held his own in contact. Looked the part more than most of us in the bar afterwards. 7.5

Ollie “child’s toy”: came on as a late replacement winger. A tough transition for the world’s tiniest lock. Gets an extra half point for mercifully kicking the ball out to end the game. 7.5

corrections, addendums, welcome!

Sing-A-Palooza Latest Line-UP

Fortunately, there has been some last minute recruitment activity (thanks Burgs and hopefully Vanders)... Let's keep em coming boys!

1.Francis - I ain't done yet - Holloway

2. Nic "the Stiffest Chilli"

3. Manu - "Shamu" Emmanuel

4. Ollie "not Father Abraham"

5. Sebastian - I can out organize your Secretary - Sharp

6.Chris "The Machine" McCarthy

7.Rob "the Rebel" Krauss

8Chris "BurgerTron"

9. (Vanders' mate the "Best Half-Back in Asia")

10. Kristian "Beautiful Legs" Vandermeer

11. Mike "Can't touch this" Lewis

12. G - The Original - Rae

13. Mark "TwinkleToes" Brownie

14. Dan "the Beer Man" McNally

15.Rupert Brock "Lestner"

Bench
Doug "NRL" Oliver
Tony "Reffin Mad" Dicko
Suresh "Moose"

Will Davies is a big question mark, as his loyalty has always been questioned - will Sarah allow him to come. Anyone else?
El Capitain

Sing-A-Palooza! (thank you Rebel)

Alright boys, the tour team is looking better and better with each passing day. We have our Mandala sponsorship confirmed (so any of you who are coming who haven't sent me your passport details, please do so ASAP), we have a Saturday night game plan (which may or may not involve another legendary bus tour that will last until our flights back at 6am Sunday morning), and we have the Komodo Fury brewing in our bellies that is hungry for our first Club victory on foreign soil in years!

The team so far:

1.Francis - I ain't done yet - Holloway

2. Manu - "Shamu" Emmanuel

3. Suresh "Moose"

4. ???

5.Chris "The Machine" McCarthy

6.Tony "Reffin Mad" Dicko

7.Sebastian - I can out organize your Secretary - Sharp

8.Chris "BurgerTron"

9.Mark "TwinkleToes" Brownie

10. Kristian "Beautiful Legs" Vandermeer

11. Mike "Can't touch this" Lewis

12. Rob "the Rebel" Krauss

13. G - The Original - Rae

14. Dan "the Beer Man" McNally

15.Rupert Brock "Lestner"

BENCH

Guys let me know if anyone else can come... it's gonna be LEGENDARY!!!

El Capitain

Tour de Singapore Update

The Sing Tour is definitely a go! Thanks to a late Rally by Sebastian and the powers that be. Tour members so far:

Seb

Francis

Chris Rowe

Chris McCarthy

Dan McNally

Kristian Vandermeer

Mike Lewis

Manu

American Ed

Brownie

Suresh

Sergeant "G" Slaughter

Chris "BurgerTron"

w/ Special Tour Manager - Pitsy, and quality control manager - Jamie Richards

More numbers are welcome, and needed. It's looking to be a great tour, one for the Komodo history books.

Will keep you updated on our progress.

El Capitan

Komodo RFC Home and Away VS Singapore Wanderers

Gentlemen of the Komodai,

We are coming dangerously close to August 28th, D-Day the day we are set to invade Singapore and plunder her of her virtue and integrity - also to battle their Wanderers.

Although summer practices have been sharp and fairly organized thanks to G and Rob the Rebel, we still don't have enough confirmed numbers for our tour. We are trying to re-establish ourselves as a legitimate international Club side, and Jakarta as a tour stop. In order to do so we have to at least make the effort to fly 2 hours to Singapore, it should not be such a tall order. So I am asking all of you Komodo to speak up if you can make it.

El Capitain

BurgerTron BBQ

The main man, Chris 'BurgerTron' has decided to put on a BBQ at his delightful Senopati residence this Saturday, May 15. Details to follow...

Victory Brunch!

Hey all!


As the season comes to a close, we have that one last thing that we all look forward to - that being the Club's End of Season Brunch. Which is a fantastic excuse to get your booze on. Last year we shy'd away from our usual 5 star venues and tried out Uncle Tom's Bargain Basement Brunch; our Club ladies, however, were not very impressed.
So this year, we will be bringing the 5 stars back in Celebrity fashion, as we move to LOBO Restaurant at the Ritz Carleton for a return to Martini Madness and Champagne galore.


Date: May, 30th
Time: 12-3pm (suggest you come on time to maximize your intake)
Venue: LOBO Restaurant - Ritz Carleton, Mega Kuningan
Cost: 498,000rp++ per guest, this includes unlimited Martini's, Champagne (I'm pretty sure it's sparkling wine), Wine and Beer, Mouth Watering Cuisine, NOT TO MENTION SERVICE, which was what was lacking last year (aside from when I got behind the bar)
398,000rp++ for non-drinkers.

Jakarta 10's - What a day for ISCI

May 1st, 2010, the 20th ISCI Jakarta 10's Rugby Invitational.

The sun basked over the emerald fields of ISCI in the morning like Apollo himself set the scene for a legend to take place. That legend, in fact, did occur on this day that will forever be remembered as the day the Komodo took back their place in history. A history that has over the last decade mocked and toyed with the emotions of our fellow Komodai and Dragon alike. Over the last couple of years the Komodo elite have been to every final only to come up short, always within a single try. On this day 2 groups of 15 men, with 1 single purpose arrived to change history... they would fight with every pulse of blood within themselves, for every sacred inch, with every second cherished, and every score… triumphant.

The first wave of mighty ISCI – The Komodo*

We took the field at 8am, our game to be played at 9. We played the Mantano Miners, a squad that achieved much success the year before at the 10’s and a balanced mix of local and expatriate talent (one that should be commended). Coach McCarthy (who would have made the perfect sergeant slaughter) ran us through his now acclaimed warm-up, and the men of the Komodai took the field. We had to set the tone in game 1, and that we did. We put up 4 tries, while our defense held strong. Like in every game to come the forwards provided the ‘hammer’, the heavy and blunt indomitable force, behind the ISCI backs that provided the ‘nail’ that struck with swift and sharp precision to seal each games victory.

The Komodo squad went on to hammer the Jago Dulu, whom played with a lot of heart, but had only 4 players (they rest were comprised of ringers). Francis, an ISCI-Maori legend in his own right, scored one of the most memorable tries of the tournament. Frano bull rushed in support of aggressive overall forward play and broke the Jago defensive line in the image of young Jonah Lomu and scampered 30 meters to finish the champagne try. After another 6 tries, the Komodo squad had established itself as the team to beat.

“Enter the Dragon,” to use McNally’s line. For our 3^rd game, we had the unfortunate task of taking on our brothers, the ISCI Dragons, led by an inspired Dan the Beer Man. Although we scored several tries in a 31-0 victory, the outcome did not tell the entire story. It was a hard fought game in the forwards, the strength of the Dragon team, they played with intensity and passion. They even took out one of our finest players, G-Unit. Another memorable moment here as Scot barreled down the field for a 40 meter try for which he was gassed the last half; made for some pretty entertaining rugby.

Then, the match we had been waiting for… Bali. The Stiff Chilli’s have remained bitter rivals for the last decade. A drunken coalminer will tell you all about it. Still in the pool round, this match felt and was treated like a semi-final. We had been accustomed to McCarthy’s warm up now, and thank him for keeping our muscles and joints in the tournament. Vanders kick-off, always a thing of beauty, was back in action. We had missed him for months, apparently he has been having problems with his heart as of late. Nevertheless, he redeemed himself. Our pack ran down the dried Chilli’s like a barbarian horde under his Bulldog inspired kicks, pillaging along the way. They tackled like mad-men, kept possession of the ball and let the backs do what they do best, score. Bob’s ability to draw people in with ball in hand proved menacing all day long, as it opened up wide lanes for our wingers. In the end, the Komodo dominated all aspects of the game … oh sweet victory, you’ve never tasted so good.

With the pool games over, and the Komodo team undefeated we entered into the Cup final. Our last opponents, JIS, Jakarta International School, a team that had actually beaten us in a final in the past. It was time for more redemption. Although they looked like the cast of Glee on steroids, they were not to be taken lightly. They were extremely fast, well trained, confident and moved the ball around with surprising pace. We knew the forwards had to win us this game, as we simplified our strategy, opting to pound out a victory in old school ISCI fashion. No kicking allowed. Brownie, was pure Aussie magic for us in this one, popping 2 tries out of nowhere to secure a lead that we would never relinquish. We won the final and secured our victory for the first time in years, with a 12-0 triumph. Albeit, our greatest feat of our Komodo team had to be the fact that we did not concede a single try throughout the entirety of the tournament. That has to be one for the record books. Congratulations Komodo… you played your hearts out and are now living Komodo Legends!

Captains Ratings

Frano – 10 – I’ve never seen him run like he did on this day, he was a machine. Heart.

Burger – 10 – All the essential things a forward can give you (rucking, stealing ball, line-out throws) done to perfection, with the running skill and presence of mind of an inside center. Heart.

Ed – 10 – our favorite oversized 10 has found his perfect game in 10’s, where his nifty skillset actually comes in handy and is less irritating to the rest of the pack. Heart.

Rob – 10 – His comments and experience have a calming effect over a team that tends to get too over heated (back chat, etc.) at times. Strong off the bench or off the start. Heart.

McCarthy – 10 – Inspirational and rigorous leader, he played with 2 injured hamstrings and never backed down. They held up, and Chris had a great tournament. Heart.

Tom Elliot – 10 – If I could give him a 12 I would, but all our players played their hearts out today, Tom maybe more so than others considering his separated shoulder, and future shattered self-respect (see E.P.). He put in some massive hits with his healthy shoulder and inspired the entire team. Heart.

Tom Jeffrey – 10 – We almost lost Tom to a marathon, and thank God we didn’t. Tom’s perseverance knows no bounds, chasing, rucking, and tackling all over the field. Heart.

Scot – 10 – Great impact player off the sidelines that made every minute he was in the game count. Champagne solo effort on his long try. Heart.

Brownie – 10 – Was a monster at the half back position, challenging every scrum, securing all of our ball, and making plays whenever he could. His relentless support in the backs led to a couple nice tries. Including the 2 that secured the final for his Komodo team. Heart.

G – 10 – During the first 2 games, as Vanders was still getting his sea legs back, G dominated in all aspects of his game. His confidence permeated through the rest of the ISCI ranks. Scored a couple of beauties, but then an injury to his hammy kept him out of the final 2 games. He then became ISCI’s hottest cheerleader and the reason we ended up winning both finals. Heart.

Jeff – 10 – The Fijian Night Train was in full effect, we have become used to his particular skill set but have by no means taken it for granted. His presence alone is enough to invoke fear and despair into our opponents. Heart.

Vanders – 10 – Our former MVP lived up to his name, even though we haven’t seen him on the pitch for ages, as he straggled in reeking of sex and booze. “I play better hungover,” he stated. True. He was in top form once again. Kicks are always a huge difference for us especially when we play the likes of Bali. Heart.

Bob – 10 – Bob’s leadership in the back line has always been his strength, it’s like having a coach on the field with you at all times. He created the majority of our tries with his masterful intuition and handling. Heart.

2^nd Wave of Mighty ISCI – Dragons*

*(to be updated by Dan McNally)

For your pleasure... the best pic of the day!

Training Tonight and Komodo Song

Gentlemen of the Komodai,

Our Last Training Session before the 10's will be held Tonight at JIS, 7pm!

Be there.

The new song created by our main man Rob goes a little something like this:

We... are.... a ...
jolly bunch of fellows;
and each one is a star;
and if you want to join us;
you'll find us at the bar.
and if you get to know us,
you'll find that we're alright;
'cause we are the men in the red and blue and white;

Should old acquaitance be forgot;
keep your eyes on the ISCI boys.
Komodo's, Komodo's Ko-mo-dos!

JAK 10's 2010

* URGENT *

Final Practice Thursday @ 7pm, JIS. Go Hard or Go Home!

Jak 10's coming up this Saturday, May 1st, at ISCI. (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117672554925441&ref=mf).

Komodo & Dragons teams have a costume theme OUTSIDE of the common party theme (Avatar vs Clash of the Titans), we will go as WWE/WWF wrestlers. Exemplified by G, as Macho Man Randy Savage, McNally as Kurt Angle, and Tom as Razor Ramon.

The Komodo Squad has been chosen, and in no particular order goes like this:

Frano

Burger

Ed

Tall Tom

Tom

Rob,

Will

McCarthy,

Scott,

Brownie,

G,

Jeff,

Mike,

Bob,

Daly,

Kristian

McNally is Captaining the Dragons, for those of you who want a chance to play and win the tournament contact him. 08170140239.

Teams Participating:

Komodos
JIS
Bali
Matano Miners (Sulawesi)
Dragons
Jago Dulu
Nagas (Sumbawa)
Gosowong,
Balikpapan
Bandung Rams
Jakarta Bantengs
Samurai (Japan)

Prizes:

2 TICKETS TO BALI FOR SPECTATORS TO WIN ... CAN it get any better now ...and it can

MANDALA AIRLINES HAS 6 TICKETS TO BE WON. Destination unknown known known ...

Sponsors & Attractions:

Starbucks, pizza marzano, indian food from Fez, cold stone ice cream, Margarita man, Carlsberg

Jakarta 15's Champs!

First of all, I'd like to send out our best wishes to Tony who is in Singapore recovering from surgery. Tony injured his ankle quite badly on a goal line stand, in which the Komodo held strong. Tony is a great player and we pray for his swift recovery and look forward to his possible return.

WE ARE JAKARTA CHAMPS!!!! (again) It wasn't always pretty but we got it Done! Well done Komodai. It was a little difficult making sure everyone got a chance to play, most of us did - my apologies to those that did not - I myself only played about 15 min.

After a great warm up led by player/coach McCarthy, the Komodo were pumped to build some chemistry before the Jak 10's. Although this was a final, we were not planning to have to actually try to compete as last year's final was a blow out. The plan was to tryout as many different line-ups as we could by getting everyone in the game at different positions. What we did not count on was that the Bantengs came out with fire in their bellys - they came out strong and were resolute in their quest to pull off the upset. Switching players led to miscommunication between the Komodo players, which in turn gave the Bantengs the advantage. By the half, we were up 3 tries to 1. I scored the 1st in the corner that has become

like my 2nd home over the last couple of weeks (see FB photos), I plan to setup a warung their to serve vodka-joss shots after tries. The try by Brownie was one of my favorites (it was definitely not Dicko's) as a 'homage' to the Bantengs, after a Roko like try dive Brownie threw the ball as far as he could in the air and screamed at the top of his lungs incoherently. The try was setup by Will and Tom's heroic run and support that claimed about 70 meters of the pitch. Champagne stuff boys. Dicko, I must admit had a difficult task at keeping Banteng and Komodo from an all out brawl - with each hit and every word that came out of players mouths the tension rose on the verge of erupting. After seeing a Banteng (15) spit in the face of my favorite hooker, I almost lost it myself (their is a time and place for that).

After the half, the Komodo opened strong, scoring 2 back to back tries. The Bantengs scored a try and then we had a brief intermission as Captain and Packleader had to deal with near mutiny in the ranks. The Banteng seemed to feed off the Komodo in-fighting, they saw an opportunity for upset arising. "AYU BANTENG, AYU BANTENG," was about all you could hear off the stands. Their were calls from several players to put the Komodo 1st XV back on the field - but deep down we all knew that wouldn't be a challenge, things were better like this. The defense fought hard, it bent (way too much), but did not break. In the end we won 6 tries to 3. We should commend the Banteng team for their drastic improvement from last year, and the growth of Indonesian Rugby on the whole.

Skipper's Ratings:

Frano - 7.5 - Fitness still needs some work, but his presence on the field and experience in our scrum cannot be overlooked.

Ed - 9 - Smashing number 15 for a try-saving tackle, Glorious! Was all over the field on both attack and defense.

Rob - 7 - Kept the guys from erupting, and displayed great leadership

Burger - 8 - Played very well, but lost his cool a few time - can you blame him though...

Tom - 9 - Didn't know how he would hold up in his return debut, but true to his word his

shoulder is stronger than tungsten, the former captain showed a lot of heart. It is good to have him back

Tall Tom - 8 - Shaking off a little rust, Tom was not quite the all star of game 1, however, he was great in support and we expect him to continue his great play this Saturday at the 10's

Will - 8.5 - Will plays with a nonstop motor,

always after the ball, had a great chip and chase.

Tony - 10 - All class Tony acted like he was SAS with his injury at the sheer weight of Bobby's fall, calmly asking for the stretcher and for someone to hold his foot so that it would not fall off. (see facebook photos and you can see how it happened).

Brownie - 9 - Inspiring tries, and running skills with ball in hand.

McCarthy - 8 - Leadership, heart, power, fitness, determination, the guy has it all; however, we forced him to sit out the 2nd half to rest his hamstrings.

Jeff - 8.5 - Great runs, great hits, the Fijian night train lives up to his name.

Daly - 7 - not one of Daly's best games, but not a lot for him to do either

Morita - 7.5 - had a nice try, but lapses in defense led to Banteng tries

Samurai 11 - 7 - Steady play, but miscommunication and lack of opportunity led to standard play

Bob - 8 - Always the field general, or admiral i should say in his case, Bob's foremost talent is the ability to organize the backs.

Jonathan - 8 - to do with his performance at the bar after

Ian - 9 - read above

Dan the Beer Man - 10 - read above

GAME TIME!

Gentlemen of the Komodai,

We have 2 big days of rugby coming up. Tomorrow we have the Final of the Jakarta 15's Series (Game Time - 4:30, be there for 3:30) and May 1st we have the Jakarta 10's Tournament (starting from 8am-8pm).
The final tomorrow is against the Bantengs, and it should not be taken lightly, this is a huge match for us to build chemistry before the tournament. Make no mistake, the Bantengs have trained their asses off to try and beat us over this week. They have even tweeted that they will ruck me up personally tomorrow; so I, as your Skipper, am asking you to return the favor (I don't do very much rucking, I score tries). Enjoy.

On to the Jakarta 10's. There will be 3 teams competing in the 10's tournament: Komodo (Mike), Dragon (Dan the Beer Man), and Samurai (Ishii). I have picked a team for the Komodai, but final selections will not be made until next week. The candidates:
Forwards: Frano, Ed, Burger, Rob, Tall Tom, Will, Tom X, McCarthy, Ben King
Backs: Vanders, Gareth, Scott, Brownie, Mike, Daly, Jeff, Tony, Bob, Seb
Dan McNally has the privilege of Captaining the Dragon team, whom I think will be almost as competitive PROVIDED our players make it out! We need everyone we can. Both teams have a chance to win, both teams are full of elite players.
Tomorrow Dan and I will see which players gel together...

May 1st, 2010 - DAY OF THE KOMODO (or dragon)
JUST WIN BABY!

Mike

News Flash! ISCI Komodos Train!

For those of you not at JIS last night, you missed an actual training session! Yes indeed, tackle pads and cones were used, coach McCarthy barked out instructions and the team worked on building continuity and communication. It may be a bit late in the day, but I think everyone involved was happy we trained with structure.

See you all Saturday--

McCarthy

The Komodo squad seemed to breathe new air on Saturday, it wasn't quite the burning garbage that we have become so fond of, something had changed in the roar of the Komodo. A sense of urgency perhaps, as the squad looked like a proper side for the first time in ages, or maybe it was the return of Chris Burger; whatever it was, one thing is for sure - the Komodo side looks like a serious contender going into this years Jakarta 10's. The starting 15 looked good, I mean, really good. Within minutes they were up 3 tries, 2 that were generated by fiery team effort and support to be finished off by the skipper on the wing (who decided to come off the field to analyze the rest of the teams play - not to avoid scoring a hat-trick, Tom). G did wonders at the 10 spot, creating opportunities and running wild on his own from time to time. The combination of Brownie to G was good, but when Tony came into the game our 9-10 combination with the Brown bagger outside looked incredible. It's gonna be hard picking the Komodo A squad for the 10's that's for sure.

In the forwards, the re-addition of the BurgerTron was the biggest improvement from

last week, as he continued his old 'smashing' ways; steam rolling everything and anything like a Transvaal freight train. Ed continued to show-off his skills in his ongoing yet futile attempt to play 10, although he did do a great job playing 12 when given the opportunity. Maybe some work on the speed ladder with McCarthy will get you to the promised land brother. Scott's hands have definitely improved since the start of the Series, he makes intelligent decisions on the field, and the rest of the backs benefit from his initiative. With so many tries scored it's really hard to elaborate on each of them. One, however, stood out... Brownie took the ball from a scrum on their 22 from his 9 position sucked the flanker and 10 in, faked to G, and ran the ball right through the opposing backs like a hot knife through butter. Glorious!

Skipper's Ratings:

Frano - 8 - this is more to do with heart and sportsmanship than overall performance, the big man gave his all for us by going to play for the Rams... not a bad job either.

Samurai Hooker - 7 - I remember jumping for a line out for the 1st time ever, and the ball not ending up anywhere near where it should have been. However, he played well on most other aspects of the game.

Rob - 7.5 - always gives it his all, and is great in his leadership role.

Will Davies - 8 - Despite being a drunken sailor, he still "kicked ass!", (just imagine his amazing american accent)

New Player, who's name I forget (dammit, if it were an indonesian line I'd be fine) - 8 - for being a rookie, playing well, making tackles, and remaining discreet about it.

Burger - 9.5 - Punishing running, crippling tackling, crazy talk... the man's got it all... and he's ON the field ALL the time!

Fearless - 7.5 - Always the voice... backs it up with his heart as well, runs all over the field in support of his Komodo brothers.

Brownie - 9 - He'll tell you himself how amazing he played, I don't need to say anything... that said... he's definitely someone I want on my side.

Tony - 8.5 - Great rugby player with great rugby instincts, is true scrum-half...

G - 9 - great play from the 10, who also needs to be commended on his fitness which is not lacking in spite of bad knees and brown nosing. Obviously the best man that BenLine has in Indonesia, what an amazing sponsor.

Ed - 8 - not as dramatic as his previous performances, probably because of the new wealth of talent on the Komodo side, but still provided a spark nonetheless.

Scott - 8 - great overall play from Scott who is becoming a komodo standout, well balanced player.

Dan the Beer Man - 9 - again, this has more to do with Heart and Attitude than anything else. Dan, just got over Dengue, like 2 days before, played for the Rams, and is a generally good guy.

Seb - 7.5 - I think Seb is focused more on the Jak 10's right now than anything else, but he did see some play time and played like his same reliable self.

Morita - 7.5 - scored a try in the corner got high tackled and the ref didn't even count it, he didn't even say a word... that is Zen (fearless or brownie, you could learn a thing or 2)

Tall Rob - 7 - didn't get as much playing time as he would like but was solid in his contribution.

UPDATES: Next week we play the Bantengs in the Final of the Jakarta 15's Series. This is one that the Bantengs have bee waiting for all year, and Bobby would love more than anything to pull off an upset - so we must NOT take this one for granted... 4:30 PM ISCI!!!

THURSDAY TRAINING - we have 2 training sessions left before the 10's. We need to gel as a team. I have an idea of who the top 15 men are to play in the Komodo squad but some effort in training and the game could go a long way in that decision. 7 PM JIS!!!!

Game Tomorrow

Game vs Bandung Rams, Saturday 17th, at 4:30 pm.

Komodo players need to get to ISCI by 3:30 at least to get a proper warm-up in. From now on we play each game with Jakarta 10's mentality. We have 2 weeks to shape up. I suggest you train on your own as well.

Match Report: Komodo vs JagoDulu

It was a swelteringly hot saturday as Ed and I stood by ISCI's delightful patio bar, waiting anxiously for anyone not French to arrive. By 3:10 it was not looking good, I admit I phoned former Captain Thomas Elliot to discuss strategy if Ed and I were forced to play the French alone (well with 3 Samurai), "just keep it in the forward," he said with his usual Surrey swagger. Finally by 3:15, the Komodai starting flocking to ISCI in numbers and we had a proper squad. After a ridiculously brief warm-up, we took the pitch and huddled up freshly inspired by the passionate words of a young captain. "It's f-ing hot out," was the jest of it.

The French kicked off, and the play looked lack luster for the first quarter for both sides. Seb 'The Commish' Sharp noted that there is no way we are gonna win the 10's with this kind of effort, " you need to find someone to run a proper warm-up before games." Noted.

I was on the sideline for a moment during the game, because of post-marriage weakness. Apparently everything starts to break down, and you need to stretch before getting in and out of cars. However, the injury to a samurai winger forced this wounded soldier back into play. And the inspired Komodai marched the pitch towards the JagoDulu 22, with a long pass way wide this winger put the ball in for a photo finish, yet questionable try, back spasms and all.

From that point the Komodai began to find their mojo

again. And beautiful phase play with long runs by G and English Scott on the wing, great support by Scott MD., and a well earned finish by Chris Rowe put us ahead by 2 tries.

The 2nd half started with same intensity that the first half ended with as Ed's nifty footwork and chips led to one of our noble Samurai's score on the wing. But things melted down a bit, literally, as the heat began to effect decision making. Jonathan, Frano's prodigy, new to the game surrendered a "shocking" interception (see Fearless' expression)

. Our new boy wonder, G, had enough at this point, and so had the rest of the Komodai. We promptly took possession all the way down to their 5 meter line, and G put a swift finish in the corner. But the French would not surrender like their fore-fathers, they played with more heart than we've seen from any side thus far in the Jakarta 15's Series. Most notably, they scored a beautiful team try off an attacking lineout by mauling it in with the forward pack on all cylinders. We tip our hats to you JagoDulu, all except "The Commish" who retains some of the Anglo-French sentiment of his ancestors. First time a ref has had to have a word to the skipper about Seb's rabid behavior, I hope it won't be the last. Passionate stuff Seb.

All in all, a great game. And great opposition. If anyone has the photo we took together at the end please pass it on.

Captain's Ratings

Frano - 6.5 - Was a force in the scrum and on the run as well, although tackling has gotten a little lazy, we'll have a word with Glenn about that though. Couldn't play the 2nd half

Ed - 8 - Every week it seems Ed establishes himself as a dominant Komodo. If only he could forget about that shocker he released straight out the back of the pitch on a free kick. I can't put you in at 10 with plays like that mate. His chip for try made up for it though

Chris Rowe - 8 - Show's little sign of age, as he always finds himself in the right place. Plays "smart" rugby. Try scorer.

Fearless - 7.5 - He's the voice in the forwards that the Komodai need, a vocal leader with the experience and aptitude to match, a great replacement to Royal Marine

Jonathan - 5 - Sorry mate, can't give you anything higher after that interception, we've all had our horror moments though and you will bounce back next week.

Seb - 7.5 - His green boots have really put some flash in play and some flare in his eyes.

Scott MD. - 7 - We've been looking forward to his come back, and it had it's moments, with complete disregard for his own body and restored knee, he insanely threw his body all over the field.

Jeff - 7 - Ran the ball well, as usual, with his mungrul demeanor. But again could not last the game.

McCarthy - 7.5 - while in McCarthy led the backs pretty well, although he re-aggravated his hammy ... and has been ordered not to return to play until the 10's. That does not mean we don't need you on the sidelines Cap-Coach MC.

G - 8 - Although G admits to having a shocker I still think he played pretty decently. He ran the ball well and his defense was consistent as well.

Daily - 8 - The youngster rarely disappoints, and gets added praise for his performance in the Bandung game - when DAily and Ed were put in they gave the Bantengs a run for their money. No wonder Bobby complained about the 15 year old coming on the field to oppose him.

English Scott - 7.5 - Scott had a great game, showing great running and support play. His hands seem to have improved as well, it wasn't long ago that he had a case of the drops.

Unnamed Samurai Halfback - 7.5

Unnamed Samurai Winger - 7

Unnamed Samurai Prop - 8

Junior - 6.5 - The man is a legend, just his presence makes us humble

URGENT:

We have Training on Thursdays JIS 7pm, and we are really pushing for more Komodo to show up as we have less than 3 weeks till the Jakarta 10's, our 20th anniversary. What better time to win it all... That does take effort however, we always have the talent, the question is, year after year, do we have the heart. Whether you make it to Training or you train on your own, just keep that in mind. YES WE CAN...

JUST WIN BABY

Mike