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 3rd 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.
2nd Wave of Mighty ISCI – Dragons*
*(to be updated by Dan McNally)
For your pleasure... the best pic of the day!
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