RWC 35/RLWC 22 - Everything Thread

[Quintessence of Dust]

Posted on the In Brief section of the QBS website.

So, about that "new look All Greys"...

As QSS Stormspike launched from the Eli F. Baker Memorial Spaceport on its mission to find and explore "mineral-rich asteroids, potentially habitable planets, and voluptuous nine-breasted alien princesses", it was not the only oddly shaped white object being sent high into the sky. Reece O’Kearny launched the first possession of Quintessence of Dust's opening game of Rugby World Cup 35 into orbit, and with it the inside centre put the lie to hopes that the All Greys might be a bringing a new attacking fluidity to this campaign as Quodite rugby seeks a reset from years of ignominy. Instead, the All Greys proved they were very content to go back to their preferred approach of stifling defence and cautious tactical kicking, eking out a 20-0 win over Alice Bay that frustrated for its lack of adventure from the dominant team, but could hardly be questioned in terms of efficacy.

Instead of utilising the new 50:22 rule to kick for attacking touches the All Greys were content to put the ball in the air and test out Alice Bay's backline under the high ball, and were otherwise content to hand off to the forwards for grueling short range attacks to wear down the opposing defence. The approach won the All Greys repeated penalties from TJUN-ian referee Victor Taggart, which O’Kearny converted from the tee with mixed success, and tired out the Alice Bay defence, who after a first half of frantic tackling began to show some gaps in the second, opening up opportunities to score. Elias Clarke drove off the back of a rolling maul from a lineout and fed Aurélien Riqueti, who burst through with pace and finished nicely in the corner, and ten minutes later captain Ludovic de Villiers went horizontal to put a long pass out wide for replacement Feng Zeng's first ever international try.

It may not have been the most ambitious or inspiring of victories, but it gave the All Greys the necessary points in blustery conditions in Chuckio. However, the game came with its costs, losing vice-captain Ingvalur Knarrarson to a concussion which will put him out for the next match against the Valhallan Union. Flanker Clarke and winger Tyson Helman are also out with thigh injuries that could spell the end of their involvement in the tournament. Helman's absence at least gives a chance to exciting prospect Yu Xie to be called up, while Jason Bell is also brought into the squad. Thierry Gounelle will start ahead of Thierry Manoury at 8, and Juichi Umeji is fit to play so will return to start at openside, with Xieren Gu shifting over to the blindside.

Quintessence of Dust 20–0 Alice Bay

Try: Riqueti 54', Zeng 64'
Con: O'Kearny 54', Bourgeois 64'
Pen: O'Kearny 9', 18', 21', 23'
YC: Holian 46'→56'

---

Player of the Match: Henry Dalsgaard

---

Matchday 2 squad
Team: 15. Teschner, 14. Riqueti, 13. O’Kearny, 12. Holian, 11. Xie, 10. de Villiers (c), 9. Muckley; 1. Chan, 2. Meng, 3. Alard, 4. Hamada, 5. Dalsgaard, 6. Gu, 7. Umeji, 8. Gounelle
Reserves: 16. Wood, 17. Hanselmann, 18. Young, 19. Bozonnet, 20. Manoury; 21. Bourgeois, 22. Zeng, 23. Bell

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec and Shingoryeo Rugby Union National Team

Nickname: Grim Reapers
Acronym: QUE
Denonym: Quebecois (Preferred), Quebecer (that's fine)
Official Supporters Group: The Bubonic Plague
Style Mod: Lowest Possible (usually -5)

Head Coach: Merrick-Lee Lessard, 50
Lead Assistant Coach: Callum Wild Jr, 43

The smaller pie rugby world has won in the Quebecois sporting world has meant that the rugby, as a whole, has taken greater approaches to play professionally alongside other nations in the Quebecois Commonwealth, whose interest and financials allow for international travels. Most of the members of the Quebecois and the Acadianan national teams do play in the Quebecois Commonwealth Rugby SuperLeague, a 16-team league of four associations (Quebec and Shingoryeo, Quebecois Acadiana, Busoga Islands and Quebecois Sudafrique nations which have their own West Indies situation). Because of this, however, it takes greater efforts for the national team camps or schedules to be put together, and the team's cohesion will likely take years to develop over time.

Nobody knows how this group of party-loving scrubs, whose reputation at home and abroad aren't the most positive due to their well-deserved reputation, has ended up ranked sixth in the world. Really, I don't either and I have generated these bastards. Anyways, this is a much more experienced batch of Grim Reapers whose two quarterfinals appearances in the last three World Cups are enough to suggest their rough placement in the world - great defensive side with likely floor of first-round playoff appearance and ceiling of semifinals, but most likely ending up in the Quarterfinals. A fairly predictable bunch as a whole.

Fortunately what this team does carry is a solid blend of experience and youth - Rugby Quebec has done a good job lately in fostering younger talents through their system, with age-based sides being consistently tested out on IRSEA's Anaia City campus and whatnot, and this likely means that even without stars like Callum Wild Jr or Theopile Maurus, the team would not be able to feel as big of a gap. This cycle continues to see the rise of interesting additions, with IRSEA's Jeremiah Coleman and upstart Racing 70's Park Dong-Seon looking promising among this group of players. But more importantly is the continued ascendance of sophomore cycle players Saudlane Tehindin and Naum Sahatciu. Tehindin is a dual-national of Quebec and Ko-oren, the undisputed rugby powerhouse in all three codes, while Sahatciu, still in high school with his education taking place at the IRSEA and local high school, will be the youngest player to ever start for Grim Reapers' rugby side.

Squad List:

Numbers 1 to 8 are forwards, 9 to 15 are backs. 16 to 23 are replacement players.

-# First Name        Surname               Age Sex  Status Team
 1 Hydrien           LATENDRESSE-YI         29   M  RETURN Racing 70 (SupeRugby)
 2 Jeremiah          COLEMAN                21   M  RETURN Koreana (SupeRugby)
 3 Yves-Francois     LUCERNAY               25   M  RETURN Racing 70 (SupeRugby)
 4 Julian            REID-CONNALLY          31   M  RETURN Highlanders (SupeRugby)
 5 Amelie            SHIN-PATERNAUD         19   F     NEW Universite St. Croix (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
 6 Thierry           SOONIAS                22   M  RETURN Zebras (SupeRugby - Quebecois Suadfrique)
 7 Saudlane          TEHINDIN               24   F  RETURN Thunderbirds (SupeRugby)
 8 Dong-Seon         PARK                   23   F  RETURN Gryphons (SupeRugby)
 9 Se-Jeong          KWEON                  25   M  RETURN Saint-Germain (SupeRugby - Acadiana)
10 HOKUTO            Brownlee               22   M     NEW Highlanders (SupeRugby)
11 Gwang-Joon        KIM                    26   M  RETURN Thunderbirds (SupeRugby)
12 Annabelle         QAQQAQ                 32   F  RETURN Lakiska (Busoga Islands)
13 Nora              VAN RYK                33   F  RETURN Secretarybirds (SupeRugby - Quebecois Sudafrique)
14 Gyeong-Joon       KIM                    20   M     NEW Queen's College (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
15 Zara              BROMLEY                24   F  RETURN Koreana (SupeRugby)
--
16 Michelle          LUCERNAY               29   F  RETURN Arlenia (SupeRugby - Acadiana)
17 Hannah            WAUD-TINSON            30   F  RETURN Highlanders (SupeRugby)
18 Eric Michael      GAVLAS                 21   M     NEW IRSEA (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
19 Julien            ATOUBA                 28   M  RETURN Gryphons (SupeRugby)
20 Daenan            RODGERS                19   F     NEW University College Jolbonopolis (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
21 Auguste           HOLLIS-BARCLAY         20   M     NEW Northwestern University (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
22 Hyo-Soo           SONG                   22   F     NEW IRSEA (Quebecois Intercollegiate Sports)
23 Martine           BOULOUQUE              34   F  RETURN Racing 70 (SupeRugby)

Kits: Home Colours are Blue, White and Yellow, while away colours are Red, Black and White. They will also be wearing neon green socks.

Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Suspend my players: Y, but I decide the severity 
Godmod suspension events: N
Godmod other events: Contact me in advance

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Quebec and Shingoryeo Rugby League National Team

Nickname: Grim Reapers
Acronym: QUE
Denonym: Quebecois (Preferred), Quebecer (that's fine)
Official Supporters Group: The Bubonic Plague
Style Mod: Highest Possible (usually +5)

Head Coach: Nell Park, 40
Lead Assistant Coach: Rasmus Josephsen, 38

Players usually come from the A-Class North Star League (NSL). It is a fully-professional league that is still a work-in-progress in organisational side of things, but at least is getting decent media coverage and players paid. Unlike with most Quebecois sports leagues, neither CSKA nor Koreana field a team in the league, meaning that there's a bit more variety and parity in terms of strengths between the clubs themselves.

This is a fairly young squad that is inexperienced on the international stage. Unlike in past years, the rising popularity of rugby league (relative to union, which has seen slight drop in popularity due to domestic disputes) have meant that there is a bit of spread across the player squad. Almost half of the players from the previous RLWC and the ARC have returned to this RLWC squad, but there is a good churn of younger talent out there.

Still, most Quebecois rugby league players either grew up in Quebecois Acadiana (a rarity now) or played union until their decision to switch to a much more lucrative NSL over Quebecois Commonwealth Rugby SuperLeague. As a result, expect the players to really focus on emphasising their physicality and speed, with teamwork one thing they plan to build over the next few years.

Team Lineup:

-# First Name Surname Age Sex Status Team
1 Graeme MILNER 29 M RETURN Hamilton Steelers
2 Connor REDEKOP 23 M RETURN Heart of Saguenay
3 Jong-Hyeong NAM 21 M RETURN Baie-Verte
5 Sarah BAILEY-DAY 32 F RETURN Hochelaga
6 Ghislain-Antoine GBINIJE 33 M RETURN Hamilton Steelers
7 Yves SORIANO 27 M RETURN Levis Athletic
8 Kayana BYEON-WILLIS 20 F NEW Myeongju Sangmu
9 Cheol-Song YI 18 M NEW Salamantic Force
10 Francoise JEUDY 33 F RETURN Levis Athletic
11 Nahuel PLAMONDON JR 25 M RETURN Myeongju Sangmu
12 Mairead TELFER-GAGNON 22 F RETURN Heart of Saguenay
13 Bryce DENTON MCKILLION 26 M RETURN Haligonian
---
14 Yeon-Ah WOO 34 F RETURN Leaside Lions
15 Eric-Noel BERTRAND 20 M NEW Myeongju Sangmu
16 Seung-Hyeon GOH 28 M RETURN Salamantic Force
17 Seung-Hye HA 28 F RETURN Abitibi Ace
18 Helene REDEKOP 22 F NEW Heart of Saguenay
19 Brock KENNARD 19 M NEW Hochelaga
20 NELL Joh-PARK 30 M RETURN Haligonian

Kits: Home Colours are Blue, White and Yellow, while away colours are Red, Black and White. They will also be wearing neon green socks.

Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: Y
RP injuries to my players: Y
Godmod Injuries to my players: N
Suspend my players: Y, but I decide the severity 
Godmod suspension events: N
Godmod other events: Contact me in advance

[Darmen]

Darmeni National Rugby League Team
presented by the
Darmeni Rugby League

Style Mod: +4

Manager: Dawson O'Berne (54)
Assistant Manager: Merritt Frank (37)

STARTING XIII
Pos Name                Age Club
LP  Bowen Rimmer        30  Liverpool Wolves
HK  Johnnie Strobel     34  Liverpool Wolves
RP  Godfrey Brownlow    28  Brady City Giants
SF  Erhard Ó Taidhg     34  Tempala Saints
SF  Colmán Thomassen    33  Johnho RLFC
LF  Nevil Adamson       27  Brady City Giants
SH  Manny Robin         32  Scott City Bulls
FE  Proinsias Duval     33  Liverpool Wolves
LW  Nathaniel Markey    33  Liverpool Wolves
LC  Niven Jarrett       29  Brady City Giants
RC  Ryder Oliver        25  Johnho RLFC
RW  Alastar Stark       34  Rogerton Wildcats
FB  Samuel Riese        33  Brady City Giants

RESERVES
PR  Gareth Haroldson    23  Rogerton Wildcats
HK  Patrick Hawkins     28  Tempala Saints
SF  Anson Sydney        24  Johnho RLFC
SF  Erik Sackville      31  Brady City Giants
LF  Alvin Hudson        21  Liverpool Wolves
SH  Emil Dawson         33  Liverpool Wolves
FE  Tristan Brinkerhoff 27  Scott City Bulls
LW  Kenith Hyde         30  Brady City Giants
CN  Kenneth Adcock      26  Liverpool Wolves
RW  Newt Howard         34  Brady City Giants
FB  Finley Head         29  Johnho RLFC

RP Permissions: Whatever you like, just no killing or other serious life altering events please. Have fun!

[Balynland]

Balynland National Rugby League Team
presented by the
Balynish Rugby League

Style Mod: +5

Head Coach: Beauregard Chancellor

STARTING XIII
Pos Name              Age
LP  Stanley Gadsby    24
HK  Alden Tasker      23
RP  Kaleb Sydney      24
SF  Quinten Davies    22
SF  Brett Thorpe      27
LF  Emmitt Briggs     30
SH  Shawn Tinker      31
FE  Lorrin Cornell    22
LW  Gary Norwood      28
LC  Nick Royce        32
RC  Peter Booth       22
RW  Sandford Bonham   26
FB  Angus Samuels     32

RESERVES
PR  Laurie Kimberley  33
HK  Fitzroy Garnett   21
SF  Hardy Keighley    23
SF  John Paul Simmons 29
LF  Lindsay Hudson    23
SH  Johnie Howland    28
FE  Beckham Vance     28
LW  Derryl Blake      28
CN  Dominick Spencer  22
RW  Quincy Ward       30
FB  Brendan Hermans   21

RP Permissions: Whatever you like, just no killing or other serious life altering events please. Have fun!

[Darmen]

CUTOFF #2! RWC MD 2 and RLWC MD 1 scores coming right up.

---

RWC 35 MD 2

Group A
Nova Anglicana 22–0 Tanah Jaya
Port Ember 20–0 HUElavia
Tangatarehua 32–8 Maraonia

  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Nova Anglicana          2   2  0  0   39   7 +32    0    0    8
2 Port Ember              2   2  0  0   36  10 +26    0    0    8
3 Tangatarehua            1   1  0  0   32   8 +24    0    0    4
4 Ko-oren                 1   1  0  0   23  14  +9    0    0    4
5 Maraonia                2   0  0  2   18  48 −30    0    1    1
6 HUElavia                2   0  0  2    7  37 −30    0    0    0
7 Tanah Jaya              2   0  0  2   14  45 −31    0    0    0

Group B
Hundredstar 6–9 Natanians and Nosts
Kelssek 20–0 Aust Scor
Baker Park 27–3 Wanes

  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Kelssek                 2   2  0  0   31   3 +28    0    0    8
2 Hundredstar             2   1  0  1   29   9 +20    0    1    5
3 Baker Park              1   1  0  0   27   3 +24    0    0    4
4 Quebec and Shingoryeo   1   1  0  0   24   0 +24    0    0    4
5 Natanians and Nosts     2   1  0  1    9  30 −21    0    0    4
6 Wanes                   2   0  0  2    6  38 −32    0    0    0
7 Aust Scor               2   0  0  2    0  43 −43    0    0    0

Group C
Alice Bay 10–24 Baggieland
The Valhallan Union 0–22 Quintessence of Dust
Elmyia 7–24 Hannasea

  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Quintessence of Dust    2   2  0  0   42   0 +42    0    0    8
2 Hannasea                2   2  0  0   50  17 +33    0    0    8
3 Baggieland              2   2  0  0   34  19 +15    0    0    8
4 Darmen                  1   0  0  1    9  10  −1    0    1    1
5 Elmyia                  1   0  0  1    7  24 −17    0    0    0
6 Alice Bay               2   0  0  2   10  44 −34    0    0    0
7 The Valhallan Union     2   0  0  2   10  48 −38    0    0    0

Group D
Lisander 3–17 Mali i Kuq
Acadiana 10–31 Abanhfleft
The Licentian Isles 17–22 TJUN-ia

  Group D               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 TJUN-ia                 2   2  0  0   58  17 +41    1    0    9
2 Mali i Kuq              2   2  0  0   36   6 +30    0    0    8
3 Abanhfleft              2   1  1  0   44  23 +21    0    0    6
4 Lisander                2   0  1  1   16  30 −14    0    0    2
5 The Licentian Isles     1   0  0  1   17  22  −5    0    1    1
6 Ardsk                   1   0  0  1    3  19 −16    0    0    0
7 Acadiana                2   0  0  2   10  67 −57    0    0    0

---

RLWC 22 MD 1

Group A
Balynland 11–18 Sky Reavers
Natanians and Nosts 12–2 Acadiana
Ko-oren 9–0 Cardenao

  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts
1 Natanians and Nosts     1   1  0  0   12   2 +10    2
2 Ko-oren                 1   1  0  0    9   0  +9    2
3 Sky Reavers             1   1  0  0   18  11  +7    2
4 Balynland               1   0  0  1   11  18  −7    0
5 Cardenao                1   0  0  1    0   9  −9    0
6 Acadiana                1   0  0  1    2  12 −10    0

Group B
Mali i Kuq 2–15 Copper Cuprum
TJUN-ia 23–7 Taloren
Sea Dome 3–19 Ochre Islands

  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts
1 TJUN-ia                 1   1  0  0   23   7 +16    2
2 Ochre Islands           1   1  0  0   19   3 +16    2
3 Copper Cuprum           1   1  0  0   15   2 +13    2
4 Mali i Kuq              1   0  0  1    2  15 −13    0
5 Taloren                 1   0  0  1    7  23 −16    0
6 Sea Dome                1   0  0  1    3  19 −16    0

Group C
Corporate City One 9–30 Darmen
MuMu 26–13 The Valhallan Union
Abanhfleft 11–21 Quebec and Shingoryeo

  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts
1 Darmen                  1   1  0  0   30   9 +21    2
2 MuMu                    1   1  0  0   26  13 +13    2
3 Quebec and Shingoryeo   1   1  0  0   21  11 +10    2
4 Abanhfleft              1   0  0  1   11  21 −10    0
5 The Valhallan Union     1   0  0  1   13  26 −13    0
6 Corporate City One      1   0  0  1    9  30 −21    0

[Kelssek]

Kelssek Rugby Federation | Féderation kelssekienne de rugby

1. Cadman Bugler (Kirkenes Crusaders)
2. Aidan Smither (Vickery RFC)
3. Rui Pinary (Redswyth Rebels)
4. Shawn Salmond (Nordiques)
5. Barron Cyrile (Kirkenes Crusaders)
6. Jonathan Hemeon (Nordiques)
7. Marlin Torakis (Neorvins Armada)
8. Alwyn Yamamoto (Wynleth Cambria)
9. Daire Papalouka (Kirkenes Crusaders)
10. Jonathan Mac Dùbhghlas (Wynleth Cambria)
11. Shawn Wood (Latrobe Athletic)
12. Jessie Bailey (Neorvins Armada)
13. Séan Ó Connaigha (Clayquot Reds)
14. Carl Letteri (Burnaby Lions)
15. Cole Weiss (Redswyth Rebels)

Elric Lisharp (Burnaby Lions) - prop
Kevin Riverhouse (Neorvins Armada) - hooker
Aston Gortlad (Hamilton Highlanders) - hooker
Tristan Hammond (Neorvins Armada) - full back
Bruno Lelgontin (Alouettes de Champjaune) - flanker
Brayden Blatchford (Latrobe Athletic) - second row
Simon Teufitt (Alouettes de Champjaune) - prop
Phil Griffiths (Mazinaw Stallions) - centre
Aaron-Louis Dupont (Nordiques) - wing
Evan Foster (Clayquot Reds) - wing

Head coach: Michael McGarry
Numbers follow the standard system.

Should my opponent RP first, they may do the following:
Choose my scorers: Y
Godmod scoring events: N
Hand out yellow cards to my players: Y
Hand out red cards to my players: Y
Godmod other events: Ask first

[Natanians and Nosts]

Natanians and Nosts roster for the Rugby League World Cup 22
Nickname:The Lemon Sharks

Coach:Ion Mihai Silva
Physical preparator:João George Santos
Psychologist:Xúlio Carolus Ionescu
Physioterapist:Márcus Ion Torje

Starters

8	Ion Mihai Mihailescu	prop    	32
9	Márcus Ion Apilescu	hooker       	28
10	Carolus Iohanis Silva	prop    	27
11	Márcus Március Santos 	second-row	25
12	Ion Ioan Enderssen	second-row	25
13	Públio Mihai Ionescu	lock-forward	26
1	Ion Mihai Apilescu	fullback	27
2	Mihai Ion Ionescu	right winger	28
3	Paulus Carolus Torje 	centre        	32
4	Gheorghe Ion César	centre        	32
5	Mihai Ion Augustus	left winger	31
6	João Mihai Ionescu	five-eighths	30
7	Ion Numa North    	scrum-half	25

Captain's name is in blue.


Bench

14	Mihai Ion Munteanu	hooker       	29
15	Gabriel Ion Torje	centre        	28
16	Ion Gabriel Torjenescu	centre        	30
17	João Augusto Mihailescu	winger        	32
18	Márcus Ion Álvares	five-eighths	31
19	Paulus Públio North	lock-forward	28
20	Pablo Ion Mureșan	scrum-half	27
21	Mihai Mihnea Sousa	second-row	33
22	Ion Carolus Souza	prop     	28
23	Emílio Mihai Ionescu	fullback	34
24	João Ion Ferreira	prop     	28

My opponent, if they RP first, may do the following:
Choose my Scorers: Yes
Choose Scoring Events: Yes
godmod Scoring Events: Yes
RP Injuries to my Players: No
godmod Injuries to my Players: No
godmod Other Events:No

[Baggieland]

[Elmyia]

The Beaucester Gazette
Scrutiny on Forward Line After Sluggish Display
Tactical, fitness or bottlers?

Elmyia's pre tournament hopes took a battering as Hannasea enacted revenge with a performance that put Elmyia to shame. Questions abound after Elmyia found themselves taken apart, flattered by a scoreline that was as much a function of their opponents taking their foot off the gas as it was any real improvement over the 80. The question is, how did this happen?

After all the work done on, and the hailing of, the forward line they badly let themselves down in this crunch fixture. Slowness of both thought and action saw Elmyia overwhelmed in the breakdown, as well as suffering some embarrassing turnovers from lineouts and scrums.

Coming in for real scrutiny are props ... And ... For all Elmyian rugby has leapt forward under Palin's tutelage, props seem to have been somewhat exempted from the tendency towards greater athleticism and discipline. Stanley and Beasley appear to be players from another era, built like brick outhouses and taking in diets that seem to have become self satirising. It's perhaps no coincidence that both come from Diepfleet, the centre of a region noted for food so lacking in nutrition that it's governor has declared it an emergency. Both have frequently been caught out drinking large quantities of alcohol in the nights before matches. The lack of discipline has been little noted on before, but after a display where they appeared lacklustre it was going to come into focus.

Truly though, credit must be handed to a Hannasea side that came into this with a point to prove. The aggression at the breakdown was coupled with flurries of quick moving passing that left Elmyia in disarray. Adam Davies, returning after the chastening defeat past time round, jinked and moved his way through Elmyia's defence, carving it open almost at will. Bagging two tries, he had Hannasea cruising by the halfway mark, a late penalty from Jason Connor making it 17-0.

Elmyia did have a decent spell the other side of the half, a period of sustained pressure came in the opponent's 22. Yet they were unable to carve anything out from it. Winning a penalty in the 52nd, Tanner kicked for the corner, but was let down as they lost the lineout. Another try came as Hannasea tore back through, despite Elmyia's best efforts, Levi Gibson was to haul it over the line after a maul. That left the contest effectively dead at 24-0, a sparky run from Dennison allowed Dimetriou to run in a consolation try, and give Elmyian fans a glimpse of what they'd been expecting all night.

Next up and Elmyia will need to pick themselves up to face Quintessence of Dust. A long time part of the rugby scene, their dip in ranks belies a serious outfit with an emphasis on kicking. Big and physical, they've imposed themselves so far, bagging two comfortable victories against the unranked sides in the group. With the even more formidable Darmen and Baggieland coming down the line, this has taken on the contours of a must win for Elmyia.

[Port Ember]

Blog of The Crazy Nomad

Blog Series: Rugby Union World Cup 35.

Greetings my lovies!

I bid you all a hearty welcome / welcome back to my blog, detailing my adventures as I follow the Port Emberian National Rugby Union squad's campaign within the prestigious 35th rendition of the Union World Cup, hosted by the Republic of Darmen.

If you have not yet read my previous adventures from this trip, please do so! That's okay, I will wait patiently…

♡ Part 1
♡ Part 2 (You are here).

Okay then dearies, welcome back!

Blog Series: Riley's World Cup 35 Adventures

Before we continue on any further, I must apologise profusely for not writing / posting sooner. When the realisation had dawned that I had failed to write and post following our opener match against Maraonia, my email inbox basically exploded with concerned readers, who came to the conclusion that I have finally died my overdue death - and that I would, in conclusion, still be dead today. I can already hear some of those concerned nillies preaching to their pet gecko's "I told ya! No mortal could possibly consume that titanic amount of vile alcoholic beverages over a span of their entire young but beautiful lives, without having their kidney's vomit bile right into the centre of their uners, which would lead to immediate ageing, heartburn, greying of hairs, pimples on their small toes and death!"

I assure you, dear avid readers, of three simple facts. 1. If I die (which I cannot as I identify as immortal), the entire multiverse will know about it immediately, as it would reach the front cover of every possible newspaper, TV news, magazine, radio network and milk carton - as it will surely be some or other form of AMAZING death. 2. I identify as immortal - so I cannot die - unless I will it. And I will not will it, before Port Ember is known as the greatest Rugby Nation to have ever graced the holy turf. And 3: I will never, NEVER suffer from greying hair or toe pimples. NEVER.

My awesomeness and immortality, unfortunately, could not prevent me from being pickpocketed whilst being unbelievably hammergasted. Well, I am guessing I was pickpocketed, as I cannot remember just how exactly I managed to lose my wallet, cellphone and tablet - all at once. So yes, that is why I failed to write about my latest adventures my dear readers - and I apologise profusely. It is very heartwarming however, to see just how many of you still care about me, and worry about me. It makes my youth-heart pump blood (blue in colour obviously) in bliss.

What I did accomplish however, despite being unable to post, was to travel from ol' sunny Port Ember to the Republic of Darmen, to the city of Eau Claire, in time to catch our opener match against Maraonia, at the Devon Street stadium. As I arrived quite late in country for a change, I did not manage to sample the charms of the local watering holes before the match, so I unfortunately do not have any wild tales of mischief to convey to you. Apologies my dearies, as I know most of you live your dreams through my blogs…

But alas, the game made up for my lack of adventures as our lads in blue welcomed our debutant opponents to the world of professional rugby in true Port Emberian fashion - by crushing their wills to live. It was by no means a shutout victory, as the new kids dug in and stood their ground in spectacular fashion, although our Dragons finished on top, and comfortably so.

Port Ember 16 - 10 Maraonia

Score Breakdown

Port Ember: 16

Tries:

#11 Trevelyan Garrard
#20 Cat Ayers

Conversions:

#10 Ryley Mićjo: 0/2

Penalty Kicks:

#10 Ryley Mićjo: 2/2

Drop Goals:

None

Substitutions:

#1 Davie Nikola replaced by #16 Jenson Karesinda (65).
#3 Domenic Amika replaced by #17 Jamie Rubena (65).
#4 Aarush Casimjo replaced by #18 Graeme Koralo (65).
#5 Barric Francisco replaced by #19 Ralph Valora (65).
#8 Prescott Aleksandro replaced by #20 Cat Ayers (65).

Cards:

#1 Davie Nikola - Yellow

Injuries

None

---

Maraonia]: 10

Tries:

#7 [Redacted]

Conversions:

#15 [Redacted]: 1/1

Penalties:

#9 [Redacted]: 1/3

Drop Goals:

None

Cards:

None

Injuries

Nonei

---

Following our glorious victory over the new kids, I travelled to the city of Upper Township, ahead of the match against old timers HUElavia, ranked as the 28th best squad in the multiverse.

I made my way to the Elles Road Stadium in my official uniform - skinnies, combat boots and my Official Dragons™ supporters jersey

---

[b]Port Ember VS HUElavia

Port Ember 20 - 00 Jumnia[/b]

The shutout which I had hoped for during the newcomers had arrived against a traditionally strong squad, as our Dragons put their focus and hunger on full display. It's clear to me - we are making a statement in the tourno. Plain and simple.

Score Breakdown

Port Ember: 20

Tries:

#13 Steven Stelara x 1
#20 Cat Ayers x 1

Conversions:

#10 Ryley Mićjo: 2/2

Penalty Kicks:

#10 Ryley Mićjo: 1/1

Drop Goals:

#10 Ryley Mićjo: 1/1

Substitutions:

#1 Davie Nikola replaced by #16 Jenson Karesinda (65).
#3 Domenic Amika replaced by #17 Jamie Rubena (65).
#4 Aarush Casimjo replaced by #18 Graeme Koralo (65).
#5 Barric Francisco replaced by #19 Ralph Valora (65).
#8 Prescott Aleksandro replaced by #20 Cat Ayers (65).

Cards:

None

Injuries

None

---

HUElavia: 00

Tries:

None

Conversions:

None

Penalties:

None

Drop Goals:

None

Cards:

None

Injuries

None

---

A quick sumerical looksie at our past matches:

Match Day 1: Port Ember VS Maraonia (16—10)
Match Day 2: Port Ember VS HUElavia (20—00)

---

A quick looksie at the Next One:

Port Ember VS Tanah Jaya

Our next opponent is the second (and last) of the debutants of our group. This squad had the misfortune of opening their careers in multiversal rugby against the legendary Ko-Oren Dragonflies, and it went as bad as one can expect… They then met the powerful squad of Nova Anglicana in their second match, which went the same way as a turtle facing a 18 wheeler cargo truck on a highway. More of that to follow of course!

---

That is all I have time for today, as I need to catch a flight. Thank you for reading!

Anyway… I need a drink.

Till we meet again my lovies!

---

The owner & author of this blog is one Riley Heglion.

Riley is a female Port Emberian, aged 22, hailing from Port Ember Megalopolis, Waterstad Borough.

Riley has earned her Anthropology Degree at the Lilly Black Memorial University, and has dedicated her life to the advancement of this field, studying and reporting on various cultures & sub cultures.

Her main focus of studies is world cuisine & beverages and the study of international rugby culture.

Riley considers herself a nomadic world traveller, with a passion for meeting new people and getting herself into all sorts of trouble and fun.

Riley also runs a sister blog, Riley's quest to achieve a food & drink orgasm, which focuses on all the food & drink she encounters on her world travels.

[TJUN-ia]

After a good start, the Jaguars' of TJUN-ia were now both going to be back - Union and League. Let's see how both got on.

For the XVs, Jacob Peterson's side got off to that good start with a shutout win on the opening day but everyone fully understood that things could get tougher from here on out and they had to be ready for anything. The Centennial Centre in Cleveland hosted their contest with The Licentian Isles and, as expected, they came out with a lot more fight - with 2 tries, 2 conversions and a Penalty in fact - but we still had enough firepower to combat this foe and we struck back with 3 tries of our own, 2 from Peter Mullins and 1 from Peter Mahinulani, while Jose Valbuena kicked 2/3 Conversions but did add a Penalty to that tally. That meant a 22-17 win and a 2-0 start...so all in all a good thing!

Meanwhile, it was finally time for Louise Peterson and the XIIIs to get underway in their campaign. This team has always seemed to get the ball rolling when it comes to international competition, with back-to-back 4th-place finishes to our name, but an actual medal performance has so far eluded them...and they want that to change. They wanted to make a statement of intent against debutants Taloren and that's exactly what they did as while the opponents managed 1 try (w/ conversion) and a drop goal, we cooked with 4 tries - 2 each for Jack Henderson and Kiwo Makawiwa, while Captain Henderson also managed 3/4 on Conversions and a Drop Goal at that. 23-7 is a rare scoreline in League, but it's still a win and one this team will take.

Now, it's time for another split. Union will be on their bye so all attention is on League and their 2nd game against a debutant - this time Mali i Kuq. GO JAGS'!

---

UNION SCHEDULE (Group D)
MD1: vs Acadiana (35) - Westown Stadium, Brham W 36-0 (1st)
MD2: vs The Licentian Isles (17) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland W 22-17 (1st)
MD3: BYE
MD4: vs Abanhfleft (1) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD5: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - Westown Stadium, Brham
MD6: vs Ardsk (UR) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton
MD7: vs Lisander (11) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton

LEAGUE SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: vs Taloren (UR) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton W 23-7 (1st)
MD2: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD3: vs Copper Cuprum (4) - Dairy Farmers' Association Stadium, Johnho
MD4: vs Sea Dome (UR) - West Central Stadium - Romanopolis
MD5: vs Ochre Islands (9) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton

[Quintessence of Dust]

Posted on the In Brief section of the QBS website.

Xie impresses on debut as Quodite defence remains rock solid

Quintessence of Dust posted their first pair of consecutive wins in more than a decade of international rugby as they proved their Rugby World Cup opening win over Alice Bay was no fluke with another emphatic shutout victory, this time over The Valhallan Union. While they fell short of a winning bonus point they could take solace that so did every other team in what is proving a turgid return to old-fashioned low scoring games that it had been hoped laws reforms had seen the back of. But they still showed a little spark on offence, and a maiden international try for speedy but unproven winger Yu Xie hinted at more excitement to come.

Xie's try was in truth the easiest score he is ever likely to have, walking over untouched from a couple of yards out. The try's brilliance instead came from the set-up, as Reece O’Kearny and Ludovic de Villiers once more combined in an excellent double pivot combination, O’Kearny sucking in the Valhallan defence and feeding de Villiers, who put out another superb long pass spanning nearly half the pitch. By then, Quintessence of Dust were already 10 points up thanks to Aurélien Riqueti's turn of speed to finish the opening drive, with O’Kearny adding a penalty from a scrum infringement. The Valhallan pack were ground down by the powerful All Greys front row all game, with Petter Klipspringer sent to the bin after failing to live with Gaston Alard's size. Riqueti added a second try, bursting through from replacement scrum-half Tristan Bourgeois's sevens pass, but the game was won up front.

The front-row match-up could be key in the All Greys' next game, against Elmyia, a team they need to target for a chance at progressing out of the group to give themselves breathing room against the tough Darmen/Baggieland end to their campaign. Elmyia showed their vulnerability across the front three against Hannasea, and it will be an area of the game the All Greys look to exploit, reflected in the switch to a 6/2 split on the bench as they carry an extra forward, while Jason Bell, who played a few minutes for his first cap at the end against the Valhallan Union, misses out. The All Greys will also be boosted by the return of vice-captain Ingvaldur Knarrarson, who has been cleared following his concussion against Alice Bay.

The Valhallan Union 0–22 Quintessence of Dust

YC: Klipspringer 44'→54'

Try: Riqueti 6', 64', Xie 51'
Con: O’Kearny 6', 51', 64'
Pen: O’Kearny 38', 43'

---

Player of the Match: Aurélien Riqueti

---

Matchday 3 squad
Team: 15. Teschner, 14. Riqueti, 13. O’Kearny Robiquet, 12. Holian, 11. Xie, 10. de Villiers (c), 9. Muckley; 1. Chan, 2. Meng, 3. Alard, 4. Hamada, 5. Dalsgaard, 6. Gounelle, 7. Umeji, 8. Knarrarson
Reserves: 16. Edwards, 17. Hanselmann, 18. Young, 19. Bozonnet, 20. Gu, 21. Manoury; 22. Bourgeois, 23. Chang

* O’Kearny was named in the squad in this news article, but pulled up during training and was replaced at the last minute by Joël Robiquet.

[Hannasea]

Butterfly City Mercury
Hamsters wreak bloodless vengeance

Adam Davis exorcised a few personal demons from four years ago and Hannasea racked up an important win that puts them in a good position heading into their bye week at the Rugby World Cup as the Hamsters ran out 24-7 winners over Elmyia at the National Rugby Stadium in Scott City, Darmen. Keeping the ball in hand rather than kicking away more than in their opener against the Glaciers, half-back pairing River Collier and Jason Connor enjoyed a good day out, but it was captain Jake Fletcher and centre Davis who won the major plaudits.

Believing that kicking away would simply play to the strengths of Elmyia's speedy back line of Dimetriou, Dennison and Johnston, the Hamsters instead kept the ball on the ground. To be sure, they benefited from a fairly lax approach to officiating the breakdown from Ko-orenite match referee Zauthistir Guntosindhen, who, charitably, let the game play freely without calling too many penalties; less charitably, he left Fletcher get away with murder, relentlessly testing the limits of the laws to force turnovers. Elmyian complaints fell on (seemingly) deaf ears, and Collier made the most of the quick ruck ball to keep the Hannasean backs interested. Davis, one of the few returners from the humiliation four years ago, was the beneficiary of two first half scoring moves.

The scrum and lineout have not always been strengths for the Hamsters, but both the starting front row and the "Butterfly Battalion" bench unit were magnificent, while Chase White and Noel Hunter were dominant at the lineout, culminating in setting up the rolling maul that powered over for Levi Gibson's first international try in the second half. Zack Redding was a great unselfish final distributor to Davis on both first half scores. In all phases of the game, the Hamsters enjoyed supremacy. The only blot came with a poor missed tackle by Freddie Kelly, who having already lost his starting place put in a pretty weak substitute shift that may cost him place in the next matchday squad altogether, to allow Elmyia to break the shutout and put down a late try.

Hannasea will be grateful for the bye day as they assess possible injuries to reserve flankers Jacob Ryan and Justin Davis, while Redding also took a knock that forced him off as a late HIA, before regrouping ahead of a big game at a small stadium, as they leave Scott City for Romanopolis and a date with Quintessence of Dust at the Warriors Park.

Also in the news:

• Annual livestock market in Butterfly City "best ever"
• Pop star Samara Levi attracts controversy with "thinspo" social media posts, denies being "pro-ana"
• Regulators approve blockbuster sale of tech giant to Akhdari investment group
• Hannasean Chair Force launches drones to observe "unusual activity" in Arrosian region
• Rare shooting incident leads to renewed gun control debate

Elmyia 7–24 Hannasea

Try: Dimetriou 73'
Con: Masoloni 73'

Try: A. Davis 7', 15', L. Gibson 62'
Con: Connor 7', 15', 62'
Pen: Connor 37'

---

Player of the Match: Jake Fletcher

[Quebec and Shingoryeo]

Songak
Praetorian
News Website of the Decade!

RUWC-35: Grim Reapers' union coach Merrick-Lee Lessard advises caution, tells consistency is the optimal outcome after strong MD1 win over Natanians and Nosts

MARINA WARRICK-HAN
in Tempala, DARMEN

Merrick-Lee Lessard has asked his Quebec and Shingoryeo union side to remain cautious and consistent, as the 1-0 Quebec and Shingoryeo face Hundredstar for their second group stage match of the Rugby Union World Cup tonight, reminding that the team's ability to put the cherry on top of the cake will be the make-or-break factor of the competition.

Having emerged victorious 24-0 over Natanians and Nosts on their tournament opener, the Grim Reapers have enjoyed their bye matchday off in Tempala, where the team has run various practices during the course of three-day bye but have otherwise left the players to their devices. With the Grim Reapers having made three quarterfinals appearances in last five cycles under their former head coach Philippe Leonard, the Reapers are once again favoured to be back on the second round of the competition where they have so far failed to further progress.

Lessard, for most part, agreed that the match had gone went well. 'It was in every aspect a perfect way to kick it,' Lessard said upon opening the post-match press conference. 'We defended the lines well, the scrums were executed perfectly and kicking had been close to perfect. There were a couple of points where we could have converted what-ifs into tries, but a 24-0 is still a 24-0. I will take it.'

As a longtime assistant to the Quebeco-Licentian, who has since retired after his decade-long reign with the Grim Reapers' union side, Lessard has seen the side develop into one of the more formidable sides in the Multiverse, but one that still has to face consistent need of peaking on time. Having mostly completed a generational change from the original group of rugby internationals who have starred with the Grim Reapers on their first breakthrough, Lessard knows the stakes behind his position remains high, even if his experience with the national team and their consistent history suggests the security is there for time being.

'Every passing day, we are going to take things as they go. I know that, the players know that, and we are all in this together,' said Lessard. 'I have seen this team upset many top-ten sides in order to make three RUWC quarterfinals, but have also seen them coming up short in the group stages.

'What Grim Reapers' side will we see this time? While I'm sure it'd be sweet to see one that's going to reach historical highs, our focus right now is to stay consistent.'

As for the hospitality in Darmeni soil, Lessard was no less thankful of the reception the Quebecois have received from the locals, as well as a small but robust Quebeco-Darmeni community present in the nation. 'Darmen was our allied nation from the Southern Rushmori War over hundred years ago, and while it is not for us to comment on the Westlands situation, what I can absolutely is say is that the shared feeling of solidarity and gratitude from our inviting hosts go both ways.' Lessard commented on the subsequent question.

As for the starter announcements, Lessard decided to send a rotation benching team captain Annabelle Qaqqaq and Nora van Ryk on the backfield in favour of collegiate stars Daenan Rogers and Eric Michael Gavlas. Lessard stated that after a valuable win over mainstays Natanians and Nosts, he found this to be a good timing to test out the depth and give necessary playing time ahead of future. With crucial matches against Baker Park and Kelssek coming in the later days, he felt this matchday important time to do so.

'We don't have a lot of time to test out depths, but whenever possible we will have to do this,' Lessard said. 'We have a squad who are fairly on time with their aging curve, and things could go very well this time around. But like I've said before, nothing's forever. This isn't on our opposition, keep in mind, but on us.

'We have limited depth so gradually fitting the guys into the starting mold will have to be one in a more constructive manner. This will be one of those occasions.'

[Darmen]

CUTOFF #3! RWC MD 3 and RLWC MD 2 scores coming right up.

---

RWC 35 MD 3

Group A
HUElavia 10–17 Tangatarehua
Tanah Jaya 0–45 Port Ember
Ko-oren 10–0 Nova Anglicana

  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Port Ember              3   3  0  0   81  10 +71    1    0   13
2 Tangatarehua            2   2  0  0   49  18 +31    0    0    8
3 Nova Anglicana          3   2  0  1   39  17 +22    0    0    8
4 Ko-oren                 2   2  0  0   33  14 +19    0    0    8
5 Maraonia                2   0  0  2   18  48 −30    0    1    1
6 HUElavia                3   0  0  3   17  54 −37    0    1    1
7 Tanah Jaya              3   0  0  3   14  90 −76    0    0    0

Group B
Aust Scor 9–11 Baker Park
Natanians and Nosts 7–3 Kelssek
Quebec and Shingoryeo 5–8 Hundredstar

  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Kelssek                 3   2  0  1   34  10 +24    0    1    9
2 Hundredstar             3   2  0  1   37  14 +23    0    1    9
3 Baker Park              2   2  0  0   38  12 +26    0    0    8
4 Natanians and Nosts     3   2  0  1   16  33 −17    0    0    8
5 Quebec and Shingoryeo   2   1  0  1   29   8 +21    0    1    5
6 Aust Scor               3   0  0  3    9  54 −45    0    1    1
7 Wanes                   2   0  0  2    6  38 −32    0    0    0

Group C
Quintessence of Dust 9–17 Elmyia
Baggieland 30–0 The Valhallan Union
Darmen 23–0 Alice Bay

  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Baggieland              3   3  0  0   64  19 +45    0    0   12
2 Quintessence of Dust    3   2  0  1   51  17 +34    0    0    8
3 Hannasea                2   2  0  0   50  17 +33    0    0    8
4 Darmen                  2   1  0  1   32  10 +22    0    1    5
5 Elmyia                  2   1  0  1   24  33  −9    0    0    4
6 Alice Bay               3   0  0  3   10  67 −57    0    0    0
7 The Valhallan Union     3   0  0  3   10  78 −68    0    0    0

Group D
Abanhfleft 25–0 The Licentian Isles
Mali i Kuq 0–41 Acadiana
Ardsk 0–26 Lisander

  Group D               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  33+  LBP  Pts
1 Abanhfleft              3   2  1  0   69  23 +46    0    0   10
2 TJUN-ia                 2   2  0  0   58  17 +41    1    0    9
3 Mali i Kuq              3   2  0  1   36  47 −11    0    0    8
4 Lisander                3   1  1  1   42  30 +12    0    0    6
5 Acadiana                3   1  0  2   51  67 −16    1    0    5
6 The Licentian Isles     2   0  0  2   17  47 −30    0    1    1
7 Ardsk                   2   0  0  2    3  45 −42    0    0    0

---

RLWC 22 MD 2

Group A
Sky Reavers 14–7 Cardenao
Acadiana 18–20 Ko-oren
Balynland 17–20 Natanians and Nosts

  Group A               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Sky Reavers             2   2  0  0   32  18 +14    4
2 Natanians and Nosts     2   2  0  0   32  19 +13    4
3 Ko-oren                 2   2  0  0   29  18 +11    4
4 Balynland               2   0  0  2   28  38 −10    0
5 Acadiana                2   0  0  2   20  32 −12    0
6 Cardenao                2   0  0  2    7  23 −16    0

Group B
Copper Cuprum 14–4 Ochre Islands
Taloren 0–8 Sea Dome
Mali i Kuq 2–11 TJUN-ia

  Group B               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 TJUN-ia                 2   2  0  0   34   9 +25    4
2 Copper Cuprum           2   2  0  0   29   6 +23    4
3 Ochre Islands           2   1  0  1   23  17  +6    2
4 Sea Dome                2   1  0  1   11  19  −8    2
5 Mali i Kuq              2   0  0  2    4  26 −22    0
6 Taloren                 2   0  0  2    7  31 −24    0

Group C
Darmen 15–31 Quebec and Shingoryeo
The Valhallan Union 2–26 Abanhfleft
Corporate City One 10–15 MuMu

  Group C               Pld   W  D  L   PF  PA  PD  Pts 
1 Quebec and Shingoryeo   2   2  0  0   52  26 +26    4
2 MuMu                    2   2  0  0   41  23 +18    4
3 Abanhfleft              2   1  0  1   37  23 +14    2
4 Darmen                  2   1  0  1   45  40  +5    2
5 Corporate City One      2   0  0  2   19  45 −26    0
6 The Valhallan Union     2   0  0  2   15  52 −37    0

[Natanians and Nosts]

Natanians and Nosts roster for the World Cup of Rugby 25
Nickname:The Blue Sharks

Coach:Mihai Xosé da Silva
Physical preparator:Március Numídio Numésio
Psychologist:dr. Mihai Márcus César
Physiotherapst:dr. Márcus Cáius dos Santos

# Name position age
Starters

1	Mihai Carolus César     	prop            34
2	Gheorghe Ion da Silva         	hooker          35
3	Caeso Paulus Augustus	  	prop          	38
4	Mihai Cláudius Enderssen	second-row	39
5	Ion Viktor dos Santos		second-row	37
6	Gabriel Júlio Augustus	  	flanker      	32
7	Cáius Március Moura	  	flanker      	35
8	Octavius Caeso Numésio	   	number 8	32
9	Mihai Kaeso Marão	  	scrum-half	34
10	Mihai Ricardus Varro	  	fly-half	39
11	Márcus Ion Hûs	    	  	winger      	34
12	Samuel Rog Ionescu	  	five eighths  	34
13	Iohannis Carolus da Silva	centre       	34
14	Gheorghe Márcus dos Santos	winger      	35
15	Cáius Mihai Souza	  	full-back	37

Captain's name is in blue

Bench:

16	Ion Mihai Gheorghenescu      	prop	  	31
17	Gaius Cáius Tralito     	hooker	39
18	Luís Júnio Gomes       	second-row     	35
19	Iulius Júlio Mihailescu	back-row	30
20	Hermenegildo Astrogildo Pesvić	fly-half/scrum-half	32
21	Aleksiei Fjodór Martinescu	scrum-half	33
22	Márcus Victor North	centre       	34
23	Márcus Carolus Sousa	outside back	39

Should my opponent RPs first, he/she may do the following:
Choose my scorers:Yes
godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: No
godmod injuries to my players: No
Sin bin my players: Yes(only two per match)
Send my players off: No
godmod other events: No

Most likely to score:
-Gheorghe Ion da Silva
-Mihai Carolus César
-Caeso Paulus Augustus
-Mihai Kaeso Marão
-Mihai Ricardus Varro
-Octavius Caeso Numésio
On the style of play:
-Our (outside) centre usually(95,0% of the time) plays as an additional full-back,so our 5/8(a.k.a. inside centre) will be the only player on that position.
-Our attacking system is firstly based on drop goals,so in a game we score 15 points it's more likely to be 5 drop goals,than 3 tries without conversions.

[Tangatarehua]

---

TOA OFF TO STRONG START IN RWC 35

17th Oxtober 2023

---

EAU CLAIRE, DARMEN
The Toa's World Cup campaign is off to a strong start, with the team now placed second in Group A following two convincing victories.

The team opened the campaign by shocking Maraonia 32 - 8, showing the rugby world the devastating physical game that the Toa will be bringing to the field this year.

This has been followed by a three-try, one-conversion win over HUElavia, 17-10 to bring the Toa into second place - just behind the world #3 ranked Dragons of Port Ember.

While the Toa are the odds-on favourites to beat unknown debutants Tanah Java in the next round, Rehuan fingernails are being bit as the team prepares to face-off against former rivals and rugby heavyweights Ko-oren and of course our old frenemies the Dragons in upcoming games.

Nevertheless, there is cautious optimism that the Toa may well proceed to the play-offs in Darmen this year.

REHUAN FANS REPORT 'CONFUSION' OVER CONCURRENT WORLD CUPS

Some Rehuan fans who travelled to Darmen have reported confusion over the host nation's decision to hold the rugby union world cup and the rugby league world cup concurrently.

"I went to a game in Darmen City, thinking it was the rugby and it was like the teams didn't even know the rules!" said Rangi Mikaere, a fan who travelled to support the Toa. "Then I realised they were playing that weird form of rugby and that these were totally different teams playing a different sport. I didn't know where to go, or when."

Another fan was left confused by the different dating system used by the hosts and might miss out on the final as a result.

"It said online that the final was going to be held on 11/1 so we booked flights to Scott City for the 11th of January," said rugby fan Aroha Whetu. "Turns out it's actually being held on November the 1st so now we've got these airline tickets and we can't get a refund!"

Tangatarehua 17:

Tries: Wirihana (18'), Nikau (29'), Aperahama (51')
Conversions: Patariki 1/3 (30')

HUElavia 10:

Tries: ?????? (35'), ?????? (42')

Halftime score: 12 - 5

Match award: Imua Aperahama

---

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[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

OOC:Zoinks, late to the party.

© Sporting Times Daily 2023
BlueGrays seek second win in Darmen
Julian Pope, National Rugby Editor

The Commonwealth National Rugby Team will go into their second match of pool play against Aust Scor following a comprehensive victory over Wanes looking to get sharp ahead of the following two fixtures versus Natanians & Nosts and Quebec & Shingoryeo.

Tries from Edison Solomon, David Slade and Ben Stone plus a pair penalties converted by Harris O'Neal were enough for the Blues & Grays to subdue the newcomers, with Coach Tony Danielson pleased by the overall performance.
"Really good performance today from the guys. Happy with how we showed a lot of organization at the breakdown, not committing silly penalties, defensively we tackled well and only allowed three line breaks. We were able to get into the reserves for minutes that will pay off the deeper into the tourney we go."
____________________________________________________________________________________

Zane Anthony: "Hello, welcome to a special edition of 'Lots of Ruck', Baker Park's most popular rugby podcast as we come to you from Darmen in Rushmore. I'm Zane Anthony, alongside my partner, the G-Man in the house!"

Ricky Gillingham: "I'm Ricky Gillingham, and I really can't believe we're here at Rugby World Cup 35. Plus, the League World Cup is happening here simultaneously. Have we died and gone to heaven, Z?"

ZA: "I hope not because otherwise we're gonna miss out on a lot of action. Let's get our overseas listeners--we of course value the support from the rest of the multiverse who tune in to listen to us talk about the Montieth Shield and the Westerly Challenge Cup on a regular basis--caught up on what's been happening since out last foreign adventure."

RG: "After RWC 33 there were a lot of changes in our lives--Z and Lindsay welcomed their first child, then my Deb delivered our own beautiful baby. In a strange way, it was probably good for us that there was a paperwork issue that kept BP out of the last World Cup."

ZA: "So this trip is more of family vacation where we do a little bit of work on the side, To that end, we actually lucked out when the Hoops got a bye on the opening matchday, which meant that we could pop over to Rogerton to spend the day with our pal Graham O'Doherty of Gaelic Gamers, well known to our regular listeners. We took in the Abanhfleft versus Lisander match that ended in a 13-all tie"

RG: "Graham was his usual funny, gracious self and the bairns took to him like they'd known him all their lives."

ZA: "He also told us our other blogging pal, Riley Heglion of the Blog of the Crazy Nomad who we met in Neu Engelon was in country covering her beloved Port Ember side. Maybe we'll be able to sneak in a quick visit with her too."
RG: "I for one would like a chance to thank her for looking out for me at the AVBF when I got stupid after the pool match we were all there watching."
ZA: "But back to topic, we all enjoyed the 27-3 win against Wanes in Tempala. The boys looked really good."
RG: "Getting a chance to work the kinks out, get over the jitters against a team that's not in the Top 10 in the multiverse was a lucky break, and now they can look to gain more confidence in the second match against Aust Scor."
ZA: "We'll be moving on to Rugby Park in Springfield for that match, so join us next time..."
RG: "...on Lots of Ruck, for Zane Anthony, I'm Ricky Gillingham, so long for now!"

[The Valhallan Union]

For the first time ever, introducing...
[KITS AND BADGE COMING SOON]
THE VALHALLAN UNION RUGBY UNION... conglomorate?
THE GLACIERS

The Valhallan Union is doing what?! I mean the hockey was one thing, but the rugby? Both rugbies? Thor's Beard...

Yes, for the first time, the Rugby Union federations of the Valhallan Union nations have assembled and coordinated their efforts. Gone are the days of individual entries, apparently. Now? The Valhallan Union is getting stronger, getting closer, and getting better at representing itself overseas. Depending on who you talk to, anyway...

Hopes are about as rock bottom as you could expect them to be. The Polarian RU team were as big a bunch of underperformers as existed in multiversal rugby, particularly as the foremost international club rugby tournament, sponsored once upon a time by Polarian heavyweights Seasogs, was administered from a country that appeared to have a growing and ferocious appetite for rugby. And yet, the national team never really got anywhere, and were frequently shown up by the performances not just of club sides in the Seasogs, but by the surprising success of the Rugby League side as well. It was hoped briefly that the addition of the sprinkling of talent from the rest of the Valhallan Union would improve competition for places and get the Glaciers off to a rousing start. Initial reports from the team's training camp quickly poured ice water on that idea, with infighting amongst factions and divisions abound, and so the squad head to Darmen alongside their brash and cocky League counterparts in foul moods.

Be warned; Valhallans are usually a warm bunch - every bit as warm as the land they inhabit is cold - and they are ruthlessly efficient and athletic almost naturally. They are pacifists by nature, and will rarely start fights. This doesn't mean they won't fight back, of course, and they will give more than as good as they get, an dunfortunately for everyone else, they're coming into this tournament already feeling like they're arguing. It's with themselves, obviously, but these are rugby players, they haven't worked that out yet...


MANAGEMENT:
Head Coach - Maxwell Poulsen - (PIS) - 47
Assistant - Karsten Allerton - (TFI) - 39


FIRST XV
#1 - LP - Petter Klipspringer - (PIS) - 28 - Eysturoy Rovers
#2 - HK - Jari Odpolodne - (PIS) - 26 - Kerrisgorforth Harriers
#3 - TP - Dietmar Samuelsson - (PIS) - 30 - Citizens RFC
#4 - LL - Sami Krabbenhoft - (TFI) - 31 - Marylebone Royals RFC
#5 - RL - Kenny Kotler - (PIS) - 25- FJC Rushmori RFC
#6 - BF - Enno Thien - (PIS) - 26 - Citizens RFC
#7 - OF - Rein Hauge - (PIS) - 28 - FJC Rushmori RFC
#8 - N8 - Oddi Sivertsson - (BLK) - 29 - Northbrook Harlequins
#9 - SH - Seb Karsten - (PIS) - 20 - Kiel Harriers RFC
#10 - FH - Johannes Aguirre - (EKU) - 28 - Kerrisgorforth Harriers
#11 - LW - Rembrandt Seijkens - (SKB) - 22 - RFC Eindhavn
#12 - CN - Silas Olsen - (PIS) - 29 - Marylebone Royals RFC
#13 - RW - Jonas van Poorten - (SKB) - 22 - Red-White Eindhavn
#14 - LFB - Maciej Ronbacker - (PIS) - 24 - Kerrisgorforth Harriers
#15 - RFB - Sigfried Norton - (TFI) - 26 - Nordharbour Harriers


REPLACEMENTS FROM
#16 - LP - Idar Strum - (PIS) - 28 - Citizens RFC
#17 - HK - Johannes Jonasson - (BLK) - 33 - Eysturoy Rovers
#18 - TP - Ranald Aakre - (PIS) - 31 - FJC Rushmori RFC
#19 - LL - Haraldsen Lutyens - (TFI) - 19 - Nordharbour Harriers
#20 - RL - Liam Schumacher - (TFI) - 23 - Marylebone Royals RFC
#21 - BF - Nicolas Ten Broeck - (SKB) - 24 - Karbijnhavn Sport
#22 - OF - Koit Simonsen - (PIS) - 23 - Kerrisgorforth Harriers
#23 - N8 - Sveinbjorn Hreidyrsson - (BLK) - 26 - Citizens RFC
#24 - SH - Roman Elbrecht - (TFI) - 28 - Marylebone Royals RFC
#25 - FH - Robin Hammarstrom - (PIS) - 29 - Marylebone Royals RFC
#26 - LW - Yves Okeke - (SKB) - 30 - Karbijnhavn Sport
#27 - CN - Merlin Thien - (PIS) - 21 - Citizens RFC
#28 - RW - Wojciech Leingang - (PIS) - 24 - FJC Rushmori RFC
#29 - LFB - Vagn Eisegaard - (CSK) - 22 - St Denys Beacons
#30 - RFB - Eirik Gurkin - (PIS) - 23 - Kiel Harriers RFC


RESERVES
#31 - TP - Arne Luft - (PIS) - 31 - Eysturoy Rovers
#32 - BF - Miroslav Gumm - (PIS) - 29 - Kerrisgorforth Harriers
#33 - FH - Roland Haagen - (CSK) - 20 - St Denys Beacons

If they RP first, my opponents have my permission to:
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, aside from deaths
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, aside from deaths
Hand out yellow/red cards: Yes
Godmod suspension events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, aside from deaths
STYLE MODIFIER: -4 (Gung-ho attacking is for Rugby League, which reminds me...)

A quick IC note for your RPs:
The Federation is no longer the bastion of civil rights and political freedoms that you might remember. The long absence from international sport is thanks to an isolationist and paranoid military police state taking over, using whipped up fear against the Sargossans' claim to Külmsaar and Terra Scotia as both carrot and stick. Citizens are now preoccupied with achieving the title of True Valhallan, which is acquired through either military service, civil service, outstanding conduct, or as of recently, representing your national in international sport.

As an aside, the nation has also taken a rather more bullying tone towards the rest of the Valhallan Union, with Minor Valhalla now very much pressured into living up to the definition of its geographical title, and not best pleased about it. Quite why they've all been forced to play together under one banner for the first time during this particular political climate is anybody's guess, but the team captain in particular isn't complaining as East Külmsaar would never be in a position to send a team normally.

So, the nation is no longer closed, but Valhallan fans will not yet be permitted to travel in large numbers, and organised supporters groups are currently illegal. Expect plenty of shady 'support staff' to follow the Teams abroad, too, and any and all mingling between nationals of different VU nations will be watched very, very closely.

In short; it's Valhalla, Jim, but not as we know it...

[The Valhallan Union]

For the first time ever, introducing...
[KITS AND BADGE COMING SOON]
THE VALHALLAN UNION RUGBY LEAGUE... gang?
THE FLOCK

*insert 'ah here we go again' gif*

Yes, you didn't think we'd let the Union side have all the fun, did you? For the first time ever, in the spirit of "greater cross-Valhallan co-operation" [sic], the nations of the Valhallan Union have united to form a single Rugby League team that has its sights set on the biggest prize of all.

A long time ago, the decision was made that Valhallan rugby league would operate as its own international league, with the best players from each nation representing their country internationally. Over time, many of those countries became states in the Federation of course, but the format remained. Each nation (or Federal state) retains their own league, of varying strengths, where players who haven't been called up for that week's round of fixtures will play for their attached club. In reality however, the very best players might never turn out for their actual club, instead training full time with the national/state side. For the RLWC22, that nested doll goes one layer further, and the best players have been swept away to represent their... cross-national political union. Which obviously they're all proud to do. Obviously.

Much like the Union side, there are factions and divisions within the squad, though as these players already represent their states and national sides week in-week out, these are less pronounced than in their Union counterparts' squad. Or at least, more predictable. The Polar Islandstates have won the RLWC twice in their past, so hopes are high for this squad, but they'll have to gel and get up to speed rapidly if they're going to even make it out of what is sure to be a difficult group stage. The squad is lead by the Bohlander dynasty from Landt Sibir, with brothers Casper and Max in the starting XIII, with middle brother Erik assisting their father Uuno in the management of the side... and there's another two brothers that have been left at home! Brash, over-confident, and heading for a beating they won't understand, it's the Flock.

Be warned; Valhallans are usually a warm bunch - every bit as warm as the land they inhabit is cold - and they are ruthlessly efficient and athletic almost naturally. They are pacifists by nature, and will rarely start fights. This doesn't mean they won't fight back, of course, and they will give more than as good as they get.


MANAGEMENT:
Head Coach - Uuno Bohlander - (PIS) - 52
Assistant - Erik Bohlander - (PIS) - 24


FIRST XIII
#1 - LP - Lenni Dieter - (PIS) - 29 - Landt Sibir
#2 - HK - Wulf Brandenburg - (PIS) - 27 - Kuril Arkhipelago
#3 - TP - Baldur Sigmundursson - (BLK) - 32 - Bleak Rock
#4 - SF - Walter Kanievsky - (PIS) - 36 - Norscelt
#5 - SF - Jonas Offersen - (PIS) - 22- Landt Sibir
#6 - LF - Otto Garby - (TFI) - 26 - Fallenmark
#7 - SH - Kristoffer Buehl - (PIS) - 25 - Kuril Arkhipelago
#8 - FE - Dagfinnur Baldursson - (BLK) - 28 - Bleak Rock
#9 - LW - Casper Bohlander - (PIS) - 21 - Landt Sibir
#10 - LC - Appleby Kronborg - (CSK) - 27 - Cairnskillen
#11 - RC - Paavo Welter-Bury - (PIS) - 23 - Northbrook
#12 - RW - Max Bohlander - (PIS) - 27 - Landt Sibir
#13 - FB - Jasper Lammers - (SKB) - 26 - Sint Karbijn


RESERVES
#14 - PR - Benedict Olavsson - (TFI) - 27 - Fallenmark
#15 - HK - Hallgrimur Holdremyr - (BLK) - 30 - Bleak Rock
#16 - SF - Sigfinnur Alapassi - (PIS) - 24 - Victorrinn
#17 - SF - Aron Skogen - (PIS) - 31 - Landt Sibir
#18 - LF - Nassim Schiewe - (PIS) - 30 - Farosea
#19 - SH - Hakon Karlsen - (PIS) - 21 - Kuril Arkhipelago
#20 - FE - Pauli Nilsen - (PIS) - 23 - Landt Sibir
#21 - LW- Mads Vanderwal - (SKB) - 28 - Sint Karbijn
#22 - CN - Timo Gordieva - (PIS) - 21 - Aleutia
#23 - RW - Kaino Tulk - (PIS) - 26 - Landt Sibir
#24 - FB - Valbjorn Nielsen-Lisberg - (BLK) - 20 - Bleak Rock

If they RP first, my opponents have my permission to:
Godmod scoring events: Yes
RP injuries to my players: Yes, aside from deaths
Godmod injuries to my players: Yes, aside from deaths
Hand out yellow/red cards: Yes
Godmod suspension events: Yes
Godmod other events: Yes, aside from deaths
STYLE MODIFIER: +5 (Defence is for Rugby Union)

A quick IC note for your RPs:
See above.

[Baggieland]

[TJUN-ia]

After both teams managed good wins in this starting period, the 3rd week here in Darmen brings about a new type of split...and that's not including the new entity known as Arrosia. The Union team are on their bye, preparing for their matchup against #1 Abanhfleft, so all the focus of this weekend would be on League and on the Jaguars' efforts to make it out of Group B. Louise Peterson liked the way things started but also wanted this team to show more - to show the potential power that this team can have in this sport. But would it be shown here today?

Debutants Mali i Kuq would be our opponents today, playing here at the West Central Stadium in Romanopolis, and this one would actually be a bit of a defensive showcase, with both teams doing well to get those 6 tackles in and produce the turnovers required for everything in this code. The debutants could only manage a Penalty Kick all game while we managed a simple 11 points - with two tries from Mohammad Al-Kafa while Jack Henderson managed 1/2 from Conversions and a Drop Goal. That would produce the weird as hell final score of 11-2 - which sounds more like Lacrosse than Rugby League - but still, a win was as win and no one would be complaining about this 2-0 start.

While the XVs deal with Abanhfleft, the XIIs have a big match of their own to sort out...as they take on #4 Copper Cuprum in Johnho. This MD4 is setting up to be a Super Matchday...and we hope to get as many points as possible. GO JAGS'!

---

UNION SCHEDULE (Group D)
MD1: vs Acadiana (35) - Westown Stadium, Brham W 36-0 (1st)
MD2: vs The Licentian Isles (17) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland W 22-17 (1st)
MD3: BYE (2nd)
MD4: vs Abanhfleft (1) - Centennial Centre, Cleveland
MD5: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - Westown Stadium, Brham
MD6: vs Ardsk (UR) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton
MD7: vs Lisander (11) - Southern Stadium, Rogerton

LEAGUE SCHEDULE (Group B)
MD1: vs Taloren (UR) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton W 23-7 (1st)
MD2: vs Mali i Kuq (UR) - West Central Stadium, Romanopolis W 11-2 (1st)
MD3: vs Copper Cuprum (4) - Dairy Farmers' Association Stadium, Johnho
MD4: vs Sea Dome (UR) - West Central Stadium, Romanopolis
MD5: vs Ochre Islands (9) - Cumberland Park, Rogerton

[Ko-oren]

As far as the Ko-orenite rugby world is concerned, getting union and league together is a good move. Having both World Cups at the same time was trialed a while ago and while not every association was immediately impressed, the move has gone over extremely well on the Dragonfly archipelago. So well, in fact, that the two leagues merged their preseasons and are now holding a full Sevens competition - helping to bridge the gap between the two codes that have historically mixed so badly in Ko-oren, helping us select our Olympians given Sevens is the only code played there, and preparing the players of both codes for a grueling season. That doesn't stop the teams from scheduling matches in the pre-season against lower division clubs of their code, but still.

Even if crossovers between the codes are still rare - you won't soon see a League player get into Union or vice versa - we are seeing players who live deep in one heartland grow up playing the other code and making it professional. Take Aonotu Aohugise, a fullback on the Union roster - not too long ago it would be unthinkable that someone from that far northeast would make it into rugby, he would have played ice hockey and that's final. An even better example is Union's national team centre Morimoto, born not too far from the Etena Vipers' facilities and in fact that's where he first picked up an oval ball, but he flunked out of the Vipers' system, wasn't picked up by any other team, got a second chance in university down southwest, and now he's a pillar of the Ansonville Comets and guaranteed getting some playing time on the national team in the code he grew up looking down on.

There's Vasseur, starting scrumhalf - growing up in League he learned his trickery and in Union he found a perfect outlet for his creativity. Gilles Boudreaux - Union lock - grew up close to League's Etouille Vultures. Hooker Rougeau is a product of the Aminey Buffaloes.

Now it might not go the other way quite that often yet, but yLeorrhag, Mawrystwyth Phoenix by birth, has found his stride on the Alara Spiders and made it to the national team that way. It might have never happened in Union for him, but League embraced him and now he's one of the most valuable players there.

The fans, too, are starting to warm up to each other. Watch parties now often include doubleheaders in both codes where they appear during the World Cups. A visual cacophony of jerseys in every sports bar in the country as people still tend to wear their club's colours there, but it's far more fun when there's 24 options instead of just the 12. We're even seeing people who have been Union or League-only for 20+ years pick a favourite team in the other code. There's one obvious crossover with the Willowbourne and Nitoya Foxes, they can even save some money as the two jerseys look almost the same in their white-red combo. The two clubs share nothing of their history, but came to the Foxes nickname in a pre-Anaia era, choosing colours that are very rare in Ko-orenite sports - coincidence after coincidence - but now it's all coming together with fans co-opting the other club.

There are some weird friendships elsewhere: the Ferrovente Scorpions and Ansonville Comets fans noticed they share weird shades of blue and red - Ferrovente's red is more maroon, and Ansonville's blue is quite difficult on the eyes next to the red - the Etena Vipers and Tarrashall Travellers share their love for orange-brown shades, also not exactly the most common in the Ko-orenite sporting landscape. Then there are some clubs that just aren't that far apart in distance despite League keeping to its southeastern nook and Union getting the southwestern corner: how far are the Linieux Harriers from the Willowbourne Foxes really, and the Aminey Owls and Aminey Buffaloes are barely a 30-minute train ride away from the Mayara Wanderers-Vulpecula.

[The Valhallan Union]

For the first time in living memory, Rembrandt Seijkens and Jonas van Poorten were allies. Much had been made of their emergence when they’d burst into their respective first teams in Eindhavn. Here at last were two exciting finishers, just the type of dynamism that the Valhallan union code had been missing for so long, and what fun! They were both Karbijnian. Not only that, but they were the same age, could’ve been brothers, and played on opposite wings for cross-town rivals; Seijkens for the grand old team of RFC, van Poorten for the working class firestarters of Rod-Wit. Yves Okeke could breathe a sigh of relief in the capital that could be heard from the Eindhavn Derby – he was no longer the sole finisher upon which the Sint Karbijn national side would have to rely.

Except, of course, that the Sint Karbijn national team had never convened in their time playing thus far. And then, just when they thought they were going to have a chance to represent their nation, in stepped the very government that had prevented their participation. And it wasn’t even their government!

Instead of lining up alongside their countrymen, then, instead they’d been thrust into a team of largely Polarian sloggers, led by a Polarian slogger, and being told to slog like a Polarian. Having arrived as rivals expecting to have to learn how to get along with each other, they’d instead found themselves gelling far earlier than either of them expected.

It wasn’t the Polarian’s fault, necessarily; this was just Valhallan union. But this particular blend of it was painful to the fleet-of-foot wingers. They’d grown accustomed to having to learn how to pick the lock. They had no intention of playing league. That sort of insane flapping and gung-ho insanity was not the answer whatever the question was, but surely this version of the game wasn’t either. After soaking up all that pressure, the ability to known exactly how and where to pick the lock, and with what pressure applied to which gap... well, there was an art to that. Any union fan could appreciate that, surely. Nobody was suggesting they run around like blue-arsed flies. But Poulsen was taking it too far right now, surely.

Seijkens had tried raising it with Poulsen at the start of the latest training session. The Polarian forwards were laser-focused on trying to slow down the game, to break up the attacks, to delay the opposition, to frustrate and nullify. Which was all well and good when you were of a similar quality to the opposition, but they were now trying to do it against teams that had hat the benefit of open borders for the past three decades. Of open competition. Of open communication. This... this wasn’t that.

His protests had fallen on deaf ears, and the pair of finishers had instead spent another session running up and down without touching the ball much.

Principles were one thing, but ten points in three games was embarrassing.

Sulkily, the pair of them sat in the canteen at the training ground they’d rented for the day, picking half-heartedly at their noodles and protein, almost daring the oaks from Greater Valhalla to pick another fight, just so they could have something to do. Anything.

“I’m sure Dietmar called me a grouse under his breath yesterday,” muttered Seijkens, “is that anything?”

“Possibly. I could try flicking peas at him?” offered van Poorten, flatly.

But they didn’t need to wait long. Looking up at some raised voices, they watched as the aftermath of Kenny Kotler walking into the back of Nicolas Ten Broeck and getting food all over his back descended into yet another squabble.

Rolling their sleeves up, they joined the jostling throng, and, almost unseen, a small man with round glasses made notes in a little notebook from the back corner of the canteen.