Another year, Another Sevens Season

Last Saturday saw the Pink Ba Bas appear at their first tournament of 2008 – Old Cats Sevens

With the forecast of highs of 3°c and lows of -2°c, it was the most intrepid of Ba Bas that set out to Caterham, winter fleeces and all!!!!

Arriving at a sevens tournament in a blizzard is not something that this reporter has ever experienced before, but Pink Ba Bas, being the most hardy of ruminants, battled on regardless.

The first game was against Exeter University and Captain Joey Morgan was keen to go out and warm up. However, the team, led in part by renegade manager, Pickle ‘Pinkle’ Niccol over ruled the captain and decided that the best ‘warm up’ was to stay in the bar and not brave the arctic conditions until the very last minute!

The Ba Bas made a promising start to the match, with a score from our very own Pink Beav – Eryka Weasel (has any Pink Ba Ba transcended the species in the way that Eryka has?). Exeter soon hit back a fantastic try from the halfway line. The Pink Ba Bas had well and truly had their face slapped by a leather gauntlet!!! The challenge had been set!

Like a shepherd Sparkly Jo led the flock onwards with some great passages of play, ably supported by virgin ewes Anita Mitchell and Jane Tucker.

Exeter were relentless in defence, but with some inspired substitutions from Manager, Pickle the Ba Bas won through.

Next up were the home team, Old Cats. Joey won the toss and chose to go uphill into the wind in the first half. Manager Pickle made some inspired selections, but, rather than choose who went on the pitch, she chose who was off the pitch. The method behind her madness, choosing 3 people was easier than 7!

Old Cats defended well and prevented the Ba Bas from getting a quick score. But in the middle of the half the Ba Bas forged ahead with a try from Paddo. It was end to end stuff and the Ba Bas constructed some wonderful passages of play, but were unable to put the game away due to a committed defense by the Old Cats seven.

With the advantage of the slope and wind in the second half, the Pink Ba Bas were able to put the game beyond the reach of the home team. Pink Ba Bas 2 and 0

With the weather conditions deteriorating, even the hardiest of Pink Bas retreated to the bar. Clare ‘Hoppe’ Hopster, poor lamb, was particularly affected by the cold. Snuggled in a sleeping bag, with a beany on and a Styrofoam cup of tea lead one Ba Ba to rename her, ‘Big Issue’.

Negotiations with the organisers as to the possibility of a final were on. Many of the recently defrosted Ba Bas were not keen. With Exeter keen to get revenge for their earlier defeat at the hands of the Ba Bas, the game was set.

The game started promisingly for the Pink Ba Bas ………… until the hail. To steal a phrase from a well known advert; ‘This was not just hail, this was horizontal and driving hail, like little ball bearing hitting your legs and face leaving nasty red marks hail’.

Ability to see the ball was long gone and with one hand across their faces to protect their eyes, Ba Bas tried as best they could to look for moving objects through the little gaps in their fingers. The opposition rang towards the safety and shelter of a nearby tree, still lost in the hail storm; Pink Ba Bas were 5 trys up when the referee blew the final whistle after just 6 minutes. The celebrations soon began and undaunted by the weather the Ba Bas started to sing the familiar and very apt ‘Brrr it’s cold in here………’ to a snowy backdrop, before moving to the bar to defrost.

A good time was had by all, at what must be one of the most bizarre sevens tournament the team has ever been to. It was great to see; Katy ‘Ruler’ Rule, at her first Old Cats sevens. It’s Katy’s hard work in maintaining the availability database that make it so much easier to organise tournaments. And Angharad ‘Hari, Gary, Gaz’ Thomas, who played her second Ba Bas tournament, almost a year after her first at the same venue.

Thanks to everyone who made the tournament possible and to all you that made it special!!!!!

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