Posted on: 12/6/2009 2:52:17 PM

The Atlanta Renegades took on local rival Old White on a cold, windy day at Walker Park in Atlanta, with a full lineup of 4 matches on the day, and came away only three points from a perfect day, winning 2 of the matches and drawing another.

First up were the old boys, with over 40 players taking the field for the Renegades old boys side ORBS.  In a very closely, but relatively cleanly, contested match, Old White struck first with a penalty kick late in the first half to take a 3-0 lead.  Tough defense on both sides led to no further scoring until well into the second half, when Pat “Pale” Flaherty made a long break down the side line for an ORBS try, unconverted but still good for a 5-3 ORBS lead.  Unfortunately the ORBS had a couple of penalties in their own defensive end, and Old White’s Tyler Dixon made another penalty kick to put Old White back up 6-5, which held up as the final score as ORBS left several good scoring opportunities on the table in the final minutes.

Next up was the first ever match between the two teams recently formed U-20 sides, where the Renegades U-20s dominated both territory and possession, and also ran and linked up very well with ball in hand.  Paced by two tries by back Cameron Burke, the Renegades U-20s came away with the win with four tries to only one try for the Old White U-20s, for a final score on the order of 20-5 (lacking a better accounting of whether or not either team made any of their conversions).

The Renegades B side kept the ball rolling with a sound 29-17 win over Old White’s B side, in the first D-2 matrix match for the new competitive year for the B sides.  The Gades Bs struck first only a few minutes into the match, with strong running by the outside backs resulting in a long run down the sideline by outside center Cameron Burke for the try and a 5-0 lead.  Renegades added two more tries in the half, the next by prop Ross “Bacon” Edwards on about a third phase forward charge from about 10 meters out, converted by full back Adam Bazydlo, and then Burke added his U-20 match effort by adding another try for the Bs, unconverted for a 17-0 Gades lead.  Late in the half Old White made a penalty kick, reducing the Renegades lead to 17-3 at half time.

About 15 minutes into the second half, Old White took advantage of lazy retreating by the Gades on a penalty awarded deep in their own end, with their #8 Francesco Balas taking a quick tap and starting a long break that resulted in a try under the posts, converted to make the score 17-10.  The quick strike seemed to energize Old White for a few minutes, and shortly later they were back down knocking on the Gades try line; the Renegades held firm through several penalty plays, set pieces and multiple rucks and mauls, before referee Ed “Peabody” Ward awarded a penalty try to Old White (when a Gades player threw a ball away upon the award of another penalty to Old White), and with the conversion the score was tied at 17-17. 

From there on though it was all Renegades, who retook the lead 24-17 on a converted try, and played good pressure defense and maintained much of the possession finishing out the game.  With about 10 minutes left the Gades added some insurance points, with #8 Major Dan Flaherty picking up and starting a back row move from a scrum just inside Old White’s 22 meter line, before passing off to scrumhalf Jeff Timmons for the try and a 29-17 final score.  The Gades Bs benefited from strong play from several players, but notably newcomer Shaune Huysamen, who played well after sliding in from center to take over the #10 duties at flyhalf; inside center Quincey Knuckolls, how came on as a first half substitute and immediately made a physical impression on the game (as well as a couple of opponents), with strong running and tackling despite a fractured leg; and big #8 Isaac Thomas, who seemed to come out of nowhere to put on some crushing tackles.

Last up was the featured match of the day between the Division I sides, in what is always a hotly contested game.  Old White struck first 4 minutes in, with their wing cutting back inside and making a break from about 40 meters out to score under the posts, converted by fullback Luke Waikamakama for a 7-0 lead.  Fifteen minutes later the Gades broke the ice, when flyhalf Justin Germany took a quick tap on a penalty from 5 meters out and found a seam to score a try out wide, unconverted to narrow Old White’s lead to 7-5.  At 28 minutes in, Old White’s outside center (a new, big and mobile Pacific Islander) scored the first of his two tries on the day with a tough physical run and break for a converted try, 14-5, but Renegades responded quickly when open side flanker Colin Hubbard cherry picked an errant Old White pass and scored from about 15 meters out, the try converted by Germany to pull the Gades within 2 points at 14-12.  Unfortunately for the Gades, Old White also responded quickly, with their outside center scooping up a knock-on by a Gades back and barreling in from 25 meters out for his second try, converted by Waikamakama, for a 21-12 Old White lead, before Germany added a penalty kick for the Renegades with no time left in the half for a 21-15 score at half time.

Germany added another penalty kick just 2 minutes into the second half to pull the Gades within 3 points, at 21-18, but only a minute later Waikamakama inserted from his fullback slot into a back line switch to take it in for a try that he also converted, to extend the Old White lead to 28-18.  Following the see-saw pattern of the match, the Gades put up the next score at the 12 minute mark, with Hubbard taking a nice switch pass back inside from scrumhalf Jim Kawa for his second try of the day, converted by Germany, and the Renegades were back within 3 points at 28-25.  Old White responded, making a penalty kick two minutes later to make it 31-25, before Germany made two penalty kicks in a row for the Gades to tie up the match at 31-all, with only about 10 minutes remaining.  Old White made a break down the sidelines to score a try out wide at 33 minutes in, re-taking the lead at 36-31 after the kick missed, to set up some tense final minutes of the game.  The Renegades came through, with newcomer from the Army, Nick Horton playing on the wing, finally punching through for a try out wide with no time left on the clock, and with the difficult conversion attempt wide the two teams had to settle for a 36-36 draw.

Renegades head coach Rod Seddon said he “was proud of the boys for continuing to battle back into the game, which showed a lot of heart and determination.”  The Gades could have used about 3 more points on the day, where another point in the A side match and a couple more in the old boys match would have allowed the perfect sweep, but it was not to be.  The local rivalry is always a tough contest, and will be renewed when the two teams meet again early next spring, on February 20^th (FYI, the A side’s D-1 and B side’s D-2 matrix and playoff schedules for next spring are now posted on the Renegades website).  The post-match social was held at the Renegades’ sponsor and team’s home bar, Stout Irish Sports Pub in Buckhead, which we would like to thank for hosting with complimentary food and beverages for both teams.