For two teams that had never played each other in the past, and that had both dropped their first China Pub Company Yellow Sea Cup game this season, it was hard to put odds on the outcome of this past weekend’s matchup.
As it turned out, all bets were off within 30 minutes of kick-off as it soon became clear that Macau’s strength and size could not endure against the Vermilion Beijing Devils’ speed, fitness, and open style of play.
At the outset, the game saw some back-and-forth play as each side looked to expose the other’s weakness –Macau battering the Devils’ around the rucks, and Beijing testing the Pearl River Portuguese’s back three with several deep kicks. It wasn’t until a penalty in front of the uprights that the scorecard was put to use; the sure foot of Devil Graeme Ker punishing the visitors with the opening three points of the game.
Minutes later, a midfield break by the Devils’ led to the first five points of the game, and a few phases after that, the Devils put together a neat series of offloads and small breaks that resulted in Colin Brown touching down for an emotional try in what would be his last game in a red-and-gold jersey. Soon after, another penalty and a third try would close out the first half of the game, while a fourth bonus-point-securing-try would reopen the match right off the kick off.
Not willing to go home completely empty-handed, Macau expended their remaining energies –most of which the naïve YSC newcomers seemed to have spent the night before fraternizing with the wiser Devils’ welcoming committee– rallied, and drove the Devils to their own try-line for a long period before finally exchanging a pair tries for one against mid-way through the second half. That would be all conceded to the visiting side though, and the final minutes saw the Devils add a further 14 points to their tally, setting a season high final score of 62 – 14 as the sun set behind the trees of Dulwich Legend Gardens.
The Devils win would be bittersweet though, as the final whistle brought not only the end of the game, but the end of several distinguished Beijing rugby careers; Colin Brown, Mik Morn, George Waite, Ed Glynn, Thom Abbot, Dom Kinsky, and Konrad Wehinger all move on to a life without the Den (the horror) and without the Devils – you shall be missed.
Thanks to Macau for travelling North for the weekend, and best wishes to them for the remainder of their season. We look forward to meeting again next year in the Las Vegas of l’orient for the next roll-of-the-dice for the CPC Yellow Sea Cup.
Also, congratulations to Wason Liu, the Beijing Devils’ Man of the Match, as voted by Macau, for is piercing runs and flying tackles.