Yesterday there was only one game on the program, 1XV away against RC Octopus Uden, playing without captain Sjoerd Govaerts. During their encounter, Uden managed to win the match by 1 point, so the Rotterdammers were out for revenge. This motivation in combination with the unmistakable aroma of the farm land that hung around the field worked in favour of RSRC, as they began the contest incredibly fierce and picked up territory through the excellent kicking game of Damien Manhes, who also kicked 100 % of his conversions and a penalty between the poles. The First 30 minutes were dominated by Rotterdam and three tires were scored. After that Octopus came back and took advantage of the penalties that the RSRC gave away by kicking the ball into the corner and letting the surplus in kilos do the rest of the work. Fitness, which Arno Mansveld has been stressing all season, turned out to be crucial in the second half. Just when Octopus got tired, Rotterdam turned up the pace and reached the gain line again and again. When the “finishers” came into the field, who brought enormous speed into the game, it was over, and the RSRC won the match. Special attention for “man of the match” James ‘ t Hooft, who made his debute in 1XV and played a great game over all. Julien Meier scored a hat trick and Damien “Dan Carter” Manhes was 9/9 from the kicking tee. Final score: 59-17
