“Dear Vanyar,

Still suffering from our trip to Moria to vanquish the Orcs spirits were rather low knowing fine well that we were yet to face another one of the toughest teams in Middle Earth, back in Akallabeth as, Rise of Akallabeth, waited.

Perhaps out of all the teams of the tournament these humans had had it the easiest. Their previous _four_ games consisted of a contest against a weakened Woodelf team and three games against some unfortunate Goblins… they had had the perfect opportunity to grow in strength and hone their might to be used to deadly force against us.

Fortunately we had played these humans before and knew that their tactics were far more akin to those of Mordor than the Freeworld. They would load the LOS, ignore the flanks and take great risks to maim fallen players at the expense of valuable possession play… greatly under strengthened than ever, we were counting on this.

We were to kick first and set up far closer to the LOS than usual, knowing that should a blitz arrive that we would be perfectly placed for the opportunity.
The kick – Blitz! Huzzah!

We swarmed their sides, and took the ball. A small skirmish ensued but they were unable to contain us and we scored with relative ease.

Unperturbed by this set back, everyone took to the field in exactly the same manner as before. An uneventful kick-off saw their lone catcher trying to move to our flank… had they changed tactics so soon after all?
Fortunately for us, this was a play the team was not familiar with, their catcher stepped up to our players for no real reason, then trying to dodge away slipped and fell… it was all we could not to laugh at the red faced catcher, and so we kindly spared him from further embarrassment and fouled him into the casualty box. Akallabeth were not happy, they retaliated, their Ogre almost killing one of men save for the efforts of our Apothecary.

We made our move to pressure the ball whilst keeping a defence back. Akallabeth struggled to break, time ticking away, then finally late in the game when they could push forward as our team started falling into the KO box, half the team fell back, including the ball handler to gang foul our blodger, niggling and forcing him no doubt into retirement. But we didn’t mind, if we could end the half 1 – 0 victory was assured. The Akallabeth coach started chanting “Vindication, vindication”, gleefully pleased with himself after the two fatal casualties his boys had racked up.

They had now however left but three men in a scoring position had had two plays to make it. We did our best to knock the would-be scorers down, but alas could not, at least they were well surrounded and we managed to foul another a blitzer into the BH box, so when their thrower was forced to pass, the catch was not completed.

We surrounded the ball and their players… The soul player positioned to score to dodged away and entered the end zone. Then, despite four of our men surrounding the ball, when the equally strengthed push from a block came it scattered perfectly for them, only in the path of one of our men now. The thrower dodged from his marker, scooped up the ball, dodged back out and threw the completion to tie the game… our hearts sank.

The second half and our men were feeling the bruises, of the eight straight attempts we tried to rouse players into consciousness since the first touchdown, still known had returned and we were forced to field just 8 men.

We needed to reduce their numbers, and so decided to take out the Ogre that had served them so well, so far. Taking him down we then ganged fouled him, sending to the BH box much to the annoyance of the oppositions coaching staff. Again led by their hearts Akallabeth took most of their players to a flank to bring down one of our own and return the boot, indeed they did with a another gleeful shout of “Vindication”, but this made it easy for us to slip down the opposite flank without any real resistance. Another play, and a huge wheel back from Akallabeth and we were forced to score.

Their kickoff and it was now 9 v 9, a much more optimistic position. But our armour had long forsaken us, and two KOs and a stun from the LOS meant we were down to six. Despite this we managed to get the ball from them. They surfed our ball carrier, and should the crowd have thrown it in deep or backwards the game was ours… in fact they through it right to their player on the sideline who had just performed the surf!!!

Akallabeth stormed up to score in the last seconds, taking it to overtime.

With only five men to field… and Akallabeth receiving, the game was almost assured for them. They fielded both their DPs and did what they do… even with the referee watching they injured or fouled everyone off the pitch. Neglecting to defend the ball again though, we took it from them and threw back down field… pressing their game, just one mistake from their very capable thrower would now cost them. Whilst he chased the ball back, they fouled and surfed our last two players… clearing the pitch and another round of “Vindication, vindication” ensued. The mistake never came and they scored, our quest was over.

Still, there was one last play to be made from us, so we lined our last four players up against Akallabeths three on the LOS, including a deadly blitzer that had more then added to a injury problems. We moved the two linos and put the blitzer down… Idgar ran up and planted the boot… a lovely skull cracking sound emitted forth as he was carried off to the RIP box!

The coach raced over to me in my dugout, demanding that I, Tarius explain these actions… explain after nine men systematically cleared the last 5 from the field in gory displays.
“Why”, I said… “It was merely VINDICATION… … wOOt!“

The quest is over, our team is beaten, but our hearts are warmed with the power of Two Rings, and the knowledge that the On Ring bearer will be able to do little to harm us next season, when we come to claim it!

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In the close of the first half I thought I had the game, but a string of nice rolls and fortunate bounces and borup just made the tie at half time. After that, with so many men not returning from the KO box, and more going in than coming out it looked bleak.

I knew I’d take it to OT but figured it was likely lost there, and it was, as Borup cleared the pitch.

GG by Borup, your tactic of wearing down the opposition worked a charm and I’m sure the final will be a great spectacle with contrasting human sides.

Hope there’s no real bad feeling s about the foul, I rarely T16 foul, but when you surround my last man with 5 players to ensure a surf whilst you DP the other two off the pitch too even before trying to get the ball, then you really don’t have much cause for complaint in my book, and if it’s potentially one less MB player to injure my team like in this game then all the better. ;)

Look forward to rematch next season mate. :)
”