“North of Akallabeth - Match 1:

Wildmen of the North v Hobbiton Heros
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Things started well for the diminutive Heros, with Treant Thicklimb CAS-ing the Wildmen's only blitzer with the opening block of the game.

It all went downhill from there.

A risky pass in opening possession turned the ball over to the Northerners and they held on to it for a quarter until they had bashed the hobbits off the park. Eventually, Leif passed to Gudrid for the score.

Tacticians in the crowd were not pleased with this early score, and true to form, the Hobbits quickly equalised with a one-turn lob and run combo from Treebeard and Jako.

The Wildmen had a chance at a second score but Erik's blocking prowess deserted him when it mattered -- clearly Morley's was still affecting him. Out of sheer frustration, Leif sent Bilbo to the grave.

HT: 1-1


The second half began in the same way the first ended, with another dead hobbit. In fact it was a rather messy half in terms both of the play and the extra tomato sauce covering the pitch, no doubt snuck onfield by those greedy little hobbits.

Eventually, Gudrid crossed the line for a second TD leaving the remaining hobbits to try another one-turn play. This time though, Olaf's kicking was perfect, and there was no hope for Hobbiton.

FT: 2-1

At the end of the match, 3 coffins lay filled, and 2 hobbits in the infirmary -- one whom had foolishly tripped over his own iced bun. This was a dark day for the Gravy Train, and the Freeworld, but a glorious start for Mordor.

North of Akallabeth now look favourites to progress, unless Recrudescence of Vanyar can produce some decent scoring. ”