“Lustrian Challenge Qualifier round 2.

The Ninjas lose to solid HE. Handicap was duh, where am I on our best GR.

The Insanity received first, and managed a T8 score in the face of very good Skaven dice. The Ninjas took out several HE players while they were moving towards the end zone, but the Insanity managed to keep control of the ball and score anyway. We knocked the ball free at one time but couldn't steal it away, and in the following turn our RO knocked himself over when trying to free players to box in the HE ball-carrier. It was well played by coach JockMcRowdy to score under the circumstances, even if he had good help from his ST4 Blodge-SS carrier.

The Ninjas then got a quick snap and a lucky chainpush OTS for 1-1 at half-time, which gave the Ninjas the edge going into second half. But we got into trouble when one of the SV on the LOS caught the kickoff. He decided to keep it, and the Ninjas caged on him. This was probably a mistake, as the Insanity swarmed the cage and boxed the Ninjas in. There was a brief scuffle, involving a clever chainpush by the HE, before the ST4 elf could burst out with the ball!

He was unsupported however, so the Ninjas easily stripped the ball from him and re-caged. But while we were doing that, the Insanity knocked a good deal of our team out, leaving the Ninjas low on numbers. Again the HE swarmed the cage and forced some risky moves for the Ninjas to get out. The Ninjas opened the way, but then the ball-carrier decided to snake his bonehead roll (handicap ftw)!

The Insanity could then set up to blitz the ball-carrier with enough players to prevent a sidestep in the wrong direction, getting him down right where they wanted him. Well played by JockMcRowdy, and the ST4 escaped with the ball once again. And again the Ninjas hunted him down and stripped the ball from him. It bounced where we couldn't get it though, and the HE recovered.

By this time the HE were making it increasingly hard for the Ninjas to get more than single players near the ball, and even if we managed to strip the ball one more time, we couldn't get it away. The Insanity walked in 1-2 in T16.

As noted, JockMcRowdy played very well. He scored even when outlucked in first half and set up his blocks to steal the ball very nicely in second half, allowing him to get it clear. His win is well deserved. My mistake was probably to cage the ball on the LOS in the second half when the SV caught it. Normally the Ninjas keep the ball further back and out of reach, so I should just have done that.

Ah well. GG Jock, well played and see you around. You will lose to the ridicilously large WE in the final anyway, as would I. :-)”