“pre game

Tobias walked into the dressing room, as usual he was the first to arrive. The experienced pro had spent more time than he cared to remember in new and unknown dressing rooms. It was a cold dark cavernous room that the Kestrels had been given to ready themselves at Barren Hill stadium.

As the old elf settled into his pre-match routine, his skipper Traeliorn Salendor ambles up and says:

"Great game last week Tobias. Officially the new franchises all-time leading scorer."

Tobias gives his captain a wry smile and replies:

"Aye, do I get my name on a plaque?"

The two elves enjoy the joke as the rest of the team starts to file into the drak and dank dressing room.
___________________________________

As the cheap seats fill up with the fans, Tobias looks out into the stadium and sees that the Kestrels away support, The Wild Birds, outnumber the home fans.

first half

The Barren Hills Bashers win the toss and choose to receive. The opening blocks knock over the line of scrimmage elves, taking the opportunity to get their first skill for the beastman Abondable, with a quick pass, burning up a precious reroll in the process.

The Bashers move down one flank and then burst through the Kestrel's lines to the other flank. Eventually scoring in their fifth turn, after not being able to really hurt any elves. Smeek scoring the touchdown and grabbing his first skill.

The elves however, also showed equal ineptitude in their blocking ability, rarely knocking down their opponents. Their dodging, on the other hand, allowed them to stay clear and avoid too many hits. Although Trae was knocked out during the drive and didn't make it back for the Kestrel's drive.

1-0 Bashers

The elves reply was not quite as precise, although Constantin Melandrach skilled up following a quick pass of his own.

A 1d block in their sixth turn and some clever dodging allowed blitzer Finwë Táralóm to set up in the Bashers' half, with a loose cage. With a gap left, Chaos Warrior Slowek, dodged free and after a double skulls blitz was rerolled was able to pop the ball. A failed GFI, however, gave the elves a chance to retrieve the ball. But a failed pick up, left the ball on the ground in the Bashers' half, going into the last turn.

With the ball tagged by two Chaos players, the Kestrels had some work to do to get the score they needed to tie the game. Another failure to knock over their opponent was not catastrophic as the ball bounced into an elves turn, who was able to dodge away and hand over to Finwë, who scored the equalising touchdown.

Half time 1-1

second half

Receiving in the second half, Finwë took a quick pass for a skill, so both teams had successfully levelled two players. Still in the first turn, rookie lineman Mablung Palantír, caused the first casualty of the game after he badly hurt a beastman.

Some back and forth blocking on the line of scrimmage ensues before the Kestrel's make a dash down the southern flank.

With the game getting bunched up on the flanks, Trae makes a sprint for the touchdown, but is stopped in his tracks, before being pushed up against the sidelines. A failed beastman dodge, gives the Kestrels a chance to blitz Trae free, but almost inevitably a failed block sees Trae lying prone on the floor. The ball is then blitzed free, and the throw in puts it back into the Bashers' half.

However, the opportunity to pick up the ball is lost to a double skull (rerolls long gone). But the Bashers are unable to secure the ball, rolling a pair of both downs to end their turn.

The Kestrels don't turn down a fourth gift horse, and with some excellent (read lucky) doding and pick up, sees Mablung seriously injure Frew, before Tobias picks up the ball from the feet of a Chaos Warrior and dashes for the end zone.

There is still time for one more blocking failure, as the Bashers roll a skull/both down, which allows the Kestrels to stroll in for their second touchdown.

Final score 2-1 Kestrels

___________________________________

post game

Another game another winning touchdown, thinks Tobias as he gives his captain a wink from across the dressing room. Maybe he should ask about that plaque again, but thinks better of it.

___________________________________

in other news

- terrible game for blocking for both sides. In 74 blocks, the two teams rolled 14 double skulls, double both downs or a combination of the two - roughly one in five blocks failed - 8 rolled by the elves and 6 by the Bashers.
- Tobias' second touch down in successive games again enabled the Kestrels to snatch the points.
- three elves levelled up in this game, two sets of normals, and then the final roll was a double MA/AV roll.”