By Ed Piper
For a neophyte rugby sportswriter, it was a night of merely watching, being in the environment, and learning what the heck rugby is.
Referee Jeff Nolan recommended, "Go watch 'Rugby for Dummies' on Youtube," and that will get me up to speed.
This reporter hasn't done that yet, what with getting inside after the chilly 50-degree night and recovering overnight with a restful sleep and visions of lineouts (in which two teammates lift a third into the air to try to snag a throw-in from the sideline) and scrums (both teams go shoulder-to-shoulder after a legal tackle and one team pushes the odd-shaped ball out the back for a running back to carry it).
Behold, Ethan Willis and Ian Denham oversaw another edition of "rugby incubator", in which they are actively teaching basic rugby formations and techniques to new and newer recruits who are still learning the game--as the Vikings are warming up, preparing for the game. It's a live test-tube experience for a spectator, watching newbies alongside veterans Wyn Smoole and his brother, Leed Smoole, get training and instruction in fundamental moves they'll try to carry out during the game.
Real games start in January.
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