| Referee | Weather | Gate |
|---|---|---|
Rain |
75k |
A slight rain fell across Mutiny Island to see the latest installment in the legendary rivalry between the Tempo Ray Mutineers and the KoPite MuGaz in front of a crowd of 75,000. The Mugaz and Mutineers have met on three previous occasions, though the last clash was as long ago as the post-season of 2004. The Mutineers went into the game holding a 2-1 record though the Mugaz win was in the 2003 final. New Mugaz coach Fabien does not have such a strong record against the Mutineers having been defeated twice while coach of the Fabienettes in 2003. The Mutineers narrow victory over the Dolts and the Mugaz escape with a draw against the All-Stars will not have entered either team's thoughts heading into the game as the rivalry between the two sides sets is of the type that sets aside current form.
It was the Mutineers that received to begin the game, forming a bulwark and pressing slowly forwards but it was a bulwark that foundered upon the rock that is Mumraaah who managed to hold up the drive with a tackle and a casualty, the latter on Toxix the Wight. In the slippery conditions, the Mugaz could not lay claim to the ball once it was pried from Mutineers hands but the home side in turn could not keep out of the Mugaz tackling until a break at the very end of the half from long term servant Savogand Thrall who reached within three yards of the endzone before being brought down by a miraculous last ditch tackle from Ricky Battle. With the rain making handling difficult, the loose ball was not gathered in again before the whistle to end the half.
The second half saw the Mugaz adopt exactly the same tactics as they flooded men around the ball and ground forward step by step. The tactic saw the Mutineers gradually whittled down with casualties and knock-outs eventually reducing them to just three players on the pitch. Players made themselves sacrifices for the good of the team by bringing the massive group of Mugaz players to a standstill including a couple of tackles. With the ball difficult to handle, the Mugaz were unable to collect it in and just as in the first half, a team was left just short of the end zone but without the ball in hand as the half ended.
The draw means that the Mutineers have still never been defeated at home but the Mugaz have now equalled the regular season record for an unbeaten streak in the regular season.
Joanie Brawler of the Mutineers missed her third consecutive game with a niggling injury. Alien Terrell Knowings will miss the upcoming clash against the Fabienettes with a dislocated shoulder.
Troll Slayer Igror Da Zkina now has 200 blocks in his career that spans two separate clubs. Mumraaah's tackle was the 10th of his career.
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