Scarbringer Savages 0-1 KoPite MuGaz

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Gate: 32k

One of the closest and most intriguing match-ups of the season so far saw two teams low on confidence scrap for everything in a tense tactical battle. The Savages were coming off the biggest defeat so far seen last time out against the Wildmen but this match represented the first time the Savages had been at home since their upset win against the All-Stars in week 2. The away team were also coming off a bad result, their first ever defeat away to the same All-Stars. The first game between these two sides this season was a comfortable 3-0 win for the Mugaz and many expected the away side to get back to winning ways with a similar peformance. The game was far closer this time.

The Mugaz received the kick-off and the game was on. Arda the Dark Elf Thrower and team captain inevitably fielded the ball and set off towards the the front line. The Savages had deployed an aggressive defense with a strong line of scrimmage presence and little in the backfield. The early play saw the Mugaz blocking unit attempt to force the Savages out of the way but failing to do so as the home side players frequently refused to stay down. There was no breakthrough in the center so the Mugaz rolled their offense to the right. No holes were created here either. Many teams would struggle to find a third option but this was not the case for the Mugaz. Arda is a skilled playmaker capable of launching the ball deep down the field and he attempted to do so to find a gap in the Savages defense. The Dark Elf was not under any pressure, for all the Mugaz lack of penetration, the Savages had not been able to force the drive backwards so Arda still had room to maneouvre. To the shock of all present, he failed miserably. The ball bobbled out, hit the floor and a real scramble for possession began.

Players from both sides piled into the melee. Neither side could throw enough blocks to clear the other from around the ball meaning no-one could lay a firm hand on it. With Arda directing traffic for the Mugaz and "Fur" Tooth, the Savages Skaven team captain and also a thrower directing the blocks for the home team both made vain efforts to grab the ball when they sensed the blocking battle was favouring them. Neither could hold on for long. With big hitters such as Mumraaah the Mugaz Mummy and "The Claw" the Rat Ogre of the Savages around, the more skillful players found it difficult to get within touching distance of the elusive ball. Tackles from Mumraaah and Savages Dark Elf Blitzer Sirius put paid to the first efforts to steal possession. Time was running off the clock and neither side could make a significant dent in their opponent.

Finally, the one player who emerged with the ball from the ruck was "Fur" Tooth. He didn't have a manage to escape. Norse Thrower Aaaarne "The Launcher" stripped the ball from his hands and attempted to claim possession for himself. Under serious pressure the Norseman spilled the ball twice. His efforts weren't helped by team-mate Klein the Dwarf Longbeard. Klein himself reached for the loose ball but fumbled it twice himself. The fumbles gave the Savages the break they needed. The ball bounced free to the home team's side. "Fur" Tooth was the player in position A and he took advantage. Blitzing Aaaarne out of the way Fur picked up the ball and made a quick pass to Dark Elf Blitzer Sirius. Sirius didn't hesitate in running at full speed away from the pack and towards the Mugaz end zone. To add injury to insult, Lineman Sid Unvicious Badly Hurt his opposite number Fullerene.

The Mugaz simply had no free players capable of putting a challenge on Sirius. The drive had been ended just beyond the line of scrimmage and only time could prevent the Dark Elf picking up a counter-attack score. After their first defeat at the hands of the All-Stars the Mugaz were on their way to falling behind at the Savage Lands. They didn't and only thanks to a cunning play by Arda. Dark Elves are known for their cruelty and spite but also have ingenuity to help them through. The Mugaz captain drew of all things a custard pie from his cloak and took aim at Sirius. There couldn't be many players capable of hitting a moving target at such a long distance with a custard pie and hitting that target with enough force to hold a Blitzer in check but Arda managed it. Sirius never saw the pie race through the air towards him and the surprise knocked him down and causing a fumble. Time ran out before Sirius could recover and the game was 0-0. Only the second time after the Week 1 meeting between the Dolts and the Mutineers that a game was scoreless at the half time interval.

As well as the Savages defense had played in the first half, their offense played as badly in the second. The Mugaz opted for a strong front line presence with two players on cover in the deep. They were right to be so aggressive. "Fur" Tooth took the kick-off and rushed for two yards. Unlike in the first half, the defense this time began to put some pressure on the thrower with the ball. Mumraaah put in a huge block to Badly Hurt Savages Rat Ogre "The Claw" and remove a key part of the home team's blocking unit. With the pressure coming, "Fur" Tooth lost his concentration. Just as Arda had in the first half, the Savages captain fumbled an attempted pass and left the ball free for another scramble. Unlike in the first half, there was no sign of a blocking stalemate preventing open play. Arda surged in to grab the ball and receivers spread down the field. The Dark Elf took aim, and hit his target. It wasn't enough as the ball was dropped by Fullerene. The Lineman had made a remarkable recovery from being Badly Hurt at the end of the first period and seemed none the worse for wear.

The ball was now perilously close to the home side's end zone. The only player able to get back in time was Lineman Casius Slay. Unfortunately for the Savages he couldn't hold on and was tackled by Mugaz Lineman Kinochit. It was the simplest of tasks for Fullerene to walk the ball in the three yards to score half way through the second period. The touchdown was the cue for crowd violence. Scuffles broke out causing the re-start to be held up. The tension of a close tactical game had spilled over into the crowd to the joy of all those not in the affected stands. It was later revealed that 37 Mugaz fans and 15 Savages supporters were pronounced dead from the scuffles.

After the trouble had died down, the game began again with the Savages needing a rapid score to even things up. Newcomer Marcus Maximus did his best to help by Badly Hurting Kinochit but there simply wasn't enough time for the Savages to bring the game back level and it ended with a narrow 1-0 win for the Mugaz. They will be pleased to have got back to winning ways but struggled badly on offense and for the second game running coughed up 10 fumbles in the game. For the Savages, it might not have yielded a point but the performance must have been pleasing to coach The Beejmeister after the hammering at the Wildmen in Week 4.

Injuries:

None

Key Stats

Team	CAS	Blocks	Downs	Rush	Stands	Fumbles
Savages	2	34	17	26	21	6
Mugaz	1	46	28	14	6	10

MVPS: Sirius, Shrimp

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