UEA Pirates

This afternoon's UWE Bullets at the UEA Pirates In Norwich POSTPONED because of pitch conditions.  Last home game of the Pirates' season and UWE is University of the West of England in Bristol.

11:00am kickoff yesterday for Pirates v Swansea Titans with the Pirates wining 10-00 and not with a field goal indeed there was no goal kicking at all.  Impressively the woman medic followed play from the sideline but ironically was looking at her phone when needed for the only game pausing injury of the first half.

Our first return to the Pirates for over a year.  On our short way through suburban Norwich at least two new housing estates and more in progress but that's how it is all over East Anglia.  The Pirates now have a water boy (water man) and he can delegate.  Visitors UWE Bullets don't seem to have a specials team but that didn't stop them converting all but one of their eight touch downs for two points winning 62-00.  Two ejections for the same incident with both players clearly upset by the ejection but accepting it without dramatics.

There were so many Birmingham Lions on UEA's visitor sideline yesterday that we feared the Earth's rotational axis might be disturbed.  A poor start for the Pirates giving up a safety on the second play of the game.  UEA were holding Birmingham at 15-00 in the third quarter when the game was abandoned for injured Pirate Cody Harris on the pitch.  An ambulance arrived surprisingly promptly compared to our previous experience and thankfully Cody's injuries were limited to concussion though no fun for him.

On a miserable yesterday the UEA Pirates had their first premiership win beating Hertfordshire Hurricanes 24-00.  It could have been at least 30-00 but a pick six deep in the Pirates own half was called back for two penalties, one apparently after the play, though the Pirates did retain possession.  No place kicking by either team on a pitch slippery enough to prompt much boot stamping by the visitors on the tarmac footpath behind them.  The Pirates are at home again next Sunday meeting the Birmingham Lions.

The UEA Pirates knew that promotion to the premiership was going to be a leap and last Sunday for their first home game of this season they were shut out by University of West of England Bullets 36-00.  UWE had running backs who broke multiple tackles and were as fleet as a wide out.  Intriguing moment when a Pirate recovered the ball in his own end zone with a foot out of bounds echoing (possibly unintentionally) Ty Morgan.  Pirates at home again next weekend versus the Hertfordshire Hurricanes.

UEA Prospects Saturday in Norwich had an impressive turnout of some 60 rookies including a woman player.  (Last season several visitors had one or more women players.)  Everybody was trying hard and it was encouraging afterwards to see kicking being practiced, Britball kicking often makes Vinatieri on a slump look good.  The Pirates first game is away at Swansea next month ... as so often a price of promotion is more travel.

Sunday in Norwich the first quarter of UEA Pirates v Exeter Demons whizzed past and no score in the half but a dramatic hailstorm with the wind blowing into the faces of the visitors' sideline.  In the third quarter WR Ben Borthwick grabbed a long one and fighting the defender all the way got in for six.  A second touchdown run in by Cornelius Walters and nice to see both kicked tries complete though an attempted field goal wasn't blocked it just never got up.  Exeter had some excellent trick plays with a fake punt working beautifully and a hook and ladder/flea flicker that didn't work a second time.  Finally Pirates 14-08 Demons with a very tense ending as the Demons had possession and seconds to go.  The Pirates are now promoted to the Premiership and play in Loughborough for the championship final the Sunday after next.

Despite initially an impressively completing pass game from visitors the Bath Killer Bees there was no first quarter score in Norwich today.  With touchdowns in both the second and fourth quarters the UEA Pirates won 14-00 assisted by running back #90 Cornelius Walters' impression of a double decker bus.  The Pirates now progress to the semi-finals playing at home to we think the Exeter Demons.

Today in Norwich and the playoffs the UEA Pirates beat the Queen Mary Vipers 14-06 and so progress to the quarter finals.

Yesterday's UEA Pirates v Kent Falcons american football in Norwich looked like it was going to be a native American game ... four quarters and no squaw ... sorry.  In the fourth quarter with very little time left the Pirate's punter was hassled into not kicking but responded with a splendid 20/30 yard run (one for the brand) followed by two decent running back bulls and eventually in for six.  That left Kent with maybe 47 seconds and despite a couple of very decent Hail Marys failed to return score.  Joy was definitely unconfined on the Pirates' sideline.  If UEA beat Queen Mary Uni away in London next Sunday unlike last year they will have home field advantage when they meet the Falcons again in the playoffs.

Yesterday in Norwich we noted that the UEA Pirates impressively had (rather like Country and Western) both kinds of running backs, big and bulling plus small and slippery.  In the second quarter with the score 12-06 to UEA very regrettably #27 Jonas Eschenfelder for the visitors Imperial Immortals received a sufficient injury he couldn't be moved.  After what must have been around an hour and no ambulance the game was abandoned.  We've been told Jonas' injuries are soft tissue and he should be fine in a couple of days.

Sunday morning an offside tyre was flat, the car wouldn't go into reverse and nearby the Dennington Queen's Head there were ducks in the road so we missed the UEA Pirates going six nil up against the visiting Kent Falcons.  Despite a second Pirates' touchdown in the end they lost 20-12 but encouragingly the Pirates' game ending hurry up offence seemed to slightly bemuse the Falcons, we especially liked the hook and ladder which may have been the first lateral we've seen in British american football ... like our first apex jump in roller derby ... you never forget your first time.

Like the Ipswich Cardinals and unlike the Bury Saints most of the newbs at yesterday's UEA Pirates rookies day in Norwich were first timers.  On adjacent pitches impressive turn outs for men and women's lacrosse made the apparent handful for american football look depressing but it soon swelled to 30-40 players and they could all catch the ball.  Looking forward to seeing a fixture list for this winter.

The UEA Pirates lost 6-9 to the Cambridge Pythons in Norwich Sunday as their last home game in the BUCS South East.  A not entirely satisfactory game but the Pirates single touchdown was a high bomb to a wide receiver dramatically at a flying full stretch ... and we didn't snap it ...