“After a long absence, the Cakes were back and facing Necromantic Paws with Claws in what, on paper, looked a very even match up. The crowd of 35,000 slightly favoured the Paws, and the also won the toss - choosing to receive first.

The Paws quickly caged up near the LOS advancing very slowly, in a manner not dissimilar to what creator JJ once described as the funeral march. Both teams vying for onfield supremacy as KOs were traded. Then the Cakes saw an opportunity to hit the ball carrier, an error in judgement made it a 1D rather than 2D, but with stripball Banoffee Pie was able to squeeze it out of Bernie's hands. A couple of bounces later, and it was right back in the Wolf's paws.....frustrating. Before a double both down was rerolled into a skull allowing the Claws to score.

A quick two turn score, after some really shoddy positioning by the Cakes coach (isn't that you - Ed? Shhhhhh!), left the Paws with Claws two turns to score and go into the interval with the lead. But a failed dodge (4+) in an attempt to squeeze down the line popped the ball and then some elf magic allowed Carrot Cake to pass to Pumpkin Pie to streak away for a 2-1 lead. (odds on the multiple dice action were over 50% in my favour I'm reliably informed.)

A perfect defence roll at the second half kick off suggested the Claws were determined to put things right and get back into the game.

Two casualties in successive turns confirmed the Claws' desire to get back into the game as they swarmed all over the Cake's formation. The old switcheroo (swinging the play from South to North) gave the Cakes some breathing space and when the blitz failed to knock down Black Forest, the Cakes (by using up all their rerolls) were able to score for 3-1.

The Claws responded with a one turn score attempt, but the lack of rerolls on both sides began to bite as the second GFI failed, then in successive turns double skulls and failed two plus dodges left the ball in the open halfway through the Cakes half on the final play of the game. The Claws saw their chance and grabbed the ball for a late consolation.

3-2 the final score.

Thanks for the game knightsweats!”