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1. 1. OWCC Season 8 Cup Championship

The Expats had been here before, and twice the Expats have finished second-best, one of those losing the Championship to the 'Jacks, 0-2. And in their only other meeting, an identically dismal defeat. But both losses were due to casualties, so the Expats knew that if they could not lose that battle, the contest would not be given away, and if they could turn the tables on AV 7 Norse they could even return the favour.

And, as Nuffle willed it, that's exactly what happened.

The 'Jacks chose to receive, and a randomly deep kick kept the ball safe, but a Blitz! kickoff result gave first blood to the Expats as their blitz KO'd the lesser Norse MB 'Zerker, and the Expats were exerting strong pressure from all sides before the Norse could think about the ball. The Norse recovered with St 5 Thrower Timber Jones, but with almost every man marked they could do little more than fall back and screen, and by the end of Turn 1 he was marked by a DT skink with support, with Sauri pouring thru the lines. The Norse scrambled to fall back and bashed much of the immediate pressure away, but the Lizards found enough assists for the lone marking Skink to get a 2d on the St 5 ballcarrier - and found a Pow to knock it loose to end Turn 2, Stunning him and catching the bounce! The Norse killer 'Zerker 3+ dodged to pop the ball loose, BH'ing superstar +Ag Skink The Rebel and then recovering the ball the end zone. The Expats tried to pin the Ag 4 Blodgestepper there, but Daunltess gave him just a little breathing room (to the 1), and a DP Foul removed the last Lizard DT skink KO'd. Starting to lose their advantage, the Lizard bash warmed up, MNG'ing the Guard Ulf (Apo'd into reserves) and then BH'ing the rookie Runner, removing a Dauntless from the equation - but then missing the 2+ dodge for the MB Blitz on the ball.

So Turn 5 found the Norse ballcarrier both still standing and unmarked and finally able to advance, if only to the Norse 6. Supported by the superstar 'Zerker and a risky Yeti blitz (1d on the 2nd Frenzy block to find a Pow and then a GFI to mark) screened up enough, and next turn pushed across the LoS to the Lizard 10. But, now unscreened and unsupported, that was as far as the +Ag Dauntless Blodgestepper Runner was to get, as the luck turned hard in favour of the Lizards. That Runner was BH'd, the last Ulf KO'd, and a Skink made 4 3+ dodges and the pickup - before the Krox made his 5+ dodge off the sideline to screen the path to the endzone. Turn 7, the Norse opening Dauntless blitz RR'd double-Pushes to double-Pushes, then failed Dauntless to a -2d with a Skull. The 6 remaining Norse were beyond MA to stop the score, but still suffered their DP surfed to BH before trading a blocking Saurus for a Tackle Lino, both KO'd.

2nd half the Norse bad luck held, as none of the 'Zerk, Ulf nor Tackler woke up, but the Saurus did (if the DTss'er Skink slept on). So 7 Norse faced off to kick to 10 Lizards - and with predictable results. Perfect D might have saved some of the initial bash, but the T1 Blitz still KO'd the Norse Killer 'Zerk, meaning the rookie Yeti, a Tackle lino and the St 5 Thrower were the main weapons remaining to the half-dozen Lumberjacks, and were largely overwhelmed and neutralized. They did see a glimmer of light when Turn 3 the Expats tried to hand-off to their rookie Saurus and the ball hit the floor, and the St 5 Sure Hands Runner muscled his way to mark the ball, survived a block, and then 3+ dodged twice to recover the ball in 2 TZ's and try a 6+ pass deep - but the Lizard-luck would not be outdone, and a 6+ Saurus interception ended that challenge and Turn 4. Turn 7 the bad Norse luck continued as a Yeti blitz Both-Downed to MNG itself as a last comment on the game before the final Saurus score.

The killer 'Zerk did not wake up for the T16 kick to do any damage, but a Saurus was still BH'd by the rookie no-skill Ulf (for a skill!), too little and far too late.”