Thursday, July 18, 2013

No Merci! Paris PRG Vs. Dublin DRD (A&B)

PRG All-Stars (163-158) Dublin A
PRG Quedalles (207-135) Dublin B
July 6th, 2013 / Dublin (IRE)

The write-up is less factual than the previous ones because:
1) I have less material to rely on and
2) although the two games were of pretty good quality and although the All-Star bout was thrilling with suspense, it is not what prevailed for me in the weekend. Still, they were the most delighting cherry-on-top. On top of what? On top of a marvellous ultimate experience, of which I wanted to make the most in enjoying each and every second. Sports yeah, but people most of all.

NO MERCY. Our last game(s) of the season. MY LAST GAME AS A PARIS ROLLERGIRL. My ultimate experience fully and officially belonging to that group of girls with whom I developed bonds so strong that it still surprizes me.
A perfect trip from A to Z. From the two Parisian teams travelling together, being hosted together by the most wonderful people, double winning together against such lovely opponents in an amazing atmosphere, having some quality time together, at night and in the sun, partying, dancing, laughing, chatting -- crying too, a bit -- a cluster of overwhelming emotions. Together.



Quedalles
Vs.
Dublin B-Team

First period.
The Parisian B-Team offers us an impressively good gameplay, with very autonomous jammers and packs playing together, implementing strategies with perfect timings. They give a hard time to the Dubliners, getting a 50-point lead before they manage their first scoring pass!
Yet, Dublin doesn't give up and finally counter-attack. Game is on! At the break, the scores are 93 to 59, a good gap but the Dubliners have proved it, they know how to make the most of powerjams.

Second period.
Challenge of the second period: NOT resting on their laurels! According to the forecasts, the Parisians should be winning by 70 points, and they keep that objective in mind. The second period witnesses a good bunch of powerjams for both sides, with the Quedalles managing to widen the gap up to 143 to 77, when Dublin takes 20 points in the course of a powerjam. 15 min left. Official Time-Out. Paris re-focuses and shoots off to 203 to 115. Each time Dublin launches an attack, Paris retaliates harder. Last jam. Keeping in mind the 70-point difference to maintain. And... this is a POWERJAM for DUBLIN who manages a good operation in scoring 20 points, narrowing the gap to 72 points. Final results: 207 to 135! It was close!


I am not sure if the French CanCan of our hosts happened during that break or the next one, but either way, I didn't get to see it and I'm very jealous of the public who did!

Paris All-Stars
Vs.
Dublin A-Team

A neck-and-neck start. 
The All-Star game was close all along. After four lead changes in the first jams, while the two teams get acquainted to each other's work, Dublin finally takes a more CONSEQUENT LEAD on a powerjam: 24 to 41. Time for a TEAM TIME OUT to take a deap breath and catch up. Go.
With Joan Get27 back after having missed several games for an ankle sprain, we find ourselves with a very comfortable rotation of four jammers. Time to enjoy the show and relax on the bench -- maybe a bit too much, which makes it harder and longer to enter the game. A dangerous luxury: don't get too comfy you have a game to play! I guess the advantage was that the four of us having different kinds of jamming, it was harder for the opposing pack to decipher us. Me, Bully Bunker, Joan Get27 and Hooligan were alternating on the line.

The presentations have already been made... REMEMBER.
A couple of Dubliners already knew us for having played at the UNICORN BOUT, especially Kitty (#37) Cleoraptor (#8008) who was rostered against the Quedalles too and who is doing her second bout in a row, as well as main jammer Trisha Smackanawa (#42) who recycled on me quite efficiently as a blocker at the Unicorn bout, before revealing her true nature by the end of the Unicorn game -- in fact she is a badass jammer. Last but not least, their bench coach Violent Bob was part of the Unicorn trip too. We didn't fully know what to expect from that Dublin meeting but we knew that we shouldn't underestimate the leprechauns. It is a manner of speaking, DRD makes the legend lie, there are more giants than imps in Ireland. Check out captain Agony Annt (#7). We were the (shr)imps!
Yet, we had new line-ups in stock, concocted by Sailor Blood (#109), particularly with the comeback of Joan Get27 and the new pivoting responsibilities of Millefeuille (#21), as well as with the absence of over-skilful Rose Hyène (#22) who couldn't make it at the last minute.

Dublin play their cards right.
Our Team Time Out helps us to hold the bar. We don't catch up but we don't let them take more head start. 33-43 / 33-48 / 48-38 / 52-42. THE JAMS ARE SHORT: lead, pass, call. With lots of jammer-on-jammer situations. One jam in favor of Paris, one jam in favor of Dublin, one jam in fav... (you got it). A very polite game, exchanging courtesies. Until... WHAM BAM. SKATER DOWN. Rumble Roses (#619) collapses on the ground, holding her knee. Skates off, icepack on, she is evacuated.
The last part of the period makes us sweat with the worse situation ever: a counter-powerjam with only two blockers. Yet our 2-blocker wall gives a 'hard' time to Bloody Harry (#23D) and she 'only' scores 20 points. Everything is relative, it could have turned out FAR worse. Bloody calls it to secure a powerjam start for the upcoming Dublin jammer, Smack, who keeps on the good work until our jammer is back. That couple of jams cost us dearly as we find ourselves 49 to 88. The half time is annonced soon after. THINK POSITIVE. The good point for our mental is that we have begun a timid catch up. 58-88.

Slowly but surely. Paris climbing up.
The second period starts with a few jammer-on-jammer situations, before Katnis Evermean (#00) offers us the opportunity we were waiting for: a powerjam that we exploit to the max with Bully Bunker efficiently scoring, then making room for Hooligan with a full 4-blocker wall, to make the most of each second of that 1-minute present, despite a strong recycling of BA (#18) and Belle For Leather (#245). 93-77. Roxy Bat Girl (#9) makes me a gigangic hole on the start line and I take the lead right away while the Dublin jammer is sent to the box.
We aim at getting the lead as fast as possible on the first passes. We narrow the score gap. 95-83 / 98-84 / 98-88 / 98-90. 8 points left for 19 min left. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. We think that it's our time when opponent Bloody Harry (#23D) is sent to the box but our Joan Get27 unfortunately takes her place soon enough, the two jammers are quickly back, the 2-min marathon is on. 106-99. That's even. Our number of available jammers reduces, we are subjected to heavier rotations and I'm fully into it at last -- it was time!

Back where we started: proliferation of lead changes.
A few non-scoring jams follow. The pressure levels up. And we finally get the lead change we were thriving for on a powerjam, which is symbolically invigorating. 11 min left. 113-110. We don't have much time to rejoyce as Smack gets the better of Hooligan and gets the advantage back. 113-120. Nothing is lost, though. Proof with the next jam: Katniss Evermean (#00) is sent to the box and me and my pack team up to score 29 points, take the lead back and secure a cheering advantage. [ I think that's the jam where I found myself skitching Meryl Strip-Her (#00) by her finger... a failed-but-successful assist during which I tripped while reaching her hand, and she pulled me sliding on my knee pads on several meters. For a second I pictured myself water-skiing. Overly cool. ] 7 min left. 142-120. We maintain the gap for several jams until we have to face a new counter-powerjam. 159-134.

Save the last jam for me.
I'm on it. I think I take the lead (?) but in the heat of the action/pressure I wonderfully trip an opposing blocker while I hadn't even started the pass I was on. I rush to the box, bite my fingers helplessly watching Dublin passing, passing and passing again. 30 sec left. "B612, stand. B612, go." I bomb it out of the box and snake in and out the opposing wall before they realize it, I speed up for an ultimate pass when the four whistle blows resonate. Too short. Oops.
Hearts pounding. Scores being adjusted, NUMBERS SCROLLING ON THE BOARD... Dublin gets the lead. We're sad. Well-played. Then WE get the lead. 5 points ahead. 163-158 !! We did it. A double win for our last game of the season and our first trip altogether. I shed a few tears. I confess.


MVP Awards
The awards were given during the afterparty and presented by El Toupée! Thelma Track (#6, PRG B), Whippy Longstockings (#3.14, DRD B), Joan Get (#27, PRG A) and Katniss Evermean (#00, DRD A) were elected best jammers. The best blocker awards went to Sailor Blood (#109, PRG B), Ellie Beating (#6699, DRD B), Meryl Strip-Her (#00, PRG A) and Belle For Leather (#245, DRD A). As for the MPV titles, they went to Kill Belle (#0334, PRG B), Cleoraptor (#8008, DRD B), Kozmic Bruise (#B612, PRG A) and Trisha Smackanawa (#42, DRD A).

CONCLUSION

If you want FREE TITS OFF, learn the following lyrics and sing them fully and without mistake to a Paris RollerGirl. Works 100%.*

Si t'es fière d'être PRG, montre tes seins
Si t'es fière d'être PRG, montre tes seins
Si t'es fière d'être PRG, Si t'es fière d'être PRG,
Si t'es fière d'être PRG, montre tes seins
Woohoo.

With the tune of:


*Available to non-French people only.


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