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Both teams come into this game looking to avoid the wooden spoon. Germany will be wondering how they have ended up here, but the results and performances are clear to their presence. Switzerland knew their first trip into the REC would be a learning curve, and with the baptism of fire they received by Georgia. The rest of the tournament has been a constant improvement. Can they make the final step and get their first victory?
McDonald (8'), Bulow (34')
Tries
Nelson-Murray (44'), McCarthy (76')
Klewinghaus (10', 35')
Conversions
Perrod (45', 77')
Klewinghaus (51')
Penalties
Perrod (18')
Drop Goals
Porcher (82')
Both teams come into this game looking to avoid the wooden spoon. Germany will be wondering how they have ended up here, but the results and performances are clear to their presence. Switzerland knew their first trip into the REC would be a learning curve, and with the baptism of fire they received by Georgia. The rest of the tournament has been a constant improvement. Can they make the final step and get their first victory?
Well, my match preview prediction was widely wrong! But what a game of rugby, and what a way to end the tournament!
Germany started the match with a few injuries coming into the game, and a heavy track to play on but they definitely didnt expect what would happen at the end of the game!
The kicking territory battle started the match, while both sides were looking to find their feet in the game. Switzerland were picking up a few penalties early on, allowing them to march the Germans back into their own 22. But Germany stood strong and managed to exit effectively. The Swiss lineout looked dominant so far though. With the ball being handed back and forth for the first 8 minutes or so. Mikey McDonald was able to break the deadlock in the 9th minute, from a quick tap and go in the corner. Nikolai Klewinghaus slotted the conversion to take the German lead to 7 -0 after 10 minutes.
Germany looked like they were starting to turn the screw, as the penalty count was creeping up and allowing them to gain terrority and limit the Swiss attack. However, the Swiss scrum was still causing mayhem in the early stages and allowing them to rebuild that terrority.
The Swiss lineout found themselves trotting towards the German try line in the 16th minute, but a strong German defence was able to hold up the ball. An off the ball incident, could have really hampered the German team, but the Official didnt see much in it. Even with the replays making it look worse. The subsequent scrum was demolished again by the Swiss, and allowed a Swiss penalty in the 18th minute. Simon Perrod obliged and closed the score line to 7 -3.
Germany went on the attack and tried to use the aerial attack to get them in the corner. Unfortunately, it couldnt be gathered up, The Germans forced the Swiss to make a error at the lineout, which they had to dot down in their own try area. Setting up a 5m scrum for Germany. The Swiss couldn’t hold their side up in the scrum, giving the Germans a penalty on the 5m line. Germany went for points but Klewinghaus pushed it wide.
Germany enjoyed a sustained period int he Swiss 22, with a number of penalties awared on the Swiss 5m line. Germany could not find their way over and ended up with a ball held up over the line. Swiss managed to exit but only for another wave of German attack. Germany could not find a way through again, but managed to keep the Swiss camped in their own half with limiting their exits.
Germany won a scrum in the middle of the Swiss half which held strong. Allowed the Germans to go coast to coast and finally Bulow dived in the corner after a period of quick ball orchestrated by Mikey McDonald again. Klewinghaus obliged with the extras from a more difficult angle than his previous penalty miss. Germany move to 14-3 ahead after 35 minutes.
Germany looked to be getting the control in this game, and were forcing Swiss into errors in their own half. Germany will probably wish the half time whistle didn’t have to come. A number of attempts to add to the score line were swarted by the Swiss locking in over the breakdown. Switzerland had one last trundle with a driving maul in the German 22 before half time. But they butchered it with a obstruction when Cameron Holenstein looked clean through.
Germany will have wished the half time whistle hadn’t come with what was about to ensue in the second half!
With the flags around the pitch looking like they were about to fly away, the Swiss started the half like prime Fiji. They were trying everything they could to get the ball through the hands. Even Props were going for the cat flap to get the ball into the channels.
Germany gave away a unnecessary penalty in their own 22, so the Swiss went for the corner with their trademark lineout. Luis Ball left the field for Henning Brockmann after receiving treatment for blood pouring from his head. The Swiss set the lineout on the Germany 5m line, executed perfectly and just drove everyone over the line. Jack Nelson- Murray appeared out of the bottom of the maul, holding the ball. Simon Perrod managed to battle the swirling wind with Ahmed Kane readied to finger the ball if needed. But Perrod slotted the extras and on the 45th minute, the Swiss were back to 14 -1 0, surely it wasn’t on?
Germany fluffed the restart and kicked it out on the full. The wind was really starting to take an affect. But Germany won the ball back from the scrum penalty. The kick put the Germans into Swiss 22, giving them a chance to put the Swiss defence to test. Shawn Ingle nearly found himself clear in the corner but Swiss defence held strong but once again offended at the breakdown. Germany were forcing the Swiss into many penalty errors, the official had to put them under a warning. But the Germans opted for a easy penalty kick infront of the posts, as what turned out to be their last points of the day. Germany 17 - 10 after 51 minutes. Surely they have shown this Swiss side far too much respect and not gone for the jugular when the officials were ready to go to their pocket.
The next 20 minutes or so of the game turned flat, with both teams making many substitutions. The game was just a bit of a arm wrestle strewn with handling and discipline errors. The aerial battle was controlled by the wind and benefitted the Swiss more than Germany in this half. Luis Ball did return to the pitch and had to borrow Shawn Ingles head guard to keep the bandage in place.
In the 75th minute, the Swiss got the wind behind them and a sniff of the try line again. A couple of phases went by and Maxime Lucon was ended in the shadow of the posts by Shawn Ingle. But the Swiss managed to retain the ball and repurpose it to form a rolling maul. Thomas McCarthy snatched it from the back and wheeled off into the loose. He was not stopping for anyone, and forced himself over the line but it looked as Germany had done enough to stop him short. The try was reviewed for a double movement on the deck, but Michael English did not deem it that way and the try was awarded. Simon Perrod slotted the extras to take it to 17 - 17 in the 77th minute. How has this game found itself level this late on?!
Germany were going to have to throw the kitchen sink at the Swiss to make sure they didnt suffer defeat. They managed to string a few phases together from the restart, and pick up penalties on route towards the Swiss line. Germany finally won a penalty in range close to the touchline and with 15 seconds to go. Germany must have thought they had the job done. Klewinghaus pushed it wide though, and the Swiss were not going for extra time. They just ran it forward, managed to win a penalty advantage close to their 10 m line. It allowed them to put the Germans back in their own half, the line out set up another wave of Swiss metres gained. They then found themselves on the German 22, on the left side of the pitch, a couple of further line breaks put themselves in the perfect position.
Simon Perrod drifted into the pocket like Wilko did in that Final. Surely, he can’t make it. The ball presented it self perfectly, and Perrod took aim. From outside of the German 22, Perrod executed the impossible! What a kick, what a way to end a game!
Germany will go away and have to lick their wounds! Have a serious debrief and put a plan in place to avoid relegation to the trophy next year. Switzerland will have a great platform to build on, and hopefully they don’t waste this momentum going into the next REC!
