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had no right to avoid such fates and another team takes their place. You also need to wonder how ‘fun’ the original club players, whose places in the starting line-up and squads are given to these said ‘ringers’, find the chastising experience...
Aside from this, there are other games at this time of year, games that have absolutely nothing riding on them. Say two teams who are sitting in mid-table meet, with neither having the chance of going up or down. If there’s no rivalry between the two sides, or no derby bragging rights to be had, then they often face off against each other for the sake of facing off. They’re the rugby equivalent of grey. A boring microwave meal; a four year old’s birthday party on a Sunday afternoon with a hangover. Players, coaches, supporters, referees – no one really wants to play or watch the games, and yet, of course, these games have to be played.
Now we’re all aware of the honour of playing for the badge, but midweek in April, on pitches as hard as concrete roads and bare enough to cause third degree burns to knees and elbows, in which the result has practically no bearing on the season’s fortunes whatsoever, it can be hard to get motivated.
The only ‘mildly’ saving grace to these sort of ‘nothing’ games is if you happen to be playing one of them at home. If you’re away, and find yourself travelling for an hour or so to the game after a full day of work, well, it’s enough to try the patience and resolve of the most ardent rugby fanatic. Indeed, as Eliot wrote, “April is the cruellest month.”
22 ALL SHAPES & ZEBRAS FROM TREORCHY