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A TALEOF WAR - BATTLE RENEWED


By Innings
January 17 2016

Not two moons had passed since the great sack of King Span’s fortress.  The memories lingered but the Ulstermen had renewed their walls, and others had visited that place and been repelled since the sack.  The Warriors of Saracens had also fought actively and well, with many adventures against rival tribes of their own region and with twice-achieved conquest of the ambitions of Oyonnaxiens, a Gallic tribe of the Jura Mountains.  But one local tribe, of multi-coloured robes and proud, but of Stooping demeanour, had prevailed against the invasion of the Saracens in most recent days, and the Saracens were sore at this

And now the men of red hands and white robes descended upon the pleasant lands of Allianz Park, and they were prepared to right the wrongs done to them in the sack of their own place.  And many folk of Ulster came with them, wishing to attend the great righting. 

The gods in their Copt Hall sent their alchemists to attend the battle, and the alchemists prepared to welcome the invader with smoke and fire.  Many attending at the field were not privy to this welcome and expressed surprise that the alchemists had so prepared.  And the weather gods smiled upon the scene, and the gods of wind and rain were quiet, whilst the great Sun God himself watched over the scene from his low couch in the western skies.

Battle was now commenced and it was soon clear that the warriors from King Span’s Stadium were greatly intent upon their quest.  With mighty endeavours they sought to impose their wills upon the Saracens.  Their plan was to hold the defensive warriors of the Saracens in the centre of battle and to send the speediest of their cavalry to outflank the forces against them.  But the plan was difficult of execution because the heaviest men of the Saracen army were also fleet of foot and quick of hands, and the Ulstermen were troubled by the spirit of them. 

The Saracens had a great thrower of spears, one Owen, son of a great family of warriors, and Owen placed his first spear clean into its target, but the Ulstermen were not discouraged.  One soldier of Ulster, Luke, demonstrated his Martial ardour and quickness of thought to cast aside the desires of the Saracens to hunt him down, and he made the first great score of the battle.  The spears of Owen were not to fly true today and many attempts to strike the Ulstermen did not find their homes in the hearts of the invaders. 

And so the battle raged on, and the great Sun God settled lower in his western couch, but he was reluctant to leave the scene, and his presence was oft-times grit in the eyes of the Saracens as the Ulstermen took on the Saracens in the launching of aerial warfare.  But the Ulstermen were not familiar with this warfare and they sent their attacks too far, and did not achieve their aim, so that the last man of the Saracens’ defence was not held to Ransom as much as those watching the battle had feared.

And the Saracens created their favoured mind wars and began to squeeze the time and space available to the Ulstermen, and soon the Ulstermen were in great need of bodies to defend their lines, but the bodies were unable to match the weight of the Saracens, and Billy, one of the brothers in arms, was able to complete the first great assault on the Ulstermen.  So it was that the Ulstermen ended the first part of the battle disadvantaged and many were weary at the labours they had undertaken.

And so we took refreshments, and the chocolate was hot, and the pies were toothsome.  Many spoke about the battle, and were agreed that the Five-Pointed Star that the Saracens had stolen from the Ulstermen two moons ago would be joined by another taken from this battle

When battle was rejoined, the Sun God had retired and the field of battle was lit by the torches of the alchemists, high on their poles, whilst the god of ice was seeking to enter the feet and hands of the followers of the battle.  The followers were not discomforted, for the battle unfolding was generating warmth of excitement.

And shortly the Saracens came to the last defences of the Ulstermen, and one Saracens warrior, known as Ashy, but oft described as being as mad as a cut snake, was on hand to take to take a pass and attract attention of an Ulsterman, but before he could be approached he had moved the ball on to Owen, the thrower of spears and leader of the cavalry.  Owen was able to step through the gap created by Ashy, the cut snake and passed to Duncan, of the family of Tailors, who repeated his feats of King Span and completed a third touching of the invaders’ ground.

The battle was approaching the last times appointed for its completion, and the Saracens needed more achievement if the Five Pointed Star was to be theirs.  Some numbers of both of the armies had been replaced, and the men of Ulster were regretting the energies that they had expended in the early stages of the battle.  One of the Ulster warriors had become accustomed to falling to the ground when in close quarter combat, which greatly aroused the judges of the battle, and this warrior, one Gilroy, was invited to return to his tent to think upon the errors of his ways.   And whilst he was so thinking, the heaviest men of the Saracens were pressing upon the white line of the Ulstermen.  And even many of the skirmishers of the Saracens were in this fray.  One of the newly arrived warriors of the Saracens was in the forefront of this press, and fell to the line, but he lacked but six inches of reach to achieve his goal.  Never again will the great Skuller so greatly regret the lack of six inches as at that moment.  But another, Maro, a youthful warrior, said by many to de destined to be a hero of battles on the greatest of fields, was at hand, and he took the ball from the hands of Skuller and completed the assault. 

The Skuller was not downhearted, for he wore the fabled red cap of invisibility, and he recited the spells ordained by the alchemists and soon was to pass through the ranks of the defenders, unseen by any, with only the wind of his passing to indicate his progress.  And so the Five Pointed Star was gained.

The Ulstermen were able to take advantage of one last opportunity, when taking the ball passing from one Saracen to another, but the battle was lost, and they knew it, and those watching knew it.

The Saracens have achieved the immediate object of the battle, for they are certain to take part in the next battles to come, and another invader must attempt to bring down the walls that defend Allianz Park.  And the Ulstermen have the chance to achieve the right to partake of these further battles.

And so the day ended.  The great overlord of the Saracens, Nigel Wray, the benefactor of his peoples, moved among his people in his black cloak, and expressed himself pleased, and the followers of the Ulstermen gathered on the field and danced and sang, for they are true followers of the tribe and are loyal in their support.  The great overlord of the warriors of all the tribes of the Britannii was present at the battle, and this scribe believes that the Eddie will be pleased, for those warriors whom he has touched for his own battles saw many who will have well faced the foes and fought well in the heat of the battle.

The Warriors of Saracens (33)

Ransom (Hodgson), Ashton, Bosch (Tompkins), Taylor, Wyles, Farrell,  Wigglesworth (De Kock), M Vunipola (Barrington), George (Brits), Du Plessis (Figallo), Itoje, Kruis, Rhodes, Fraser (Wray), B Vunipola

The Ulstermen (17)

Payne, Trimble, L Marshall (Scholes), McCloskey, Gilroy, Jackson (Humphreys), Pienaar (P Marshall), McCall, (Black) Best (Herring), Herbst (Lutton), O'Connor (Stevenson), Van der Merwe (Ross), Diack, Reidy,Wilson

Scorers:-

Warriors of Saracens:  Tries - B Vunipola, Taylor, Itoje, Brits.  Conv - Farrell (2)   Pens - Farrell (3)

Ulstermen: Tries - L Marshall, Humphreys   Conv - Jackson, Humphreys    Pen - Humphreys

Referee: J Garces

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A TALE OF WAR - BATTLE RENEWED
Discussion started by TheSaracens.com , 17/01/2016 20:42
TheSaracens.com
17/01/2016 20:42
Excellent innings, most amusing!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016:01:31:21:47:21 by Darraghgirl.

JO'G
17/01/2016 22:04
Innings thats even better than the first one

Thanks very much

derbyshire fan
17/01/2016 22:14
fantastic report - thank you so much

TonyTaff
17/01/2016 22:26
Splendid prose!

£721.05 (*) donated to the Saracens Foundation due to visits to the Sarries frontpage [www.rugbynetwork.net]

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(*) As at October 31, 2018.

davidthesarrie
17/01/2016 22:35
Brilliant. Most enjoyable read. Thank you again. smiling smiley

Squawker2
18/01/2016 00:32
Brilliant, warms my hearth

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Stuart Barnes is a Cock Womble

JuliaP
18/01/2016 10:13
Really enjoyed the report as it brought a gleeful smile onto my face.

Thank you

oxonsarrie
19/01/2016 16:51
Have only just managed to read this and oh how it bightened the day . Thank You

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