The first match for the
Mummy Dolphins see them playing the other team that is not native to the ARBBL, the
Jlaxonkill Jaguars, an Amazon coached by the respected Waddywoos.
A team of players that are capable of running rings around most other teams the Dolphins were not exactly looking forward to this match up.
21 fans came to watch the match, more supporting the Jaguars and hostile to the Dolphins.
As they lined up and the captains moved to the centre to do the coin toss, the heavens opened and flooded the pitch. Very soon the grass was no longer visible and they appeared to be playing Water Bowl.
The Jaguars won the toss and elected to kick the first half. They sent the ball flying towards the back field and in the ensuing rush to get back to recover it, most of the Dolphins failed to live up their name and slipped in the rain and fell on the faces. The Warrior Women of the Jaguars were obviously more used to the wet conditions and used the distraction to good effect and swarmed passed the line of Undead and were nearly on the ball before the Ghoul Pack recovered their wits and got to their feet.
Both teams raced for the ball, pushing each other around in the wet, but it was the Dolphin Ghoul Pack who got the ball first, scooping it up with ease. Unfortunately most of the Jaguar team were now between them and the safety net that is the Mummies and Wights.
Mrs Lovett, lead Ghoul, saw her chance and scurried around the line of Amazonians and threw the ball to the waiting hands
Wilde.
Wilde quickly ordered the Mummies and Skeletons to surround him, but they weren't quick enough and one of the Jaguars swiftly knocked Wilde down and sent the ball flying into the watery muck again.
Mumm-ra took offence to this delivered a blow to the offending Jaguar,
Storm Johnson, that sent her off to the restroom for the rest of the match, thinking herself lucky once see saw the others start to be stretchered in.
Both teams surrounded where they thought the ball was and brawl ensued, both teams getting pushed around but the Jaguars suffering from losing players.
Undaunted they kept pushing the Dolphins and kept knocking the ball loose.
Pippa Posluzny left herself open on the side line and Wilde and
Shelleywere able to push her into the waiting hands of the few Dolphin fans who carried her off and out of the stadium. (She didn't make it back in time to keep playing and the rumour is she has been stolen away to be used in a ritual. Will she make it back for the Jaguars next match?)
The ball was eventually bounced into the waiting hands of
Average Joe, who shambled forward and handed to the ball to Shelley who ran into the endzone to score with moments to spare.
The teams lined up and knowing they only had seconds to do anything before the half time whistle went the Jaguars put on a display of passing prowess as the half ended, 1-0 to the Dolphins.
The half time pep talks really helped the Jaguars and they came out of the dugout, rallied with new game plans, even though they were a few players down. The Dolphins just stood there is stoney silence.
This new game plan involved knocking down the Undead Line of Scrimmage and moving to create a pocket just behind their own line to protect the ball. However this failed when
Britney Bortles failed to pick up the ball, which was still swimming in the flooded pitch.
The Dolphins took the opportunity to surround and push the Jaguars into a small box, but the Amazons pushed back to clear some room. However neither side could lay a hand on the ball that was floating around the place.
In the fight to claim the ball Shelley was able to grab
Kayleigh Forttand sent her to the dugout with a, possibly illegal, tackle. At about the same time
Mumm-ra delivered a low blow to
Juliette Lotulelei, breaking her leg and possibly ending her career before it has really started.
Undaunted by the blood slowly colouring the swimming ball,
Alicia Hurns finally got her hands on it and ran.
As Alicia Hurns fled the melee, the rest of her team tried to disengage from the fight and support her, but they could not get away and the Ghoul Pack were very quick to chase her down send her, and the ball, flying.
Hindleypicked up the ball and the Undead quickly surrounded her and they marched back up field. The few remaining Amazons tried valiantly to stop them, they were too few and the Undead too many.
Tatiana Alualu even gave her life trying to stop the unstoppable march of the Dolphins and the Undead coach was quick to claim the body and
keep her playing.
The result was inevitable, with Hindley hopping over the line just a second before the final whistle blew, ending the opening
match 2-0.