Titans Cut by Blades

Jahin Shamsuddin reports on a heavy defeat for UEL Titans.

It was a day to forget on a rainy Sunday afternoon at East Ham Rugby Club, as The Titans were blown out 41-19 by the Essex Blades. The defeat leaves the Londoners with a 2-1 record and third position in the table.

Defensive Struggles 

One of the main issues throughout the game was the defence. The outside containment wasn’t good enough, the defence couldn’t stop the running game, and the Blades racked up the points.

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line filled with rookies was very strong and provided a lot of time for the quarterback John Paul Argyriou to throw from the pocket. Unfortunately he didn’t throw as quickly as he could and the opposing team had excellent coverage of the receivers throughout. One thing that will need to improve for the Titans is their running game as it lacked consistency, but with some work in training it could be an effective weapon in future.

Positive Plays

Although the game ended in a defeat, there were positives to take. The Titan’s punter Olaitan Awodesu scored an amazing touchdown through a fake punt as he ran the distance for the points. Star RB Jordon Bolessa and Wide Receiver Jack Saunders caught a TD pass each to account for the rest of the points.

Reactions

Middle Linebacker Louis Oswald was optimistic despite the defeat saying: “We showed that as a team we have potential to make big plays on offence and big stops on defence.” He also praised the rookies on the team: “For the majority of the team playing their first game, we showed heart. Everyone wanted to be on the field. That’s what will separate us from the other teams and make us better.”

He did however speak of the problems that the Titans have, stating that “little mistakes kill us; communication is a skill we need to be better at.”

It is clear that the Titans have the star power to succeed in the league: to improve they will need to make the teamwork better, so that when it is game day, the players team are in sync. The season still has a long way to go and the Titans remain in position to make the playoffs.

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