Standing Tall Read online

  Adam groaned. ‘Yeah, might as well turn it off.’

  ‘No, wait,’ Daniel said. ‘Look, there’s an opening.’

  The ball leaves the back of the scrum … Lacroix passes it to Dutrait … tackled but somehow passes it out the back to Varnes, who’s through! Like an arrow from a bow, something from nothing, Varnes steams towards the tryline. Benito is chasing – and Romeo – but there’s no hope for them. Varnes is home, scores under the post. An amazing effort!

  The four boys cheered, their favourite team for the match was now only one point behind with seconds to play.

  … And a beautiful kick for goal by Gaspard. Never in doubt. The crowd is going crazy. What a win for their national team!

  Sione fell back onto the bed. He wondered if one day someone would be watching him play for his country. Adam switched off his iPad and yawned.

  ‘None of that,’ Jake ordered. ‘We’re not going to bed yet. This is our third-last night together, so let’s hang out some more.’

  ‘Yeah, let’s,’ Daniel said.

  Sione was conflicted. He wanted to keep hanging out with the boys but he also knew how important it was to get a good night’s sleep before a big game.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Adam said, voicing Sione’s concern. ‘We have two games tomorrow. I think we should get as much sleep as we can.’

  ‘But that’s so boring,’ Jake moaned.

  ‘I have that rugby card game,’ Adam offered. ‘I’m brushing my teeth now, but we could play that quickly before bed.’

  ‘Fine,’ Jake relented.

  Sione and Daniel began rummaging through their bags for their pyjamas.

  ‘Hey, Sione,’ Adam chuckled, his mouth full of toothpaste suds, ‘remember how you used to carry Izzy’s email around in your bag?’

  ‘What do you mean “used to”?’ Jake laughed. ‘That was only a week ago!’

  Sione laughed and rolled his eyes. ‘Three nights left …’ he whispered to himself. He remembered how he’d fought back tears while boarding the bus to go on tour. He never expected he would have to do it again when it was time to return home.

  In the last two weeks, Sione had noticed a change in himself and he knew the others did too. Though he was still quiet, he was much more assured now. He found it easier to make friends and he was less worried about what others thought of him. Sione had shared a lot about his personal life with Daniel, too, and that was something he had never trusted anyone with before.

  He wasn’t the only one who’d changed. Daniel had also learned a lot about himself over the past couple of weeks. Sione could barely stand him when they’d first met, but now he was certain they’d be friends forever. Sione knew he would never forget this trip.

  He slid his hand into the side of his bag and felt around for the printout of Izzy’s email. There was still a bit of blu-tack on it. He taped it on the wall near his pillow and went back to searching for his pyjamas.

  ‘Hey, he still has it!’ Jake said, pointing at the email.

  The other boys laughed and Sione grinned proudly.

  Once all four boys were ready for bed, they sat on the floor and Adam pulled out his rugby card game. He shuffled the deck and dealt a hand of cards to everyone.

  ‘I’ll start,’ Daniel announced.

  Jake smacked his forehead. ‘Why do you always get to go first?’

  Daniel shrugged. ‘I called it.’

  ‘Fine, whatever,’ Jake laughed, shaking his head.

  ‘Tries,’ Daniel said.

  Sione looked at his cards. They each had a famous rugby player from the past or the present. Below their pictures were lists of their playing stats. The player he held who had scored the most tries was Rory Underwood with fifty.

  ‘Fifty,’ he said.

  ‘Forty-six,’ said Jake.

  ‘Forty,’ said Adam.

  Daniel held up his hand, displaying his card triumphantly. ‘Sorry, guys, David Campese with sixty-four tries.’

  The others groaned and handed over their cards. They played a few more rounds, comparing famous players and arguing over whose was the best when there was a light knock at the door. Sione got up to open it.

  ‘Hi, guys,’ Izzy said, walking in. ‘Sorry for interrupting your game, but we have two massive matches tomorrow. Lights out in five minutes.’

  ‘Did you know that Jonny Wilkinson scored one thousand, two hundred and forty-six points in his career?’ Daniel asked him, holding up the card to prove it.

  ‘Yes, I did,’ Izzy said, grinning, ‘but that’s still not as many as Dan Carter. Or as many as Daniel Masters will kick by the end of his career.’

  Daniel blushed.

  ‘Lights out in five, okay?’ Izzy said. ‘See you tomorrow, bright and early.’

  He left, and the four friends were soon in their beds.

  ‘Jake, who’s coming from your family to watch us?’ Adam said into the darkness.

  ‘I don’t know. Pretty much everyone, I guess. What about you?’

  Adam counted off each of his immediate family members. ‘Mum, Dad, James, Chris and my grandparents.’

  ‘Cool,’ Jake said. ‘Who’s coming from your family, Daniel?’

  But Daniel didn’t answer. As the question hung in the air, Sione wondered if he really was asleep or just pretending.

  The change room was a hive of activity as the team prepared for their first match of the Junior Rugby State Championships. When all the boys were dressed in their kit, Izzy clapped to get everyone’s attention. ‘We have ten minutes. Everyone sit down, please.’

  The boys scurried to sit on a bench or on the floor in front of Izzy, some of them still lacing up their boots.

  Sione sat next to Daniel. ‘I can’t believe this place, it’s like we’re professionals already,’ he whispered. ‘It’s a real change room!’

  Daniel nodded, watching Izzy as he prepared to speak.

  Jake, who was sitting on the other side of Daniel, added, ‘And this isn’t even the main stadium. Imagine what it’s like in there!’

  ‘Settle down, boys,’ Izzy called above the excited chatter. ‘We have to get out there for the warm-up and pre-match festivities, but I just wanted to say a few things before we do.’

  A calm immediately settled upon the room as the talk ceased and all eyes turned to Izzy.

  ‘This weekend is the culmination of a lot of hard work,’ Izzy continued. ‘I want to thank you for all your efforts on this tour. You should be very proud of yourselves. We have been through so much together and we now know each other so well. In a way, we are now family. We’ve played games in three different states and territories, we’ve ridden roller-coasters and we’ve watched crocodiles eat their lunch.’

  Some of the boys chuckled at this.

  ‘But,’ Izzy said, pausing for effect, ‘what happens here over the next two or three days will probably be the main memories you will carry with you for the rest of your life. You might forget the colour of the walls in your cabin on the Gold Coast, but you will probably not forget how you played at the State Championships.’

  Daniel swallowed.

  ‘Win, lose or draw,’ Izzy said, ‘I want you to play your hardest, try your best and have no regrets. Keep your eyes on the prize but remember to enjoy the game. Above all, we are here for the love of the game.’

  The boys clapped and cheered in response. Daniel was surprised to find himself so emotional over this.

  ‘We would like to say something, too,’ Tom Parker piped up. He put an arm around Mary, who was standing next to him. ‘We’re so proud of you. No matter the result, you’re all fantastic.’

  ‘Oh, and we have a surprise for you up in the grandstand,’ Mary added, a glint in her eye. ‘Go, Crocs!’

  The boys laughed. It seemed the nickname Tom and Mary had given the team during their time in the Northern Territory had stuck. Daniel couldn’t imagine what the surprise might be.

  Izzy stepped back and gave the floor to Jeremy. Daniel wondered what he was going to
say. Jeremy didn’t usually speak to them before a game. He carried pens and paper and told them what hotel room to sleep in and what plane to catch. What could he possibly say to motivate them?

  ‘Uh … hi, everyone,’ Jeremy began. ‘What Tom and Mary and Izzy said is all true.’

  Is that it? Daniel thought impatiently, eager to get out on the field.

  ‘I just wanted to say that I’ve been in your position. I’ve played in State Championships. Almost every year I made a rep team somewhere. I even played for my state and for Australia at the junior level – in rugby league and rugby union.’

  Daniel’s jaw dropped. He’d had no idea Jeremy was that good. He turned to look at Sione to gauge his reaction but Sione just nodded at him. How did he know this already? Daniel thought.

  ‘I played in many great teams,’ Jeremy continued, ‘but I never won a premiership. I never got a medal. My teams never won a championship or competition of any kind.’ The room was completely silent. ‘It’s okay, I still played hard and was happy, but I can’t deny I wish I had won something just once. So, even though I hope you all get to see many championships, play hard today. Don’t take your opportunities for granted. Let’s do this!’

  Everyone cheered and clapped and Daniel knew they were ready to take to the field. As the boys strode out of the change room, they chanted their name loud and proud.

  ‘Val-ley! Val-ley! Val-ley!’

  The loudspeaker screeched to life. ‘Welcome to today’s game – Valley against Metro,’ the announcer bellowed. ‘Please rise for the national anthem.’

  Goosebumps crept up along Daniel’s arms as the first notes of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ blared all around him. His team was standing in a straight line, facing the small crowd in the grandstand. Somewhere to the left of him, Metro were doing the same. With his hands by his sides, Daniel sang the anthem through. Afterwards, the main referee motioned for Daniel to stand next to him. The Metro captain, dressed in their trademark yellow jersey, was called upon to do the same. The referee stood between them and produced a twenty-cent coin for the toss.

  Daniel could hardly believe this was happening. He called tails and won the toss. Sticking to the game plan, he selected to receive the ball in the first half. Jogging back to his teammates to tell them that first piece of good news felt amazing.

  While Daniel stood in position, awaiting the starting whistle, a low murmur rumbled through the crowd. Daniel looked up and scanned the stands to work out what was going on – and then he spotted them. Tom and Mary Parker were in the middle of a group of Valley family members dressed in head-to-toe green, some shaking green pompoms and all cheering for ‘the Crocs’. Mary was even waving a green sign with a crocodile on it and the words ‘Go, Crocs!’ Thanks to Tom and Mary, Daniel felt like the game was as exciting as an international test. He grinned and waved at them.

  But where’s Mum and Dad? he wondered.

  Eventually, Daniel spied his father. He was sitting far away from the parents in green and watching his son intently. Daniel wished he would join in with the other parents but he knew that wasn’t his dad’s thing at all. His dad preferred to study the game without distraction and make a mental note of all the ways Daniel could improve for next time. He told himself his mum was probably sitting somewhere else or running late, but in his heart he knew better.

  After the excitement of the pre-game festivities, the match started with a bang. The second Daniel received the ball, he was taken down in a thumping tackle by an opposition forward, leaving him wheezing on the ground. But after that Daniel fell into a comfortable and familiar rhythm as he played. The team performed as Izzy had taught them. They played hard and to the plan. Set plays were completed, tries were scored. Daniel saw his dad clapping after one of his goal kicks and that was probably the highlight of the day for him. It was a smooth game.

  But there was one moment Daniel would never forget. He threw an awesome cut-out pass to Sione on the wing. The ball skipped the hands of three other Valley backs, totally confusing the defending team. Sione found himself in the clear with only Eric, their centre, in support. Sione could have scored a try in the corner but decided to pass the ball along to Eric at the last moment. Eric then went on to score under the posts as Metro defenders ran around him.

  When it was all over, the Valley players were ecstatic. Some boys laughed with relief, some were stunned and some even cried tears of joy. They had won by a large margin: 31–8.

  Daniel, however, remained calm. He told himself this was only the first game and that the matches would only get harder from here. Although his body was sore, he took the time as team captain to shake hands with the Metro players and to thank the referee. Daniel was sure his dad would be proud of the way he stayed in control, even after the game.

  Walking off, Daniel glimpsed the scoreboard again and smiled. Perhaps he had been right all along. Valley were legit and were going to be hard to beat. He could almost feel the cold handles of the Championship trophy in his hands.

  ‘Boys, settle down,’ Izzy called. ‘We all need to stretch and stay warm. We have another game this afternoon.’

  Sione sat in the corner feeling sorry for Izzy. It was the first time the team hadn’t listened to him. Izzy had been trying to get their attention over and over again, but everyone was just too excited. They were all talking over the top of one another and re-enacting their favourite moments from the match. Sione figured that settling a group of twenty boys after a big win was next to impossible.

  ‘Hey! Quiet! Izzy’s speaking!’ Daniel shouted. He was standing on one of the chairs scattered around the change room.

  The room immediately fell silent and even Izzy seemed taken aback. A small smile tugged at the corners of Sione’s mouth.

  ‘Thank you, Daniel,’ Izzy said. ‘All right, everyone, you are allowed to be excited, but we have another game in a few hours and we need to make sure our bodies are ready for it. We will keep using the interchange bench regularly, but we want to do all we can to avoid any injury. Everyone, take a spot on the floor and do your stretches.’

  The boys sighed and lowered themselves to the ground. Methodically, they began to stretch their hamstrings. The change room settled into an eerie quiet after the insanity of moments before.

  Izzy chuckled. ‘Guys, you’re not in trouble,’ he said. ‘You can still talk.’

  Without hesitation, the boys burst into another round of rehashings of the game. As Sione stretched, his mind could only dwell on one topic. He hadn’t stopped scanning the stands for his family during the entire match, only half-focused on actually playing. At every opportunity Sione had looked for the familiar faces of his dad, aunty and sister without success. What made it worse was that every other Valley boy seemed to have at least one relative there to watch them play.

  ‘Did you see your family?’ he heard Eric ask Steven.

  Steven looked at him like he was crazy. ‘Of course! As if they wouldn’t come.’

  ‘My sister was there, and she’s only a few months old,’ Sean added.

  All the boys talking about their families blended into one voice. ‘They were decked out in green … It was so cool … Can’t wait to see them again …’

  The fact that Sione couldn’t join in the conversation made him feel even more despondent.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Daniel asked, sitting down beside Sione to continue his stretches.

  ‘Nothing,’ Sione answered.

  Daniel shook his head, unconvinced. ‘We just won our first game and you’re here in the corner hardly enjoying the win. Something’s wrong – what is it?’

  ‘Who cares about winning if the people you care about aren’t there to see it?’ Sione mumbled.

  Daniel nodded as if he’d already guessed that was the case. ‘If it makes you feel any better, my dad was there but he wasn’t cheering with the others. He was probably on his phone half the time.’

  ‘At least he was there,’ Sione said. Tears welled in his eyes.

&nbs
p; ‘Yeah, well, my mum wasn’t.’

  The two boys sat there in silence, angry at the world and now, for some reason, with each other.

  Why can’t I just be happy we won? Sione asked himself.

  The change-room door rattled as someone knocked on it forcefully. Sione watched Jeremy open the double doors a fraction and have a word with someone standing in the hall. He turned back to the boys, looking for someone in particular. Jeremy’s eyes met Sione’s. ‘Come over here, mate,’ he said, motioning for Sione to get up.

  Sione almost ran to him, hardly daring to guess who might be waiting outside. The door opened, and the euphoria he felt at that moment was unimaginable.

  ‘Dad!’ he shouted, jumping into his father’s arms.

  ‘Hi, son.’ His dad laughed. ‘You happy to see us or what?’

  His aunty patted his back and hugged him too. Sione picked up Mele and spun her around, and it was then that he noticed the three of them were dressed in green. He smiled even wider, if that was at all possible, and began telling them about everything that had happened on tour. Not halfway through his summary, his aunty and dad began laughing so hard he couldn’t continue. He looked up at them wondering what was so funny.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ his aunty said, wiping her eyes, ‘but this is some change in you, Sione. You haven’t spoken this much in years!’

  ‘There’ll be time to catch up properly later,’ his dad added. ‘But we are so glad you’ve had such a good time.’

  Mele waved a piece of paper at Sione. He took it from her and turned it around to see the drawing. There were lots of green scribbles and what looked like a person standing in the middle of it all.

  ‘It’s you! It’s you!’ Mele sang, dancing around.

  Sione smiled. ‘I’ll keep it forever,’ he promised. Not having any pockets, Sione folded it up and tucked it into his sock.

  ‘Sorry we were so late,’ Aunty sighed. ‘Your dad couldn’t get out of work as early as we’d hoped.’

  ‘That’s okay,’ Sione said. ‘There are heaps of games to go. We’ve got another one this afternoon.’