Standing Tall Read online

  Aunty grinned. ‘And we’ll be back every day, we won’t miss another game.’

  Sione grinned back as Mele gave him a pinky promise and his dad ruffled his hair. So far, this was the best day of the tour!

  The whistle blew and Daniel kicked the ball deep into North West’s territory. A player wearing a red jersey with a white collar effortlessly picked the ball out of the sky and powered upfield.

  Sione looked the player straight in the eye as they ran towards each other. They were intense eyes – eyes that would have scared Sione if he saw them anywhere but on the rugby pitch. Sione steadied himself and slightly lowered his body, preparing to dive at the legs of the oncoming steamroller.

  As Sione’s shoulder slammed into the North West player, his arms wrapped around the boy’s legs. It felt like he had tackled a stone statue. Sione fell away, instantly sore and dizzy. Looking back with glassy eyes, he saw that his opponent hadn’t even stopped. Wobbly but still on the move, it took the extra weight of Jake coming in from the side to finally take the player down.

  Sione rubbed his shoulder and stood up gingerly. He ran back onside, averting his eyes from the grandstand. So eager to have his family watch him in the crowd before, he was now embarrassed to see the looks on their faces.

  As he returned to the back line, the North West players began moving the ball forward. They would be brought down in a tackle only to move the ball on again. They kept coming, making slow but constant progress up the field, using strength and discipline alone.

  It wasn’t long before Sione was exhausted. His legs were tight and heavy, his body ached and his lungs were overworked. During a break in play, Jeremy ran onto the field with water for the team. Sione gulped it down before spraying some over his face in an attempt to wake himself up.

  ‘Stay with it,’ Jeremy said. ‘You’re going good.’

  Sione nodded, though he wasn’t so sure. His desire to keep his mind and body in check and to continue to push himself was dissipating. His feet, usually light and quick on the grass, were dragging as he struggled to keep up. It was hard being a full-time defender.

  Why can’t I keep up? he wondered. He’d been doing all those extra early-morning fitness sessions with Izzy to make sure he was at his fittest. Has it all been a waste of time?

  And then, after what seemed like forever, Adam tackled a North West centre so hard that the ball popped loose from his grasp and unexpectedly found its way into Daniel’s hands. He flicked the ball to Eric, who was then tackled. Nevertheless, the Valley team cheered and clapped. The onslaught was finally over – at least for the time being.

  Sione gritted his teeth. He didn’t want his family to have come all this way to see him struggling. There’s no way the car trip home is going to be a sad one, he said to himself.

  He sprinted off his line, took a pass cleanly and ran at the defence with new-found energy. The tackle was hard and the ground was harder, but Sione rolled over and planted the ball behind him. It was taken away by Harrison, and Sione was soon left to brush himself off.

  ‘Run, tackle, run, tackle,’ Daniel muttered as the boys walked off at half-time. ‘This is crazy!’

  Sione looked down as he passed the scoreboard. He already knew they were behind twelve points to seven but he didn’t want to see it lit up in big numbers. He looked at the crowd instead and waved to his family. Mele put down a bucket of hot chips to wave back. Sione smiled as they disappeared from view and he walked inside their change room. He hoped there would be even more to smile about in the second half.

  Everyone collapsed into the room. Some boys flopped down onto a bench, others just sank to the floor. They were all exhausted – even the interchange players. Sione did his best to keep moving. He knew that letting his muscles tighten during the break would make running in the second half even harder. He guzzled his water as he jogged on the spot, waiting for Izzy’s message.

  How they had even scored those seven points, Sione didn’t know. It had all happened in a blur, against the flow of play. Jake had ended up with the ball after an intense scrum and he fell over the line. Daniel kicked his conversion and that was it. Besides that, North West had been in control the entire match. They had scored two tries and kicked one conversion.

  ‘I’m glad they’re only five points in front,’ Daniel said.

  It was definitely a positive, but Sione still couldn’t see how they were going to win. North West was just too aggressive. Meeting them at their game was exhausting, let alone trying to rise above them.

  ‘It’s not fair,’ Jake said, ‘we had to play two games in a row. I don’t have the energy.’

  ‘But so did they,’ Daniel reasoned. ‘If we want to win the trophy, we have to beat them. We knew it was going to be tough.’

  Jake groaned.

  Izzy entered the room last, clapping and saying how proud he was of Valley’s performance.

  ‘They’re playing at high intensity,’ Izzy conceded, ‘but this is what rep footy is all about. We’re just five points down – you should all be so proud. I’ve seen nothing but fantastic efforts across the ground. We can do this!’

  We’ve been playing well? Sione was stunned.

  ‘We just have to lift and keep lifting,’ Izzy added. ‘Don’t give up now – we are so close.’ This got everyone sitting up straight and listening. ‘We will be interchanging you a lot this half to keep you all fresh. Listen to instructions. The cleaner you come on and off, the easier it will be for everyone. Don’t take an interchange as an insult – especially the forwards. Expect a break!’

  ‘Thank goodness!’ Jake wheezed, and all the boys laughed.

  Valley dug deep to find the energy to hold back the North West onslaught. Like a tense chess match, the ball was moved around the field with neither team gaining a true advantage. The crowd was silent and on the edge of their seats. With just a few minutes left in the second half, North West were looking rattled. Their offensive pushes had not resulted in more points. Though, as long as they stayed in front, it didn’t really matter.

  With two minutes left in the game, Valley seemed destined to lose. At least we can go to bed tonight proud of our efforts, Sione told himself.

  Then the ball landed in his hands. With his body sore and his mind numb, Sione was unsure of what to do next. He fumbled it over the touchline to his left. The crowd and his teammates groaned in disappointment. Sione was devastated.

  Valley won the line-out, and Daniel surprised everyone by passing the ball back to the blind side of play and into Sione’s hands. With seconds left in the match and nothing to lose, Sione started running through the remnants of the line-out, and then … he was on his own. Like a wave rolling back from the beach, there was suddenly nothing but a vast emptiness in front of him. The crowd roared and, moments later, Sione was over the tryline.

  Daniel kicked the simplest of conversions and that was that. The Crocs had won by two points! Sione pumped his fist and faced the stand where his family was jumping up and down, cheering. He had never smiled so wide.

  The change room was packed full of the players’ families hugging and applauding every member of the Valley team. Everyone was ecstatic. Daniel’s dad was the last to enter the room. He was dressed in his trademark suit and tie, just in case he was called into the office. ‘That was excellent!’ he said, ruffling Daniel’s hair.

  ‘Thanks,’ Daniel replied, grinning from ear to ear.

  ‘I am so proud of you. You put in one hundred and ten per cent today. There were some junior selectors watching, you know. I just had a chat with them outside about you,’ his dad said, tapping the side of his nose.

  Daniel bit his lip, imagining all kinds of embarrassing things his dad would have said. He took a deep breath, knowing exactly what was coming next.

  ‘But,’ his dad continued, ‘there are some things I want you to work on for tomorrow.’

  Daniel’s shoulders slumped.

  His dad pulled out his phone to look at the notes he’d taken during
the game. ‘Three things, really. First, get the team around you more. You’re the captain, remember? Keep up communication, get them into huddles, let them know your expectations …’

  Daniel’s mind drifted back to the game. How did we survive that one? he wondered.

  The two games that day had been so different. Daniel was immensely proud that his team had not only won both of them, but that they had overcome many obstacles to do so. What’s more, Valley was now on top of their half of the ladder. Winning tomorrow would secure their place in the semis.

  When his dad finally finished speaking, Daniel said what he always said: ‘Okay, Dad. I’ll try.’

  He glanced over at Sione’s family. They looked happy and there were so many of them compared to his family of two.

  ‘Where’s Mum?’ he asked.

  ‘What do you mean? You know where,’ his dad replied, frowning.

  ‘She’s not here?’

  ‘Not as far as I know. Why would she be?’

  Because I wrote her an email asking her to come! Daniel shouted in his mind. Because she wants to watch me play? Because she loves me? ‘I don’t know,’ he said, his eyes dropping to the ground.

  ‘Hello again, Mr Masters,’ Izzy said, walking up to them. He smiled and held out his hand to Daniel’s dad.

  Mr Masters shook his hand firmly. ‘You’ve done well with this team. That was some performance out there.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Izzy replied, ‘but the boys are the ones we should congratulate. They played out of their skin – especially Daniel, here.’

  ‘Very true,’ Mr Masters agreed. His phone began to ring, and he excused himself to answer it. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he called over his shoulder.

  Daniel nodded and waved goodbye. While all his teammates were still celebrating with their families, he found himself a quiet corner and sat down on a bench. He decided not to let it get him down. He knew his dad loved him in his own way.

  Shortly after dinner Jake made a chance discovery at the hotel. Near the main foyer was a room entirely dedicated to table tennis. Once news spread, the whole team crammed into the room, playing a game or waiting their turn, cheering every hit as well as every miss.

  Daniel swung at the ball, sending it back towards Adam and Jake with a delightful ping. He was playing alongside Sione, and with his hoodie up over his head he felt warm and relaxed after an exhausting day.

  Jake hit the ball to Sione.

  ‘So how’d you guys have so much energy out there today?’ Daniel asked them.

  ‘Shh!’ Jake hissed as the ball flew past his bat. ‘You’re trying to distract us.’

  ‘Ten to nine,’ Sione announced.

  ‘No, seriously,’ Daniel said, ‘where did all your energy come from?’

  ‘I think I was afraid to stop,’ Adam said with a shrug. ‘I knew that if I stopped I might not start again.’

  Everyone laughed.

  ‘Yeah, I didn’t want to let everyone down,’ Jake admitted.

  Gradually, the two forwards’ focus seemed to evaporate, and Sione and Daniel were named the victors, with fifteen points to nine.

  Sione went to sit on a bench as other boys took their places for the next match. Daniel sat next to him and yawned.

  ‘All that talking about tiredness is making me sleepy,’ Sione said. ‘I’m ready to pack it in.’

  Daniel tried to speak but yawned instead. He was forced to simply nod in agreement. ‘But can you believe it?’ he said. ‘We won two games and have a chance of getting to the finals. The finals!’

  Sione smiled. ‘I know. Imagine if we hadn’t won them. How different would tonight feel?’

  ‘Even if we had lost, if I felt as tired as this I’d know I’d tried my best,’ Daniel said. ‘I’d be sad but I’d still be holding my head up.’

  ‘You sound more like Izzy every day,’ Sione laughed.

  Daniel grinned.

  ‘I kind of feel sorry for the teams we beat,’ Sione continued. ‘They’ve been waiting for this for ages, just like we have.’

  They looked up as Izzy walked into the room. ‘Ah, I thought I’d find you guys in here,’ he chuckled, shaking his head. ‘Early lights out tonight, everyone. Let’s go.’

  For once, no one protested. The bats and balls were abandoned and everyone slowly filed out into the hall.

  ‘We’ll make it to the semis, won’t we?’ Daniel said as he passed Izzy.

  ‘It’s always best to think positive,’ Izzy replied with a wink.

  Daniel nodded. ‘We will. You’ll see,’ he said confidently.

  While everyone dressed and prepared for their final game in the first round of the competition, Izzy moved what he could to clear a space in the change room for the boys to jog on the spot.

  ‘After two games yesterday, everyone needs to be loose and ready,’ he said. ‘There will be distractions on the field, so I’d like you to warm up here first.’

  The team jogged on the spot and performed dynamic stretches.

  ‘When will we get to play in the main stadium?’ Adam asked as he jumped on and off a bench at one end of the room. ‘I bet the change rooms are even bigger there.’

  ‘Just worry about this game,’ Daniel said, puffing. ‘If we win we’ll get to play in the semis – our ticket to the big stadium.’

  ‘Everything all right in here?’ Tom Parker asked, popping his head into the room.

  Izzy nodded and smiled. ‘Yep, we’re just about ready.’

  ‘Okay, good luck, everyone!’ Tom called, giving them a thumbs up before disappearing into the hallway again.

  Izzy clapped to get everyone’s attention. ‘Grab your gear, guys. It’s showtime,’ he yelled. ‘Remember the basics and play hard. Don’t think about finals yet, just focus on the hurdle in front of you.’

  At Izzy’s direction, Daniel put on his headgear. This was almost a ceremony for him now – it was the last thing he did before going onto the field. When he’d first started wearing the headgear, it had seemed cumbersome, but now he didn’t feel right without it. He tightened the straps under his chin and walked to the door. He propped it open and looked down the short hallway that led to the field.

  The first thing Daniel noticed was the noise – the constant hum of the crowd was louder than the day before. The first thing Jake noticed wasn’t the sound, but the smell of the barbecue that was cooking at the back of the stands.

  ‘Don’t even think about it,’ Sione said, reading his mind.

  Jake lowered his head, and Daniel and Sione laughed.

  ‘If you’re hungry, go for carbs, not grease,’ Daniel said. ‘First, we have a game to win.’

  As they walked onto the field one after another, the crowd cheered.

  Sione’s stomach dropped when he saw who they’d be playing against. It was the blue team. They were South Shore. All of them had their arms folded as they watched Valley do a lap of the pitch.

  Oh great, Daniel thought.

  ‘This is going to be terrible,’ Sione muttered.

  Daniel fought the urge to agree. ‘Come on, guys,’ he said. ‘We’re one win away from being undefeated and probably getting the top seed going into the finals. Worry about our game, not their faces.’

  That seemed to do the trick. There was no more discussion, and when they rounded the last corner to take part in the anthem and coin toss, no one even looked at the South Shore players.

  Daniel won the coin toss and, remembering his father’s advice, he called the team around him before they set themselves for the kick-off. ‘Uh … okay, guys, play well!’ he said. ‘We can do this!’

  Jake laughed. ‘You gathered us around for that? We know that!’

  Daniel blushed. ‘Look, just stay focused and have fun.’

  Everyone in the team nodded in agreement. Two weeks ago many of them would have put Daniel in his place and called him bossy or a show-off. Today, they clapped and ran to their positions.

  ‘Let’s do this!’ Jake shouted.

  �
�Do what?’ Mick yelled from the other side of the halfway line. ‘Lose?’

  Daniel didn’t know everything about being a good captain, but he knew the way Mick was doing it was wrong. He kicked the ball towards South Shore and the game was on.

  Mick caught the ball easily and passed it to another player, who ran at Daniel. Daniel tackled him but couldn’t bring him down. He pushed Daniel backwards, carrying the ball with him. Daniel managed to stay on his feet and was soon joined in the struggle by Adam and Tezza. But the South Shore boy had helpers too. Soon, a gigantic rucking contest began, the ball creeping towards South Shore’s tryline, still being carried by the South Shore player.

  He was eventually taken down, but South Shore regathered and passed the ball out to the wing. Daniel stood up and found himself face to face with Mick.

  ‘That’s how you do it,’ Mick said, ‘and we don’t need someone famous to tell us that.’

  Daniel ignored him and ran after the play, trying to stay focused on the game. The South Shore winger was tackled but his team retained possession for a very long passage of offence. They settled for a field-goal attempt that was kicked truly, putting South Shore in front three points to nil.

  Daniel groaned.

  ‘Maybe you need a new coach,’ Mick snarled as he ran past.

  Daniel frowned and glanced over at the bench. Izzy looked back at him, shaking his head. Daniel knew Izzy wanted him to rise above Mick’s rudeness.

  Sione jogged up to Daniel. ‘Ignore him,’ he whispered. ‘He’s only saying that stuff to put you off.’

  ‘I don’t get it,’ Daniel said. ‘If you’re good enough to beat us, fine, but the game we’re playing is called rugby, not teasing.’

  ‘So let’s beat them at rugby,’ said Sione.

  Daniel looked up at the stands. His dad was there, still not in green, still sitting on his own and looking straight at his son. Daniel wondered what he was thinking. Was he blaming Daniel for Valley falling behind on the scoreboard?

  On Valley’s first extended period with the ball it became pretty clear that South Shore didn’t want to just tackle them, they wanted to hurt them. Their tackles were harder than he had ever felt before. Soon Daniel was covered in dirt and grass stains.