It was two days after Scamp had discovered the game of rugby and applied for the local rugby club in the Canine North-East State/College Rugby competition. Tramp had also applied along with Ex-JD’s Mooch, Scratchy and Sparky; and the five of them were waiting to hear back from Amity Regional Rugby on the emails that they had all sent them.
It was currently after lunchtime; and Lady, Annette, Collette, Danielle, and Angel had gone out for their usual afternoon walk with Jim Dear, Darling and two-year-old Junior. Tramp and his son had other ideas; and they went out separately for a run by the river and through Veterans Park; doing some early preparation for the upcoming rugby season (assuming that they were going to be selected to play) by getting into serious shape and improving their fitness. They ran through the park side by side together, occasionally stopping every 20-30 minutes of jogging to do sets of push-ups, sit-ups, leg lifts and leg swings before the next round of jogging.
“Where…where did you…discover these exercises?” Tramp asked as they were jogging, panting quite heavily from the intense training session.
“I looked up…professional standard training programs…on the iPad…” Scamp responded as he was running and likewise panting. “…and I found these running…exercises undertaken by the European rugby teams. They involve…a combination of jogging, sprinting and body exercises…before commencing training. The warm up training involves…getting your body into the feel of the game…before getting into the serious…practice side of it all. If you don’t get…physically prepared, you can’t play…properly.”
“Well…they certainly knock you out…faster than you expect.” Tramp responded, already feeling the fatigue
Tramp knew that fitness was essential for street survival, but this fitness training session was different than what he was used to. He had never had to train as hard as this where you have to work so hard that you may eventually pass out from the fatigue. Plus it had been some time since he had been performed his stunts as a stray, so he was a bit out of rhythm.
“It…” Scamp began again through the panting. “…is very much army standard fitness. It can…be very tough to endure, but as you keep…doing it over and over again, you eventually get used to it. I am sure that you will.”
“Army standard is right, my boy! I don’t know…how much further they are willing to go…to push you to the limit.”
“You act like…you are pushing yourself to the limit.” Scamp replied cheekily, noticing that his father was struggling to hold on through the intensity.
“You watch your mouth, smart alec!” Tramp replied sternly but also smiling. “Do you…honestly think that I put myself…through all those risks out on the streets…for nothing? Your old man’s…still got twice the speed…and cunning as any dog half his age;” Tramp remembered that he once told this to his daughters, but Scamp never heard it up until now. “So don’t mistake my age for weakness.”
“I’m not, pop; I was…just kidding.” Scamp responded with light chuckle. “I know that you have still got it. This sport just…requires you to give the body…some time to get into the rhythm.”
“I…understand. You sure…know a bit about the sport already. You must have…really been doing your research.”
“I’m just getting started, pop. There will be plenty more…to study tonight; believe me.”
They continued jogging along the river when they just came across the last stretch that would lead to the boundary of the park. Scamp knew that it was time to finish in style.
“Okay, dad; we are…going to sprint this last section.” Scamp spoke in determination. “Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be, my boy.” Tramp replied, also quite determined. “Let’s do it!”
They ran faster and ended up sprinting the last mile along the river. They both ran quite fast despite the increased fatigue that they suffered; which they were not going to let it get in the way of finishing well. They drew neck and neck for the first half, but Tramp eventually gained some extra ‘horse power boost’ through his hind legs and speed up in front of his son. Tramp then crossed the border of the park 0.26 seconds in front of Scamp and came to a complete stop, which Scamp did in return after he crossed.
Both dogs settled down for two minutes to rest the fatigue out from the intense exercise that they both put themselves though, and then took a drink from the river to re-hydrate. They panted slower than when they ran, but that still didn’t stop the burning feeling inside the chest from both dogs. However, after a few minutes of cooling down and drinking, the pain started to ease, and they got up again and started talking.
“How do you feel, dad?” Scamp asked, seemingly toughing out the tired feeling.
“Not too bad, my son.” Tramp responded, feeling in top shape for the first time in his life. “All this exercise actually feels good on the body.”
“Yeah, I think that we will certainly feel a lot healthier a put a few more years into our lives if we keep doing this for a while.” Scamp optimistically replied.
“We must also make sure we eat well. That’ll help it.”
“That is another thing that I must look up for study: Diet.” Scamp was inside his ‘study brain cell’ again, thinking about what was next for the evening study session.
“You seem very keen about this sport, Whirlwind.” Tramp seemed a bit surprised and amazed at Scamp’s commitment to becoming top-class at rugby. “Why are you so obsessed, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Well, ever since I chose to come home, I knew that it was the safest place for me, but I still wanted to go out and do something fun. Don’t get me wrong, dad; I love the adventures that we all have together every now and then: River strolling, baying at the moon, walks in the park; they’re great, but I always wanted to try something different and sporty. I don’t want anything like the hard knocks of the streets any more, just something to do and play with our friends; like a good team activity. I think that playing with a team is a great way to build special bonds and friendships. I found that out when I met the Junkyard Dogs out there and spent time with them. Buster aside, they were all really nice and friendly, and it seemed even more fun with them. Being alone just doesn’t seem the same.”
Tramp took this in, and knew that his son’s philosophical side had certainly evolved within time. He couldn’t even remember if he himself was ever this philosophical. But his son’s point about team play was very true. He knew it very well from living out on the streets when he and most of his fellow strays had to look out for each other to survive. I never mentioned this to Buster. He thought. If he knew, maybe he wouldn’t have become so self-centered and obnoxious.
“You do have a point, Scamp.” Tramp therefore responded. “We could all use a bit of team play every now and then to really make a living.”
“Yeah, so the game of rugby might help us along with that.” Scamp added.
“Could do.” Tramp said, then decided to get moving. “Now come on. Let’s get back to the house. We have some more study to do for tonight.”
“Sure thing, pop. Let’s go.”
And with that, both Schnauzer’s walked at a steady pace back towards the Browns’ mansion.
*
When they arrived back, everyone else was still absent from the house. They must all be taking a long one this time around. Tramp thought. “Oh, leave them be.” He then remarked out loud. “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”
“Aye aye, Master.” Scamp responded, referring to his father’s secondary street name.
“You don’t have to call me that any more, son.” Tramp said with an amused smile. “No-one else does now.”
“I know dad, but you will always be the Master to us and the entire ‘street clan’.” Scamp replied, honoring the burden that his father carried. “Even the Ex-JD’s think so.”
“Yeah, but I’m not who I used to be.”
“Yeah, but they all still look up to you as a role model. They will always love you for what you achieved, no matter where you stand now.”
“Thanks, son.” Tramp said with a smile, really feeling these touching words.
“Anyway, let’s do it.” Scamp said, starting to move towards the study.
“Sure thing, Whirlwind.” Tramp replied as he followed.
*
For the first hour they were looking on all the basic ways to play rugby on Scamp’s iPad. They looked about passing the ball backwards; tackling; rucking; punt kicking; drop-kicking; place-kicking; scrummaging; lineouts; minor infringements such as knock-ons and forward passes; and foul play such as offsides, illegal scrum and ruck binding, hands in the ruck, collapsing scrums and not releasing the ball in the ruck. They then focused on penalty options; points values; the lines on the field; the duties of each field position; and certain plays that international teams use.
Scamp was typing all of this down on a word document app as they were going on. This is a lot of information to get down and I might not remember it. Scamp was thinking on-the-go. Writing it down will come in very handy.
Soon after they had been through part two of their study, Lady, Annette, Collette, and Danielle had returned with Jim Dear and Darling from their long walk, but Angel was not with them. It had gone on for some time because they had gone out to have a run-around in the park for a while in-between seeing the other parts of town.
Scamp and his father left the study to greet the rest of the family.
“Hi, Pidge; how was it?” Tramp asked as he nuzzled his mate.
“Very nice, thanks, love.’ Lady replied, somehow a bit out of breath from the all the exercise on the legs. “Veterans Park is still a very fun place to hang out.”
“Yeah, so many other dogs to hang out with.” Dannielle said.
“And open spaces to run.” Annette added.
“And green surroundings; beautiful birds; and lovely flower gardens.” Collette finished dreamily, knowing how much she loved the beauty of nature.
“And…” Tramp further added, looking at his mate. “…the perfect setting for a lovely date.” He remembered his first time with Lady down at Veterans Park after the dinner that they had at Tony’s, and to him it would be a memory that would never die.
“Oh, Tramp.” Lady remarked with a sweet smile as she and Tramp nuzzled lovingly once again. They broke it off after 10 seconds before Lady got her word in.
“So how was your training session?”
“Pretty daunting in a way.” Tramp replied with the feeling on fatigue recognized in his voice. “I have to say that I have never trained that hard before. We had to do exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, squats and leg lifts in between the long jog through the park. It’s very challenging, but Scamp says that all rugby players train like they’re in the army and they have to be at their absolute fittest to handle the physicality on the field.”
“Yeah, there is a lot more than just playing the game if you want to be good at it.” Scamp replied.
“No kidding, son. But anyway, I felt great after the session was finished. I am glad that Scamp put me through it because I really needed it. I think we all could.”
“Good to see you both keeping well and fit.” Lady responded. “I remember how much I used to run around the backyard and through the park with Jim Dear and Darling when I was your age, Scamp. I would run every day. I wish that I still could now.”
“I think yours is the sport breed of dogs, Pidge.” Tramp said to his mate, catching onto the details. “Cocker spaniels are very committed to a wide range of activity, not just in the field of sport; and I think that you passed those genes onto Scamp.”
“It would appear so. He has been sporty ever since he was just a little pup, and now he has taken it to the next level.” Lady smiled at Scamp as she said this, proud of her son becoming so sporty.
Scamp blushed from the flattering remark from his mother, and he just smiled in return. He then noticed his mates’ absence and was curious as to why Angel had not come back with the others.
“By the way, where is Angel?”
“She went into town to do some shopping.” Annette replied.
“But she would not tell us why or what she was going to get.” Collette added.
“Only I think that it is between you and her.” Danielle further added in a cheeky and teasing tone. “You two have definitely got something going on, ya know.”
“Then let it be, sis!” Scamp forced in a slightly irritated tone. He knew how much of a ribber Danielle was, and he was not about to let this get in the way of his mate ship with Angel. “Could you please mind your own business?! What we do is strictly between us.”
“He’s right, Danielle.” Lady also sternly forced in defense. “They do have their little thing going on and it doesn’t concern you, or you two.” She looked at Annette and Collette. “Clear?”
“Yeah, yeah; sure.” Danielle quickly replied in slight guilt. “I was just teasing. Sorry Scamp. No hard feelings.”
“It’s okay, sis.” Scamp replied as he came up and gave her a hug, which he would also return to his two other sisters.
“He has become very sweet, hasn’t he?” Collette whispered to Annette after the embrace finished.
“I think that love has taught him a lot about sharing.” Annette replied in the same quiet tone.
Suddenly Angel appeared through the doggy door on the back porch, carrying a couple of books and a DVD with her. Scamp went over to her as she sat down.
“Hey, Angel, where have you been?”
“I just popped down to the shops in town, and I found a few things that you might find useful.” She replied, handing the books and DVD to Scamp. The first book had pictures of rugby players on it; with the title: Thirty Bullies: The History of the Rugby World Cup. The second book had likewise pictures with the title: The Encyclopedia of Rugby Union. And the DVD had an image of actors Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon with the title: Invictus.
“I knew that you were doing some serious preparation to play the game, so I thought that you could get a bit deeper into the game by watching and reading these.” Angel said after a 30 second wait for Scamp to observe.
“Wow! Slick move, Angel.” Scamp replied in amazement. “That’s very thoughtful of you. You didn’t really have to do this.”
“I am your mate, Scamp. We all help each other out here. You would know all about that.”
“You’re right. I do.” Scamp understood about Angel talking about how descent he was to her and everyone else. “Well thanks a lot, Angel. I will take a look over these tonight after some more study on the game. That’s what we have been doing while you were all out there.”
“Well you both keep studying away at your will; and enjoy the references. I think that you will find them fun and interesting.”
“Can’t wait. Thanks again, Angel.”
“Your welcome, Tenderfoot.” And with that they both licked each other before sharing another embrace.
“Come on now, dad.” Scamp recovered quickly, getting his mind back onto his homework. “We had now better get back to the study and do some more research.”
“Sure thing, Scamp.” Tramp responded immediately. “Let’s go.”
And with that they went back to the study and the iPad to research the next level of the game of rugby.
*
Scamp and Tramp were looking backwards and forwards to the different playing styles of the European rugby teams; including England, France, Ireland and Wales; the southern hemisphere rugby teams; including South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand; and the Pacific Islands nations; including Fiji, Samoa & Tonga.
“The European nations appear to play a little more defensively.” Tramp was saying after a brief analysis on the teams. “They kick a lot and only seem to want to attack with their set plays when inside the oppositions’ 50 yard zone.”
“That’s metres.” Scamp corrected, understanding that Americans favor measuring distance in yards rather than metres. “All rugby teams measure in metres; so we are going to have to get used to that.”
“Right, right.” Tramp responded, getting back onto his point from before. “Yeah, England in particular seem to concentrate on their kicking game to get the better of their opponents instead of running set plays.”
“Especially with the leverage of their star kicker, Jonny Wilkinson. I heard that when he played in the 2003 World Cup, he had a kicking percentage of just under 90%. He even kicked a drop goal during extra time in the final against Australia to win England the World Cup. That was also on Australian soil.”
“Ohhh!” Tramp sighed in disappointment for Australia. “That must have been so heartbreaking for the Wallabies.”
“But you could say that it was a bit of justice for England; because in the 1991 World Cup Final, Australia beat England on their home turf at Twickenham; so England kind of got even with Australia there.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.” Tramp replied, still feeling sympathetic for both rugby nations. “But still, to lose the big one in front of their home crowds must really cut you deep. But what is done is done I suppose. Nothing can change it now.”
“True enough.”
Tramp then continued to analyse the playing styles of the teams from different nations.
“So England prefer to play defensively and rely on kicking. That doesn’t seem like very exciting rugby to watch.” He was frowning in slight disapproval as he said this.
“Yes, it may be ‘boring rugby’, but it is a very effective way of avoiding points being scored against you.” Scamp butted in. “Great teams are not always the ones that can score effectively in most of their matches. The team that plays defensively is playing hard solid rugby and it will eventually leave an impression on the coaches, selectors, and scouts as a top-class team.”
“Good point, son.” Tramp responded, impressed at his son’s logic. “I never thought of it that way.”
“Just a bit of close observation before judgment never hurts.” Scamp replied.
“Very true. Anyway, onto the Pacific Islanders right now: They have a lot of big players and they use their size advantage to make those big defensive tackles. But they also hit hard when breaking tackles on offense.”
“Yeah, imagine being hit by one of those giant men.” Scamp responded in amazement at the Pacific Islanders ‘tackling brutality’. “That would be an unbelievably expensive hospital bill.”
“Yeah; if they don’t knock you out, they could break your rib cage with one perfect tackle.” Tramp responded.
“Let’s hope not to run into any dogs of that caliber.”
“Oh, we’ll see, son. So now onto the Tri-Nations squads: South Africa likes to run the ball a lot and only kick when deep in defense. When they have the ball, their backs can really put pressure on opposition defense by running hard and constantly driving their forwards through the wall. That’s how they gain the metres.”
“But they also had some of the best defense in the 1995 World Cup because they were also the fittest team in the tournament; two game elements that they lacked the previous year, which was one of the reasons why they played so badly.” Scamp added.
“That’s what called learning from your mistakes.” Tramp said. “You certainly learn a lot more from losing that winning, because you pick out your game errors and use them as motivation to drive just that much harder.”
“I could not agree more, dad. Anyway, please go on.”
“Well,” Tramp continued, “Australia have some of the fastest backs in the world and really know how to play the ball out wide to break that defensive line. Their forwards can really drive effectively with some handy hitting from their flankers. But their defense is also very effective in the way that they move up early and attempt to stop the opposition from advancing over the advantage line.”
“That’s a good way to play, because if the stats for the opposition are weak in the line breaks, then the other team will walk away feeling like true competitive opponents. Defense appears to be the most important element of the game at international level.”
“But there is no doubt that no other team in the world has more classy defense that the New Zealand All Blacks.” Tramp further added; really up-to-date, as his son was, on his level of research. “New Zealand have made a religion of the sport for a whole centenary and have been taking it more seriously than any other team in the world; way before the era of professionalism even started. That’s why they are so good.”
“It’s a fact that religious passion rules the game.” Scamp philosophically added. “So what is their style of play?”
“They have pretty much every rugby skill known to the world. They often break through the advantage line with offensive maneuvers such as palm-offs and side steps. They are also, like Australia, strong on defense when they move up fast when the ball is out to cut off line breaks. Like the Islanders, they have some big muscular guys who can hit hard and try to weaken your ability to continue playing out the whole 80 minutes. But the strongest part of their offense is that the moment they know they still have the ball in possession at the breakdown, the scrum-half makes the quick calls for the set plays and gets it out as soon as his players are in position to execute; and if he decides to get it out to the forwards, he just goes for it fast without thinking too much.”
“It’s a good way to go; because if you keep working fast on offense, the opposition starts to fatigue from the constant running and tackling and will eventually lose concentration to the point when you break that line and score.” Scamp further added. “But playing like that will also cause the opposition to slow up their players’ speed to get into their correct defensive positions, which you could then capitalize on the further break the line out wide.”
“The opposition players would have to be extremely fit to hold them back for 80 long minutes.” Tramp responded.
“No kidding.”
“But the All Blacks have not just made the majority of the world’s rugby points from touching the ball into the ‘end-zone’,” Tramp continued. “They have also had some of the strongest kickers for many generations. Two players in particular include Andrew Mehrtens and Daniel Carter. A lot of people would make it tough deciding between them and Jonny Wilkinson as the most consistent kicker.”
“That will depend on who has the highest kicking percentage.” Scamp put in. “I haven’t looked that up yet. But I don’t think it matters, because they are all legendary kickers and players.”
“Too right; but anyway,” Tramp continued. “The extra leverage of kicking can really make the difference between victory and defeat. The All Blacks’ consistent boot seems to always give them victory.”
“If more teams could do that, there would be greater competition for the All Blacks.” Scamp said.
“And the entire world of rugby.” Tramp added.
Scamp nodded at that comment, but then realized that they had finished their analysis of world team playing styles, and spoke up to confirm.
“Now that we have analysed all the teams’ styles,” Scamp said. “Let’s take a quick look at a couple more elements and then call it a day. It is time to rest our minds and bodies for a while. Cool?”
“Yeah, sure thing.” Tramp replied, understanding how hard the day had been with the physical exercises and heavy study. He was very committed, but even living as a stray he never liked over-committing to his work, because he understood about balancing the hard work with rest to benefit both the physical and mental health, otherwise the side-effects from in-balance could cause negative change for oneself. “Fire away.” He then said after that thought.
“I believe that these two elements of the game are some of the most important to take onto every game on the field: Discipline and casualties.” Scamp said.
Tramp continued to listen hard as he knew this was important.
“Now, it is tough playing consistently in the game with the avoidance of ball-handling errors,” Scamp continued. “but nothing comes at a greater cost to the game of a team than constant penalty killing. All players will try their best to follow the rules when playing on the field, but some players would do just about anything in desperate circumstances to give leverage for their team and score points. That also includes pressure from the offense on the defense to push them to the limit and force them to make errors.”
“So the difference between victory and defeat will usually be determined on how the teams can attempt to stay disciplined under pressure.” Tramp therefore figured out.
“Exactly.” Scamp replied. “So penalties will leave the teams to decide to kick for touch and gain further metres; take scrums; take a penalty kick at goal for three points; or tap the ball and run. The times when teams decide to kick at goal are crucial because they can, again, mean the difference between victory and defeat. The more points they score from kicking, the more advantage they have over opponents than when trying to go for the line all the time.”
“So even if one team ends up scoring more tries but the other team scores the majority of their points on penalty kicks or drop goals, they are more likely to equal or beat their opponents.” Tramp concluded.
“Yes.”
“It seems to take a lot to cope under pressure and limit penalty killing.”
“It is very tough, for sure. But the least that can be done is for a team to stay inside their own half to keep territory advantage; so that when the opponents do get penalty advantage, they are not as close enough to be able to kick for three points.”
“But they will still be able to get into their opponents’ half when kicking for touch, and when they win their lineout throws, they will attempt to go even further towards the big points.” Tramp half argued.
“Yes, and that will put further pressure on the defense.” Scamp added. “Which is why the defense must do all that they can and keep them behind the advantage line; but if they put their own defensive pressure on the opposing team; such as counter-rucking to turn the ball over; it can often cause the offense to make errors or commit foul play, and that’s when the ball gets turned over. If most teams could do that, they would be one of the best teams in the world.”
“Good point. I wouldn’t be surprised if the All Blacks got most of their penalty advantage from pressurized defense.”
“They probably do. But again no strong defense will ever exist without top notch fitness.” Scamp further added.
“Yeah; that should apply for all parts of the game.” Tramp estimated.
“Right again, dad.” Scamp finished with a smile. He then decided to move onto the final topic. “Anyway, onto the casualties now.”
“Ah! Yes.” Tramp immediately responded, who then voiced his opinion first before his son could: “Well, I will say that this is probably the roughest sport that I have ever seen; even rougher than gridiron. With all the physicality it would be pretty hard to walk away without licking wounds if you do happen to escape injury after a game.”
“Yeah, I mean there is so much that they put their bodies through that it is like battling on the war battlefields.” Scamp added. “There will always be fallen soldiers at the end of the battle, even if they walk away fairly unscathed; but that could mean nothing because they could be just trying to stay tough and keep going when inside they are really hurting bad.”
“And they could either feel it then or the next day, when the internal pain starts to spread like a cancer around the body.”
“Woah!” Scamp exclaimed at his father’s overstated simile. “I wouldn’t go that far, dad; but yeah, that’s a way of putting it.” He finished this with a light chuckle.
“It’s just an example, son.” Tramp replied, also with an amused chuckle.
“Yeah, I know, dad.” Scamp said, likewise amused. “Anyway, injuries are always going to occur each and every single rugby match. They can vary from a torn Achilles tendon, torn anterior cruciat ligament, shoulder blade, hamstring, or concussion. There are many others but they can take you out of action for weeks, months, a year or they can even end your career.”
“Now that would be a real cut to a life’s hard work.”
“I know. One’s whole career gone with one single serious injury: I could not imagine what could be worse for a dreamer. But luckily it doesn’t happen that often; and there will always be doctors, surgeons, physiotherapists, and osteopaths to help you get back on your feet.”
“So what is the best way of preventing injury?”
“The one element that helps to control all aspects of success in the game of rugby: Fitness. That’s another key reason as to why these players train so hard: So that they can toughen up to take the hard knocks on the field and open the opportunities for themselves and their team to score. The other way is constant physiotherapy and massage sessions to loosen up the tight and sore muscles and therefore keep yourself fit enough to continue playing. But even so I don’t think that any player ever plays at 100 per cent.”
“I agree, son.” Tramp responded, thinking about how tough it was for him on the streets to even remain physically stable. “It’s like how no stray can ever take on the tough challenges and stunts at 100 per cent when you are busting your back every day.”
“Good point.” Scamp said. “I couldn’t agree further because I know what it was like as well. So anyway, injuries are tough to avoid in the game because the players have to go hard all the time to play at their best; but those who remain extremely fit and constantly get their bodies worked on are less likely to be temporarily or indefinitely sidelined.”
“Then we will have to keep working our bodies harder and harder to stay match fit.” Tramp added.
“Yeah. Once we do get selected, that’s when it will start. Are you up for it?”
“No challenge is too tough for the Best-Street-Dog-There-Ever-Was.” Tramp said proudly. “It will be tough to handle, but all we need is time to adapt.”
“Yeah, like migrating animals in a new habitat.” Scamp joked with a laugh.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Tramp laughed in return. “That’s one way of putting it, son. Good one.”
Just as they both finished laughing, Scamp’s iPad beeped the common Apple xylophone tone: An email had just been received.
“I just got an email, pop. Hold on.” Scamp said quickly and he closed the rugby website that they were looking at and opened his hotmail account in its place. The email was a reply from the Amity Regional Rugby Club:
“Thank you for recent application with us. Pre-season training will start in two weeks on February 4 and you and your father are welcome to come down and train with us. Your skills and talent to show throughout the pre-season will determine whether you will be eligible to play for the team.
We are looking forward to your involvement and participation with our club and we will see you in two weeks.
Regards,
Vince,
Amity RRC General Manager.”
Scamp got really excited as he read this. Tramp was likewise delighted.
“Yeah, dad! We got accepted!” Scamp exclaimed.
“Awesome, my boy!” Tramp responded. “I knew that we were going to get in. I can’t wait to get started.”
“It is just two weeks away, dad. There will be a bit of a wait, but I think that this will give us some time to practice and get in shape; so it is a good thing.”
“Yeah, first impressions are very important.” Tramp added. “If the coaches witness that we have been working hard on our build up to the game, we might get into the team earlier than we thought.”
“Maybe, but we can only wait and hope as they watch us in the pre-season.”
“True. Hey, by the way, I hope Mooch, Scratchy and Sparky got in as well.”
“I hope so too. Let’s go and see them. They would have gotten the replying email at the same time we did.”
“You’re probably right, Whirlwind. Let’s go.”
And with that they both left through the pet flap and went to see their friends, the Ex-Junkyard Dogs; or Ex-JD’s.
Meanwhile, Angel was busy eating her afternoon meal with her adopted sisters and mother in the kitchen. She kept thinking about Scamp and how much hard work he was putting into his passion.
“Hey, Angel.” Collette spoke, noticing Angel drifting off into her thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking about how committed and obsessed your dad and Scamp are with this game of rugby. They have been doing their study of the game flat out for two days and they have barely rested. Not to mention busting their backs out with their new fitness program.”
“Jeez, it must be a really tough sport to play if they are over-working the way they have been.” Annette added.
“It could also be extremely dangerous to play.” Danielle also put in.
“It is.” Angel continued. “I have been watching it a bit and I never thought that anything could get more physical than boxing or wrestling. But when you watch it, it gets really exciting. So I think Scamp and your dad are really into it for the action.”
“Oh, believe me, I know how much Tramp loves the action.” Lady said with a smile. “He had enough of it on the streets for ages before we met. I think that he misses it so much that he wants to get back into the rhythm. He gave it up for good reason, but he still loved doing what he did best. I was not willing to take that away from him, but it seemed that we could not be together if I let him keep it.”
“I understand that.” Angel said. “And I have to say that I miss the streets too, but this life is what I always wanted.”
“You chose to play life the safe way, Angel.” Lady responded. “I know that Tramp was the Best-There-Ever-Was, but to me you were the Most-Sensible-There-Ever-Was. You never let the obnoxious get to you and you looked out for your friends. You did the right thing by going in a straight line.”
“I don’t know how I did it, but the family connection must have helped me out.” Angel responded, at the same time flattered by her adopted mother’s words.
“Believe me, it did.” Lady responded. “Just remember, Angel; your family, biological or adopted, will always be there to help you when you need it most. Whenever you are lost, unsure, or feeling like you want to blow out your own flame, your family will always help you back to your feet and keep you moving forward.”
“Yes, and we will never give you away because we love you too much, Angel.” Collette added. “You are our adopted sister and we are proud to have someone like you in our family.”
“That means so much to me.” Angel replied emotionally. “Thank you so much, all of you. And thank you again for accepting me into your family.”
With that said, she came up to Lady and her adopted sisters and embraced them all, which they returned lovingly. It lasted for 20 seconds before they broke off; and Angel smiled at them one more time in appreciation for their love. They also returned this.
*
Meanwhile, 30 houses south of the mansion, Tramp and Scamp had met up with Scratchy at his new home; which was a nice baby boomer generation double-storey white and blue house with a white picket fence at the front. It also had several large garden beds with a variety of flowers surrounded by a small oval-shaped hedge.
As the two schnauzers came in, Mooch and Sparky followed soon behind. They had gotten the message from Scratchy to meet at his house to talk about the rugby. As soon as they sat down, Scamp began speaking:
“Hey, you guys. How did you go with the application? Did you all get the return email?”
“We sure did, kay!” Mooch responded, panting in excitement and slight dim-wittedness as he usually did. “They asked us to come down to Amity Oval in two weeks, so we are set to go.”
“It’s going to be great to get out onto that rectangular field.” Scratchy added in likewise delight. “This could be the best thing that we ever did since our time in the Junkyard.”
“But just remember that it’s going to be a lot harder than before.” Sparky put in. “As far as I’m concerned this will be the next step up from street survival. Our street skills will be put to the test on the great battlefield.”
“You not kidding, Sparky.” Tramp further added. “The coaches are going to train us like army soldiers and push us to the very limit until we are practically unconscious. They will make sure that we are at our fittest so that we can play well and avoid injuries.”
“Yeah, fitness is the most important element of the game. If we are not fit enough they will cut us, and then our dreams will be shattered. Are you guys up for the challenge?”
“It was a tough enough task for us surviving out on the streets, and we did it; so we are always up for new challenges.” Sparky responded.
“That’s right.” Scratchy added optimistically. “If the streets can’t keep us down, then the pressure on the rugby field can’t either.”
“But also remember, Tramp, that you were always the Master; and we could not have learned to survive out there if not for you.” Mooch stated in a matter-of-fact. “We need your help again this time, kay? Can you do that?”
“Of course.” Tramp replied kindly. “Scamp and I have been doing our research on the game and we can show you all a few tricks. We have two weeks to prepare before the tryouts, so that is plenty of time to get ready.”
“And we are not going to let them down, because this is our chance to shine.” Scamp added, also with slight optimism. He then broke into song with Shannon Noll’s Shine:
Get up, get out, get out, get out and lift your head
Come on, come on, get up out of bed
Today’s the day you hold the world with your song
Go now, go now, go now, help escalate
Angels come down, help with this parade
To hear your voice ring out
Come on and shout it
Let your song be heard
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
Hey now, hey now, hey now, hey now sing your hymn
This is the new national anthem
We will all stand on guard to let you be heard
Let go, let go, let go all that you ask
How beautiful this world has become
Now everyone will see what I believe
That these words should be sung
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
And if you fall
And if you fall
And if you trust and yes it will come true
Hey, hey
Yeah!
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
This is the time
This is the day that we’ve been waiting for
All the world will stop to watch you shine
As the words of the song came to the ears of the Ex-JD’s, they all seemed very inspired; while at the same time building motivation to give it their all for a spot on the rugby field.
“Too right it’s our time to shine.” Scratchy remarked optimistically. “We have done our time in the life of the lowlife underclass mongrels, and now it’s our time to live up to higher challenges. We can do it, and we will. We don’t live for hate and rejection anymore. We live to win!” And then Scratchy broke into song with KISS’s Paul Stanley’s Live to Win:
Frustrated, degraded, down before you’re done
Rejection, depression, can’t get what you want
You ask me how I make my way
You ask me everywhere and why
You hang on every word I say
But the truth sounds like a lie
Live to win, ‘till you die, ‘till the light dies in your eyes
Live to win, take it all, just keep fighting till you fall
Obsessive, compulsive, suffocate your mind
Confusion, delusions, kill your dreams in time
You ask me how I took the pain
Crawled up from my lowest low
Step by step and day by day
‘Till there’s one last breath to go
Live to win, ‘till you die, ‘till the light dies in your eyes
Live to win, take it all, just keep fighting till you fall
Day by day, kickin’ all the way, I’m not cavin’ in
Let another round begin, live to win
Yeah, live, yeah, win
Live to win, ‘till you die, ‘till the light dies in your eyes
Live to win, take it all, just keep fighting till you fall
Day by day, kickin’ all the way, I’m not cavin’ in
Let another round begin, live to win
Live to win
Live to win
Yeah, live, yeah, win
As Scratchy finished he, Mooch and Sparky were thinking from the words of the song about how their previous lowlife existence had made them sink so low that they became despised from all the troublesome things that they used to say and do. They all eventually realized what had happened to themselves through it all, and it made them feel horrible. But now that time was over, and they felt that they were now on their way up to the field of the upper class with their own enduring fighting spirits. They also felt that rugby would further help them out on this.
“That’s right, Scratchy!” Mooch exclaimed. “That previous despicable life that we endured is not going to keep us down. We are all going to play a winning game and gain the trust of our fellow allies, ‘kay?”
“Yes, we will all prove that we are better than how we appeared at first sight.” Sparky added.
“We sure will; but also, just remember to go out there and have some fun.” Tramp further added. “Sure we are going out to prove that we are better than what others might think of us, but just like the street life, we are going in to enjoy ourselves and not think too seriously of the game. It is only a game and we will play because we love it, not to win.”
“You couldn’t be more right, dad.” Scamp responded. “Winning is not everything, you know. Let’s go out and have all the fun that we have missed since moving on from our previous existence.”
“We sure will, Scamp.” Scratchy said. “And yes we will not take it too seriously. We really will enjoy it.”
“Yeah, yeah; it will be lots of fun, ‘kay?” Mooch put in, sounding even more excited than ever. “I can’t wait to get started.”
“It’s hard to believe that it is only going to be two weeks from now.” Sparky remarked, looking out through the white picket fence into the open neighborhood in thought. “It feels like it will come any day now…”
The other four dogs came up and also looked out through the fence into the outside world, deep into their dreams and thoughts about the bright wonders that lay ahead…
To be continued…
All fictional characters used and mentioned belong to Walt Disney. I also respect the regulations against misuse of the names and actions of celebrities. No copyright infringement intended.
Shine © Shannon Noll
Live to Win © Paul Stanley
BlackJack16.
© April 2012.