It was evening at Veterans Park, New Haven, Connecticut; the same day that Tramp, his son and The Ex-JD's had come back to their old friend and "enemy"; or some of them might have thought; and forgiven him for his sins then let him join Amity Regional RFC; and on this night, Scamp was taking a stroll with his Uncle Jock and Trusty. The adolescent Schnauzer invited them along because he was getting used to spending a lot of time with Angel, his father and the Ex-Junkyard clan, and he thought that it was important for him to see his other family as well. This way, his uncles would not feel left out from the love inside the family circle.

Scamp had explained to Jock and Trusty the events that occurred earlier in the day, and they were both awed and impressed by Scamp's amazing nobility.

"Well I'll be blown away little laddie!" Jock exclaimed. "That was a very brave thing for ya ta do; forgiving an enemy then making him a great offer."

"Not somethin' I could have ever thought about, since I was so used to trackin' down enemies and seein' them get locked up." Trusty added. "Considerin' all that he put you through, what gave you the initiative?"

"Inspiration." Scamp replied. "I recently watched this film about an amazing iconic figure and how he, even after 27 years of imprisonment by his enemies, came out and forgave them instead of seeking revenge so that they and his natives would unite into democracy. If he or any of his other fellow 'comrades', as he called them, set out to seek redemption, the dictatorship that would have arisen would have further enforced the cycle of fear between the races and pushed the country of South Africa into a civil war."

"That makes sense." Trusty replied, awed by the wisdom that came to his ears. "So what was the name of the film and who was this character?"

"It was called Invictus; and the iconic figure was called Nelson Mandela. This film was based on a true story, so he was a real man, and he really did help to unite the people of his country. It is truly award winning and I should show it to you both soon." He then continued on point about Buster. "Anyway, after watching that, I realized that Buster would be less afraid of who he might have thought we were because of everything that happened between us if we proved to him that we were better than what he expected of us. Therefore by showing loyalty, he would be able put his trust back into us. Were it to be otherwise; in a situation where we would attempt to get revenge on him, the hatred will only increase and we might keep fighting until one eventually kills the other. It is all a matter of keeping peace of mind."

The Scottish Terrier and Bloodhound looked at each other in complete astonishment. Never in all their years had they ever considered such nobility. They were both good at being noble, but this was a step up from their grade.

"Well, I don't know what else to say, young laddie," Jock responded. "but we are both extremely impressed. You truly are unique, ya know?"

"Yep." Trusty agreed. "Keep that spirit up and you'll be flyin' with the highest class of angels up in Heaven."

Scamp felt flattered and just stayed silent and smiled at their admiration for him. 

"So..." Trusty continued. "...what is next?"

"Well," Scamp said. "he will tag along with the five of us tomorrow night when we train, and Buster will be tested on each fundamental element. If he succeeds, they will let him join the roster. If not, they will drop him. But I believe he will get in because he is willing, learns fast and is very fit. I don't know if I have ever seen any dog as lean and athletic as he is, so it would be a shock if he doesn't make it."

"Well then, give him our best of luck, will ya, laddie?" Jock responded. 

"And hopefully his contribution comes in valuable for the success of your team." Trusty added.

"It certainly will." Scamp optimistically replied. "I believe in him."

"And we believe in you all." Trusty then said, referring to his nephew schnauzer, Tramp and the Ex-JD's. "The way you all worked so hard and showed nobility is somethin' that we could never have been more proud of."

"I agree." Jock added. "No matter what happens out on that field, we will always be proud of ya."

"That means the world to me, Uncle Jock and Trusty." Scamp responded in great appreciation. "I love you both."

And Scamp came forward to embrace his uncles. They both returned it with all the love that they felt for their nephew. Scamp now felt that his connection with his family was the strongest that it had ever been.

*

The following evening, at Amity Regional High School playing fields, the whole team were busy warming up with their touch football session. It was 10 minutes before the start of training, and the whole five Ex-JD clan was already there, but Buster had yet to turn up. It is not bang on six yet. Scamp thought. It won't matter if he is a little bit late. As long as he shows up, that is the important thing. I am sure that he will know where to find us.

He shrugged this off for now as he concentrated on the warm up at hand. He knew that the coaches were not going to like it if their players got distracted; and if so they would punish them with push ups or sit ups. Again, the head staff demanded perfection from each of their individuals if their season was to be brought to a successful conclusion.

Five minutes later, Scamp turned his head to the sidelines once play stopped and noticed a black and brown muscular canine entering the playing field. He was walking towards the playing sheds before stopping at the administrators' desk to sign up for the team. Scamp then knew that this was Buster and therefore he pulled out from the touch football game and headed over to the Doberman/Rotweiler hybrid to help him.

"Hey, Buster!" Scamp called as he approached.

"Hey! What's up, Scamparoo?" Buster replied after he turned around and noticed the prescence of his former 'junkyard student'.

"How are you going?" Scamp asked as he arrived. "Did you have any trouble finding your way here?"

"I asked a few strays along the road here and they gave me some clear directions, so through about half an hour on paw I got here." Buster replied. "It really was no trouble at all."

"Well, hopefully it should be easier to find your way here every other time now that you know."

"With our sense of smell and direction, no problem there."

"True. Now just remember, Buster, that we did not want to force you into this. It is completely your choice whether you would like to play or not." 

"I understand, Scampo." Buster affirmed. "I am always up for new challenges and really would like to see what this game holds before I make my final decision. After training tonight, my mind will be made up."

"And even if the coaches let you in but you find that this sport is not really what you want to do, that's okay. At least then you gave it a go and knew then for sure if you liked it or not."

"Yep, that's true." Buster replied again, appreciating Scamp's acceptance of free will. "Thanks."

"No problem. Now let's get you signed up."

So Scamp helped Buster to fill in his details on the registration form. After a couple of minutes, he took Buster aside to the sheds and showed him to his sports bag. The young schnauzer then pulled out some fresh rugby gear: A pair of boots, shorts, socks, and a training shirt; all roughly Buster's size. Buster just stood there, both surprised and amazed at Scamp for his convenience; thinking that Scamp could have done enough for him already after the previous day's events of 'reconciliation'. He then knew inside that Scamp really was a good friend.

"Geez, Scampster," Buster responded in flattery after laying his eyes on the gear. "you really didn't have to do that."

"Have to have the right gear if you want to perform, pal." Scamp replied. "And we want to see you perform at your very best; so yes, we did have to do this. It will be worth it in the end, believe me."

"I'll bet." Buster said in deep appreciation. "Well, thanks again."

"Our pleasure. Now slip your gear on and lets get out there."

"Right."

Buster then put on his gear and within several minutes he was ready to go. He and Scamp then jogged over to the team, who had started their crossover passes, and joined in. Tramp and the Ex-JD's noticed Buster's prescence and smiled in admiration for his willingness. Buster caught this and nodded an acceptance to them; still also thankful for what they did for him the previous day.

The team went through their usual warm ups drills: Handling and then joint fitness with Schaulk. Then they got ready to go on attack and defense practise with the padded bags. But on this occasion Buster was taken aside by backs coach Alistor for personal training so that he could be introduced to the fundamentals of rugby and learn how to play the game.

"Welcome to your first training session of rugby, Buster." Alistor began, speaking the the Doberman/Rotweiler hybrid face to face. "My name is Alistor, and I am the backs coach."

"Nice to meet ya, Alistor." Buster replied, ready and willing to learn what was about to come for him.

"You too. Now I am going to work with you one on one in this training session. I will begin by introducing you to the fundamentals of the game and getting you to try them out practically. Then once you are ready to move on, I will take you through the work of the backs. I analyzed you in the warm up and I noticed that you have speed and agile technical movement with your feet; plus in the fitness session you seem to be keeping up well with the faster players and enduring more than most of the team. You are very muscular and strong with decent speed, so I believe that you have the build of a centre or fullback. So for all these reasons you should play in the backline, and as backs coach it is my duty to train you to fit there. Are you up for it?"

"I am up for anything that you throw at me, coach." Buster said with determination. "I am very eager to see what this sport holds."

"That's the attitude that I am looking for." Alistor replied with satisfaction. "Now just remember that it may take a bit of time to get your head around the full knowledge of this game, so remember to be patient and take it one step at a time so that over that time you will slowly build up your skills and techniques to a high level."

"I understand, coach; but do you really believe that I have the ability to develop these skills and earn a spot on this team?" Buster had a sense that this assistant rugby coach had some sort of immediate belief in him.

"I have seen your ability on the outside and I know that you have the mental edge in you because you seem very determined." Alistor assured. "Those two attributes combined give you leverage, so I do believe we can secure you a spot in the squad. You just keep this up and give all you have got and you will indeed be inside that rectangle in a match situation sooner than expected."

"Alright, then; taken. I promise that I will."

"Excellent! Now let's get you started."

So Alistor spent the next half hour showing Buster the basics: The correct way to pass; how to hold the ball when running; how to release the ball when tackled to the ground; rucking; tackling; and  punt, grubber and chip kicking. He was explaining in detail the specific ways to perform each fundamental so that Buster was able to understand well and learn quickly. Sure enough, Buster picked it up with his good learning ability that he "inherited" from his lifetime streetwise experience. Alistor recognized this as well and he was impressed.

He then showed Buster some of the movements and techniques of a typical back. He first explained in the offensive backline how wide and deep one needed to place himself/herself between and behind or in front of the line of their fellow backs; such as when the outside centre needed to be behind the line of the inside centre and forward of the line of the fullback and winger. This way the backline could remain diagonal when running forwards during set plays and the ball would be passed backwards legally without risking a forward pass.

The next involved the defensive line and how to shift across the field when following the ball carriers in the offense of the opposition; where the offside line was at the ruck; and following your marked dog and be ready to tackle him/her when they might get the ball, but also assisting in the tackle if needed. But he also advised Buster to assist in offensive and counter rucking when the breakdown was near him. 

He then showed Buster the common offensive maneuvers that backs would perform to break through the defense: Handing off and sidestepping. And this was where Buster was about to develop a special skill:

Alistor showed him how to perform them and then encouraged Buster to try it out and see whether he could outsmart his trainer. Buster had the ball in paw and ran for the first attempt towards the backs coach, who was getting ready to tackle his oncoming opponent. The muscular hybrid suddenly placed his left hind leg hard into the ground and pushed hard to result in a vast right diagonal movement away from his defender and through the "one dog defensive line". Alistor did not even touch Buster as he sidestepped away from him. After Buster came back over, Alistor appeared very impressed by this dog's ability to get the maneuver right the very first time and encouraged him to do it several times. Each time Buster would sidestep both left and right with near perfection and barely get Alistor to touch him. 

After several attempts at the sidestep, Alistor stopped him and began him on handing off. On the first attempt, Buster, ball in right paw, ran towards Alistor and as the backs coach went for the tackle, Buster tried to push him away to stop the tackle from being executed. But the push came too late as Alistor got a hold of his torso before Buster could react and brought him to the ground with a light slam. The first hand off attempt had failed. But Alistor was expecting this as Buster had never tried it before, so he got him to try it again. 

"You have to remember to react fast the moment you know you are about to be tackled." Alistor was saying. "It is going to be difficult because there will be a lot of other defenders trying to get you down and you can only fend off so many. But in a situation where you get a break and there is only one or a couple of defenders, you opportunity arises to get passed or palm them off. So once you know that your chance is there, take it. Then once you see the defender going for the tackle, get your palm out in front immediately and use all the force that you have got to push him or her away. Remember that reaction time is critical to make this effective. Now try it again."

This time, Alistor told Buster to wait for the sudden swift movement of a tackle attempt so that Buster would then know when the react; and once the movement by the coach was made, Buster got his arm out in front and pushed Alistor on the shoulder with some force and got him to the ground. The muscular hybrid then broke away and kept running. He then stopped after a short run and then headed back to his coach. 

Alistor was very satisfied with Buster's effort and got him to perform it several more times. Eight out of those ten further attempts Buster was able to effectively palm off the backs coach and break the tackles. The other two that the muscular hybrid failed was, firstly, when he put his arm out too high when he was being tackled low and, seondly, when he pushed him down but Alistor was still able to grab his leg with fast reaction time and get him to the ground. But each time that Buster succeeded, his size and muscular physique produced great force on his palm off, and therefore made it difficult for Alistor to tackle him.

After they had finished the session, the impressed backs coach spoke to his "student" again:

"That was impressive, Buster. You reacted better and I really felt some force on that hand off like you were throwing a straight punching strike. If you can do that in a match situation, I guarantee you will be one of the hardest dogs to tackle. With your size and strength, it gives you that leverage. So well done."

"Thanks, coach." The Doberman/Rotweiler replied, satisfied at what the advantage of his heritage and streetwise experience was bringing for him.

"Now, then." Alistor continued, noticing the backs and forwards splitting up to perform their usual routines. "The backs are just about to begin their set plays, so I'll take you over and show you how a back performs and run you through each of these plays so you know your moves as well as your  responsibilities as a centre. Let's go."

"Yes, coach." Buster willingly obliged.

They both headed over to the backs and Alistor took time to interpret the names and purposes of the plays that were being performed before his and his newcomer's eyes. He also got him to closely follow the moves of starting centres Vivian Prestona and Buster's very role model; Tramp. Buster was amazed at Tramp's ability to play so well; especially being a rookie of the game. Well, if my trainer and idol can do it, why can't I? Buster thought. I certainly seem to be on the right track as Alistor is impressed with my ability. Things are certainly looking up.

After five minutes of observation and interpretation, Alistor sent Buster into the opposition line to face the offense and play semi-contact defense. He wanted to get Buster familiar with following his marked dog and ensuring that he was covering his defensive zone so that gaps would not be created for the offense to break through; but also to assist in the tackle if the tacklee could not be brought to the ground fast enough.

Sure enough, Buster was quick to stay on his marked dog and whenever the ball carrier came his way, he was able to make contact with them every time, so his speed and tackling ability seemed to be no problem in defense. Even Tramp noticed this and he was becoming impressed. He is very hard to get past. He thought. And he makes clear contact every time so it would be hard to force a missed tackle on him. So far he is doing just fine. 

Then, by the order of his backs coach, Buster went in to the offense and replaced Vivian at outside centre to be tested on his ability to perform as a back. He lined up beside his mentor, The Tramp, and they shot a greeting look to each other and smiled. This was the first time that Buster had done so since before Tramp had left him and the streets to live as a house dog. Back then, Buster would have continuously scolded and cold-shouldered Tramp, but now things had changed since Buster had been helped out once again by him AND his son; and it was for that reason that the muscular hybrid could once again look up to the "veteran" schnauzer and put his trust back into him.

They performed various set plays and Buster carefully followed every maneouver, with and without the ball, that Alistor had taught him. When he didn't have the ball, he would usually stay lined up behind inside centre Tramp and be ready to recieve the ball from him; or he would follow the backline as they were going forward to keep up with the play. One play, Tramp received the ball and Buster switched from the right side of his inside centre to the left by running around him; where Tramp then performed a quick backward flick pass to him and Buster took it and ran toward the defensive line. Another involved Buster receiving the ball and then throwing a long pass overlapping the fullback and into the hands of the wing. Buster would also carry the ball and fake a quick pass to the full back and continue to run towards the defensive line. Most other plays would be as simple as continually passing the ball backwards until it reached the winger and he would therefore finish by running forwards until he was tackled or held.

Through all of this, Buster was showing some impressive speed while also producing fast side-steps to get past his defenders. On a couple of plays, when fullback Moody Thompson ran around and behind the outside centre, Buster also produced some very quick inside passes to him; so Buster's passing skills were also advancing in short time. Plus not once did Buster drop the ball. He made a couple of passing errors when they were too hard or too low and in turn missed a teammates' hands, but he was doing everything else well.

Then after a bit of time, head coach Reede called the team over to the rectangular playing field to begin their game sense scrimmage. Before Buster could get going to join in, Alistor stopped him short:

"Hold on, Buster. So you know, what you about to do is a full semi-contact scrimmage. Here, you will see it like a real game situation and you will get to put everything that you have been taught here tonight into practice. Remember what you have to do, try not to overuse your energy, and keep playing as hard as you can. Do this and we will accept you into the team. Good luck."

"Thanks, coach. I promise that I will."

So that said, Buster headed into the team hustle and got into his position at outside centre to get ready for the scrimmage. 

Once it was underway, he managed to see the ball several times and produce more of his special sidesteps to break tackles. He was still very quick on his feet and the defense had to work hard to stop his momentum. Again, it was on the acting referee's call of "held!" when the ball carrier had to go to ground, and this call would be made when the defender got a clear hold on the attacker when attempting the semi-tackle. But several times when Buster attacked the line, he was able to break through the holds made on him and produce several hand-offs and the call of "held!" came a lot latter than most other backs who got a carry. He was also very solid on defense in that he stayed on his spot on the defensive line and watched his marked dogs very carefully when they would come his way. His speed allowed him to react fast and he managed a clear hold on his opponents every time. The only thing that let him down was a few minor passing errors when they were too hard and high or low that they were out of reach of his fellow backs. Most other passes safely made it into their paws.

On the sidelines, Alistor continued to observe Buster and negotiated indistinctly with Reede about him while doing so. It was here where they would decide whether to slot Buster in the 30-dog squad or not.

As for the rest of the team, they still played and trained as hard as ever; just like the first game of the season the previous week. There were very few fundamental mistakes and they were still showing solid defense and controlled offense. The kicking accuracy from fullback Moody Thompson was also still very efficient. All in all, the team were still looking to be top contenders.

After Reede blew his whistle to signal the end of the scrimmage and training, he called the team over for a cool down with stretching as he was about to deliver his usual post-training talk:

"Alright, good effort tonight, team. We are still showing plenty of intensity and endurance along with plenty of communication and discipline. This is exactly what we saw in last Saturday's game so let's try and keep this up for the rest of the season. If you are hungry for it and you want to get to the finals, then this is what we expect from you every time you put on that training or playing shirt. Even off the field with all the extra work that you do; be it studying or going to the gym; treat it exactly like how you would here: Stay focused, dedicate, commit, think optimistically and never back down from anything that you are capable of doing. Know what you can do well and keep working with it but also try to go beyond your level of expected talent and perform new tricks. If you can manage all of this, you will become the strongest unit in the world of rugby."

The team listened hard and all nodded in agreement at their head coach's philosophical attitude before he continued:

"Now we also have a newcomer here tonight. This is his first ever training session as a rugby player and he has already shown some fine form in ball running, tackle busting and defense. Therefore with his skill I believe that he will fit into this team well. Please welcome Buster Mendosa!"

The team presented a welcoming applause for their assumed new recruit, and Buster looked at them and nodded in acceptance.

"And we wish you luck as you continue to enhance your skills in your development as a player, Buster." Reede concluded.

Buster got the impression from the head coach's words that he had indeed been selected in the squad, but he knew that this decision was up to Alistor as he had been training and observing him all session; so therefore he tried not to get too excited too soon.

"Now, as for this weekend," Reede continued. "We are heading down on the bus to New York City and we are going to be against some very tough opposition in Brooklyn RFC. They have been dominating rugby in the east for years and can be tough to handle with their fast and skillful offense as well as 'brick wall' defense and counter-ruck ability. Getting victory over them is a very small possibility and it will take a lot to get even. But I want us to put victory to the back of our minds and focus more on making them fight hard for their points. If we are to do that, we have to keep all the intensity and endurance shown here up to the highest standard. That means our defense has to be solid when charging at them and when shifting across to cover the gaps on the wing if they decide to throw the ball wide to get an opportunity to score. Also, our breakdown support has to be there at each and every ruck to avoid turnovers at all costs; and to have any chance of breaking the offensive line, we have to ensure that the ball runner has close support to him or her to prepare for that potential quick pass or offload from the tackle then take the ball and catch the opposition off guard. Our tactical kicking also has to be used for the same purpose of breaking the line, but you have to ensure that you execute it well in a way to put pressure on the opposition. If we can perfect all of this, Brooklyn RFC will be in for a very tough time. But also remember not to get put off by your opponents if they are getting on top of you, because such loss of valuable focus can lead to making errors and in turn defeat. So just keep focusing on your own game to play hard throughout 80 minutes and have a shot at victory. We will work on this come Thursday, so keep all of this in mind and prepare for what you will get. That will be all, team. See you in two days."

The team broke away from the huddle and got ready to leave. But Buster got stopped short again by Alistor. It was here where Buster would be learning of his "fate":

"Alright, Buster." Alistor said to his 'student'. "As Reede said just then, you have shown some fine form in rugby skills and have the capability of making this team. I am really impressed with what you have achieved early on. Your speed, tackle breaking, defense, and set play execution is going well; and even your passes are quick but there were a few times where you passed too hard or too low and therefore it was turned over. But with a few simple adjustments we can get that right within time. And you don't seem to have much of a problem dealing with game sense pressure, so you have done well in that too. So all in all, you have a huge potential as an outside centre and even at wing or full back; and this can therefore make you a utility in the backline. Long story short, the good news is that you are officially on the roster. Congratulations and welcome to Amity Regional RFC!"

That said, Alistor held out his paw and allowed the newcomer to shake in a welcoming manner; and Buster also extended his paw and accepted it. They both smiled at each other while doing so; and Buster felt really thrilled that he had just made the team. He did seem to enjoy playing this sport as well, so he was tempted to stick with it. He knew that he had a choice as it was given to him by Tramp and the others, but at this stage his mind was pretty much made up. This certainly is much better than the streets or the Junkyard. He thought. I know now that this is where the real fun will be.

"Thank you very much, coach." Buster replied in deep appreciation. "Thank you for all of your help and support tonight and I am looking forward to playing for and with you. I promise not to let any of you down."

"I am pleased with your attitude and I know that you will do us proud. And whenever you need help with anything, do not hesitate to speak to us."

"I won't. Thanks."

"Good. Now you and I will keep working for a bit together on Thursday. We will keep running through a few fundamentals to ensure that you get your head around all the valuable skills along with performing the set plays and dealing with game sense pressure. If you train well enough like you did tonight, we will be giving you a run come Saturday. Just keep in mind that we will most likely be starting you on the bench as either our other centres Vivian Prestona or Faulk Dye have had more training and game time and are both looking good; but you will definately be getting a run after all that we have seen you do, and there is plenty of time left in the season for us to get you more time on the pitch. So just keep it up and you will get there."

"Yes, coach. Thank you, coach." Buster replied.

"Alright, then, see you Thursday."

And both canines headed off in their separate directions to leave the training field.

Buster went over to the car park to liaise with his idol, Tramp, and his former Junkyard 'colleagues' and told them about his acceptance into the team and his desire to give rugby a shot. Everyone was very happy for him.

"Well done, Buster." Tramp said. "I knew that you were going to make it. With your speed and incredible offensive technique, you will gain many metres and break a lot of tackles. You're not so bad when you yourself tackle either. Anyway, I always believed in you and I now believe that you will do us proud through the rest of the season."

"That goes for me, too." Scamp replied.

"And me." Scratchy also agreed.

"Yep, same here, 'kay?" Mooch then responded.

"Hear, hear! All the way." Sparky finished.

All five had complete faith in their former Junkyard 'colleague' despite their differences. Buster did not know how to respond to this but was again so grateful that they forgave him and gave him a chance to rise above himself even after all the negatives between them.

"Thanks again, all of you." Buster appreciatively replied.

"Your welcome." Tramp said. "Now rest up and we'll see you on Thursday."

"Will do. See you all then."

The five canines then headed for the carpark and got ready to leave the oval while Buster headed his separate way on foot back to the streets of New Haven where he roamed.

To be continued...

Reede, Alistor and Schalk (c) BlackJack16

All remaining characters (c) Walt Disney

I fully respect the laws and regulations against copyright violations.

(c) November 2013; BlackJack16.