KNOXVILLE POSSUMS GRAND TOUR

IN TRYING TO DRUM UP SOME INTEREST IN FOLKS GOING TO THE BLOG, I TOOK MY EA SPORTS "RUGBY 1998" GAME AND REPLACED THE USA WITH POSSUMS, ADDING EACH PLAYER TO THE GAME AND CALCULATING THEIR SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES.

GUESS I MADE OUR ATTRIBUTES A LITTLE TOO HIGH, AS THE POSSUMS DOMINATED - AND I AM NOT GOOD AT PLAYING THE GAME. FOR A LONG TIME, THE TOP 30 IN THE TOURING PARTY AND THOSE ON CALL WERE LISTED ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDEBAR - AND IT WAS IN GENERAL CONSENSUS WITH MOST ALL-TIME POSSUM TEAM VOTES

I POSTED STUFF ON FACEBOOK, BUT NOBODY SEEMED INTERESTED AND I LOST MY SPARK IN FINISHING IT WHEN MY PS3 CRASHED AND ALL THE PLAYER DATA WAS LOST.

THE TOUR WAS SET TO DEPART AFTER OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY AND TOUR THE SIX NATIONS WITH A NUMBER OF TESTS.

***

THE KNOXVILLE POSSUMS (CIRCA 1980-2001) OPENED THEIR GRAND TOUR WITH A 59-10 THRASHING OF THE BARBARIANS AT MURRAYFIELD, SCOTLAND.

IT TOOK KNOXVILLE JUST 90 SECONDS TO FIND THE TRY ZONE, WITH WING FRANK BENNETT SCORING THE FIRST OF HIS TWO TRIES. FLYHALF MARTY BRADLEY (19 POINTS) KICKED THE FIRST OF EIGHT STRAIGHT CONVERSIONS.

TODD LITTLE FOLLOWED MOMENTS LATER WITH A SCORE IN THE SAME CORNER AS THE POSSUMS EVENTUALLY JUMPED OUT TO A 28-3 LEAD IN THE WIN. JAMES HOOK (WALES) HAD A PENALTY KICK WHILE NEW ZEALAND SCRUMHALF JUSTIN MARSHALL SCORED WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT ON THE PLAYSTATION 2 RUGBY 2008 SIMULATION.

"THIS WAS CERTAINLY A TOUGH WAY TO OPEN AN AMBITIOUS TOUR," SAID KNOXVILLE CAPTAIN TYLER HUSKEY. "WE HAVE A 30-MAN ROSTER AND PLENTY OF OTHERS IN CONTENTION TO PLAY."

KNOXVILLE SCHEDULE

*VS BARBARIANS AT MURRAYFIELD, SCOTLAND--59-10

VS EDINBURGH AT NORTHERN PARK--41-14

VS GLASGOW AT NORTHERN PARK--53-17

*VS SCOTLAND AT MURRAYFIELD--53-17

VS BRESCIA AT BRESCIA, ITALY--33-3

VS TREVISO AT ARENA CIVICA--37-17

*VS ITALY AT ROME--20-21

VS BOURGOIN AT BOURGOIN--41-14

VS CASTRES AT CASTRES--69-17

VS CLERMONT AT CLERMONT-canceled

* VS FRANCE AT STADE DE FRANCE--41-14

VS TOULOUSE AT PARC DE PARIS--21-9

*VS NEW ZEALAND AT STADE DE FRANCE--14-20

VS PERPIGNAN AT PERPIGNAN--33-22

VS NORTHHAMPTON AT MADJESKI STADIUM, ENGLAND--31-0

VS BRISTOL AT THE STOOP--38-3

*VS ENGLAND AT TWICKENHAM--63-14

TOUR HALTED

VS WORCESTER AT ADAMS PARK

VS LONDON WASPS AT FRANKLIN'S GARDENS

VS SARACENS AT RECREATION GROUND

*VS SOUTH AFRICA AT TWICKENHAM

VS LONDON IRISH AT WORCESTER SIXWAYS

VS NEC HARLEQUINS AT VICARAGE ROAD

*VS FIJI AT MEMORIAL STADIUM

VS LEINSTSER AT LEINSTER, IRELAND

VS ULSTSER AT ULSTER

*VS IRELAND AT LANDSDOWNE ROAD

VS MUNSTER AT IRISH PARK

*VS BARBARIANS AT LANDSDOWNE ROAD

VS CARDIFF AT CARDIFF, WALES

VS LLANELI AT LLANELI

*VS WALES AT MILLENIUM STADIUM

VS NEWPORT-GWENT AT NEWPORT

*VS SAMOA AT WEST GLAMORGAN

VS WORCESTER AT KINGSTON PARK, ENGLAND

*VS AUSTRALIA AT TWICKENHAM

*VS URUGUAY AT KINGSHOLM PARK

*VS CANADA AT WEXFORD ROAD

*VS NEW ZEALAND AT TWICKENHAM

VS PARIS AT STADE DE PARIS

*VS USA AT MILLENIUM STADIUM

*VS SOUTH AFRICA AT MILLENIUM STADIUM


*-INDICATES TEST MATCH