MARCH CLUB EPEE COMPETITION 2023 The final Tuesday of March 2023, saw 16 fencers from the club, gather for the March Epee competition.  News that the knockout stage would run as a team relay left many in confusion, especially as changes were being made, depending on time and numbers!  After a chaotic start, thanks to the scorer allowing some latecomers into the fold, some fencers had had (what the scorer called) “warm up games” much to the disgust of those already having expended serious energy on their pursuit of a win!  However, by the end of the night, all of the poules had been completed and not many surprises were given in the seedings.  Four teams of four were decided by seeding and, with time short, it was decided to carry on over to the following week.The following Tuesday, the club found itself with 14 fencers present, some of whom were changed from the poules round the preceding week.  

As the monthly club competition is merely a bit of (serious!) fun, it was decided to continue with the four teams of four, substituting the new players for those who hadn’t made it and, in the case of two teams, one fencer having to fence twice.  At least everybody got to participate.  First up was Team A (Sandy, Phil and Claudia – with Sandy fencing twice) against, the favourites, Team C (Steve, Henry, Will and Mischa) piste 1, with Team B (Mark, Richard, Peter and Mark fencing again) against Team D (Rohan, Sofia, Dave and Jaina) on piste 2.  Each pair of fencers would remain on until their team was first to amass the step of 3/6/9 or 12 points.    Sandy’s team started as the meant to go on, with Sandy taking a short lead before handing over to Phil.  

Henry had a storming round against Phil, managing to pull the score back to 6-6, before Will took over to give the favourites a 9-6 lead.  Last up was Sandy again, who was pitted against the young buck, Mischa, but, despite Sandy’s misgivings he managed to see off the young pretender, to take Team A to the final and push the favourites down to the third place play-off.  The piste 2 competition was much closer.  One point between Rohan and Mark stayed the same after Sofia and Richard’s match, with Team D, hanging on by the single point.  Peter managed to swing the favour in Team B’s direction, again by a single point, with Mark fencing again and retaining that lead to see them into the final against Team A.  The third place play-off provided no surprises with the favourites at the start of the competition, Team C, gaining the lead after the second fencer, and staying ahead right until the end.  In the final relay game, both teams had a fencer who was to fence twice.  In Team A, it was decided that Phil was to be that fencer, with Richard taking the baton for Team B.  

Team B took an early lead, with the second fencer maintaining the difference by the end of their bout.  Peter had a blinding match against his dad, Phil, amassing points and seeing Team B pull away with a five point lead and one fencer still to go.  With Richard also on form and having his second match of the final, he too gained points against Claudia, leaving Team B victors with a 12-6 winning scoreline.  Well done all, it really was a great competition.  It never ceases to amaze everyone how these events never seem to go the way that everyone might summise at the start!  

Next competition (format to be decided) will be on the last Tuesday of April.  All fencers wishing to compete must arrive by 7.30pm.  See you then.