The latest game was a narrow victory for Underworld Exiles over Dark Matters. The match started with Dark Matter receiving. A punishing attack on the front line led to breakthrough by the Matters, and a brilliant but unfortunately mistimed penetration by their Wardancer left him hanging deep in the Exile's half of the pitch without the ball. The Exile's assassin, Celia Cicero, quickly stunned him as the Exiles rallied and tried to make their own hole in the Matters line. A long slog ensued, with the Exiles wearing away at the Matters defence. It was eventually the armour, stripped to the minimum on a scorching hot day, that gave way, rather than Matters defence. With the Kroxigor and their blitzer knocked out, the heavier Exiles lineup finally broke through, with Exiles captain Bathazaar Cicero scooping the ball to score.
The second play saw a disastrous mis-kick from the Dark Matters, with the ball landing in the fans. Redirected into the hands of Minotaur Crimson Horn, and with Dark Matter's Kroxigor still knocked out from the previous play, the Exiles 'bull'dozed their way towards the end zone. The Dark Matters crowded the minotaur, but Celia and Balthazaar Cicero cleared his path to score.
The third play saw a reprise of the first, with the Matters again punching through the Exiles line, sending their wardancer ahead, and filling the hole in the line with their own players, forming a spread wedge to protect the ball carrier. The Exiles tried to stop the wedge, and failed to down the wardancer. The wedge pushed forward, sweeping the Exiles away from the wardancer who received the ball and scored.
The second half saw the Exiles start with the ball, and they dutifully tried to break through the middle, exploiting the gap left around their neglected flesh golem, Hagar Vaundheim. Stunning the Kroxigor, they moved their players into the gap mimicking the Matters play in the previous half. Unlike the Exiles, however, the Matters replied by mounting a counter attack knocking out the Exile's golem. Although they had thinned the Exiles ranks, they had still left two players in a scoring position. Meanwhile they pushed three players around the side in a race for the ball carrier. Dodging around them, the Exiles through the ball to the waiting skaven for a sure-fire touchdown, only to have the ball bounce off a magical shield straight into the hands of a waiting Dark Matter orc lineman. The Dark Matters pushed down the pitch, cleared a path for their waiting receiver and threw the ball... only to have it intercepted by dark elf runner, Albus Cicero! Dashing out of the fray, there were few Exiles left standing to throw the ball to, but she managed to hand off to the beastman, Ragdar the 'Almost' Mighty, who fled down the pitch as far as his legs could carry him. Desperate to outrun pursuit he strained himself too far and collapsed, the ball bouncing away. The Dark Matters defence rushed to his side, but were unable to reach the ball. Instead they settled for crowding around the fallen player. Despite this, Radgar the beastman managed to surge to his feet, dodge away from the defenders, scoop up the ball and score.
Exile jubilation at that tense play was short-lived. With their flesh golem still knocked out, a necromancer frantically trying to sew him back together, the Exile line defence was looking thin. Their numerical advantage that they had enjoyed for most of the match evaporated as the Dark Matters fans stormed the pitch, seriously injuring skaven linemen Lespit Silentfeet and Squirik Stumpytail, and stunning three other players. Orlan himself joined the injured list shortly afterwards after an altercation with a Kroxigor, leaving Exiles outnumbered and with holes in their lines. They rallied to the defence, but Dark Matter tore through two holes, and their wardancer romped home to score.
On the last play the Exile flesh golem, Hagar, finally recovered, to take front and centre once more. Both teams moved cautiously to focus on violence in the centre of the pitch, rather than moving the ball. With the score at 3-2, the Exiles preferred not to lose the ball, even if they didn't score, while the Dark Matters, outnumbered again, couldn't assault the Exile position without leaving themselves open. Instead mutual violence combined with even hotter weather causing even the lightest players to slow down and strip off, soon led to multiple casualties in the centre. The Exile carrying both the momentum of being the receiving side and a magical explosive scroll, stunned several Matters players and the dark elf, Balthazaar Cicero, ran through to score. This last touchdown was a fairly uninspired play as fan and player alike focused on the more interesting spectacle of scantily clad players from both teams trying to hurt eachother as much as possible before the final whistle blew.
Players to watch include the Dark Matters wardancer, who is going from strength to strength. Most receivers don't pass the time in the opponent's half by systematically hunting down their rear echelon players. On the Exile side, it's the Cicero family making most of the waves. Balthazaar Cicero is confirming his captainship by being a solid scorer, and Celia Cicero is fast making a name for herself as takedown expert. The role of Albus Cicero is more in question, as he's moving more into a traditional throwing role, when some commentators claim he'd be more effective staying true to a dark elf running game.