09/05/2026
Not the result we wanted
Better late than never could be a good motto to describe this game. On the last weekend of April (apologies for the delay in the publishing of the report), Darmstadt drove down to Heidelberg to take on the second team of TSV Handschuhsheim in what was the last game of the regular season for both teams.
Once again having to deal with a plethora of injuries and unavailabilities, Coach Konsti managed to assemble a team of 20 players, heavily loaded in forwards. Under the infamous sun of Heidelberg and on an astroturf pitch, the kick-off whistle was blown at 14:45, once the U16 game that took place before was over.
In a match that was decisive for the playoffs seeding, TSV 2 was determined to prove their worth to their fans against the defending champion of the Hessenliga. As often, Darmstadt started the game the way they often do, i.e. sleeping on the pitch. The host took advantage of this lethargy to score two early tries. Our full back Carl decided he had enough at this point and "chose" to dislocate his knee, leaving the backline even more disorganized than it already was. Despite the waking up of the troops in blue, who played well but could not retain possession of the ball, TSV added a few more to push the score to 33-0 at half.
Hope was not lost, and the half-time speech proved to be successful. The momentum switched entirely in the second half, as a first try of Captain PvH happened not so long after kick-off. The defense was solid, the offense looked more fluid, Darmstadt believed. Alas, the second try of PvH only intervened in the last five minutes, bringing the score to 33-12 when the final whistle (finally) blew.
A big thanks to the TSV for their hospitality and despite the loss, a good game to build on for your Darmstadt team. A learning experience they will put to use... no later than this Saturday, May 9th, for their playoff game in Mainz. Come support us!
MoM - Two winners that day, Ernesto and Ben, for two overall good performance in the backline.
DoD - Carl's kneecap for deciding to detach itself from his knee during the game. Get well soon! (15)
