Tom Showed What He Could Do Poem by Frank V. Gardner

When, yesterday, Tom broke his wrist,
'Twas in a rugby game:
His first as one of the 'Fifteen'
To bear St. George's name.
He played the pillar in the scrum,
And threw the ball, as well.
The game was fairly new to him,
But who could really tell?

He hit the line, and held his own,
And forced opponents back.
He helped his team advance the ball:
The brunt of the attack.
Well, in the first half, things were fine:
St. George's went ahead;
But second half was different,
With another in his stead.

The half had barely started when
Tom had an accident.
An adversary broke his wrist,
And it was really bent.
So, Tommy had to leave the field,
His arm, now in a wrap.
And, with him gone, opposing players
Sought to close the gap.

The St. John's players and their fans
Could feel the tide would turn,
For 'number three' had left the game,
And they had points to earn.
While he was gone, St. John's pulled up
And made a forceful try.
With seconds left of playing time,
They kicked, and earned a tie.

And when we welcomed Tommy back,
A cast around his arm,
His disappointment couldn't really
Overcome his charm.

It's good that we had seen him play;
We really wanted to.
And he not only made the team,
He showed what he could do.