“Give it a good rub over with the sponge and then towel it.”
“The pain startled him out of his thoughts, but a quick rub of the injury relieved the throbbing.”
“But surely the rub is in implementing these worthy principles!”
rubber
(sports) In relation to a series of games or matches between two competitors where the overall winner of the series is the competitor which wins a majority of the individual games or matches:
The entire series, of an odd number of games or matches in which ties are impossible (especially a series of three games in bridge or whist).
An individual match within the series (especially in racquet sports).
(Canada) A rubber match; a game or match played to break a tie.