Match report from the Weybridge Festival - 28 March 2010
We arrived at Weybridge with an enthusiastic squad looking forward to a good day. Unfortunately having arrived at 9:30am we found out our first game wasn’t until 11:10am; it was unfortunately a sign of things to come!
We started our campaign against Farnborough. They had a very strong pack who dominated every scrum and lineout but we were able to win the battle in the loose to get possession. Once we moved the ball away from their forwards we were able to make ground and dominate the game. We played the game in their half and Joe Sambrook was able to break free and score our first try, this was closely followed by one from Tom Nicole who ran over their full back to cross the line. The second half was comfortable with Farnborough struggling to pose a threat which enabled us to build the pressure and eventually Jack Baldwin was able to run clear and score the final try of the game. A comfortable victory, 15-0.
Our second game was against a solid Weybridge Vandals team who have proved in the past to be a tough challenge. We started slowly, which might have something to do with the one hour wait between games! Weybridge took advantage of us being half asleep and scored the first try of the game, but we responded well and started applying pressure. Tom Nicole broke free from the base of the scrum and floated a lovely pass to Jack Baldwin in support who found the space to level the score. We continued to press in the second half, managing to threaten their line but couldn’t quite get over it until Jack Lillistone went on one of his many powerful runs resulting in the winning try. The game finished with us winning 10-5.
The third game was against Staines which proved to be another closely fought affair. We were able to dominate possession and while we struggled to use it with any great success it was only a matter of time before the pressure would bring tries. The first try followed a series of great passes through the backs all the way to Harry Kitchener on the wing who managed to dodge three defenders and score. The second half continued in the same vein and we never really felt threatened but also struggled to pose a threat of our own. We were able to put them under pressure on their try line and they resorted to kicking the ball downfield where Jack Baldwin at fullback was able to take the catch and run for the corner and score the final try of the game. A 10-0 victory.
Our fourth game was against Mitcham and proved to be a scrappy affair with plenty of effort but little reward. We were able to dominate the possession and eventually Toby Hatton was able to power over for our first try and settle a few nerves. We had to wait until the second half before we got on the score sheet again and it was zig zagging run from Jack Lillistone that enabled him to score. Final score 10-0.
The fifth and final game of the day was against Old Emanuels and if we won this game we would win the festival. We struggled to get the tempo up to the necessary speed, but it was 4 o’clock by now and we were all a bit fed up and tired. However we continued to ply our trade but struggled to get possession of the ball and spent the first few minutes on the back foot. We did manage to play ourselves back into a bit of form and after a period of pressure just before half time Jack Lillistone managed to smash his way over the line to score. Old Emanuels came back at us and after a great run looked guaranteed to score, but Jack Beynon made a fantastic tackle head on stopping the attacker in full flight and dumping him back from where he came! A great try saving tackle. In the second half we were able to take a little more control of the game and managed to play from within their half. The second try came from continued pressure and after a great chase Joe Sambrook was able to drop on a loose ball for a try, much to the relief of parents and coaches who were getting a little nervous. The last few minutes of the game was spent within ten metres of their try line and despite several close attempts we were never able to score. The game eventually ended with seconds on the clock when two of the opposition went down injured following a collapsed scrum – our thoughts go out to them and hope they are well.
We won the final game 10-0.
We played 5 games, won 5 games, scored 11 tries and conceded 1.
Another great festival victory for the U11’s.
The effort of the whole squad was fantastic but the quality of rugby we played was far from our best. The fact we were still able to win the festival despite being below par is a credit to the ability and resolve of the squad.
The brilliant winning squad was: Adam Rutledge, Toby Marsh, Toby Howarth, Toby Hatton, Peter Marney, Joe Sambrook, Imogen Harms, Hannah Harms, Tom Nicole, Morgan Holden, Jack Lillistone, Jack Baldwin, Harry kitchener, Matt Gee, Kezia Winter, Alex Healey, Jack Beynon.
Mike Holden - U11 Head Coach