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Under 18s Match Reports

Sat 22 Mar 08: Sidcup U18s 36 - Chis & Sid Grammar School 1st XV 26

Our hotly anticipated curtain raiser to the Penguins game was played in a biting gale which went straight up the pitch, making for an interesting and challenging contest. After losing the toss, we played with it for the first half, and so the pressure was on to make the advantage count.

So imagine my annoyance when I hurled out a long pass to a sure try out on the other wing, where our players were queuing up, only to see their centre burst out, claim the ball, break through the surprised tacklers, and then go all the way, for a try worth its weight in gold.

Earlier, the game had got off to a fast-paced, physical and open start, with breaks, overlaps and turnovers coming every minute. Using the wind, Dan did well to find touch from a penalty for a high tackle, and from this we patiently drove and got close to the line, before Duffus found a gap in the purple wall and pummelled through it under the posts.

After the interception, our lineouts continued to give us our best ball with Dan and Steve rising well and Tom metronomically hitting the mark every time in spite of the wind. At the same time Ryan was making some threatening breaks at outside centre and the contest for the ball on the floor was as hard as it has been all season: this, the danger of Chis & Sid and the freezing cold made for a real test of fitness and nerves. But a second try did come, as Dan jinked inside after taking a tap penalty and escaped the clutches of the Chis & Sid back row to get the first of his two tries.

Sam Carmen is a terrifying prospect for any opponent, and not least for frozen stiff outside backs. When he combined with Jono and Ryan out wide, his size, pace and step carried him over for try number three. However we were always forced to keep in mind the fact that in the second half we would have to dig in and probably concede a few.

Steve was characteristically stealing lineout ball at the front, and it was such a steal that led to the fourth try, and the cushion we desperately needed. A strong drive with the likes of Andy, Chris and Tom right in the thick of it got us close to the line, but once Sam found Dan as well as ever his stepping and wriggling got him over once again, and now the score was 26-7.

The second half had not far progressed before Chis & Sid showed how dangerous they would be, especially with the wind at their backs. Some slick passing, quick feet and quality lines of running gave them a classily easy-looking second try, and when another came not long later, the tension mounted for both teams. Again there was the frantic frequency of turnovers, and kicks through that were only just being dealt with, the ball swirling in the air and bobbling on the ground. Stuart deserves a mention for stepping in at full back after Ibbi took an unfortunate knock (showing how hard he always hits the contact) and doing a great job, especially when he made the Chis & Sid winger he came up against look like a fool with an outrageous sidestep (not so great was the pass he then threw, which was intercepted, nearly losing us the game!).

With this pace, many of the players began to tire, but as a unit, the Sidcup pack closed looking as strong as ever. It must have been disheartening for the Chis & Sid forwards to march back a good 50 yards, as from a stolen lineout we drove, drove, and, well… kept driving. Once again in Chis & Sid territory we got another penalty, another lineout, and, to put us 7 points clear, another try, as I finally got in on the try-scoring gravy train that is our lineout, by holding onto the ball rather than passing it back to Pat who should have scored.

Our high-spirits were short-lived, however, with another reminder that Chis & Sid could rip us to pieces at a moment’s notice. They stormed through after a long kick carried by the wind, and simply swarmed over any of us who had the legs to get back, and got themselves another score, again bringing them in range, at 31-26.

With a matter of minutes left, Dan made an absolutely crucial tackle on his opposite number to shut down another threatening Chis & Sid move, and even better, with the help of Harry and Matt, drove him back to his own five-metre line. We got the put in, and with one final great shove, took the ball against the head, and Fred, now on at scrum-half, took his chance, razor-sharp, and crashed over the line to seal a memorable win.

From my point of view, this was the hardest game of the season, harder even than the games we lost. We did fantastically well against a very professional side from Chis & Sid, and I feel all the team spirit and individual brilliance we have amassed over the years came out in that game. Many thanks to everyone who did and didn’t-but-would-have taken part (or did for a bit then got knocked out), and especially to our enormously dedicated, intelligent, friendly and entertaining coaches, Tom, Mark, Chris and especially Andy, whose own values of commitment, team spirit and love of the game were reflected today in the team he has crafted over almost a decade.

LRA - 25 Mar 08

Sun 9 Mar 08: Sidcup U18s 20 - Westcombe Park U18s 0

U18s

In the Kent Plate Final, we faced Westcombe Park, an always challenging opponent. Inspired by Maidstone’s rave in the changing room next-door, copious stocks of tuna rolls and Maoam, the wise printed words of Jonesy, the presence of Jim and a collection of senior players, we took to the field fired up and determined to win.

Despite some early scares whilst playing up the hill and into the wind, Sidcup held firm with some brilliant cover defence and tactical kicking from the back three. On a windy day, these three and Dan kicked especially well, and their touch-finding allowed the pack to win more and more ball, as our lineout continued to function excellently. Having moved up into the Westcombe Park 22 following a turnover and breakaway in the forwards, we won a penalty and Dan put it into the corner. As so many times before this season, the result was a try, for Sam this time. It had been hard work against a big set of ‘Combe forwards but the effort brought due reward.

The first half continued, and from the kick-off, Sam Carman began a flowing sequence of offloads which saw us move almost up to the ‘Combe 22, a hint of the style that brought us to the final. There were one or two more first-half chances, though we conceded several penalties we didn’t need to and this prevented us extending our lead further. Just before the whistle, Ibbi picked a great support line which saw him nearly sprint clear. As the move broke down, however, ‘Combe came away with the ball but once again tireless work from Stuart and Pete out on the right meant it came to nothing and we were able to clear.

The second half saw us raise our game, and the combination of this, our new direction down the hill, and the support of the wind meant the game never really looked like going away from us. A penalty in front of the posts took the score to 8-0 and prevented the possibility of a breakaway stealing the game for ‘Combe. From then on, we continued to use our lineout well, and indeed it brought another try for Tom. With the scrummaging going our way too, ‘Combe had very little to work with but defended hard to the end.

Dan once again raised exhilarated cheers from the swelling crowd by hanging up a perfect cross-field kick for Steve to catch at pace. Unlike Sam last week, however, Steve couldn’t beat the last man and his offload to Tom was somehow too low for him to catch, and the ball was knocked on.

Westcombe Park did get into our territory once more, but their penalty kick went miserably into Steve Duffus’s chest, and we came away with the ball. There was time for one great individual effort from Ben Taylor to top things off, as he rounded the ‘Combe defence with pace and balance to dive over beneath the posts. 20-0 was the final score.

Well done to Andy for juggling the squad so that everybody got a game and congatulations to Harry who picked up a gong after only a handful of games for the team.

LRA - 10 Mar 08

Sun 2 Mar 08: Sidcup U18s 32 - Bromley U18s 13

Determined to demonstrate that we were in the wrong tier of the competition, we took on Bromley for a place in the Plate final.

A tense start saw Bromley fail to gather the kick-off, allowing an early chance which we nervously and wastefully kicked away. With Bromley coming back strong, they gained a good amount of territory and soon enough a 3-0 lead from a well-struck penalty. However it didn’t take long for the Sidcup pack to show what a threat their lineout is. A move from a lineout 10 metres out saw Tom ground the ball for the first of his three in the game. Dan, kicking from a tee that has been roundly described as a ‘traffic cone’, missed, as he later would every time until the last conversion, accomplished with a regular cone.

Bromley began the second half strongly again, but perhaps signalled their lack of ambition by electing to kick a second penalty well inside our 22 rather than go for the corner. This took the game to 10-6, but in the next 20 minutes, the score would change out of all recognition.

With Steve Evans constantly plundering the lineout, and Tom stealing most of Bromley’s ball in the scrums, the pack was exerting a strong and decisive influence on the game and giving Bromley little to work with. This pressure told not long after the Bromley penalty, as Ben Taylor shrugged off a couple of challenges to run in under the posts. Almost immediately after, Tom got his third, after another occupation of the Bromley 22.

The next was undoubtedly the pick of the bunch and probably the best all season.

The sight of Dan kicking speculatively does not always immediately excite Sidcup players and spectators. But this was a pinpoint cross kick, a full 30 metres, straight on top of the Bromley winger. That he was directly under it did not matter however, as Sam Carmen came charging in at full speed and caught the ball at shoulder height on the run, in front of the stand. With two defenders to beat, the prop outpaced one and, having considered sidestepping the other, ran through him and continued under the posts.

After this display, and now 25-6 down, Bromley took advantage of a tiny knock on to stay in our 22 for a long period of pressure. We tackled well but after 10 minutes of desperate defence and a third consecutive sin-bin for Chris, the Bromley 10 got over the line, just reward for his performance.

With not long left, we got ourselves back into Bromley territory, again making use of our dominating lineout. After putting a few phases together, we were left with an overlap on the left and I pushed through two tired Bromley tacklers to score the final try.

LRA - 8 Mar 08

Sun 10 Feb 08: Sevenoaks U18s 13 - Sidcup U18s 12

After a bright start, which saw an early try from a lineout, we lacked the resolve to see off Sevenoaks, who played to their strengths, spinning the ball out wide and kicking long down the pitch.

As we were unwilling or unable to play an effective counterattacking game, we forfeited a lot of territory, and could not respond to Sevenoaks’s scores, until the second half, when a string of drives from the base of the ruck, followed by Dan’s conversion, gave us a 12-10 lead.

A mix of poor discipline, poor refereeing, poor decisions and poor skill eventually meant that we were stuck in our own half for the remainder of the match, and there we conceded two penalties. The first missed, luckily enough, but the second went over for one point victory which was deserved by a solid performance.

On another day, we might have expected to win comfortably, but our unnecessary panic in the face of a dire referee – but more importantly a strong opponent – lost us the match.

In this joke of a league, this meant our exit from the cup competition. With Cranbrook and Aylesford both failing to turn up for our games (despite playing and losing heavily to Blackheath and Sevenoaks earlier in the league – games from which the latter two increased their points difference, and despite them turning up for the later knock-out stages of the competition), we somehow gained 0 points difference from those games, leaving us 1 point down from Blackheath (whom we beat 22-0) and Sevenoaks.

If Kent are sincere about keeping 17 and 18 year olds interested in playing rugby by putting on league competitions, they need to seriously review how they administer and manage those compeitions.

LRA - 8 Mar 08

Sun 3 Feb 08: Sidcup U18s 22 - Blackheath U18s 0

With our farcical league campaign only now beginning, it was absolutely essential that we win today. With only this game and the one with Sevenoaks forming the group stages, we could ill afford to put a foot wrong, especially against a Blackheath side that had shown itself to be dangerous earlier in the season.

Although the game started with Dan kicking-off high and the ball only going about five metres forward, it is fair to say we dominated the game right from the beginning. Our pack dismantled the Blackheath scrum time and time again, and the lineouts worked unbelievably well against two tall opposition jumpers. Consequently, we had almost all of the possession, but failed to move the ball wide (and catch it) often enough. In the end the whole contest felt very comfortable, especially after Ryan darted over the line only minutes into the game to settle any nerves.

Dan snatched two second half tries, and another went to Nick, while we rarely had any defending to do. Chris’s yellow card (from an excellent referee) was the result of obvious frustration rather than desperate defence, as the try-line gaped open but a Blackheath hand wouldn’t relinquish the ball on the floor. More tries would surely have come, had we built more phases and kept the ball in hand, rather than playing two or three and kicking speculatively. To Blackheath’s credit, these kicks often came as their imposing defence restricted the extent to which we could move the ball wide: sometimes we felt we had fewer options than we actually did. This was a commanding performance from the pack, but too often the final pass just went down when we looked sure to exploit the overlaps we had created.

Nick was unlucky not to score a second as he crashed through the line taking a flat ball (and then crawled the rest of the way, before being penalised for a quadruple-movement). Ryan missed out on a second try as the referee was simply standing on the other side of the ruck when he grounded the ball just on the line: it was unfortunate, but he would have seen crystal clear tries had they been scored by Dolby or Pete gliding over out wide.

LRA - 6 Feb 08

Sun 30 Dec 07: Sidcup Colts 5 - Old Elthamians Colts 26

In a match similar to last week’s, we were up against a strong colts side, went behind early, and never quite recovered despite a strong effort.

On this occasion, Old Es undoubtedly played to their strengths by putting the ball through the hands of their talented back line at every opportunity, and making lots of ground with the boot. From the beginning we tried to play expansively, as for instance when Dan tried to put Dolby away down the right from our own 22. All too often, however, we felt under pressure from an aggressive defence, lost the ball, and were on the back foot again, giving our back three lots of backtracking to do.

Two tries came not long into the game, firstly as a back-row move down the blindside gave Old Es an overlap they exploited, and next when another try came out wide thanks to a combination of incisive running and precise handling. The odd chance came our way, once as Dolby steamed through the middle but was caught by the cover defence. Too often, however, our progress up the pitch would be interrupted by a sloppy lineout, scrum, or by our poor body position into contact leading to a turnover.

In a similar fashion to last week, we raised our game considerably in the second half, again resulting in our occupancy of the opposition 22 for extended periods. With Wasps superstar Freddy Edwards now on the pitch and making powerful, darting runs from scrum-half, we often came close. Everyone lifted their game, but again it really took too long for the try to come: a well worked lineout move touched down by Tom. More chances came, as Ryan, Dolby and Pete each lingered in promising positions out wide and just missed out for various reasons. A second try eluded us thanks to some powerful defence from Old Es.

In the end we paid the price for our failure to come away with points, and their backline twice broke through a now tiring Sidcup side to come away with a 26-5 win. One of these final two tries was the result of a pass many thought forward, and the last was a disappointing footnote on a game already lost, as a bad restart and some missed tackles allowed one of the Old Es backs to go all the way. As such, the score was perhaps flattering to Old Es, but they deserved the win for scoring when opportunities arose, and defending bitterly when under threat.

LRA - 2 Jan 08

Sun 23 Dec 07: Sidcup Colts 7 - Hove Colts 17

After two consecutive cancelled matches, we were eager for some rugby, and despite thick fog meaning you couldn’t see one end of the pitch from the other, the game went ahead.

Hove – strengthened by the return of much of their colts side from university for Christmas – proved a very tough side, and the way they hit the ground running after a long coach journey took us by surprise.

A promising early passage saw Sam stampede through a few defenders, and our pack pick and drive excellently almost up to the try line. At this stage we probably didn’t realise Hove’s quality and tried to spin it out wide when we should have kept it tight. The ball was spilled, and we were back down our end of the pitch. For the remainder of the half, we struggled to cope with the woken-up visitors, both in terms of rugby and discipline.

Hove scored first when a back line move went awry and their rapid winger kicked through with great control and dived on the ball over the line. They had been tackling fiercely throughout and winning much of the ball: a second try always looked on, and after a period in our 22 which saw our defence stretched one way then another, one of their centres broke through a missed tackle and went through under the posts.

Not much later, we shot ourselves in the foot by losing Dave Driscoll to a red card: not what you need at all when faced with a strong pack (or at any time at all really). The penalty from this sailed over, and shortly before half time, we were 17-0 down, and looking like collapsing. We managed to go up a gear from then on, however, and some promising play by the forwards bringing the ball up from a tap penalty showed for perhaps the first time that we could cope with the Hove pack. We worked our way up to the 22, even spinning the ball out once or twice and looking threatening, but eventually a penalty was conceded and Hove put the ball out for half time.

The second half saw an even tougher challenge, but one we took on with much better spirit. Dan began to unsettle the opposition backs with a high ball or two, and Dolby made some promising half breaks out wide. Ibbi, though, typified the collective effort in the second half. From fullback, he again and again sidestepped the chasers and with one memorable effort took on about half the Hove side, got tackled, then got up again and carried on! We played much of the half in Hove territory, but could rarely turn the screw with 14 men. (This became 13 for a time as Stuart – uncontrollable and violent as always – got shown the yellow card). Nevertheless, we did get a try from a catch and drive lineout: a great effort considering our numerical disadvantage. Ryan, having taken responsibility for kicking to touch, sent another fine, spiralling ball down into the corner, and we managed to force our way over. Dan even slotted the conversion from out wide, to a massive cheer.

Following this we continued to go on the attack: we were winning turnovers and beginning to gain the upper hand, playing with more and more confidence. A return to the picking and driving so successful earlier in the game saw Sam come within centimetres of scoring our second try, after Glen, all three Steves, Chris, Andy and I all seemed to make ground, inches at a time. When the final whistle went Hove had just cleared following our five-metre scrum. So in the end it was too little too late, but it was a fantastic effort to effectively win the second half. Both teams were left worn out but appreciative of such a close and well-contested game. Good luck to Hove in the next round, and our many thanks to Paul Bensley for refereeing.

LRA - 24 Dec 07

Sun 2 Dec 07: Basingstoke Colts 5 - Sidcup Colts 39

On a cold, windy and wet afternoon, we met Basingstoke Colts for a place in the next round of the National Plate. Even with a few injuries and unavailabilities, we put on an assured display and in the end won 39-5, playing some excellent running rugby in defiance of the conditions.

Straight from the kickoff, Sam Carmen caught the ball and charged up the pitch. After a fairly uninspiring warm-up, this was just what we needed and it brought a lot of confidence: the forwards were immediately hitting rucks and the backs played creatively from the off. A botched lineout and an unwise kick lost us the ball a couple of times, but it only delayed the inevitable. After Duffus was held up (although one source within the team says he scored) following my tap penalty, we shipped the ball out wide and Chris Neal ran in the first score.

A touch of complacency allowed Basingstoke back into the game, however, and following a couple of penalties in our 22, they soon had a score of their own. This didn’t deter us for long, and some excellent support allowed us to make our way up the pitch, capitalising on Sam’s half-break. Dan fooled two defenders, and himself, by throwing a pass inside before catching it again, realising it hadn’t gone anywhere, and broke through to maintain the momentum.

It wasn’t too long before Pete was over in the corner, with the centres again showing great hands in the wet conditions. Sam got the try he deserved for his bullocking running, before going off with a knee injury.

In the second half, a tidy catch and drive sent Dan Holmes over, and Dave Driscoll would later claim the first of his two tries in similar fashion, as Tom and Andy McDermott put out some pinpoint throws in the wind.

Some fierce defence and committed rucking meant Basingstoke hardly looked close to scoring in the second half: in particular Stuart and Dan put in a great dump tackle to snuff out one counterattack, and Dolby came charging out to thump the ball carrier when Basingstoke had a rare overlap. But this was not all the backs were up to: time after time Ibbi sliced through the Basingstoke line, and on one of these occasions went all the way himself.

Near the end of the game, Dave saw a gap open up before him, and ran another over to round things off. At times we allowed too many turnovers, but on the whole this was a good display and an enjoyable game. The Basingstoke pack were strong and threatened – especially in such conditions – to play a tight and restrictive game, but our forwards put in a good effort, and the backs were clinical over and over again.

LRA - 9 Dec 07

Sun 25 Nov 07: Rochford Colts 17 - Sidcup Colts 20

Having beaten Rochford only weeks ago, we now travelled up to Essex with a full side, to show that the earlier 22-7 win hadn’t been a flash in the pan. This time, we eventually came out on top, after a match that must have been scintillating to watch, but which we shouldn’t have allowed to be nearly so close.

After just a few minutes, it was evident that Rochford were a very tough side, breaking challenges left right and centre, and piling into tackles in twos and threes. They certainly seemed to surprise us, and deservedly took the lead after exploiting an overlap they had created with quick ball. Rochford continued to threaten, and only some brave work in the back-line stopped them charging over for more, as our forwards didn’t cover nearly enough ground. Dan’s exceptional tap tackle and Stuart’s rapid turnover both quietened down a big centre who could have taken the game away from us.

Once we had warmed up, however, we were in Rochford territory and pressing for points of our own. By building phases, we stretched Rochford out wide, and Ibbi’s tenacity paid off after he was able to break a tackle, release Dolby down the left and arrive in support to touch down in the corner. Neither try converted, it was 5-5 at half time.

In the second half, we looked a more positive side, and gained plenty of ground in the forwards with some slick offloading and strong carries from the likes of Duffus, Nick and Sam C. This confidence spread throughout the team, and brought reward when Dan spun the ball wide for Dolby, now at outside centre, who carved through the defence and put us back in the lead.

At this point we ought to have continued in this style and scored three or four more. However, we regularly invited Rochford back into the game with some incomprehensibly bad errors. First a string of pointless penalties – late tackles, knees to the head, swearing, truck & trailer, obstruction – brought Rochford right where they wanted to be, and their number 8 broke through our backline to run in under the posts. With the conversion, we were now 12-10 down.

However, flair and risk seemed to be the order of the day for some, and Ibbi introduced some just at the right time, taking a lineout to himself, outsprinting the chasers and finding support outside him. We got close, and soon had a try as some ferocious pressure meant a spilt ball behind the Rochford line, with Ryan there to pounce, for 15-12.

Even with Christmas still a month away, we still contrived to gift-wrap Rochford the win, allowing them into our 22 before conceding a penalty in front of the posts. Luckily, the kick went wide, but we were still generous enough to allow them another chance, and this one they took. Miscommunication at the lineout first lost us a good field position as we gave away a free kick – an awful error on its own – before the same happened again, except it led to Rochford getting easy ball off the top, which they ran into the corner after another missed hit in midfield.

With barely three minutes remaining, Dan hoisted his best kick-off of the day high above the Rochford back row, so our pack was able to create problems. I managed to retrieve the ball, and we were away. Some good composure in the centres allowed Chris Neal space outside, and he squeezed over in the corner to secure a fantastic win.

If we capture the confidence and style we showed at our best in that second half, both in the forwards and the backs, we will win a lot more matches.

LRA - 26 Nov 07

Sun 28 Oct 07: Sidcup Colts 49 - Antwerp RFC Colts 0

Today we gladly welcomed to Sidcup, Antwerp Colts, attired in pink undershirts and clearly here to have a good time, regardless of the rugby.

Antwerp, by comparison a diminutive side, tackled for their lives, but couldn’t prevent nine tries being scored. Sam C immediately set the tone when he went charging up the pitch, seeming to brush away Belgians with ease. Wet conditions made handling difficult though and our attacks, though always promising, seemed to break down after only one or two phases: uncontested scrums further detracted from the spectacle.

Matt made inroads into Antwerp territory, and we stayed there until Sam E eventually opened the scoring, as we kept the ball tight for a while. Nick scored a typical Nick try, barging over after some neat offloads with the slippery ball had got some momentum going, and once Pete had raced over for a third following a slick move in the three-quarters (to Dolby’s anguish), Antwerp just tried to keep the score down. However this was accomplished more by our tendency to try and go it alone against the Belgians, or kick unnecessarily, than Antwerp’s own enterprise.

More points did of course follow: Tom fooled his way over with a sharp sidestep, and Ben Taylor bagged a brace in his first Sidcup appearance for years, recreating the form that used to see him score in just about every game. Nick claimed a second, while Dan and Ryan also got on the scoresheet. Unfortunately, only two of the nine conversions went over, as the kicking descended into farce in the second half.

There were periods when Antwerp tackled ferociously, and for this they certainly deserved at least some points. The result seemed far from disheartening for the tourists, however, and only a few minutes after the final whistle they had already burst into song, and even donated their shirts.

LRA - 31 Oct 07

Sun 14 Oct 07: Gravesend Colts 15 - Sidcup Colts 5

Once again our Colts side failed to produce the goods at Gravesend. In warm conditions, we went out hoping to secure passage into the next round of the National Colts cup, but made ourselves look ordinary and ineffectual.

Once the game got underway, we had to absorb a very energetic opening burst from the Gravesend three-quarters, who handled impressively throughout the match, causing their opposite numbers lots of trouble and often creating openings. After settling in, we won a string of wide penalties and came close to the line before a turnover in midfield allowed Gravesend to clear.

As the game continued, Gravesend’s greater aggression in contact saw them repeatedly break through our tackles, and indeed turn our ball over. Eventually this pressure told and they won a penalty which was skilfully slotted for 3-0. Soon after, following a perhaps dubious decision involving the number of consecutive quick penalties allowed, Gravesend were 8-0 up, as their forwards drove, but we allowed one to scamper through where a guard should have been.

Following this, we should have played much better, and would have, had we stayed more focused and optimistic. In the second half, however, we didn’t create enough chances and Gravesend’s greater mobility and willingness to throw the ball around deservedly brought them their second try, which all but sealed it. Their fly-half, in a situation where we might have been less adventurous had we had the ball, made a risky pass but one that paid off, as their outside backs capitalised on some poor tackling to touch down under the posts.

With reinforcements coming on soon after, we gathered some momentum and, with a typically strong break by Ibbi, got back into Gravesend territory. After two or three offences, Dan neatly put Dolby away in the corner, and he as ever finished strongly. Just as we needed to press on and attempt a comeback, our discipline once again deserted us. What can you do when every penalty goes an extra 10 metres and you are left with 14 players?

LRA - 28 Oct 07

Sun 7 Oct 07: Maidstone U18s 0 - Sidcup U18s 12

After the bitter disappointments of last season’s encounters with Maidstone, it was pleasant to get another crack at the reigning Kent cup & league champions.

Thanks to a no-show referee, a Maidstone Dad kindly stepped in, but even this hinted at the scrappiness of the game as a whole. We were dominant enough to have won by 20 or 30 points, but in the end came off 12-0 winners, as Maidstone put up a strong fight with a depleted team.

Early into the game, Ibbi went some way to further depleting this team, by knocking out a certain very quick centre. Taking the crash ball, Ibbi rocketed into him, quite literally knocking the Maidstone man into next week.

As the game continued, we spent long periods in Maidstone territory, but couldn’t quite find a way through. Dolby always looked dangerous, as usual, but as usual, on the right wing, rarely got the ball, reluctant as we are to spin the ball all the way out on our left hands. Perhaps a change to the left is in order? Anyway, Pete looked equally dangerous there, but Maidstone are not a team to be easily overcome, and tackled and rucked vigorously. As the first half ended, somehow, with our penalty, we sensed this could be one of those days.

In the second half, this frustration continued, to the embarrassing extent that we resorted to cross field kicks and quick lineouts that only ended up getting us into trouble. However our scrums and lineouts were as ever on the money, with Tom continuing his good form, so we always had plenty of ball with which to try to create. And indeed the breakthrough did eventually come, through simplicity, when we decided to pit Maidstone’s fly-half against Nick 5 metres out from a tap penalty. It was an irresistible play (if a little agricultural), since he duly rammed his way over to open the scoring.

In a comedy of errors, Steve Duffus came within inches of the line not long later, but ended up offloading onto Chris’s head. As the ball rebounded tragically into Maidstone hands, we laughed, but were relieved it turned out not to have mattered. A string of penalties conceded, and a yellow card, showed our impatience at having just a 5-0 lead, but our nerves were calmed eventually. Maidstone’s admirable liberality in spinning the ball out wide in search of a score of their own eventually proved their undoing, as Steve plucked a long miss-pass from the air and coasted in from the 22 metre line, to rapturous applause from, amongst others, Jim, who, as Andy reminded us – crucially – was there. One week a poem, the next a special guest… what next?

LRA - 28 Oct 07

Sun 30 Sept 07: Blackheath U18s 15 - Sidcup U18s 26

Having not had a chance to avenge the deserved defeat suffered at Charlton Park several years ago, it was good to be given a chance to take on Blackheath again. Glad to be supported by a contingent from the first team, we took the kick off, but at first found it hard to hold on to the ball and make ground.

Despite causing problems in the Blackheath scrum and lineout (with Steve Evans stealing ball after ball), our handling was not great in contact and we showed Blackheath more of the ball than we should have. Despite this, our rucking was producing dangerous turnover ball and we got very close to opening the scoring, but were held up over the line. Soon after we gave away a penalty for diving over the top and the territory was lost. We continued to produce chances, including two chips by Dan which Dolby got very close to reaching and scoring. After the second of these had failed, we began to grow frustrated and this was further confounded when the Blackheath fly-half, who had been kicking well, slipped through a few tackles and sped over the line. Converting his own try from wide out, he made the score 7-0.

We responded very well to this setback. Dan’s kick-off had the hang and distance to allow most of our pack to wrap up the eventual catcher, giving us a scrum not far from the Blackheath 22. Soon we had a penalty, and, as earlier, we spurned the opportunity of probable points to kick for the corner. Finally, we had the breakthrough, as Nick pummelled his way over a few phases after the initial lineout. Picking from the base of a ruck, he thrust out a huge forearm and scampered over from 10 metres to go under the posts. Dan converted, and at halftime we were level.

A very physical and quick game had been wearing both sides out, and it was a fantastic effort to produce what came in the second half. Almost immediately we took the lead as our lineout, looking almost perfect at times, gave an opportunity to drive to the line and, as the pressure mounted, we won another penalty five metres out. Opting for the lineout again, we drove, and this time got over the line, with Steve claiming the score.

Blackheath certainly weren’t out of the game, and regularly threatened. The 10 cut the lead with a fine penalty kick, and not long after, we were behind. Again just one missed tackle gave Blackheath an overlap, and their centres and wing combined neatly to finish a chance in the corner.

Our pack were by now, however, looking very dominant. With only one replacement in the pack (and one in the backs), this was a remarkable effort. Our scrums caused constant trouble and indeed we won two or three against the head. Most productive of all were the lineouts: after our centres recovered well from a bad kick to win a turnover in midfield, Dan knocked the ball up the touchline. Tom looped the ball up and we set up a very tidy drive up the pitch. This was a patient and determined effort, and the ground kept on rolling by, until after a good 30 metres drive, as we threatened the line and didn’t look like stopping, the maul collapsed on top of two Blackheath forwards. The referee promptly awarded a penalty try, and we were once again in front, now leading 21-15.

Blackheath never looked less than dangerous with the ball in hand, and after stretching us wide in their own 22, they won a penalty and immediately booted it up the pitch. Sam put in an excellent chase to recover the ball, and as the support arrived, with burning lungs, we were able to get it to Dan, who cleared.

Back in the Blackheath 22, we were keeping the ball tight and hoping to finish things off. A spilled ball, however, meant Ryan had to scramble back and pick the ball off his toes with the Blackheath line bearing down on him. A quick chip changed things though, and Adam came down hard (somehow) on the Blackheath fullback, and the ball was scrambled away with a poor kick. Ibbi claimed it, and with a direct turn of pace nearly brought a score in the corner. He was brought down just short, but support arrived and Dan Holmes picked a great line cutting in towards the ruck and claimed the fourth try, against his former team-mates. No conversion, from wide out, but this was a great moment. Final score 26-15, and a very well-earned win.

LRA - 2 Oct 07

Sun 9 Sept 07: Gravesend Colts 10 - Sidcup Colts 6

Our first attempt at gelling together a Colts side was a bad-tempered, physical encounter with Gravesend. The referee used the term ‘training game’ before kick-off but this was the utter antithesis of a friendly.

Early on we were able to kick off and force a pressurised clearance kick which brought us a lineout in a threatening position. Ryan’s chip through nearly brought a chance but eventually yielded a scrum before the posts. Our pack opened with some strong scrummaging, backed up by Sam at scrum-half pressing his opposite number. We won a penalty and Dan slotted it for 3-0.

In the hot conditions and fierce rivalry however, discipline became more of a problem as the game progressed, and the precision of those opening exchanges disappeared in a cloud of pointless penalties and poor decisions. We were fortunate to see one Gravesend penalty sail wide, but giving away a penalty for handling on the floor 35 metres out when we were already in possession, before back-chatting and having the penalty advanced, was unforgivable and this time there was no mistake.

Indeed the tension boiled over once or twice in the second half, and it was perhaps the second occurrence of this which prevented us getting the crucial try. Dolby had taken the ball after the forwards had put a few phases together, but after going through a gap, found himself without support as the five players he expected on his shoulder were busy altercating with some Gravesendians.

We took a 6-3 lead through Dan’s boot after some more good work from a kick-off, and looked threatening at times both with Dolby out wide just failing to control Andy’s kick through, and some decent lineout drives not quite making it, as the ball was simply not kept safe enough.

Gravesend always looked dangerous when running with the ball, and they were given too many opportunities to do so by a few loose kicks. Often the ball control, both through the hands and when rucking and mauling, was not up to scratch, and we did not send enough clean ball wide.

By the fourth quarter, both sides were beginning to tire, and become more vulnerable to the other’s back three. Chris made an outstanding tackle in the corner to deny one chance, but after first needlessly impeding the kicker after a chip through, then straying in front of the kicker shortly after at a 22 drop-out, we were simply asking them to take the ball and play. One or two missed tackles, and their winger went over in the corner with minutes left. An excellent conversion meant we would need a try and nothing less.

Finding some application, we drove up the left touchline and had a great chance with a 5 metre scrum in the last play, though Gravesend had the blindside very well-covered and we were quickly forced out after deciding on that route. The final whistle went, to the delight of Gravesend, and we had lost 10-6, knowing that the game had been far more lost by us than won by them.

LRA - 9 Sept 07