U12 shine bright under Friday Night Lights

Match report

Firstly getting 20+ players for a Friday evening game with short notice was a fantastic turn out and once again testament to our committed kids, parents and coaches; we have a great set up here at Sidcup and thanks also go to JB at OE’s for getting their squad together for what proved a fantastic match up.

As this was our first competitive fixture for a few weeks, with the Kent finals just around the corner and the playing resources at our disposal we ran the game as four 10 minute quarters. This allowed us to give everyone 2 quarters and try players in different positions and combinations.

First Quarter SRFC 0 – OE’s 5

In the first quarter OE’s started very well and their superior shape and the aggression they showed at the breakdown resulted in the first score. Sidcup’s tackling however was excellent and the commitment shown by all our players in defence was outstanding. We are still coming to terms with the breakdown and there is a lot of work to be done in this area. When we did recycle the ball and got our passing game going we did make inroads but this happened too infrequently in the first quarter.

Second Quarter SRFC 5 - OE’s 10

Sidcup made several substitutions at the start of the second quarter however the game continued in a similar pattern to the first, very strong defence from Sidcup and streetwise rucking from OE’s. Despite the defensive curtain we laid down OE’s picked up another try in this quarter. Sidcup now picked up their attacking game and Draven, receiving the ball in midfield, cut through the OE’s defence scoring an excellent try.

Third Quarter SRFC 10 - OE’s 15
Sidcup’s game picked up considerably in the 3rd and 4th quarters. This was because our rucking game improved and we started to keep our shape in the backs and move the ball wide. This coupled with the continued heroic defence, stopping several tries on our own line and then relieving the pressure with the familiar strong kicking game from Jack kept us in the game. We shared a try each in this quarter, with Gabriel using his power and reach to crash over, and this heralded the turning of the tide in the game.

Fourth Quarter SRFC 25 - OE’s 15

Continued shifting of players to new positions and the resulting new combinations had a marked effect in this quarter and Sidcup took control of the game. Superior playing numbers and hence the freshness of the players coming on was also apparent and OE’s began to tire. This allowed our forwards to impose themselves and this created a great platform for the backs. Several players to really come to the fore in this quarter with some great runs in the centre by Max DL and Dan, resulting in a couple of tries for Max, one of our newest players. Dan then bagged the final score to cap a great result for the entire squad.

Game time is key for all our players but especially for the new players and the coaches all felt that the integration of the new with the more experienced is really taking shape and Friday’s game is the proof of this. Yes there are many skills still to hone and we continue to work on them, but we now have 2 teams that we have great hopes for at the Kent finals this coming Sunday.

Justin