Youth Rugby - Juniors' Match Reports 2008/09

Sun 7 Dec 08: Sidcup U15s 27 - Vigo U15s 15

A perfect, crisp winter morning greeted the first meeting between these two teams.

With just 17 available and injured captain Max, Josh and Joe watching on the touchline, Sidcup started with great purpose. The forwards chased Danny Watson’s kick off and regained possession, driving on from a series of rucks and mauls towards Vigo’s touch line. A drive from close range by Elliott Nehru was thwarted by robust Vigo defence, but fellow prop Michael Cato retained possession and rolled over the line forcing the ball down for a try after a few minutes of play. Danny Watson’s excellent conversion made it 7-0 to Sidcup.

Unfortunately Elliott had taken a crack on the head in the ruck preceding the try, and a bump the size of a cricket ball appeared on his forehead. Worryingly he collapsed for a moment as he approached the touchline. Two mums, Isobel and Jo stepped forward with one of the Vigo dads, and looked after Elliott until the ambulance arrived and took him off to hospital. Elliot was fully awake and able to walk to the ambulance with assistance.

When play resumed Vigo stormed back, using astute long kicks and driving forward play to score a try which went unconverted. 7-5. Sidcup’s reshuffled forwards were able to retain and drive forward possession, with Danny’s neat kicks turning the Vigo forwards and allowing Sidcup’s back row and threequarters to pressure the Vigo full back and wingers and force turnovers or lineouts. A bright start by Sidcup continued as Sam Carter took a quick penalty from 10 metres and passed to Charlie Mottram, who crossed the line but was held up. Sidcup then scored their second from a line out in the Vigo 22. Nick Weighill at scrum half span the ball out to Danny at fly half, Danny threw a miss pass to flanker Reece Bradbury making the extra man in the centre. The Vigo tacklers caught Reece but he flipped the ball to Charlie at inside centre, who was looping him. Charlie accelerated through the dog leg in the Vigo line, straightened to draw the tackler, and looped a pass over the Vigo full back who’d stepped up. Left winger Henry caught the pass and burst through the covering tackle to score in the far corner. A great try. Danny was close with his conversion attempt. 12-5 to Sidcup. Again the forwards and backs raised themselves to hold off Vigo’s forwards and hard running from their scrum half. Working the ball back into Vigo’s half through pick and goes, Nick Weighill at scrum half gathered the ball from the base of a ruck and burst down the blind side cutting inside the full back and covering defenders to score. H/T: 17-5.

The second half was more even as play loosened up and players tired. Vigo upped their effort, and their fast and strong fullback ran a lot of ball back .Play was backwards and forwards between the 22s. From a penalty on the right in Vigo’s 22, Jordan Dabnor tapped and set off like Prince Obolensky across the face of Vigo’s defence, swerving round the far end to touch down in the opposite corner. Quick thinking, great pace and determination…and his Dad now has to pay out on his bet! 22-5. Vigo stepped up their effort once more and worked their way close to Sidcup’s line. From a series of rucks and mauls they drove over from close range for a try, and returned to the Sidcup line after a series of penalties against Sidcup – one leading to a yellow card for Reece. The Vigo scrum half tapped from 5 metres and slipped the ball to his loose head prop who dropped over the line to score. 22-15. Sidcup had the final score, as Jordan drove over wide out on the left from a tapped penalty. Charlie was just short with the conversion attempt. Final score: 27-15.

A very good performance and great commitment from the whole team, defending and tackling right to the end. The coaches named Jordan Dabnor man of the match, he had a great game playing out of position and scoring two tries, and Paul declared the whole team had played really well. I thought it was a terrific effort by the forwards, particularly after Elliot’s departure. Every one of the 8 had their moment, but I thought Tony did really well in only his third or fourth game, and James Head was always battling for the ball in the rucks and mauls. Thanks to Vigo for a very competitive game.

NM - 9 Dec 08

Sun 23 Nov 08: Blackheath U15s 0 - Sidcup U15s 5

The bleak pitch in the far corner of Blackheath’s Well Hall ground was beset by torrential rain and a driving, biting wind, while brooding tower blocks loomed out of the slate gray sky. In retrospect, the weather gods had set the scene for the depressing events that forced the match to be abandoned in the second half.

The game itself seems almost irrelevant given the way it ended. However good handling by both teams in poor conditions had ensured a keen and competitive contest. Sidcup’s forwards drove hard when they were in possession, with Danny Watson kicking the ball behind Blackheath, sensibly using the conditions and giving his forwards a target. Blackheath were trying to secure clean ball to move wide along their threequarters, which they did successfully until moves foundered on solid Sidcup tackling or were fumbled by the right wing. Sidcup’s try came as Blackheath were defending from a set piece near their line, won the ball and fired a clearing kick upfield. Sidcup full back Matt Armstrong gathered the kick on the Blackheath 10 metre line and then set off up the blindside in a mazy run, spinning out of tackles until he broke clear and dived over near the corner flag for a great individual try.

NM - 9 Dec 08

Sun 9 Nov 08: Sidcup U15s 0 - Old Gravesendians U15s 46

Stretched resources saw Sidcup start another game with just 16 players, and several had to play out of position – notably Joe and Sam at prop and Charlie at No 8 in Max’s absence.

Old Gravesendians built momentum from a stronger scrum at the start and by exploiting Sidcup mistakes. The first try came from an OG’s kick behind Sidcup after they won a series of rucks, the bounce eluding the defence and OG’s touching down. Try converted. The next OG’s try came when Sidcup lost a scrum against the head and from a ruck OG’s moved the ball along the line and cut through from 20m out. Try converted. The third try came following an OG’s scrum on half way. The ball was moved crisply across the OG backs to their full back entering the line wide out, who then arced round the Sidcup defenders to score in the corner. A third conversion. James Thomas hobbled off and Ben Warnock switched to scrum half with Wingman coming on at right wing. The excellent OG’s fly half then looped round the outside of the Sidcup cover to score in the far corner, but missed the conversion. From an attacking scrum in Sidcup’s 22, he then executed a double miss move with his centres, floating the ball over the Sidcup defender’s finger tips to the OG’s left wing who scored in the corner. In between a signature Matt Armstrong tackle saved a try but left Matt limping from a dead leg. H/T: 0-31.

Firm words from the coaches and a bit of reorganisation saw a much better showing from Sidcup in the second half. Jake switched to No. 8 and Charlie moved back to inside centre. After OG’s scored a try by their No. 6, exploiting a spilled ball on half way, there were a series of good plays by Sidcup. Some more sensible kicking from our own half, behind OG’s defence and then some driving runs by the pack, saw Sidcup build pressure close to OG’s line, but fail to convert this into tries. OG’s broke out and from a (now uncontested) scrum on the Sidcup 22, their No. 8 picked up and ran in. OG’s rounded off the scoring when their outside centre capitalised on a turnover, the ball having been stripped from Sidcup hands as an attack broke down, to score in the left hand corner. Final score: 0-46

Much better and more focussed in the second half, the boys kept working and making tackles and trying to attack until the very end.

NM - 13 Nov 08

Sun 19 Oct 08: Gravesend U15s 0 - Sidcup U15s 36

Game three, and the team’s first win of the season and six tries against a willing Gravesend who struggled to compete physically with Sidcup for possession. Eighteen players were available, with Michael Cato and Jordan Dabnor back from injury, and Danny Watson fit again. The team lined up as follows from 1 to 15: Elliott, James H, Michael; Jake, Tony; Joe, Reece, Max (capt); Nick, Danny; Henry, Charlie, Jordan, Ben; Matt. Alfie came on for an injured Jordan in the first half; James T came on at scrum half; and Josh came on for Michael. There were some positional substitutions in the second half, with the highlight being Danny at hooker late in the game.

In the unusual position of having a lot of ball, Sidcup were a bit rusty at the start in moving it from forwards to backs. There was a lot of dynamic running from individual forwards throughout, with Elliott, Jake, Max and Joe to the fore. Early on there were a few handling errors (shock perhaps?), some crabbing across the pitch when the ball was moved wide and some sluggish passing which limited the space for the wingers. However the kinks began to be worked out, and some astute kicks by Danny put the ball deep into the corner of the Gravesend 22, and gave the team a target to focus on. Sidcup were then able to bring the power of the forwards to bear from closer in. After some close calls on the line and good work at the breakdown by Jake (who is this Clyde of whom they speak?), Max scored with a No 8 pick up and drive from a 5m scrum. Max scored again soon after in the same way. An injury to a Gravesend front row forward meant the scrums were uncontested for the rest of the game. After another period of pressure on the Gravesend line the ball was moved wide by James Thomas from a ruck and Reece Bradbury took the pass to crash over from close range. All three tries were unconverted, so it was 15-0 to Sidcup at half time.

The second half started with Charlie (at flanker) driving the Gravesend forward who caught the kick off back into touch in his own 22. As the second half developed the flow of Sidcup possession increased, but although individual bursts made impressive ground the drives sometimes went a yard too far and Gravesend were able to create a maul or ruck. Whilst possession wasn’t lost in these situations, it was slowed down – much to the frustration of the Sidcup coaches, who were “encouraging” the boys to move it wider. After a frustrating series of penalties and scrums against Sidcup which gave Gravesend the chance to clear or to retain possession, Nick (playing at centre) scored with an arcing run outside the cover to the right hand corner. Danny converted. From a lineout Jake drove on and Max was able to complete his hat trick by running in from 10 metres. Danny converted. The scoring concluded with an excellent try by Ben Warnock from the right wing, taking Nick’s pass and then cutting back and weaving past the covering tacklers to score. Danny converted again. The half concluded with a series of injuries to two Gravesend players, all of whom had fought hard throughout.

Well done to the boys, a deserved win. And congratulations to Max as captain, leading from the front and scoring a hat trick.

NM - 22 Oct 08

Sun 12 Oct 08: Sidcup U15s 0 - Dartfordians U15s 62

The second game of the season. Better, even glorious weather this week but the same outcome as last – a depressing score line, but effort and tackling commitment from start to finish against a powerful and well drilled team. In contrast to similar games last season, the boys never capitulated, always kept working for each other, and were pushing for that elusive first try right to the end.

Just fifteen fully fit players lined up at the start, against Darts full squad, playing for the first time this season. And many of their wives and children, er I mean parents and siblings, had come to cheer the big lads on.

Darts were able to exert a lot of pressure in the scrum and at the breakdown, often working an overlap for their left wing or an opening for their inside centre. Some of Darts tries came from Sidcup mistakes – missed touch kicks for instance - which can be ironed out in training. The tackling was consistently robust throughout, but Darts support play meant Sidcup sometimes ended up running out of bodies to make the last tackle.When Sidcup players did make individual driving runs, these often made good ground, but the ball would get slowed down or lost altogether in contact, and one thing to learn from Darts is closer support and earlier offloads to shift the point of attack. One good break away by Sidcup towards the end of the game saw Nick clear down the right and he was only stopped from scoring when Darts gave away a penalty for a high tackle.

Another strong and committed performance by the whole team, right to the end, in adverse circumstances. Henry came on as sub even though he’d hurt his leg in the warm up, came off after tweaking it again when making a tackle into touch, and volunteered to come back on again later. Tony had just turned up to check out training with a view to joining and ended up playing in the second half. And Alfie battled on despite injuring his left leg. Matt Armstrong was once again a rock at the back, making key tackles and saving an early try by stopping a Darts player grounding the ball as he tried to get closer to the posts! Excellent team spirit all round, and it will pay off one day soon.

NM - 16 Oct 08

Sun 5 Oct 08: Sidcup U15s 0 - Tonbridge Juddians U15s 45

The first game of the season. The weather was wet and gloomy. And events off the field hadn’t gone well in the build up. Player departures at the start of the season; several injuries– but well done to Michael, Jordan, Joe and John for braving the weather to support the team; and just sixteen players available, with four new players appearing in their first game for the team.

On the face of it a heavy loss. But the score doesn’t tell the full story. TJ’s were physically bigger up front and well organised. But Sidcup played their most committed first half in years, tackling aggressively, standing up to a powerful opposition scrum and driving forward in the loose when they got the chance. At half time TJs were 17-0 up from three tries, two converted by their inside centre. The difference at this stage had been powerful finishing close to the Sidcup line. Sidcup had established some attacking positions in the opposition 22 but had not been able to set up clear scoring opportunities. At half time Sam Carter went off with a shoulder injury and Charlie switched from centre to hooker, with James Head going to loose head. Alfie came on for his first game on the left wing and got in a strong tackle on his opposite number. Sam returned in the second half, and did well playing out of position in the front row.

In some ways the second half was more encouraging, with Sidcup’s own ruck ball looking much more secure. However TJs used the conditions better after the break: either hacking loose ball deep into the Sidcup half or using their number 12’s powerful boot to set up line outs in the Sidcup 22. The forward pressure began to tell and TJ’s scored four tries during the second half, all converted.

Overall a strong and committed performance by the whole team, right to the end. Matt Armstrong’s tackling at full back and Reece Bradbury’s work in the loose stood out. Well done to the coaches, and well done to the boys, particularly the debutants. Plenty to build on.

NM - 16 Oct 08