|
|
Winchester A Festival: February 7th, 2010 - Winners
|
Chobham travelled the M3 to the welcoming club of Winchester; looking at the games of the day the biggest challenge was to get the much changed squad ready for the 10.30 start. With game heads on after a good 40 min focus session the boys were ready to go in what turned out to be key result in the bigger picture.
Chobham 3 - Havant 3
Chobham drew this tough encounter against the tidy outfit of Havant, (went on to win the plate). With the game finally but Havant were in front for the majority and Chobham stole a point in what has to be said against the run of play.
Chobham 4 – New Milton 1
Chobham woke up and played the game we knew they were capable of. A fine example of clear out the ruck - fast hands and score in the backs. New Milton worked the Chobham team well but the under 9s from Fowlers Wells stuck at it and put the 2 points safely on the board.
Chobham 1 – Pulborough 1
Pulborough are another team that Chobham had not seen in the past. Chobham needed the win with Havant not losing so dropping points was not a option. Chobham worked hard but there was very little space and no quarter spared in this well contested contest. Chobham were toe to toe and the final whistle was a relief to all.
Chobham 4 - Petersfield 0
Try count was essential here with Havant drawing against Pulborough. Both teams would finish on the same points and Chobham took this Hampshire side to the cleaners with 2 well executed tries in each half.
Chobham now had to wait and see and with 12 tries scored and only 5 against Chobham has secured a well earned but surprising slot in the final v Chippenham who had not lost a game all day.
Chobham 5 – Chippenham 0
It will be noted that to date there are no names in the match reports due to the outstanding work done by all the boys during the day. It must be said that this game was a fantastic display of team play and support finished off on 5 yes 5 occasions back Jack Mather.
Chobham took the festival crown 5-0 in a game where Chobham took total control from the outset and never looked like losing.
The boys were a credit to all and worked very hard. Well done to all and huge congratulations from all the coaches.
Photo to follow .
Warriors on the day: GEORGE JONES, BEN MOORE, RYAN LEES, SAMUEL DAVIES, JJ PALING, JAMES SOMPER, WILLIAM CREASEY, GEORGE SUTHERLAND, CLAYTON MAWSON, RYAN HYNES, PIERS NICHOLLS, JACK MATHER, ANDREW SADLER, BENJI ROTHWELL.
|
Chobham A Festival: October 18th, 2009 - Runners Up
|
Chobham 2-1 Teddington
Teddington will have been gutted to lose this. In a game not designed for those of a nervous disposition, we spent almost the entire time in our half, and most of that camped about 10m from our try line.
Great tackling from Ben and George S nullified the first up threat and to a man (boy) the rest of the team showed great determination in defence. On the rare occasions we did have to get some breathing space we made some sloppy and casual errors such as dropped passes and knock- ons.
However, when we did manage to get the ball wide on two occasions, Jack showed great pace and a clean pair of heels to sprint almost the entire length of the pitch to score both of our tries. And when Teddington attacked with the last play of the game, Daniel made a fabulous last ditch tackle to force an opponent into touch and so secure a superb opening win.
To come back from 1-0 down at half time was good; to do so when under such constant pressure was quite an achievement.
Tries: Jack (2).
Tackles: 28 Passes: 11
Chobham 3-0 Wimbledon
In a more fluid game, we showed some thrust to go with the rapier of our previous outing. George S resembled a tackle bag, amassing 12 himself in this game alone. Along with Daniel and Samuel (one memorable try saving effort) they patrolled the midfield and gave Wimbledon very little breathing space.
In possession, Alfie made a lovely break to scythe through the opposition for a try, and William showed himself to be a Centre in the making with a neatly timed pass to Jack to dart in for another score.
The final effort was a demonstration in the value of teamwork. A Wimbledon player was stopped in his tracks by a solid tackle, good rucking from Benji and Ben produced turnover ball which Samuel spread immediately wide to Jack, who hared in to net himself another brace. A fine team try and a competent team performance.
Tries: Jack (2), Alfie.
Tackles: 40 Passes:7
Chobham 1-2 Kings
The boys took a battering in this game, both mentally and physically. Kings were a very aggressive outfit but this game was played as rugby should – hard but fair. Kings were deserving winners of this game and the Festival as a whole as they went through unbeaten.
But they were given a real run for their money. Having lost 4 players through injury during a protracted match, the team was down to bare bones to such an extent that they had to call up a B team player who had stayed to watch the Festival. Through all of such tribulations it is of immense credit to their resolve that they ran the best team so close.
An equalising score when breaking from a scrum for Wrecking Ball (Daniel) looked as if we might have escaped with a draw, but Kings came back strongly to force a winning try.
Daniel, George S and Jack all managed to get into double figures for tackles in this game alone, with William and Ben getting 5 each themselves. In fact every member of the newly expanded 13 man squad notched at least one tackle during this game, which gives you some idea that it genuinely was a bruising encounter as none of the substitutions was made on tactical grounds!
Defeat, yes, but as brave a performance as you could expect from any team.
Tries: Daniel.
Tackles: 56 Passes: 8
Chobham 5-2 Cobham
We only had 10 fit players for this game, and after the tribulations of the previous match you could not have blamed the team for giving up mentally. But to their enormous credit they seemed galvanised in the face of adversity, and put together a fine attacking performance to avenge their defeat to Cobham from a fortnight previously.
A great pass from Samuel gave Ryan some space, and he showed he has pace to burn as he quite flew in at the corner. Good awareness from Piers to pick and drive after Daniel had been stopped just short brought another excellent try in the opposite corner.
Another customary brace from Jack, who for his second effort had that look in his eyes that told you a brick wall wouldn’t have stopped him, followed by a second for Ryan complete with celebratory swallow dive finished the scoring for a most satisfactory result.
Tries: Ryan (2), Jack (2), Piers.
Tackles: 29 Passes: 8
Chobham 7-1 Guildford
A lovely way to finish the Festival and secure second spot in our league format. I think the only person on the pitch that Daniel didn’t tackle was the referee, and that was only because he didn’t touch the ball. Clayton, Jack and Benji in particular supported him admirably in defence and in attack we had too much pace for Guildford.
The coaches have been working long and hard in getting the boys to play to our strength and move the ball away from the contact area, and in this game it seemed to have been heeded. A four timer from Jack and a brace from Ryan showed the value of using the flanks, and credit also to Daniel and Samuel for moving the ball wide early to exploit the chances.
The coup de grace was a well deserved try for George J, who proved that heart can be a substitute for size. A very impressive final two victories in what had become a trying Festival for the team.
Tries: Jack (4), Ryan (2), George J.
Tackles: 41 Passes: 10
|
Wimbledon B Festival: October 11th 2009
|
Chobham 6-1 Camberley
And so we went to Wimbledon. Buoyed by the success at our own Festival the previous week, there was a feeling of quiet confidence that we could acquit ourselves well here, despite not having Wrecking Ball available to us as he had not surprisingly been elevated to the A squad.
There was nothing in the first match to suggest that the confidence was misplaced as we overwhelmed Camberley. Despite the front of one of their players who had decided to give the boys a menacing glare when knowing that we were their first opponents, Camberley were showing signs of being a little dazzled when competing against boys who had some match practice under their belts.
The midfield terriers that were Heath and Jamie B controlled the breakdown area, and when play spread wider Ryan and Ethan stood up well in the tackle. A lovely break from the base of a scrum by Jamie W led to a smart try, and in a classic display of the value of turned over possession Heath ripped the ball from a maul and smartly fed James who showed good speed and a smooth step inside for the pick of the tries.
Tries: James (2), Jamie B (2), Jamie W, Ethan.
Tackles: 23 Passes: 19 Ball set up in ruck: 16 Ruck over: 14 Mauls won: 12
Chobham 0-2 Richmond
Defensively the team played pretty well in this match. Christian, Matthew D and Archie both tackled well in the forwards but we lost out in the mauls. Where against Camberley we regularly turned them over, Richmond were a different proposition. They had a couple of big, strong lads (a certain Master Leonard perhaps?) who controlled the contact areas which resulted in a dearth of possession.
There were question marks over the fastidiousness of the Referee for sure, but the overall result was correct as Richmond controlled this game pretty well. There was no shortage of effort but we lacked penetration going forward and didn’t have the required bulk to fight an attritional battle in the middle of the pitch. A tough match against a reasonable team.
Tackles: 17 Passes: 13 Ball set up in ruck: 8 Ruck over: 8 Mauls won: 2
Chobham 6-0 Esher
A very different type of game from the previous one. After a sluggish start which suggested a dip in confidence from the Richmond encounter, the boys really got going especially in the second half.
It would be fair to say that Heath got a little bit fired up in this one. After a couple of decisions had gone against him, the perceived injustice seemed to inspire him to Samsonian proportions. With his midfield sidekick Jamie B, they dominated Esher in the centre of the pitch and both tackled like demons. At one stage the ball was passed to Heath at halfway and you just knew from the look on his face that no-one was going to stop him. They didn’t.
There was also a good try for Matthew F and some good tackling by Dominic and Ryan. With one match to go there was still a chance to be involved in the scramble for silverware.
Tries: Heath (4), Jamie W, Matthew F.
Tackles: 24 Passes: 6 Ball set up in ruck: 7 Ruck over: 14 Mauls won: 4
Chobham 1-4 Guildfordians
Going in to this game there was still a chance that we could win the group by defeating our unbeaten opponents. Whilst there was a collective groan when we realised we had the same referee as the Richmond game, he cannot take all the credit for our loss.
Generally we tackled well and held our own in the middle of the pitch, but didn’t have the pace to match two notable ‘fliers’ in the Guildfordians side. We have come up against these two before at this fixture, and if they can only make the B team then there must be some Bolts in their first outfit.
I like to think that we gave them their hardest game to date and we were always in with a shout. The pivotal moment came just before half time when we were pressing for an equalising score only to concede possession and allow them in for a runaway score to go in 2-0 up at the break. The second half was more of the same, and although Heath scored to bring the score back to 3-1, one of their speedsters touched town again to give the score a little more gloss than was deserved.
Guildfordians would go on to be Festival runners-up to Rosslyn Park.
Tries: Heath.
Tackles: 13 Passes: 2 Ball set up in ruck: 1 Ruck over: 10 Mauls won: 3
|
Chobham B Festival: October 4th, 2009 - Winners
|
It seems as if the season has only just begun and already we have a little spurt of Festivals. Given the limited transition time from Tag to Contact rugby, there was not a great deal of expectation attached to the first few weeks, rather a determination to ensure that safety was maintained along with commensurate levels of enjoyment. Half of the objectives were achieved...
Chobham 5-0 Teddington
When you play Teddington you expect a closely fought and gritty encounter. Whilst our opposition at no stage gave up, it was very much one way traffic. Jamie B along with Christian and Andrew ran the breakdown, and everyone was putting in their fair share of tackles, with every player registering at least 2 ticks on the scragometer. With solid defence our line rarely looked like being breached.
Offensively, Teddington just couldn’t seem to be able to stop the Wrecking Ball – also known as Daniel Siddeeq. Powerful, mazy runs were his hallmark, and at times I was dizzy just watching him. For a big and strong lad he has incredible balance, and on countless occasions you felt that he was floored only to see him take off again. This seemed to inspire his colleagues and give their confidence a timely boost, cemented by a good strong run from James for the final try.
Tries: Daniel S (4), James.
Tackles: 21 Passes: 16 Ball set up in ruck: 5 Drive over: 2 Mauls won: 3
Chobham 4-1 London Irish
Good tackling in midfield by Daniel Seabrook and Heath set up the platform for this victory. At half time the score was level at a try apiece and very much an open contest. The old saying is that ‘tackles win matches’ and if this is true then two examples typified it.
On one occasion Matthew felled a large Irish Oak when all others seemed to be wary of doing so, and on another a similarly defined Irishman was absolutely flattened by Ryan, proving that going for the ankles really does work. Add to the mix the now customary 4-timer for Wrecking Ball and the initial thoughts of playing purely for enjoyment turned to playing to win and even greater enjoyment.
Tries: Daniel S (4).
Tackles: 30 Passes: 6 Ball set up in ruck: 2 Drive over: 4 Mauls won: 1
Chobham 2-3 Cobham
Missed tackles from first phase possession. That was why we lost this game. Having been so solid in our first two outings we seemed to coast through this game at times. Cobham scored from the first free pass when one of their players ran through seemingly the entire team with nary a finger being laid on him. The same boy would repeat the feat at the start of the second half to reinforce the feeling that a lack of concentration would end up costing us dear.
Apart from those two occasions, the team played well. Jamie W was quietly efficient at scrum half and Jamie B was as combative as ever in the midfield. A couple of lovely arcing runs by Ethan for tries kept us in the game, only to be denied at the death.
At some time in a former life James must have done something very bad to a referee, as he has been on the receiving end of some poor decisions in the past and met a couple more today. Just before half time he was 15 yards short of the line with the nearest opponent a further 5 yards away when the ref blew the whistle for a head injury near halfway. Then with the last play of the game he was pulled up for a foot in touch in the act of scoring when he seemed a good distance from the whitewash – why does it always seem to happen to him?
We had to settle for a close defeat against the team who had been well beaten by Irish in the first match, and needed other results to go our way to be sure victory.
Tries: Ethan (2).
Tackles: 17 Passes: 12 Ball set up in ruck: 7 Drive Over: 2 Mauls won: 1
Chobham 6-0 Reeds
As with last year, the parents inability to keep an accurate track of other results meant that if we could win our last match, we could win the tournament on try difference. The only problem was that at the start of the game we didn’t know the relative standings. Therefore as usual the plan was cunningly devised – win by as many tries as possible against a team who had won both of their opening matches.
With such an intricate plot, even Sherlock Holmes would have struggled to get this one right. As usual, the midfield was the dominant area, which played to our strengths. Daniel, Heath and Jamie B all played like a traditional Back Row – solid tackling and competing determinedly at the breakdown.
When the ball was passed wide, Andrew ran strongly for a brace of tries and Ryan showed good speed for one of his own. Throw in a couple more for Wrecking Ball along with the final, well deserved effort from Jamie B and you have the maximum score available at this Age group (the matches should be stopped at 6-0 according to the RFU Continuum).
This gave us a try difference of +13, with our closest rivals being at +2. Therefore given the maximum score possible, no team could catch us.
This was a fantastic result for the team and a great confidence boost for the season. Let’s see you carry this through to the next Festival at Wimbledon, which is one that we have historically found tough. I for one am looking forward to it...
Tries: Andrew (2), Daniel S (2), Jamie B, Ryan.
Tackles: 32 Passes: 10 Ball set up in ruck: 7 Drive Over: 2 Mauls won: 2
|
.jpg)
