U13s clinch runners-up spot in Berkshire League

Maidenhead U13s 15 v Windsor U13s 12
Sunday 23rd April 2006

Showdowns rarely get much more crucial than this. With Maidenhead and Windsor equal on points behind League champions Newbury, the outcome of this final league match of the season would determine who was to land the runners-up spot. Hosts and visitors had each lost only once all season – to Newbury – and the match was finely poised as the players ran out on to the main pitch at Braywick to the cheers of a grandstand packed with supporters from both clubs. It was a fitting finale to the season and good to see so much support for the teams.

Not surprisingly, this turned out to be a tense war of attrition, punctuated by numerous scrums and penalties for infringements. The free-flowing rugby the boys have produced throughout the season wasn’t much in evidence as constant drizzle throughout the 60 minutes made quick passing moves a challenge. Nevertheless, this was the sort of spirited team performance the coaches and spectators had come to expect. The work rate and commitment to tackle when it mattered meant the boys were rarely overrun, despite Windsor’s best efforts.

A long delay to tend an injured Windsor player in the first minute was followed by very fragmented play for the first half. Virtually the entire 30 minutes was spent inside Windsor’s 25-metre line but the ball rarely travelled either forward or back as the two sides slugged it out. Maids always looked in control but lost possession as easily as they won it.

The breakthroughs came on the wings, when the ball was worked wide. Thomas Simpson opened the scoring with a try in the right corner after good work by Matt Bill and Paul Sayers. Industrious play by Sam Yates and Oliver Evans kept up the momentum. The lead was doubled by Jasper van der Walk, whose speed down the left flank was unstoppable, riding two tackles and handing off well he planted the ball between the posts to give Maids a 10.0 advantage at half-time.

Windsor’s half-time pep talk clearly had the desired effect as they gained ground and a driving maul took them within metres of Maids' try line. But the home side held up well and won back possession with a scrum only to lose it and watch a smart kick forward followed up by one of Windsor’s pacey backs to put the visitors on the scoreboard.

Michael Habgood made a number of excellent angled runs that sliced open Windsor. James Parrott, Connor Murphy and Elliott Reid all put in their usual reliable performances. Maids continued to press forward to make the match safe with good work from Matt Bill and Ollie Evans. From a loose ball in the ruck Ben Pritchard seized the initiative to kick the ball forward and charged after it pursued by half the Windsor team. Bringing his football skills to the fore he cleanly struck it twice more and over the try line to touch down before he could be caught.

Windsor weren’t yet done though, and went straight back up to the other end to score with a try and the game’s only conversion. But it was too late as the referee blew time and players, coaches and fans celebrated another well-deserved win and the runners-up place in their first season of competitive rugby.