U16s win Maidenhead tournament for the final time

Sunday 12th October 2003

MAIDENHEAD 17 v CHINNOR 5

The first game of the new season was against our local rivals from Chinnor in Oxfordshire. It was, as ever, a close game played in good spirit. Maidenhead, making glaring handling and defensive errors, missing tackles, lacked their accustomed organisation. However attacking zeal and confidence eventually made up for errors.

Sam Stefan, playing with growing authority as an attacking full back, showed up well. The centre pairing of acting captain Dave Hodgson and Ryan Christian produced some excellent moves, one looping movement between them nearly putting Alex Cannon through, only to be brought down close to the line. Luke Knowles, playing out of his skin, cleaned up to put Chris Adam in for an unconverted try. Maids suffered a lack of concentration and their poor positioning play enabled the fast Chinnor backs to score a well-worked try, outnumbering Alex and Sam by five to two at the end of the move.

The head coach intervened at half-time, shattering any complacency. Elliot Hawkes scored an outstanding breakaway try, fly-hacking the ball in the loose from 30 metres out and sprinting to score. Dave converted. Excellent forward play led by Tom Kay cleaning up all round the pitch, robust tackling in the centre stabilised the game for Maidenhead. The pack, led by Jack Robinson, started to assert itself in the loose. Drew Jones - a legend in his own lineout - made a series of clean lineout takes, and from resulting possession, Chris Adam galloped over, scoring a typically gutsy try.

Chinnor never gave up, and at the end only determined tackling by the in-form Sam ended a good Chinnor attack. Maids ran out winners, 19-5.

MAIDENHEAD 28 v FULLERIANS 0

The second game marked Ashley Hanks' return to the side after a twelve month absence through injury. Welcome back, Ash!

Maids' opponents Fullerians from Watford had turned up with a depleted squad, and an six foot five inch tall fly-half - it turned out he's their regular full-back! The game started with Luke putting the fear of God into Fullers as he crashed around the park at speed. An early lineout saw Drew win clean possession, and the ball moved across the pitch with Sam and Alex combining before Tim Johnson seized the ball speeding over for a well taken try. Dave converted.

Fullers responded with spirit, and it required a decisive intervention from the acting captain Dave Hodgson to halt their attack and clear his line. Maids were having problems dealing with the strong running Fullerian fly-half, and only gutsy play from Sam broke down their attacks. However Ollie Styles at scrum half, excelling in the loose play, made a series of breaks counterattacking with real spirit. Unfortunately, in a maul which stopped one of his surging runs Ollie broke his wrist, and Chris Adam came on. Alasdair Bruce set up in a move where Dave executed a beautiful delayed pass to Alex who scored near the corner, Dave converting.

After half-time Maids forwards playing with real spirit set up a move finished off by Alasdair, Dave converting. Fullerians counterattacked and only spirited play from Tim and Tom Plumer in the forwards, and Sam and Elliott in the backs stopped Fullers' determined play. The forward battle was marred by a stamping incident, and one of Fullers' forwards was sent off. He immediately apologised to the coaches of both sides, but a serious lesson for the U16 season was learned by both sides.

Mobile play by Maids stretched the depleted Fullerians, and a lovely sequence of play with Alex and Dave combining and demonstrating real skill in the off load pass, led to a lovely try, converted by Dave.

MAIDENHEAD 12 v LLANDAFF 5

Our final game of the tournament was an excellent game with a talented side from Cardiff. The outcome of the U16 tournament hinged on the result of this game.

Llandaff outplayed Maidenhead in the first half. In spite of excellent work by Luke and Chris Parrott cleaning up, and Drew jumping brilliantly, elsewhere heads were going down, with significant tackles being missed. Llandaff's free flowing game led to a beautifully worked try on the right when the visitors scored with a three-man overlap. Maidenhead's large squad was being rapidly depleted. Mitch Batten replaced Tim, running on adjusting stupendous quantities of bandages, before he too had to come off. Chris Adam had to limp off, allowing Elliott to move up to scrum-half. Promotion comes fast in the modern game!

Following the restart Maids responded well, pressing Llandaff close, with a try being disallowed. At this point, Joe Thomas (the U16s captain) injured in a school game a week before, made a decisive contribution, Although his damaged wrist was still strapped up, he ran on taking over at No8, and scoring an inspirational try, smashing his way through Llandaff's defence. 5-5 - as the sides changed ends at half-time.

The second half was equally close. There was a series of scrums, rucks and mauls moving up and down the pitch, delighting spectators and apparently confusing the referee at times. Tom Kay excelled in the fiercely contested forward battle, leading a series of rolling mauls. All players contributed to the steady progress of the juggernaut until Joe Thomas again intervened, scoring a try with half the Llandaff pack trying to pull him down. Dave converted. 12-5 - and the referee blew full time!

The two sides congratulated each other on a good close game, with Joe, the Maids skipper, making a decisive contribution, lifting his side and scoring two remarkable tries. Maidenhead U16s had completed the day as the winners of their own tournament. All the tournament players knew they had played in a very high standard competition, with free-flowing spirited festival rugby delighting the spectators. We owe our thanks to the organisers, sponsors, coaches and spectators for their support of four good club sides

Chinnor's report on the day is here.