U16s' five try victory over Wasps

Maidenhead U16s 35 Wasps U16s 3
Sunday 30th November 2003
       
 
What a season it's been! After our long and steady build-up during the summer, we've ended up playing very few games. Everyone has had to rely on school matches for match experience. Now that the pitches are playable, the county matches and representative trials are over, we can stop practising and settle down to playing some club rugby!

After a cold and very damp run out against Camberley, we had great weather and a strong successful Wasps Youth side to play. Wasps only lost one game last season and were last season's Middlesex U15 League Division 2 champions. Although they had four players missing on Middlesex county duty, Wasps had high hopes of avenging a loss two years ago.

       
       
Maidenhead U16s, with seven players missing through injury and illness, played with real character, scoring five tries, and conceding just one drop goal. Wasps played very well and tested the Maidenhead defence to the maximum. Acting captain Dave Hodgson had an outstanding game, leading and motivating his side, as well as scoring the first try, and converting all five tries.

A series of fully contested mauls and scrums showed that Maids were ring rusty, but fully committed. Maids were tested by high balls, and recovered well. From a set scrum, a fast heel brought quick ball to Hodgson, who ran in from 30 metres, gliding through Wasps' defence from the left, before converting his own try.

       
       
Wasps came back strongly, excelling in loose play, and only an outstanding intervention by Alex Cannon saved a forward try from Wasps. In foiling Wasps' efforts both Chris Adam and Jack Robinson put in some mighty spoiling tackles. Elliot Hawkes, having won the ball in loose play on the right wing, threw out a good lateral pass to fly-half Dayne Ferrar, who with typically good distribution, passed to Hodgson who beat several defenders, before passing to Ryan Christian who finished the movement, Dave converted.
 
       
The sides changed ends with the score at 14 - 0. Wasps then kept Maids pegged down on their 22 for nearly all the second half, with a mighty effort from their pack. It was one of the most absorbing second halves the spectators had seen since the RWC cup final the week before! Maids' defence was outstanding, with the forwards putting in a mighty effort. Scrum-half Chris Adam continued to harry his Wasps' opponent all through the game. Prop Jack Robinson put in a series of tremendous tackles, visibly shaking the Wasps' big forwards, Hodgson saved a try by holding up the ball and Alex Cannon put in a fine saving tackle.
       
       
In spite of Wasps' territorial advantage, left wing Alex was put away to score three outstanding tries, using his growing confidence and experience. Maids won relatively little clean ball in the second half, as rucking skills seem to have evaporated, but when clean possession was won fine link play between Adam and Ferrar led to Hodgson putting Cannon away each time, using his pace and variable running lines.

A series of technical infringements ended up with both packs scrummaging ferociously. However after 10 minutes a strike against the head allowed quick ball to the backs setting up Cannon to intervene in the centre and speed past the defenders to score under the posts from 60metres out, Hodgson converting.
       
       
A few minutes later outstanding line-out work resulted in fast clean possession for the back, and Sam Stefan put Alex away to score under the posts from 40 metres out. Dave converted. Wasps responded with a drop goal from their indefatigable fly-half, who never stopped trying all morning.

All available players were used and after one set of substitutions clean ball from a set scrum provided a platform for Alex to complete his hat trick from the left wing this time! Dave converting again. Maids made only five excursions into Wasps' half, three of them being Alex scoring! Both packs finished the game exhausted after a hard fought battle upfront. The game was played in excellent spirit, and was a credit to all players.

Wasps own report can be found here.

       
       
Maidenhead's squad was:
Sam Stefan, Elliot Hawkes, Ryan Christian, Dave Hodgson, Anthony Lewis, Alex Cannon, Dayne Ferrar, Chris Adam, Pat McSweeney, Tom Morgan, Jack Robinson, Ashley Hanks, Drew Jones, Chris Parrott, Tom Plumer, Tim Johnson, Tom Kay, Mitch Batten