| MAIDENHEAD under 17s, supported by
players from the under 16s, played their first match of
the new year against Salisbury at Braywick, and gained a
crushing 58-0 victory against a side which never really
got into the game. From the
kick-off Maids had the visitors under pressure with
strong forward play taking the game deep into the
Salisbury half, and from a ruck Aiden Revie ripped the
ball and made a powerful run through for their first
score.
The restart was fielded well by the home team, and slick
passing between forwards and backs saw wing Damian Bell
cross for a fine try, and he repeated his powerful
running just five minutes later to cross for another try
which was converted by hooker Lambden.
With the score at 17-0 Maids had a strong grip on the
game and the next score came from Stuart Douglas under
the posts, following a passage of excellent passing
between forwards and backs, again converted by Lambden.
And Maids scored another try when flanker Tom Meredith
drove at the opposition, provided clean ball to recycle,
the drive was maintained by James Stacey and he slipped
the ball back for Meredith who touched down to make the
score 31-0.
Maids then relaxed their grip on the game and some
indecisive handling allowed Salisbury to bring play to
the home team's line, but a lineout on Maids' line during
this period was the closest the visitors came to scoring
throughout the whole game. Maids struck again when from a
scrum the ball was passed to outside half Douglas, who
fed the ball back inside to flanker Tom Guest in close
support, and he evaded three tackles for his first try,
making it 36-0 at half-time.
In the second half, after several
substitutions, Maids quickly reasserted themselves again
and piled into Salisbury territory, and some fine
handling saw them brought to within 10 metres of the
Salisbury line before a scrum was awarded to the home
side.
Lambden struck cleanly and scrum-half Gareth Edwards
picked up, slipped two tackles, dummied a centre before
crossing for a fine solo try.
The next score came after an excellent passage of play
where, again, forwards and backs combined skilfully to
keep the ball alive, before full-back Moursi came into
the back line to cross and score.
Salisbury restarted and tried to pull their game together
but were repelled by strong Maidenhead pressure, and from
a Maids ruck which took the ball 25 yards, Guest broke
away and drove through to score his second try. Maids
soon applied yet more pressure and from a lineout Gallina
jumped well to take the ball cleanly, the forwards drove
on gaining valuable ground before Guest broke clear again
to force his way through for his hat-trick.
Douglas converted to make the final score 58-0 and
overall it was an excellent team performance from Maids,
where skills and commitment combined to produce an
outstanding result.
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