Luck of the bounce not enough to save Newbury

Maidenhead U14Bs 32 v Newbury U14Bs 14
9th March 2008

In December last year, this Newbury B squad beat Maids Bs with three unanswered tries. Newbury deserved that win, dominating the game and seemingly breaking tackles at will. But that was then. The story was very different on Sunday. Now Newbury’s best efforts were snuffed out time and time again by confident and technically sound tackles from almost every home player. The same big strong No.8 forward who had scattered Maids players like ninepins in the last game found himself tied up, dragged down, driven back and dumped in this one. The results were the same when Newbury moved the ball wide – forward progress halted by determined tackles; the ball won back by sound technique in contact and thereafter.

The Maidenhead forwards dominated the scrum and lineout, winning possession almost regardless of put- or throw-in. In the loose, they had more energy, more desire, and more aggression than their Blue opponents. Tyler Bello in particular carried the ball irresistibly, usually requiring three tacklers to stop him. If he ever adds passing (considered an unnecessary distraction by many forwards, of course) to his game, this lad will go far. Bello it was who created the first Maids try by driving explosively into a static maul five metres short of the tryline. So hard did he hit it that the whole thing seemed to disintegrate and out popped Tim Cronbach to score. (“Sebas” might have had a hat-trick but his later two efforts were adjudged to have been held up). Tyler himself scored just before half time and Mark Hine and Jamie Balmer also gained the forwards deserved rewards for an outstanding all round performance in attack and defence.

The rest of the points were scored by Daniel Shipton, with two tries and a conversion in another compelling display of pace, strength and confident positioning. His first try was an untouched outside break after more strong forward work had manufactured a gap on the right and sure passing by the inside backs gave him some space to aim at. The second came from an inspired kick into the vacant fullback position by Leo Smith, guesting at flyhalf. Three Maids chasers were all over the hapless Newbury cover and Shipton was first to the loose ball.

Newbury scored two tries themselves, one in each half, but it has to be said that they were both the result of lucky bounces from merely hopeful kicks ahead. The sort of predictably unpredictable rugby ball bounce that leaves a defender on their backside and an attacker with a stroll to the line. In truth, this was the only way Newbury Blues looked likely to score on a day completely bossed by the Black, Magenta and Violet.

Maidenhead Tries: Cronbach (7min), Shipton (19min, 50min), Bello (25min), Hine (35min), Balmer (45min). Conversion: Shipton Newbury Tries: (3min, 50min; both converted)