U15s retain Berkshire title with a game to spare

Sunday 29th March 2009

Maidenhead U15s 48 v Tadley U15s 5
Berkshire Youth League

Eight tries and four conversions to a solitary try secured Maidenhead’s U15s back-to-back Berkshire League titles at Braywick on Sunday. Their 7 point lead over second placed Windsor cannot be overhauled in the one game remaining to all the sides. Newbury’s draw with Redingensians leaves them third and fourth respectively.

Maidenhead started with a try from their first attack with less than a minute on the clock; Man of the Match Seb Coric stealing the first of many turnover balls and Dominik Bart taking a short pass from flyhalf Jones and stepping past the fullback under the posts. Bart converted, but just three minutes later Tadley became only the third side to cross Maids’ line this season, with a cute move that caught Maids napping. Tadley won a scrum in midfield on the home 22 and set up all their backs to the right, except their left winger, who loitered well back as if expecting a clearance kick. The Maids' defence lined up one to one, but the ball went left through 8 and 9 and then to the winger at pace and over in the corner.

Maids looked a bit shocked by the visitors’ presumption and the next few minutes were nervous ones until Sam Maguire stepped up to settle the nerves and, arguably, the contest. Catching a poor clearance kick at the 10m, he sped right and around the despairing defence to score in the corner.

Now Maidenhead began to play with more control and authority, Alex McCulloch dominating the lineout on both throws and Duncan Jones’s smart kicking forcing Tadley back. Maidenhead’s forwards, giving away weight but not power, were getting on terms.

Maguire scored again when a midfield scissors fixed the defence and quick ruck ball was spun left, Sam overlapping and taking an unselfish scoring pass from Tom Eckles. Then another smart Jones kick behind the fullback (way out of position) and wing (perhaps unlucky with the bounce) led to a try for MacSwan, chasing hard and hacking on, this time converted by Bart.

The last, and best, try of the half came from scrappy ruck ball on the 22. Leo Smith tidied up, switched the attack from right to left and Tom Eckles skinned his opposite number with a classy step and swerve.

Tadley came out in the second half meaning business. Perhaps recognising they would never prosper on the wide outside, they kept the ball narrow and launched big forwards at pace up the close channels. Maidenhead defended doggedly, superb tackles from Nic Jones, Avery and Kaye standing out, but the first ten minutes were certainly Tadley’s. In truth, however, they never looked like scoring again; in fact breakaways by Basson and Anderson came close to extending Maidenhead’s lead. Tadley could seemingly never go through more than three phases without Coric stealing their ball at the breakdown, often legally(!).

Twelve minutes in, the inevitable happened. Maids made a rare visit to Tadley’s danger zone and won a penalty. While Tadley were discussing the various rights and wrongs of the decision, Alex Avery sped on to a quick pass and over in the corner. Bart hit the post from the touchline.

Tadley kept coming and both their No8 and left wing were impressive on the hoof but the rest of the team looked puffed out as Maids scored the try of the game. Coric set off from his own 22 on a rampaging run, scattering tacklers left and right. Finally held at Tadley’s 10m, he offloaded to Ed Kaye who swerved and jinked and found Sam Balfour to his right. Next in support was Will Thompson, and his skilled and perfectly timed pass gave Michael Anderson an unopposed run in for a well-deserved try. Were it not for two last-ditch tackles earlier in the game, Anderson would have had a hat trick.

Bart converted this try as well as his own second score when Avery picked up a tired flap from a Tadley lineout in the dying moments.

Tadley looked a better side than their results suggest but they were blown away on the day. Maids’ clearout work looked much sharper and more aggressive than earlier in the season and the quicker ball that produces gave the backline time to express their talent and exploit their pace out wide. The championship is already won but one more game remains to see if their full potential can be realised.