U12s at the Saracens' Tournament

Sunday 15th November 2009

Maidenhead U12 A Vs. Ruislip A

Maidenhead 5 Ruislip 0

A great start by Maidenhead with the whole team involved in an excellent win. A drive by Scott Prince followed by fast passing between the forwards took Maidenhead over the line in the first few minutes but the ball was held up by the Tring defence. The resulting scrum led to some great rucking play from which Will Lawrence scored the first try in the corner. Soon after the restart, a super tackle by Alex Martin and some great rucking from Xabi Leadbetter in the ruck enabled Abbi Dow to lead the backs down the field and set up Alex Thompson to score in the corner. The third try came after a brilliant jinking run from Dan Cutler and a pick-and go drive from the ruck from Alex Martin who was held up on the line, making the ball available for William Doolan to score. In the second half, Scott Prince went on a rampaging run, passing to Shane McKenna to score. The final try came from sustained Maidenhead pressure and good tackling by all, ending with Will Lawrence bundling over for his second try of the match.

Maidenhead U12 A Vs. Amersham A

Maidenhead 0 Amersham 3

Maidenhead started tired against a strong opposition with a big pack, leading to them going a try down in the opening minute. Good kicking by Scott Prince and fearless tackling by Abbi Dow put Maidenhead back in the game. Early in the second half some fierce defence by the whole team, and notable tackling by Khalid Omar held back the onslaught but the inevitable second try came. Under more pressure, despite good tackling by Will Lawrence, the third try came from Amersham being given too much space to run. Some substitutions to get a bigger pack helped bring Maidenhead back into the game and some determined pressure by the forwards almost put Xabi Leadbetter over the line but the opposition were too strong.

Maidenhead U12 A Vs. Tring A

Maidenhead 0 Tring 1

Maidenhead produced a big defence against a strong Tring side. Despite the opposition being offside for most of the first half, the team was able to produce some good runs notably from Scott Prince and Abi Dow. Before the close of the first half, Tring were able to secure a try after a series of missed tackles by the Maids. The second half saw a more determined Maidenhead side, which applied constant pressure to the Tring line but were unable to convert to score. Maidenhead demonstrated strong forward play supported by a good line of backs.

Maidenhead U12 A Vs. Saracens A

Maidenhead 2 Saracens 1

An excellent win against a team with some enormous forwards, Maidenhead produced some stunning forward and back play, giving one of their best performances of the season so far. Maidenhead hit the score sheet in the first few minutes following a good run by Scott Prince, passing to Dan Cutler who bet several tackles for his score. The team continued with a good level of pressure especially from the forwards in the mauls but Saracens were able to equalise. Maidenhead, not wishing to settle for a draw were inspired and, after some great rucking, a loose Saracens kick was well caught by Khalid Omar who ran half the pitch to put the ball down for number two. Maidenhead spent most of the second half on the Saracens' line until a determined Saracens' attack in the last minute. A good clearance kick by Dan Cutler pushed them back and a brilliant try-saving tackle by Kieran Evans in the last play of the match saved the win for Maidenhead.

Maidenhead U12 B Vs. Bridgend A

Maidenhead 0 Bridgend 5

A difficult starting game for the B's against a well-drilled A team from Bridgend. The B's put in a spirited performance with some notable tackling by Sean Mac, counterattacking and kicking by James Millwater and ripping by Tom Kynaston.

Maidenhead U12 B Vs. Ruislip B

Maidenhead 4 Ruislip 0

A much improved performance by Maidenhead, learning from the mistakes of their tough first match by tightening up defence and playing as a team. A brilliant catch and drive by Lawrence Jones and good drive by newcomer George Mingay were highlights as well as four good tries, from Tom Kynaston, Lawrence Jones, Umar Marriott and Rob Thirtle

Maidenhead U12 B Vs. Kingsbridge B

Maidenhead 0 Kingsbridge 2

Really switched on opponents got going quickly, with a great tackle by Shaun saving an opening try. The Maidenhead forwards were strong and the team soaked up constant pressure, with good tackling by Tom Kynaston and Lawrence Hull but could not stop the two tries. Good kicking by James Millwater and several good pick-ups by Shaun could not put Maidenhead over. Excellent scrimmaging at the end came too late to save the game.

Maidenhead U12 B Vs. Amersham B

Maidenhead 0 Amersham 3

Beaten in the first half by a very strong opposition, Maidenhead had the better of the second half. Despite very strong forward pressure all the way to the line Maidenhead still could not score but came off feeling good about their performance.

Maidenhead U12 B Vs. Saracens B

Maidenhead 0 Saracens 1

A fearless Maidenhead B team were not daunted when they realised that they were in fact playing against most of the Saracen A team peppered with a few B team players. Maidenhead were determined not to give in, with Xabier Leadbetter holding up the first try attempt by Saracens. However, only seconds later the opposition attacked the line again and went one up. The forwards showed some good strength in their drives, particularly those by George Mingay, Lawrence Jones and Alastair Graham. At half time, Abi Dow, Shane McKenna and Scott Prince joined the ranks to strike a balance with the opposition. After good scrummaging and with some good driving by Tom Judd and Xabi Leadbetter, Maidenhead gained ground. They used the backs well to give Rob Thirtle a chance to score. Unfortunately, he was held up as the final whistle blew and the score sheet remained unchanged.