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U16s take win and a draw v London Irish Maidenhead
U16As 17 v London Irish U16As 7 Sunday 15th November 2009 |
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A win and a draw, we'll Take That Maidenhead U16As 17pts vs. London Irish U16As 7pts Maidenhead were supposed to be visiting Sutton & Epsom this weekend but the original hosts cried off and Irish were kind enough to agree a friendly dual fixture at short notice. Kids playing U16 rugby now may have started in the game around the Millennium. Now they are big enough to put their bodies on the line and sometimes they just come undone. When that happens, it's Sudi who comes on and fixes them, yes, she's the one. It was a surprise that the healing hands were called on only a couple of times in the course of two games that were fiercely disputed between well-matched sides. The first game started with an interception for Irish, their right winger backing his electric pace to cut out Leo Smith's pass and dash 40m untouched under the posts for an easily converted try. However, after kicking a penalty deep into the right corner, Maids could not secure the ball from the lineout but then turned it over from a resulting ruck and Smith battered his way between the opposing centres and was too strong for the covering fullback. Fraser Brooks's chance of converting was dashed by the wind toppling the ball with no time left for a ballholder to get there. By this time the Maidenhead scrum was firmly on top, driving straight forward on both put-ins. When the London Irish backs did get the ball it was usually on the back foot and they found their attempted clearance kicks run back hard at them. It was after two slithery and elusive runs by Brooks that Michael Anderson was put over in the right corner to give Maids a well-deserved lead. Irish came back strongly as the half drew to a close, snaffling turnover ball wide right and spinning it quickly out to the left wing. Great hands among supporting runners put them clear and apparently certain to score, until a full-stretch haul down by fullback Tom Eckles snuffed out the danger. Shortly afterwards Eckles's game was ended by a heavy tackle as he again cleared up a dangerous defensive position. The start of the second half saw some fantastic work at the breakdown and in the loose by the back row of Winter, Balfour and Whiteford. Tackling hard and getting to their feet, disrupting and slowing the Irish momentum, making yards with every carry. As well as the back row, the home front five continued on top and Luke Thomas harried and hassled his opposite number and showed good judgement when he had possession himself. The Maidenhead lineout was working well but throwing was difficult for both sides in the swirling wind. Inexplicably, a penalty was awarded for persistent not straight throw-ins, a first in this reporter's experience. The London Irish backs could never turn possession into consistent go forward and did not really break the Maidenhead fringe and midfield defence. One left wing runaway, stopped by a Louis Basson last man tackle, was the nearest they came to getting back into it. Maids by contrast spent the last 15 minutes building pressure and territory and got their deserved reward. While Irish were looking skywards and wondering why the latest penalty had been given against them, Smith tapped and went, beat the first tackle, drew the last man and put Anderson in for his second try, converted from way out wide by Brooks to seal it at 17-7. Squad: Avery (capt.), N Jones, Hine, Reid, Baxter, Whiteford, Winter, Balfour, Thomas, Brooks, Smith, Andrews-Jones, Olivier, Surya, Anderson, Eckles, Basson Maidenhead
U16Bs 5pts vs. London Irish U16Bs 5pts In truth neither side did enough to earn a win. Irish scored first, taking frantic advantage of a man extra after a yellow card for taking a player in the air at the lineout. Despite heroic tackling, notably by Ed Kaye and Tim Cronbach, the home side could not keep out the last frenzied attack. Maids had two slight chances in the rest of the half, Shiv Khindria's chargedown just evading the chasers and Niall Collins getting the wrong last bounce after an inspired chip through. The rest of the time both sides made little of their own clean possession and a mess of their opponents. The turnround brought Maids their score, Kaye doing a Moody and charging down a clearance and Jacob Sanders finishing with a sprint down the left wing. Shipton's kick was an agonising inch short. The rest of the game was a repeat of the first half. London Irish backs looked to have good pace but no penetration. Maidenhead's backline never really got going except for a couple of breaks by Khindria and one bullocking run by McCulloch. Greg McHugh tackled hard and created chaos with one superb chase but never took a pass in any space. Sam McCarthy had another steady game at fullback without ever seeing a clear attacking opening. The two sets of forwards showed some individual endeavour but neither worked together as the units or sub-units that you need to produce quality ball through phases. They just needed to have a little patience. Squad: Hull, Keir, Nicol, Evans, Trevena, Dolan, Allen, Sanders (Capt.), Cronbach, Kaye, Sullivan-Paul, Hibberdine, Carn, Khindria, Becksmith, Shipton, McCulloch, Collins, McHugh, Dow, McCarthy, Orchard (for London Irish). |