Maidenhead Colts Season 2007-2008
 
Last Sunday Maidenhead Colts completed their final game of the OBB league division 1. With 20 Colts teams competing in 2 divisions this has been a very competitive season and culminated with the Maidenhead Colts beating local rivals Marlow 17-7 to finish runners up and winners of the silver medals

Since Xmas, Maidenhead has beaten Chinnor 21-3, Drifters 24-12, Marlow twice 15-8 and 17-7, Henley 22-10 and lost by 1 point in a thrilling game to Newbury 20-19 who went on to win the league. To have come second in the first of the 'big boys' leagues represents a fantastic performance by all the boys concerned

Maidenhead has never been the biggest of sides but they have always been competitive and several of the teams found it difficult to keep up with our pace around the 'park'. A positive attitude and culture has driven this group of young men to perform to their potential

With a forward game based on an outstanding lineout and total commitment in the ruck and maul and a set of backs willing to run at the strangest of times our games have never been dull. This was seen to it's truest extent when we turned around 20 points to nil down at half time in the league decider at Newbury only to push this very good academy side all the way with a final score of 20-19. But for the thickness of an upright we would have won!! We may have lost but pride was there for all to see and enjoy

This squad has a lot of very good players from the 2 calendar years who ensured that it has been a genuine team effort and as a team they should feel extremely pleased at the success they have had. As ever, a rugby team exists on the back of the efforts of many unsung heroes and I would like to say a big thank you to all those associated with the Colts this year, be they coaches, managers, administrators or parents who put the posts out and clear up the muck from the pitch!! Without your help none of this would be possible

The Colts have a 10's tournament on the 16th April, this was, however, my last game of 15's as a Head Coach and I would like to say a very big thank you to all the children, young men, coaches, administrators, club stalwarts and parents it has been my pleasure to be associated with over the past 12 years. It has been great fun and now I am off to help the juniors next year and bore them with stories of how it was in my day !!!!    
 
Viva la rugby, viva Maidenhead Rugby, David Pepper  

Under 17s show their true potential
Maidenhead U17s 30pts vs Alton U17s 17pts

From 13 players available for the big cup game the previous week to the full squad of 25 available for last Sunday - 1 week is a long time in sport

With last week's 13 players all starting this game, but in their correct positions, Maidenhead dominated the first half and scored a mixture of beautiful three quarter tries and dogged forward ones, in what were not ideal weather conditions

The forwards competed excellently at the breakdown and also hit hard when Alton attacked through their big aggressive forwards and Alton could not handle the aggressive defence or the speed of attack from Maids' backs

Typical of Maidenhead's play was the first try.  Ball won by the forwards, released early to the backs who broke the defense through Lambert hitting the line from full back and then the covering defence was thwarted with quick short passes amongst supporting Maidenhead players

With only friendlies to play before their final junior tour to Portugal, this side should be looking forward to taking up the mantel of Maidenhead Colts next season, a title with much to be proud of in the past years

U15s dispatch Bracknell
Maidenhead U15s 19pts vs Bracknell U15s 14 pts

Maidenhead U15s ended the Berkshire League season on a high with a hard-fought win over Bracknell. Both sides gave it everything despite the rain and a relentless wind.

Maids battled superbly into the elements for the opening 10-minute spell. Bracknell hardly saw the ball as the forwards rucked over at the breakdowns and mauled with vigour. Given the conditions, Maidenhead played sensible rugby, keeping ball to hand and doing the basics well. Within five minutes, Thomas Simpson had smashed his way through a succession of tackles to put Maidenhead in the driving seat.

Bracknell rallied and hit back, matching Maids' forwards in the mauls and kicking intelligently with the wind. Taking advantage of an overlap on the wing they replied with a converted try and following a strong forwards move extended their lead at the turnaround to 5.14.

Maidenhead kicked off the second half determined not to let another game slip away from them. Bracknell were forced to defend close to their line for long periods, which they did with real passion. But Maidenhead gradually wore the visitors down, probing for weaknesses. A number of promising attacks faltered in the final phase. But the boys pulled themselves right back into the game after one of many line-outs deep in Bracknell territory. Good pressure from the forwards, with Rory Creffield and James Parrot hitting Bracknell's defence with penetrating runs took Maids close to the line. From the breakdown, Charlie Wickham-Smith found the gap and scored. And from a wide angle James Parrott confidently landed the conversion.

It was all Maids now as Bracknell defended resolutely. TJ Hudson and Ollie Evans were typically tenacious, with James Wilson and Morgan Davies providing good support. In the forwards, Alex Jones, Paul Sweeney and Rory Creffield worked well and big Mike James and Ben Malone made valuable contributions. Josh Turvey and Connor Murphy in the front row were solid. Michael Habgood as usual terrorised the visitor's defence with his pace.

Paul Sayers freed Elliott Reid on the left wing for Maids' third try. And from an even wider position, James Parrott sent the conversion sailing between the posts. It wasn't all over though, and Bracknell kept fighting hard. The forwards might even have scored a vital fourth try and earned a bonus point with better co-ordination on the opposition's try line.

Such a strongly committed team performance was just the tonic the boys needed and was a great way to end a tough Berkshire league season. All eyes are now on the tour to Italy 

McSwan hat trick breaks Bracknell to a duck on great day for water fowl
Bracknell U14s 0pts vs Maidenhead U14s 41pts

They say Rugby Union is the game played in Heaven.  The only thing Biblical this Sunday was the possibility of a flood, an Ark having been sighted on the A329.  Newbury's game at Redingensians was called off but happily Bracknell were able to provide a pitch just about fit to play and the rain could not dampen Maidenhead's steady progress towards the Mount Ararat of the League title.

The first few minutes were predictably scrappy as the sides came to terms with the conditions.  The noticeably smaller Bracknell pack stood up well to the visitors and held off Maidenhead's best efforts to drive them off the ball.  Meanwhile neither back line could get any running moves going at all.  Then nine minutes in Bracknell won clean ball from a scrum on their 22 but the clearance kick went straight to fullback Lawrence McSwan around the centre of the field.  His pacy run to within 5 metres close to the left hand corner led to a quick ruck from the base of which Dominik Bart dived over for the first try. 

Given the conditions and what happened next, an old cliché about floodgates springs to mind.  First Ed Kaye caught the restart and executed a slick switch move with Fred Reid.  Reid ran outside the wrong-footed Bracknell chasers and sped untouched all the way under the posts to double the score.  Then Bracknell's next restart went right, away from the packs, was caught by Alex Avery who found Tom Eckles on the burst.  Eckles offloaded to McSwan and he ran in from 40 metres.  With these two tries converted by Will Thompson, Maidenhead had scored 19 unanswered points in 2 minutes.

For a short while thereafter, Maids seemed curiously reluctant to use their kicking game to command territory, an obvious option in the conditions.  When they eventually did, and a penalty was kicked forward deep into Bracknell's 22, the last home defender was robbed by three Maidenhead chasers and McSwan ran free over the tryline.  Halftime came just as Maids looked likely to score again after another kick and chase. 

For the opening 15 minutes of the second period, the two sides traded weary errors.  Maids allowed Bracknell back into a game that looked beyond them and only a try-saving tackle by Maguire kept them off the scoreboard.  But now it was Bracknell's turn to ignore the obvious options.  Three times they ran penalties from their own 22 when clearance kicks would have relieved the pressure.  Inevitably the turnover came and quick passes to the right put Maguire over.

Perhaps Bracknell's resistance was finally broken now, as shortly afterwards Sam Balfour scored from a short range penalty while the home side just stood and watched.  Then the last move of the match saw McSwan run through ineffectual tackles from the restart and complete his threesome.  McSwan senior happily did his duty in the clubhouse bar.

This was not a perfect performance by any measure but it does confirm that a victory against Reading Abbey in two weeks' time will settle the Berkshire League title with no need to clutch at bonus point straws.  For those who do revel in statistics, this U14 squad's points difference of +217 with one game to go is already better than their +205 last year and miles better than the +148 achieved by last year's league winners.  It is also more than 100 points higher than the second placed team this year.  Will Abbey be swept away by the flood tide?  Or will they break the habit and part the waters?  All shall be revealed.  (see Braywick, Chapter 7, verse 30.03.08).

No Early Spring for Teddington
Teddington U14 Bs 5pts vs Maidenhead U14 Bs - 24

Rain, wind and a waterlogged pitch could easily have turned this fixture into a messy unattractive affair, but both teams showed from the start that the best way of keeping warm is to play rugby.

From the whistle, the Maids pack took the fight to Teddington with a series of powerful drives that kept the opposition on the back foot and struggling to hold their defence. Despite the conditions the half backs Steve Carn and Shiv Khindria made intelligent decisions and well-set ball was sent out to the backs wherever possible. This paid dividends and 8 minutes into the first half quick ball found Daniel Shipton deep inside his own half, but with enough space to accelerate round the defence to the wing and run in a brilliant try from more than 50 metres. Carn converted from in front of the posts to put Maids 7 – 0 up.

The forwards continued to dominate for the next ten minutes of play and after a period of constant pressure James Deeley was just too powerful for the tiring defence and dragged two opponents 10 metres over the line for a great try.  Slippy mud and rain made the conversion for Carn just a bit too far: 12 – 0 to Maids.  A third try looked on the cards when Jamie Balmer broke blind from the back of the scrum making good ground and finding winger Dhruv Surya in space – in normal conditions Surya would have beaten his opponent, but additional defence was provided by a puddle of gravel pit dimensions slowing the normally dazzling Dhruv footwork. The last ten minutes of the half saw the hosts up their work rate and in response the Maids team put in one of their best performances in defence so far this season, holding flat line and denying Teddington any time to make ground. The back row, halfbacks and centres made every tackle with Simon Crosbie again showing the work-rate and disruption that have made him an outstanding number 7 this season, Shiv Khindria at 10 was constantly on top of his opposite number. On the one occasion Teddington managed to work round the defence an almost certain try was cut out by Shipton showing his pace to cover from the centre to bundle the speeding winger into touch.

The second half saw the Maids pack back with renewed energy and again dominating the forward battle. Second rows James Deeley and Kaya Baxta were particularly impressive covering ground at pace and tight-head Mark Hine used his strength well to carry the ball and drive though opposition continually making ground. Hine eventually got his reward and completed a typical props try, driving over from 7 metres out, a carbon copy of his first try for Maids last week – more please! Shipton struck the ball hard and well in the conditions for the conversion.

Teddington came back with their best passage of play holding possession well and finally driving over the Maids line for a well deserved, albeit consolation try. Galvanised again, Maids went back to work and wingers Niall Collins and Gareth Orwin both received balls in space making impressive runs, but were ultimately denied.  As the Teddington defence tired once more it was time again for another strong second row drive, this time Kaya Baxter using his pace and strength to run in from 15 metres for an unconverted try. Final score 24 –5 to Maidenhead in a game which showed a full range of defensive and attacking skills in very difficult conditions

At least five boys put their hands up for man of the match award including Shipton, Deeley and Crosbie and it was a tough decision with the final vote going to Kaya Baxter for all round effort on the day. Special thanks also to full back George Thomas for standing in at hooker for a 10 minute spell!

U13s show England how it's done
London Welsh U13s 25pts vs  Maidenhead U13s 52pts
 
On a cold wet and windy morning at the Civil Service Ground in Chiswick, Maidenhead U13s romped to a 52-25 victory against London Welsh. Due to Maidenhead's large squad the game was played in four quarters with the away side moving into a 21-0 lead with tries from Kerins (2) and Repetto following a good break from Bateson

Welsh pulled the score back to 21-15 at half time with three good tries and in the second half further tries from Piper, another two from Kerins, Repetto and Dutton capped an excellent all round performance.

Colin Kerins scored six from seven conversions and one in particular from the touchline in extreme conditions was spectacular.

London Wasps Easter CoacHclass
UPDATE

Principles of Play CoacHclass
14th April at Drifters RFC
15th April at Abingdon RFC
17th April at Buckingham RFC

Principles of Defence CoacHclass
16th April at High Wycombe RFC

For further information please contact Russell Bolton, CoacHclass Development Officer, russell.bolton@wasps.co.uk