Fixture

Clwb Rygbi Cymry Caerdydd RFC | Under 15s 5 - 53 Chepstow RFC | Under 15s
Morgan Bedford
1 Try
Thomas Wacey
2 Try
William Ruck
3 Try
Thomas Franklin
1 Try
Callum Arnott
1 Try
Edwin Spencer
1 Try

Match Report
04 December 2016 / Team News

Match Report U15s vs CRICC RFC

The team met at Chepstow RFC and we were soon faced with a very nervous Bec (Callum’s mum) who confirmed that, after passing her driving test, she was actually going to drive to the game today! Phil Swain (Rhys’ dad) proved the age of chivalry wasn’t dead and offered to lead the convoy as he ‘knew exactly where we were going’.

So, as we crawled onto the motorway at 30mph looking like a convoy from the Mr Magoo cartoon I almost called the opposition to delay kick-off….. And despite travelling at 50mph for most of the journey I somehow left them all behind and got to the ground within time and waited….. and waited………

Eventually the phone rang and Phil was lost whilst I think Bec was still looking for 3rd gear……. I think we’ll put them in a taxi next week ;-)

By 10.30am all was well again and we took to the field to warm-up. With 4 players unavailable, we had a bare team of 15 players. However, Dan Pocock made a very welcome guest appearance at late notice to give us some options through the game. The team discussed last week’s performance and how important it was to start with the right mentality, concentrating on our own game regardless of what the opposition had to offer.

And from the off we were a team transformed. Dan Williams took a clean catch from the kick-off and charged forward, winning the collision, making the ball available, his fellow forwards cleared the ruck and Edwin released the backline. Thomas took the ball flat and on the move, running a straight line and fed Callum at pace who broke the tackle and we were behind the defence. Good interplay led to Chepstow’s first try, through Will Ruck within the first minute of the game. The boys were buoyant and didn’t look back.

The first half was wave after wave of attack. Thomas scored our 2nd try with a ‘show and go’ that left the defence staring at each other. Morgan got the 3rd try with more incisive running from the entire backline and Callum got the 4th. A cheeky inside pass from Joe Beard gave Will his 2nd try, quickly followed by his 3rd try. A relieving kick by the home side was gathered by Tom Wacey who stepped his man, beat another and outpaced the cover defence to score in the corner. I was looking for a champagne bottle to open at this point! Edwin scored in the corner from short range for the first half to close with Chepstow 46-0 up!

In the 2nd half, into a stiff breeze the home team showed they were an organised team. They got a territory foothold and battered away at the Chepstow defence which was more organised than ever, with generally good line speed to shut down attack after attack. Good work from all of the forwards at the breakdown led to a turnover in our own half and the backs did the rest for Tom Wacey to score. But the home team were back on the attack and scored a deserved try after more resilient Chepstow defence was finally broken. The game remained very competitive throughout and both sides tested each other but the scoring was over, the final whistle went, final score 53-5 to Chepstow.

Angus led from the front doing lots of work in the tight areas, using his physicality to good effect. Spencer Hanlon really is progressing each week, today his positional sense came on significantly as he offered himself as a runner on several occasions, each time taking the ball at pace, winning the collision and presenting the ball in a way that led to quick ball for the backline. Jake Summers and Fred Conridge are forming an increasingly effective 2nd row partnership, it helps that they seem to be growing taller and wider each week! Today they really worked hard to clear rucks and hit mauls. Dan Pocock, came on after 15 minutes and slotted straight into blind side as if he hadn’t ever been away. He was in the thick of everything and more than played his part in creating numerous phase of quick ball.

Jayden Davies, in his 2nd game back, looked far more like his old self as he played almost all of the game without tiring too much, he was his usual combative self and didn’t take a step backwards. Rhys Swain led the side again and acted as a great link between forwards and backs during open play as well as dominating the lineout. Will Ruck was another leader on the field, each game he is helping to galvanise those around him more and more and he is starting to recognise it. Today he showed more dimensions to his play as he frequently offloaded in the tackle, pleasingly to a number of players who were doing everything they could to put themselves in support.

Edwin was on his game today and enjoying the armchair ride that the forward platform was providing him. He consistently put Thomas on the front foot with strong passes off both hands. Thomas was also back in the groove today after his extended layoff from injury. He was at his best, running with the ball in two hands and varying his options to always keep the defence guessing. He fed runners inside and out as well as a number of his own darts through the defence. Rare compliments from an overly critical father ;-)

In the centres, Morgan and Callum looked big and strong as, time and time again, they were brought onto the ball at pace. Both players were looking for offload options and made good decisions in and around the tackle area. Harry Glynn again looked as though he has been playing rugby for years as he made very good positional choices to always be in the right place at the right time. He kept his width where required and cut inside where needed, was never greedy or frustrated where others were getting lots of the ball inside him. Joe Beard also had his best game for some time and showed increasing confidence as the game wore on, chasing kicks, making tackles and several surging runs down the left hand wing and recycling the ball well. Another unrecognisable player was Tom Wacey, his hands look excellent today taking a number of 50:50 passes that most would have dropped. He was sure footed at full back.

The home team then hosted us in the Cayo Arms on Cathedral road and we decided to all be gracious hosts and head there for a bite to eat, at which point Bec ended up in a petrol station near Penarth but we got her back in the end ;-)

Things to be pleased about:

·       The boys in full flight, confidence high and only thinking about their game. They were all excellent

·       All boys look like skilled rugby players, good hands, good decision making, good game awareness

Things we continue to work on:

·       Defensive line not always straight as it could be, we left some gaps that were exploited

·       Defensive line was narrow with 3 or 4 players standing shoulder to shoulder leaving us vulnerable to wider attacks

On we go…………

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