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Sun 11 Oct 2015
U14sOld Ruts Div 1 Team
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Farnham U14 win first league game of the season against Old Ruts
Gary Male12 Oct 2015 - 17:45
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A great bonus point team effort under dappled autumn sunshine!
The first league game of the season for the under 14 First team as Old Ruts strolled into town. Team squad shirts were handed out in the dressing room, music was turned down and nerves began jangling when attention focused on the task ahead. Playing on the wide open space of the first team pitch the game got under way as Old Ruts chose to kick off under dappled autumn sunshine. The game immediately developed into a tight affair with both sets of forwards getting into an arm wrestle for dominance which neither side could achieve. The game ebbed and flowed with shared time in possession but attacks were snubbed out in the oppositions’ 22 with good tackling and exit strategies by the defences of both teams.
Mid way through the first half Farnham got close to the line when fast hands by Oli Male at scrum half led to a chip over the defence by Fin Egan with Oscar Beard cleverly flipping the ball back off the ground but the attack was stopped just short of the line. Ruts managed to clear again but good recycling by Johnny Redford and Max Mitchell sucked in the defence and the impressive Connor De Voil at number 8 tore through the middle of the Ruts defence to open the scoring under the posts. Oliver Jones kicked the conversion and the deadlock was broken.
Confidence then spread throughout the team as Farnham soon added to the score as hard work at the breakdown by Jack McDonough Finlay Edwards and Max Davison left space out wide and quick passing by the ever aware Tom McGinn and Ed Robinson found De Voil out wide with pace and power that was too much for the Old Ruts defence to handle and he crashed over in a splash dive that would have shamed Chris Ashton! Jones again added the conversion.
The second half developed much in the same way as the first with a tight battle giving way to Farnham dominance on the score board as repeated impressive drives by Elliot Cattermull, who had a storming game and Max Davison created panic in the Old Ruts defence. Slick handling in the backs by Tom Purnell Max Walker and the powerful Ed Robinson found a determined run to corner by Tom Overton who dived over under pressure from 3 defenders. The pattern continued as intense work by both sides at the breakdown saw Farnham make the more decisive breaks with the increasingly dominant De Voil popping up on the wing to finish off good handling in the backs by scoring his hat- trick in the right hand corner. With 10 minutes left however Farnham backed off and the fighting spirit of Old Ruts came to the fore. The brave Sam Adlam put his body on the line in a monster tackle and had to leave the field. Old Ruts then sensed an opportunity and scored a try through dominant work at a series of breakdowns leading to an overlap that the backs finished off with ease. No sooner had they scored their first try when they were back on Farnham’s line and again dominated the rucks to create a try under the posts with the last move of the match. Lesson 1: It’s never over till some fat bloke buys a beer!
Rick Egan
Mid way through the first half Farnham got close to the line when fast hands by Oli Male at scrum half led to a chip over the defence by Fin Egan with Oscar Beard cleverly flipping the ball back off the ground but the attack was stopped just short of the line. Ruts managed to clear again but good recycling by Johnny Redford and Max Mitchell sucked in the defence and the impressive Connor De Voil at number 8 tore through the middle of the Ruts defence to open the scoring under the posts. Oliver Jones kicked the conversion and the deadlock was broken.
Confidence then spread throughout the team as Farnham soon added to the score as hard work at the breakdown by Jack McDonough Finlay Edwards and Max Davison left space out wide and quick passing by the ever aware Tom McGinn and Ed Robinson found De Voil out wide with pace and power that was too much for the Old Ruts defence to handle and he crashed over in a splash dive that would have shamed Chris Ashton! Jones again added the conversion.
The second half developed much in the same way as the first with a tight battle giving way to Farnham dominance on the score board as repeated impressive drives by Elliot Cattermull, who had a storming game and Max Davison created panic in the Old Ruts defence. Slick handling in the backs by Tom Purnell Max Walker and the powerful Ed Robinson found a determined run to corner by Tom Overton who dived over under pressure from 3 defenders. The pattern continued as intense work by both sides at the breakdown saw Farnham make the more decisive breaks with the increasingly dominant De Voil popping up on the wing to finish off good handling in the backs by scoring his hat- trick in the right hand corner. With 10 minutes left however Farnham backed off and the fighting spirit of Old Ruts came to the fore. The brave Sam Adlam put his body on the line in a monster tackle and had to leave the field. Old Ruts then sensed an opportunity and scored a try through dominant work at a series of breakdowns leading to an overlap that the backs finished off with ease. No sooner had they scored their first try when they were back on Farnham’s line and again dominated the rucks to create a try under the posts with the last move of the match. Lesson 1: It’s never over till some fat bloke buys a beer!
Rick Egan
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