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| Rugby 3rd XV Team 'Blog' |
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3rd XV v Lambrook – 10th December 2011
This was to be our last game of the season and the boys were keen to finish off on a high. They did not let themselves or the crowd down and this was to turn into one of the most entertaining matches I have seen in a long time. Both teams came out fighting and it was clear from the early exchanges that this was going to be a close game. Eagle House struck first with Rob crossing the line for the first points of the game. Ed duly converted and we were off and running. Lambrook struck back almost immediately and before the spectators had time to breath the scores were level. Eagle house regrouped and two quick tries, one scored by Jack and another for Rob, saw Eagle House put some daylight between themselves and the opposition. Unfortunately we took our foot off the gas and allowed Lambrook back into the match. Rob crossed for his third try and the half time whistle went with the game fairly evenly poised with Eagle House leading 26-22. The second half saw a much better defensive display from both teams. Eagle House again got the first points of the half with Rob, who had a superb game, crossing the white wash for the fourth time. Eagle house were now 33-22 up and looking very strong. Lambrook were not going to lie down however and stormed back into the match with a superb solo try by their winger. The try was converted and the game was now getting a little close for comfort. Lambrook again took the attack to Eagle House and although the defence was good, they managed to bundle the ball over the tryline. The try was converted and the scoreline now read Eagle House 33, Lambrook 34. The boys threw everything they had into attack but just could not convert the half chances they were creating. The final whistle went and unfortunately we had lost by the solitary point. Huge credit must go to both sides who played with passion and flair. I would just like to thank all the boys for the season. It was a pleasure to watch you grow as rugby players and the character shown by all of you throughout the season was excellent to see. It was a tough season but I was very impressed with the positivity which you all showed throughout the term. Well done!
3rd XV v Yateley Manor – 7th December 2011
Today’s match was definitely a bit of an anti climax following the performance on Saturday. We didn’t play with the level of commitment and passion that we did in the previous match and this cost us unfortunately. There were still some excellent individual performances but as a team I felt we didn’t have the spirit to get us through this one. The first 15 minutes of the game were very tight and both sides threatened on numerous occasions. The defence from both teams was good and points were hard to come by. Yateley scored first and Eagle House heads went down and we never quite recovered. Yateley went on to win comfortably and this was quite disappointing as I felt that if we were all on song, this was a winnable game. It was a bit frustrating because we looked very good every time we had the ball but little knock ons and lack of support when the man in possession was tackled meant that we turned the ball over from numerous attacking positions. I was disappointed for the boys because I have seen the amount of effort they have put in at every training session and I felt that they deserved more. We have one game to go guys, let’s go out and give it everything we have got. It would be great to end the season on a high!
3rd XV v Highfield – 3rd December 2011
Before this game kicked off I asked the boys to get stuck in from the word go. In all our previous games it has taken us a good 10 or 12 minutes to get going and we have gifted the opposition tries in this period. I also said that regardless of the score line I wanted everyone to come off the park knowing they had given 100%. The boys didn’t let me or themselves down and I was immensely proud of the way they played. It was the first time that I felt we have played as a team with each and every individual putting his body on the line for the cause. The front row consisting of Matthew, Lloyd and James fronted up very well and competed brilliantly with a front row from Highfield who were quite substantially bigger. James was again superb, continuing his excellent form and he worked his socks off for the entire match. Freddie and Pablo in the second row were working well and competing in the lineout. Pablo was one of my men of the match. He had an immense game and he took the attack to Highfield at any opportunity he had. The loose trio of Ruoyu, Alexander and Jamie were working tirelessly and it was good to see all three boys entering the rucks and mauls and at times coming away with the ball. The backline were starting to link up well. Rhys, Ed, Pat and Jack were linking up well, although their opportunities were quite limited. They did use the ball well when they had it and Ed especially was looking for gaps and running hard at the Highfield defence. I feel I must again single out Patrick. He was brilliant in defence and his tackle count must have been astronomical. Soichiro and Will Baker had limited opportunities on the wing although both did very well when they got possession. Kai stepped into the unfamiliar position of fullback very well and was a formidable last line of defence. We had a full squad to choose from for the first time this term. Ollie, Frank and Will Morrison all came off the bench and made a difference on the pitch. Well done to all the boys! I asked for 100% and that is what I got. It was in a losing cause unfortunately but the character and determination showed by all the boys was excellent. You can all be very proud of yourselves! 3rd XV v Aldro – 30th November 2011
Aldro are always quite tricky opponents and today they proved to be just that! The game was fairly even to start off with both teams trying to assert their dominance. Aldro struck first with a well worked try which was scored by their big outside centre. This set the tone for the rest of the game, with Aldro having most of the ball. To give the boys credit, they stuck manfully to the task at hand. Unfortunately the Aldro pack was bigger and stronger than ours and our backline was not getting much possession. This was a pity as when we did have the ball we looked dangerous and had quite a few try scoring opportunities that we couldn’t capitalise on. I felt that we had some very good individual performances but that we never really managed to gel as a team. This was a match where we probably could have run the opposition fairly close if we had all been on song. My picks of the game today were James Saunders in the pack and Patrick Davies in the backline. Both of these boys played their hearts out for the entire game and never stopped trying. A special mention must also go to Kai O’Callaghan who put in some very big tackles. Heads up boys. As we said after the game, we are all improving individually, we just need to put this together and put in a team performance. Highfield on Saturday sounds like the right time!
3rd XV v Papplewick – 23rd November 2011
The boys had been training really well and I was quite pleased to see that even after three rather big defeats the morale in the camp was still high. The boys were eager to get on to the pitch and show what they could do. The first half started much the same as the other games, with Papplewick breaking away and getting a couple of quick tries. From that moment on though I saw a resolve in the boys that I had not seen before this season. The tackling was far better and we were making the opposition work for every single point. Our rucking was ferocious and the forwards were winning some lovely ball, we just seemed to lack the penetration needed to get over their line. The second half was a similar story with Eagle House playing some excellent rugby but Papplewick managing to score the points. Eddie Joslin came close after an excellent run that deserved a try. Soichiro Asao was having a lovely game on the wing and he was making inroads every time he got the ball. Papplewick stepped up a gear toward the end of the second half and only some superb defence kept them at bay. Tackle of the day must go to Lloyd Meakin, who put in a huge hit on one of the biggest boys on the park. It was another loss at the end of the day but I was immensely proud of how well the boys played. They worked as a team and supported each other in trying circumstances. Well done guys!
3rd XV v Cranleigh – 16 November 2011
This was always going to be a tricky encounter as we were again affected by injuries and illness. This proved to be the case and it was a very tough day at the office for the boys. Cranleigh are a very good side with some big strong runners and they handled the ball well in the chilly conditions. The first half was very much a one sided affair with Cranleigh dictating play and the Eagle House boys defending for their lives. The Cranleigh boys were running hard and straight and unfortunately our tackling just wasn’t up to the challenge. It proved to be the same story with some of the boys trying to grab onto jerseys and make chest high tackles instead of getting the shoulder into the right position and tackling around the legs. A few notable exceptions were Jack Rhodes and Daniel Ponomarenko, who were outstanding in defence throughout the game. The second half started a lot more brightly and we seemed to be getting our hands on the ball a lot more than we had in the first half. It was pleasing to see that we were competing well in the rucks and mauls, something we have been working hard on in training. Eddie Joslin was getting some good ball from Rhys Davies and we made some good runs at the heart of their defence. Unfortunately we couldn’t get over their line but it was a far more determined and controlled effort in the second half. This seems to be a bit of a theme at the moment and we chatted after the game about the need to get stuck in from the very first whistle. The boys need to keep their heads up because we are improving in all aspects of the game, we just happened to cross the path of a very good Cranleigh side this afternoon! Let’s go out and play from the start on Saturday boys!
3rd XV v Hall Grove – 9 November 2011
This was to be the first game of the season and something quite a few the boys had been looking forward to. They had been putting in a lot of effort at training so it was time to see what we could do in a match situation. The match started and Hall Grove looked to stamp their authority on the game from the outset. They were running strongly with the ball in hand and our boys just weren’t managing to get the tackles in. Hall Grove were managing to get over the advantage line every time they got the ball and it wasn’t long before they managed to cross our line. This was to set the tone for the first half with Eagle House having to do a lot of defending and the Hall Grove boys running strongly at us. The half time break gave us a little chance to have a chat and the boys went out for the second half with renewed determination. We started to be much more competitive in the scrums and the loose and the forwards were managing to get us into the game. This allowed the backs more time to run with the ball and when we were on attack we looked dangerous. Unfortunately our sustained pressure did not bring us any reward but we the boys were looking like a much more cohesive unit in the second half. Our tackling improved and we were making Hall Grove work very hard for the points they scored. Hall Grove ran out worthy winners but there were quite a few positives to take out of the game. The boys showed some real courage, especially in the second half and I believe this team will go from strength to strength in the coming weeks, starting with Feltonfleet on Saturday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3rd XV v Feltonfleet - 12 November 2011 Our second game into the season and there was hope amongst the players after some hard training being put in. With the loss against Hall Grove fresh in the players' minds they wanted to show off what they had learnt in training. In the first minute of the game Feltonfleet showed that they were going to be a tough and well-drilled team by grounding the ball under the posts from the kick off. With such an early try there were worries that it would get to the boys but they started to dig in and put in some crunching tackles. At the breakdown Feltonfleet were able to secure the ball both when it was their ball and also to steal from Eagle House. With the ball staying with Feltonfleet for large passages of play they were able to collect a number of tries. Daniel Ponomarenko played well both with the ball and in defence in only his second ever game. Eagle House managed to secure five points from a well worked penalty 10 meters out where Edward Joslin took a quick tap and go, drawing in three defenders and passing the ball out to Jack Rhodes who dived over the line inches from the touch line, unfortunately the conversion was pushed just wide of the uprights. With the half time whistle following soon after, the boys came in for a few tips and pointers and went back out ready for the second half. The second half was a much better performance from Eagle House with the boys putting their bodies on the line and making sure that Feltonfleet were not to breach the try line. The half turned into a physical game with Eagle House defence being pushed to the max whilst being camped on their try line. After nearly five minutes Feltonfleet managed to find a hole and get the ball down. After that Feltonfleet got a firm grip of the ball where they turned dominant in all areas of the pitch but the boys played with passion and pride and were determined not to give up in the game. Despite the result the boys showed real grit in parts of the game and they made sure that there were not going to give up in any aspect of the game. With work on some areas during next week I feel that the boys will be a much stronger and well drilled team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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