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| Rugby Colts B XII Team 'Blog' |
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Match One v Hall Grove Wednesday 11th November, home at 1430 Eagle House 5 Hall Grove 21 This was quite a promising performance by this team in their first match. Hall Grove certainly deserved to win as they were better organised and motivated, and thereby creating numerous occasions on which they could have scored. At the break down, their back line was out and ready to receive the ball once their forwards had won it. The Eagle House team were too timid and often stood back to see what the opposition would do with the ball rather than get involved and seize the initiative. With two well scored tries by the break it seemed that Hall Grove would dominate the second half of the game game. A good rally by Eagle House in the first minutes of the second half led to a try by the home side. For a little while the game was in the balance until Hall Grove scored their third try and exerted their dominance on the game. The last part of the game saw Eagle House with their backs to the wall. Eagle House had three substitute forwards playing which meant that the scrums had to be uncontested. With a full strength pack, things may have turned out differently as the backs notably Jack Surrall, Oscar Turton and Harry Waters totally committed themselves to the game. Michael Gimson as captain led the team well and showed us all how good his kicking is. Thomas Gray and Ruairidh Whelan certainly could have done with some experienced forwards supporting them as again and again they on their own took on the Hall Grove forwards. Defensively the team looked good and numerous good tackles were made. Overall this was an encouraging performance upon which we can build. Certain future matches will definitely be tougher then today’s, and as long as we play good team rugby that is all that really matters. Team Michael Gimson (Captain), Thomas Gray, Sam Cookson, Ruairidh Whelan, Jack Surrall, Ben Howard, Henry South, Hamid Laval, Oscar Turton, Harry Waters, Robert Phillips, Edward Joslin.
Match Two V The Oratory Saturday 14th November, away at 1430 Eagle House 5 The Oratory 45 This was always going to be a tough match with only six players from the Wednesday match being available for this one. The new players were either returning from illness or were taken from the Colts C team. Such has been the problems with number of players available that the Colts C match had to be cancelled and those who played for this team were being asked to play at a higher level. Nevertheless the team gave a spirited and enthusiastic performance. After a rather nervous start, the team settled down to the task. They were up against a well organised and match experienced side. Their rucking, scrumaging and attacking player were better and they quickly gained the dominance in the game. Yet just before half time Eagle House rallied with the forwards holding their own, the tackling improved and the backs making some penetrating runs. Callum McCarthy made some very good tackles, and time and time again Alex McClelland took the ball forward with some very strong and penetrating runs. Had the team been at full strength, I am sure that these would have ended up in a try being scored. At times the opposition were being forced back and their indecision led to Jack Surrall pouching on the loose ball to score our only try. The second half began as we had finished the first. The power house of Thomas Gray and Ruairidh Whelan worked hard against the opposition forwards but it is important for all the forwards to work as a unit. After a few scrums, the substitute scrum half Josef Britz warmed to his new role. Unfortunately the inevitable happened, as the flood gates opened. The Colts C players found it difficult to cope with the constant attacks of the opposition. It is so demoralising to spend most of a match defending and tackling. Poor Robert Phillips spent the whole match tackling and did not have the opportunity to show off his attacking skills. Nevertheless I heard no complaints as the team played the whole match in a positive fashion. There are some areas we can improve upon to better our performance. If you are a forward and late to the breakdown, do not stand in the way of the scrum half but get behind the centres. Every one was be prepared to tackle from the first whistle. Backs must learn to run straight and forward, and everyone must be prepared to support the player running with the ball. There were some good patches of play in this match, notably just before half time, when the forwards were winning good ball and giving opportunities for the backs to run with the ball. If we take on board the above advice and continue to play in a positive fashion, we will play good rugby and may even win a match or two. Team Ben Confortola, Callum McCarthy, Ishaan Haikerwal, Edward Joslin, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Alexander McClelland, Henry South, Hamid Laval, Josef Britz, Robert Phillips, William Gray and Jack Rhodes
Match Three v Cranleigh Wednesday 18th November, away at 1430 Eagle House 0 Cranleigh 52 After good practice sessions against both the Colts A and C teams, and because we had first choice players available for this match, I felt quite confident that we would play some good rugby this afternoon and may have even have won this match. Nevertheless this was not to be, as Cranleigh won the match by half time scoring five tries to no reply. Their backs found space and a defence that were not prepared to tackle. Our forwards were slow and sluggish, getting in the way of the backs at the breakdowns and winning no balls for the backs to use. There was no passion in our play, no determination, no get up and go! We seemed to be on the field for just a quite stroll around. It was all very disappointing and heart breaking. Though the match was clearly lost by half time, I had hoped that we should be able to score at least one try. Several players certainly improve their game. Harry Waters, Alexander McClelland, Callum McCarthy put in many a good tackle. Michael Gimson with a change of tactic did gain some useful ground. Finlay O’Kane twice rolled out of the maul with the ball in hand. It is such a shame that the other forwards were not in support, because as Finlay crossed the game line, Cranleigh were under pressure and gaps were opening. The forwards finally got their act together and were beginning to win the scrums and even a few of the breakdowns. In patches we played some good rugby and made ground. Only three tries were conceded in the second half as we improved our game. If only we had played in that fashion from the very first minute of the first half, the final score may have different. We certainly have the ability to play good rugby. The skills and knowledge are there. Determination and real passion must be present from the opening minute to the last.
Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, Ishaan Haikerwal. Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Harry Waters, Oscar Turton. Robert Phillips. Please keep on checking the games board to see if there have been any changes. Match Four v Papplewick, Wednesday 25th November, home at 1430 Eagle House 26 Papplewick 5 After a run of disappointing results, it is really good to report the first win of the season. The team have learn a lot over the last few weeks from the section matches and from good practices matches within the Colts one game itself. This fixture is always a tough one and this afternoon saw an entertaining match played by both teams. Papplewick forwards were an extremely well drilled and big pack that time after time pushed the smaller Eagle House forwards of the ball in many a scrum. Nevertheless there were some scrums when Eagle House won the ball against the head. Unfortunately once the Papplewick forwards won the ball, their backs were uncertain how to use this to the average, especially as Eagle House backs were soon up at them and stifling any attack they tried to put together. The first 15 minutes or so of the game saw see-saw battle as neither side was able to break through the other defence. Papplewick were unlucky not to open the scoring as they were quicker at getting into the game and only good tackling prevented them from scoring. A rare break into the opposition’s half led to the opening try, much against the run of play, when Ben Confortola in slow motion, or so it seemed, got his hands on the ball and swept across the field to score. The first part of the second half saw a frantic battle for supremacy as Papplewick swarmed forward with the bit between their teeth, eager to get back into the match. A second try against them did not dent their determination as they finally crossed the line for their try. This was the only negative from the match. Three Eagle House players failed to commit themselves to a tackle which would have prevented the score. Tackling is such a crucial part of the game. Nevertheless Eagle House replied in a really positive fashion and began to dominate the game. Two further tries followed as time and time again Eagle House pushed forward. It is difficult to sustain such pressure and Papplewick did well in defence. In the end the pressure and uncertainty made it difficult for Papplewick to break out of their half. It was good to see a member of each section scoring a try. The forwards tried their best against a better pack and at times did gain the upper hand. In the second half there was a lovely movement as two or three times a forward broke off the back of a maul to make good ground. Michael Gimson’s conversion kicking was good and the backs as a unit certainly made their mark in this game. Unfortunately Oscar was upset as he only touched the ball twice during the whole game. Nevertheless his first touch and attacking run created one of the tries and the other turned a defensive position into an attacking one. Not back for an afternoon’s work. A little effort, yet a good result. If only my job was like that! Overall this was a good and entertaining match. Both sides had their strong points, Papplwick their forwards, Eagle House their backs. On another day, the score line may have been different. Yet this is a good result and a confidence boost for a team that has suffered two big defeats and has now learnt from the experiences and has improved. Well done! Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, Ishaan Haikerwal. Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Max Hammond, Oscar Turton. After the success of this match, in the following Monday assembly Colts B team were named as "Boys team of the week". Well done, again! This should spur you all onto further success. Match Five v Aldro Wednesday 2nd December , home at 1430 Eagle House 19 Aldro 0 As is usual with this fixture against Aldro, this match was an evenly fought contest, which to be honest could have gone either way. The Aldro forwards were well trained and won scrum after scrum. Their forward play was good and well organised. On the other hand, the defensive play of Eagle House was up to the task and once Aldro had won the ball, Eagle House were quickly up disrupting any possible attack. Jack Surrall around the base of the scrum and Ruairidh Whelan at the break down were very good at this. Under such pressure mistakes would be made upon which Eagle House were quick to capitalise. The first half, just like our previous match, saw a see-saw of a game as each side tried to open up the scoring. Much of the action was happening between the two 22s. Just before half time the pressure finally tolled, as Eagle House on their second attempt crossed over the line for the opening try. At half time the game was equally balanced. Yet again we returned to the see-saw game as both sides tried to break the other down. Aldro’s defence held firm for a long time and only last ditch tackles by Oscar Turton prevented Aldro from scoring. Gradually Eagle House game some dominance in the game and scored a two further tries. Yet Aldro made Eagle House work very hard to score those further points. Neither side really dominated this game. With a little more thoughtfulness Eagle House may have scored more tries and been really dominant in this game. Quite a few needless penalties were given away and on the break some players decided to cut inside straight back into the forwards’ melee. There were some very good passages of play as the ball was quickly off loaded between players, such as Jack Surrall, Ben Howard and Henry South. It was good to see the ball being kept alive, Eagle House keeping possession of the ball, when under pressure, and the players playing with confidence turning a defensive situation into an attacking one. Michael Gimson’s kicking as normal was secure and easily converted two of the three tries. The forwards are now playing as a unit and in some instances pushed well in the rucks and the mauls. But they must remember to play the ball more quickly from such situations. Overall this was a good and entertaining match. The team have made progress and are all playing well as one complete unit. Perhaps that was the one real difference between the two teams this afternoon. Well done, team ! Let's see if we can continue this good form. Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, Ishaan Haikerwal. Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Max Hammond, Oscar Turton. Match Six v Highfield, Saturday 5th December, away at 1430 Eagle House 0 Highfield 12 Despite this match being a defeat, the team put in a wonderful display of entertaining and nail biting rugby. The team were missing three players and had to play this game with only 11 eleven player. It was an incredible performance which showed the confidence of the players, the good skills and the progress that they have made this season. Neither side was really able to dominant the game as it swung from end to end. Strong defences by both sides ensured that the try scoring opportunities were few and far between. Unfortunately on two occasions Highfield were able to break through to score the two tries, the first only coming in the closing minutes of the first half. The second half was very much like the first with the action moving from end to end. There were many sterling tackles put in by both sides. Who can forget Hamid “The Missile” Lawal’s trying saving tackle in the final moments of the game? Both sides battled onto the end with neither side willing to throw in the towel. The forward play was a bit sluggish this afternoon with players at times not really committing themselves fully to the rucks and mauls. The times that they did, we were able to push them off the ball and win it for the backs to attack with. The scrums were equally balanced and on occasions we were able to win the ball against the head. The back line was quite very busy not only in defending mode but also in attacking mode. It was good to see Robert Phillips, one of the players brought up from the C team, having the opportunity to attack. Henry South on the other wing had some very good runs. The offloading between players at times was a joy to watch as we pressed strongly forward to attack the try line or we moved the ball with confidence behind the game line turning defence into attack again. The interplay between players and the awareness of positional play was good to see. Overall this was a very good performance and who knows the same match played on a different day could have easily gone the other way. Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, Ishaan Haikerwal. Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Robert Phillips, Hamid Lawal. Match Seven v Yateley Manor, Wednesday 9th December, away at 1430 Eagle House 0 Yateley Manor 14 Yet again we were treated to another great game of rugby, which could have gone either way. The quality of rugby played by both sides was very good and neither side really dominated this game. The first half saw Eagle House dominate for the first 15 minutes. Eagle House certainly settled into the game quickly but were just not able to take the game by the scruff of the neck. Although Eagle House touched down for a try, unfortunately it was disallowed. Despite this the pressure was kept up and at half time there had been no score, which is quite rare in a rugby match. In the second half both sides again tried to break through the oppositions defence. With some quite skilled full backs Yateley Manor were finally able to break through. Their second try was a marvellous example of deception. Having won the ball at the base of a scrum, the scrum half was set to pass the ball down the line, when he suddenly changed direction, wrong footing the entire Eagle House defence to score. Eagle House certainly had their chances to score as time and time again Max Hammond and Henry South, the wingers received good ball and kept on threatening the line. There were quite a few opportunities but in the end just could not quite finish them off. Ben Confortola did manage to touch the ball down but unfortunately he had run off the pitch and then back on. Perhaps I should explain what those white lines are for. Overall this was a great and entreating match yet again. The team are playing so good and constructive rugby. Again I was very impressed with the forwards especially at the formal scrums when their keenness to get on with the game was clear to see. The back as a unit are very impressive to watch as time and time again the ball went down the line ad thereby opened up an opportunity to attack. The team have certainly come a long way and their confidence has grown. It will be interesting to see how good the Colts A team are next season. Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, Ishaan Haikerwal. Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Max Hammond,
Match Eight v Lambrook, Saturday 12th December, home at 1430 Eagle House 17 Lambrook 7 It was very good to finish this season with a win. After the last two close games, this was yet another but this time the fates were on the side of Eagle House. The game was played with 11 a side because unfortunately Lambrook had players missing due to illness. The game like the two previous was played end to end with both sides having good opportunities to score. The balanced was tip in the favour of Eagle House as they had more match experience, were slightly better organised therefore and more determined runners with ball. Lambrook had a very early chance to open the scoring when they were awarded a penalty within the first few minutes of the game. A well drilled move by Lambrook forwards led to their backs having the ball and an opportunity to score. This was an area of the game which shown the match experience of the Eagle House back, who were quickly up in defence thereby smothering any possible attack. Gradually the game swung in the favour of Eagle House who started to dominate the game. By half time they were two tries to the good. Nevertheless the dominance really did not take hold in the second half as Lambrook improved their game and made Eagle House work hard to gain any territory. The match went back to a see-saw as the action moved up and down the field. The Lambrook penalty move was very good to watch indeed. As their forwards moved forward, they quickly formed a maul round the ball which was simply passed out to their scrum half. The Eagle House forwards could not do anything about it but stay on the back foot. Once the ball was in the hands of the scrum half, only then was Eagle House able to move. Eagle House’s only try of the second half also came from a set move at a penalty. With a pivot move the ball was in Ruairidh Whelan’s hands that then passed over the game line as Lambrook expected the ball to be passed out down the line. Ruairidh actually gained momentum as lambrook tracked back in a desperate attempt to stop another try. Despite this disappointment, Lambrook kept the pressure up and were able to score a soft try in the closing part of the game as there was indecision in defence. Perhaps this shows that though you may be winning, you must play with 100% commitment until the final whistle. This team have come on a long way since half term and has developed as a complete unit. Though as forwards and backs, they may have their particular jobs to see, it was very good to see total rugby being played, with backs prepared to ruck and maul, and forwards prepared to run with the ball off loading to someone who was always on the shoulder. The highlight for me in this game and something perhaps which is symbolic of the progress this team has made and the quality of rugby played was the off load between Henry and Ruairidh in the first half as Eagle House broke down the touch line. Keeping the ball alive has been one of our aims this term. As we broke away from the break down Henry received the ball made ground and when tackled just placed the ball out for Ruairidh just to pick it from his hands and make more ground. He just knew that there would be support around him. Such as been the confidence and quality of this team. Results are only one way of measuring the success of a team. The quality of rugby played is another. Using that criterion this has been a most successful Colts B rugby season. Well done Boys!!!!
Team; Michael Gimson, (captain), Ben Confortola, Callum Mccarthy, Finlay O'Kane, . Ruairidh Whelan, Thomas Gray, Jack Surrall, Henry South, Ben Howard, Alexander McClelland, Hammond, Hamid Lawal.
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