Manchester Festival – Under 12s – Sunday 13th October 2013
So, what do you know? Mid October and the festival season is here.
Thank goodness no; but we have to thank our Mancunian hosts for another well organised mini festival. I’m sure they, as well as us, hoped for an Indian summer to introduce the first throes of the 13men v 13men; 7minuted by 7minuted; 5 team vs 5 team group format on the Under 12’s this season.
Well less Indian summer and more monsoon conditions were the order of the day. In those moist conditions the fluid play expected of our committed troops was always going to be difficult; but as luck would have it, if it didn’t suit us it would be the same for everyone. So expectations of our team?
1. When we play our best we can beat anyone.
2. We always start slowly progressively bringing our game together in time for a flurried finish in the group that would see us just missing out on a semis place or sneak through to the next round.
3. The coaches and parents would expect the guys to try hard no matter the score and seek to keep their heads up regardless of the score, position or climate (remember Rossendale? OMG!).
The word “nearly” comes the closest to it. We started in grand fashion with a 3 try win bonus from the “lacking in attendance” (through misfortune or poor GPS signal) of West Broughton; leaving us with the sturdy task of playing Bowden RUFC, Sandbach RUFC (and in my opinion some of the finest motorway services on the M6!) and Warrington (Note the bold type and demonising growl of their amiable, yet committed coaching team). Due to the aforementioned reduction in size of the group we found ourselves challenging Sandbach in the first game.
GAME ONE – SANDBACH
With the dreaded curse of the first game lull and the thoughts already towards the next game against the previous winners of the tournament; we found some familiar territory with this side. Best described as strong and physical this team looked to be well organised and ferocious in their tackling and forward play. The first half saw a much improved forward unit making a nuisance of themselves at each scrum regardless of put in. It was clear to see that some of the extra tuition with the forwards had given to a more dynamic and forceful forward unit especially at the set plays. Despite this their tenacious and often borderline defensive work didn’t lead to any “scoreboard” related dividends, but the forwards should take a bow for some of the better scrummaging seen with this team for some time.
Our back unit again seemed to have some good balance at times, but was always going to lose out to good tackling and speedy recovery from scrum, rucks and mauls that saw blanket coverage of our more than able back unit.
Justin, Neil, Scott, Matt, James et al, I’m sure we would all agree that one of the main reasons that we struggled in this game as the organisation of the team both in attacking play and defensive situations. I can still hear the ringing of the overtly pronounced voices in my head saying “get back and defend”, “who are you marking?” and “roll away” (which apparently has nothing to do with the use of loose tobacco in the 1920’s).
Once again the dreaded first game blues seemed to have caught us in its midst but there was always going to be the hope that the knowledge of a second game against Warrington as being out own little “cup final” on its own. Max C and Max G showed some excellent tenacious play both in the scrums, rucks and mauls. Cian at scrum half was already singled out from the opposition as being a “running” scrum half similar in vein to Richard Hill of old (N.b. I noted at least 3 occasions in the first half when he was either held or tackled without the ball in the first half alone). Unfortunately Louis and Jak were never going to be given enough time to make the pacey assaults on this back line and to concede only 3 try’s to this side in many ways was good in itself. However, for the point of record and to all the Under 12 players reading this can you please remind yourselves these 4 points:
1. Backs mark up on your man in a flat line in defence, moving as a line quickly and uniformly to tackle/”get in the faces” of the attacking team.
2. Forwards get to the breakdown first following the scrums. The ball leaving the scrum is only the start of your play; you need to assist the backs in winning and retaining the ball at the breakdown.
3. The pitch as a whole is a wide and long space. If you need to push one of your own players out of the way when they are kicking towards you from the kick off; You are stood in the wrong place and somewhere there will be a huge gap waiting for a good kicker to place the ball in.
4. When kicking off remember the pitch is wide as it is long so if you are stood directly behind one of your own players you are in the wrong place.
GAME TWO – WARRINGTON
This was without doubt one of our better performances against the second best side in Lancashire (I still think we have better quality of players and strength in depth so that makes us first in my book). The first half was a tale of one try line. Assault after assault from the Hoppers forwards with some excellent rolling mauls and quick ruck ball was around 60% of the first half ensconced in the Warrington upper ¼.
The forwards seemed much more at ease with the conditions and the tackling throughout the team has raised the Bar once again with Jak and Daniel (from recollection) vying for first place in the tackle of the day competition (p.s. Jak the process of carrying people on your shoulders should remain only in use at concerts –That soon you will attend- and when in swimming pools with spouses on summer holidays –This is not a negative point; We just found it hilarious that you managed to lift a poor lad twice your body weight for around 4-5 metres and still had the time to get a second tackle on the opposite side of the pitch straight after). Defensively there were some good organisation shown throughout the team and going into the half time whistle with only one try against us was an excellent position to be in (was this try actually a try-I’m fairly sure he dropped the ball over the line as opposed to placing it~!~)
The second half had a slightly different story. For perhaps the first time we saw a Warrington team struggling to find space to run in and the swagger to sweep off the more resilient tacklers. Again the fault appeared to come from missed tackles or not aligning back in position from rucks, mauls, scrums and loose play. We often found ourselves chasing the ball, as opposed to chasing down the man. Warrington scored once more with a slick passing play forces into the corner from an overlap 5-4 in their favour leaving one of the second rows in the back line to punch the hole and make use of this extra attacking back.
Once again, for the point of record and to ALL the Under 12 players reading this can you please remind yourselves these 4 points:
1. Backs mark up on your man in a flat line in defence, moving as a line quickly and uniformly to tackle/”get in the faces” of the attacking team.
2. Forwards get to the breakdown first following the scrums. The ball leaving the scrum is only the start of your play; you need to assist the backs in winning and retaining the ball at the breakdown.
3. The pitch as a whole is a wide and long space. If you need to push one of your own players out of the way when they are kicking towards you from the kick off; You are stood in the wrong place and somewhere there will be a huge gap waiting for a good kicker to place the ball in.
4. When kicking off remember the pitch is wide as it is long so if you are stood directly behind one of your own players you are in the wrong place.
We showed good grace in losing a bruising encounter with the team that potentially were to win the tournament. That being said we make a good show of ourselves in the face of a talented, well organised side. It is only a matter of time that we too will eat at the top table with the “best silverware”.
GAME THREE – BOWDEN
Watching this side from the warm ups and a closely contested first game for them against Warrington; they appeared to be a good attacking side. They had a no 10 whom in the warm up was placing drop kick after drop kick with excellent of angle rotation on the “eye of a needle” – in layman’s terms he kicked well. We had a point to prove in that we could finish the tournament as well as we should have started it. Instantly it appeared that we were going to have a more open flowing game than previously. Rolling mauls and slick passing in the backs appeared to have found new converts; and the tenacity and direct running of the Hoppers was justly rewarded with an excellent try from Daniel that saw cheers from opposition supporters as well as our own (one of the Bowden supporters whispering this to their partner next to me!).
Further to this Connor used pace precision and poise to score again, with Jak finding his trademark sidestep and pace to put a total of 3 tries on the board. This was not however a game for hurrahs for the individual it showed the true spirit of this team that we see week in and week out perform to varying degrees against a myriad of opponents of varying quality. As grasshoppers we never lack the conviction to win games. We never have to worry about the commitment of each and every one of those chaps pushing to get a place in that 1st Xii. We just need to remember to start as wekll as we finish each game, each week in each tournament at each club. And:
However, for the point of record and to all the Under 12 players reading this can you please remind yourselves these 4 points:
1. Backs mark up on your man in a flat line in defence, moving as a line quickly and uniformly to tackle/”get in the faces” of the attacking team.
2. Forwards get to the breakdown first following the scrums. The ball leaving the scrum is only the start of your play; you need to assist the backs in winning and retaining the ball at the breakdown.
3. The pitch as a whole is a wide and long space. If you need to push one of your own players out of the way when they are kicking towards you from the kick off; You are stood in the wrong place and somewhere there will be a huge gap waiting for a good kicker to place the ball in.
4. When kicking off remember the pitch is wide as it is long so if you are stood directly behind one of your own players you are in the wrong place.
Right; I’m off for Halls catarrh soother and a warm bath. Have a good week and when all is quiet and the homework is completed and the thoughts of next week’s pending bruising encounter enters the mind remember
WHO ARE WE?
