U13M - The Stingrays
Matches
Sun 13 Nov 2016
Fordingbridge RFC
Tries: F Fordingbridge
5
15
Gosport & Fareham RFC
U13M - The Stingrays
Tries: J Adams (3)
Gosport U13 Saxons Through to Cup Quarter Finals!

Gosport U13 Saxons Through to Cup Quarter Finals!

Tom Joyce14 Nov 2016 - 00:57
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The Saxons visited Fordingbridge, a team they have not beaten before and Triumphed!

The Saxons continued their excellent progress this season with a very assured performance against Fordingbridge, a team they have never beaten before. We know that Fordingbridge are a very capable team, who are great ball handlers and move the ball really well, they also ruck very efficiently, so it is often hard to find the ball and get it when they have it - they play good rugby.

The Saxons arrived in top form after a succession of close matches against the Counties top sides and were intent on announcing their emergence as a strong and competetive team. The warm up and drills allowed us to practice how we wanted to play our rugby, and it was great to see the Saxons take that plan into action in the game. We knew our defence had to be rock solid, quick and organised as we knew Fordingbridge would move the ball so well.

The Saxons did that and were up on Fordingbridge very quickly, applying pressure, which quickly resulted in Jack being gifted an interception which he finished. But it was not luck, the try was earned by being up quick in defence and putting the oppositions attack under pressure. The Saxons settled down and despite Fordingbridge winning lots of ball in the rucks, they were not abe to do anything with it because our defence was so organised.

The Saxons second try came after a period of concerted defence on our own 5 metre line. We managed to turn the ball over and it passed through several forwards hands (Ben P and Freddie F, I have been told) and then out to the backs. Every player gave the ball something and then gave it to the next player and the attack was unstoppable despite desperate covering back by Fordingbridge. Jack crossed for our second try.

Fordingbridge showed how dangerous they are, with a great period of attack, keeping the ball alive with passes and miraculous offloads and they scored on the stroke of half time to finish the first half 10-5 in Gosports favour.

The Saxons started the second half strongly, keeping the pressure on Fordingbridge and closing them down when they had the ball. The first 8 minutes of the half saw considerable pressure from Fordingbridge, but again we turned the ball over at a critical time on our 5 metre line and then moved it down the line. The difference was that we were doing it at pace, players taking the ball forwards, committing tacklers and then passing it wide to players already moving forwards, the handling was superb and when the ball got to Jack he was in overlap and away. He still had to defeat a covering tackler but used a change in pace to squeeze past and score and settle the Saxons victory.

The Saxons performance was really good on several levels, first you had a plan of how you wanted to play and you did it, you thought about how to play Fordingbridge. You all committed to tackles, to rucks and to taking responsibility for taking the ball forwards. Ashley and Rob had some great carries, Freddie B and James D saw the ball on the wings and made breaks. James T, Jack, Matthew T, Rob and Freddie B put in some memorable tackles, but you were all doing it. It stifled Fordingbridge, stopped them playing their game and gave you control.

Secondly, you took an early lead which you have done before, but have often given it away, this time you maintained your focus and effort and did not allow Fordingbridge to come back at you. The coaches set a team to provide continuity for the first half and then replaced players as the second half unfolded. The idea was to introduce fresh Saxons into the match to maintain our momentum. The plan worked. The replacements were fantastic and made a massive difference against a tired and disconsolate opposition. Please do not underestimate the importance of great players being held in reserve to come on and make an impact, it is something we will employ in the future.

I would like to thank Connor who returned from injury on Wednesday and made the journey to Fordingbridge as a reserve player and did not play in the match. That act was well above and beyond that expected and is what makes the Saxons great. It was so good to see you there Connor, you helped the team immensely and I am sure you would have had a great time against Fordingbridge; you are top of the selection sheet for the Cup Quarter Final!

Finally, you played with real commitment, with self-belief, you were in charge. You could hear the communication and you stuck to your plan. The scrum was a strength and even though Fordingbridge won plenty of their own ball, their scrum half had to shovel his pass away because the scrum was being driven back by the Saxons - it makes a difference.

This was the best Saxon performance so there were lots of suggestions for Saxons player of the match. Jack was superb, tackling hard, winning ball and finishing tries. Rob was a powerhouse in the pack, Ashley had a great aggressive run and worked hard, James T did his linking play thing and tackled very hard, Freddie B and James D backed themselves and had some great runs, Liam was a handful and Matthew T and Jamie S controlled the game very well from the rucks and set pieces and made good decisions. But when the ball went to Josh it was his decison making that made a difference and set up so much of our attacking play. Josh has always been a great player, making breaks, strong on the ball and difficult to tackle, but occaisionally guilty of holding on to it for too long. Not so today, his attacking instinct and passing out when the attack was on was superb today and he was the Saxons Player of the Match. Well done Josh, pleased you did whilst being Captain as well.

So, well done Saxons, you are through to the quarter-finals of the Cup and all that means for this season and next. You are where you should be, because you are a good team who has worked hard together, from the bottom level of the county six months ago to being amongst the top 8 in the County. It is not luck or chance, you have earned it the hardway and your Club, Coaches and Parents ae very proud. You have done it together!

Match details

Match date

Sun 13 Nov 2016

Kickoff

11:15

Meet time

10:15

Instructions

HI Saxons,

This is the first round of the Hampshire Cup against Fordingbridge and an important match. We can take a Squad of 19 players for this fixture, if you do not play in this game, you will be top of the selection list for the following Cup match.

It is Rememberance Sunday and we will observe the silence at 1100 before starting the match at 1115. PLease arrive at 1015 for our warm up and preparation.

Thank you

Tom

Attendance

30
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Main Club Sponsor - LBHS Mechanical and Electrical
MAIN CLUB SPONSOR - P A ROCHE
Club Sponsor - Precision Technical Engineering
Club Sponsor - Thermal Insulation Engineering Ltd
Club Sponsor - Trafalgar Property Consultancy
M/Y Main Shirt Sponsor - DEEP BLUE FINANCIAL Ltd
Main Club Sponsor - B&L FLOORING (UK) Ltd
M/Y Shirt Sponsor - QST Constrution Servies
M/Y Shirt Sponsor - S.I. Digital
Medals and Trophies - KATASTROPHIES