25/1 U15s dominate Reading
January 29, 2009
Reading 0 – Newbury 32
Newbury U15s overwhelmed Reading despite gusty winds and wet, muddy conditions with an impressive all-round team performance and six unanswered tries.
The game began with a disorganised period when the over-exuberant visitors made all the play but failed to score. Newbury kicked off and started strongly, winning possession, recycling well and pushing into Reading’s 22 straight away. The first chance came in the second minute but, having moved the ball wide, was not finished off. Several more opportunities followed in a frantic first 10 minutes before the backs settled down and made proper use of the ample possession.
The second stage of the match saw Newbury dominate all the way through until 10 minutes from the end. The blues’ forwards produced some superb phase play, secure scrums and stole several Reading lineouts. It was great to see the boys achieve such continuity and cooperation – months of training played out confidently on the field! All must have the credit, but notable individual performances came from Jonno Stancombe, always in the fray and leading by example, Tom Simm for stealing 3 lineouts and his powerful presence in the loose, and Tom Soanes for excellent hooking and tenacity at the breakdown. This all put Reading on the back foot and provided good ball for the backs, who notched a fistful of tries in a good display of handling and running despite the wet conditions.
Newbury’s first two tries came from Alex Cima, one just wide of the posts and the other in the corner, and both thanks to good skills and well timed passing in the backs. The third, five minutes before half time, followed several organised phases of pick and drive by the forwards ending when Gavin Williams picked and forced his way over the line from two metres. Reading stepped up its kicking game in an attempt to gain ground but Newbury countered well. One such kick in open play, from half way to Newbury’s 22, was returned with interest when Jak Rossiter’s quick thinking saw him grab the ball and spin a quick throw in 20 metres in field. Seconds later, after a short run and a kick, Reading was taking a throw in on its own 22. Gusty wind and a wet ball contrived to keep conversions just wide of the posts and leave the score 0-15 at the break.
In the second half Newbury kept up their dominance, maintaining control up front and stifling Reading incursions whenever the home side won possession. Five minutes into the half Newbury pressed again inside the 22 and as the ball moved along the line Jak Rossiter ran a stiletto straight line from full back out wide, took a pop ball and cut through the defence to score 5 metres from touch. Jonny Courtney overcame the conditions with a strong high kick and calmly floated in a lovely conversion. With around 10 minutes to go, Newbury’s fifth try was absolute class, must go down as the best team try of the season and epitomises the style of rugby we are looking for. A break on half way by back row Ean Kershaw made ten metres and ended with him going to ground as support arrived. The ball was picked up and run forward by Jonno Stancombe, with Tom Simm on his shoulder. There then followed three phases of controlled rucking by Newbury, each picked and peeled with two in support, which took them inside Reading’s 22, fifteen metres in field on the left. Quick ball then went right from Cameron Mercer to Peter Allan (now at fly half) and down the line through Tom Nield, missing the dummy run by Jak Rossiter, to Jonny Courtney who powered forward towards Reading’s line with Alex Cima on his outside and two defenders remaining. A timely swerve drew in the Reading winger and, as he took the tackle, Jonny Courtney reached round the back of the defender and offloaded one handed to Alex Cima, who slid into the corner for his hat trick.
With the game won, final substitutions were made. But, far from demoralised, Reading mounted a strong fight back in the last 10 minutes of the game, attacking the rucks and throwing everything at Newbury, including more switches to the blind side at attacking scrums in Newbury’s 22 which were defended securely. To their credit, Newbury seemed determined not to let Reading take even a consolation score and their only real chance of points in the game, had they opted to take them, would have been an in-range penalty in front of the posts. To cap the performance, Newbury finished the scoring with a touch down from Peter Allan, thanks to his nice cut inside from 10 metres out. Final score 0-32.
Scorers: Tries: Alex Cima (3), Gavin Williams, Peter Allan, Jak Rossiter. Conversion: Jonny Courtney.
Newbury squad: G Williams, T Soanes, J Hitchens, J Newton, H Fisher, T Blake, J Miles, B Hicks, T Simm, E Kershaw, J Stancombe (Capt), C Mercer, J Leadley, P Allan, J Courtney, A Huntsman, A Cima, J Rossiter, J Hibberd, T Nield, R West.
Squad and coaches after the match
Protect the ball !
Tackle....ball gone
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