4 December 2005
Another victory for Medway's under-14s in a one-sided match that was abandoned at half-time to save any further embarrassment for the home side. Medway, unbeaten this season and brimming with confidence, were far too strong for Thanet.
Centre Richard Verrall began the rout after a powerful drive from the Medway pack drew in almost the whole Thanet team, leaving a three-man overlap on the right.
Winger Jamie Chapman then scored a hat-trick in just five minutes. Retrieving a loose ball on the wing, he spotted a small gap in the centre of the Thanet defence and sped through it for his first. His second came when the ball was won in a ruck on the right wing, and fast hands took the ball out to the left wing for Chapman to finish. A missed kick for touch provided his third, as the ball bounced invitingly into his hands and he ran in easily from the 22.
Two minutes later Steve Lowry took the ball into a maul that was driven 10 metres before Gavin Hyder broke away and put Stewart Stockford in for Medway's fifth. With a conversion from Verrall and two from Stockford, the score was 31 - 0 after just ten minutes and Medway were playing total rugby.
For the next ten minutes spectators were treated to an exhibition of expert handling by backs and forwards alike, offloads out of tackles to retain the ball and maintain momentum, along with switches and loops and cross-field kicks for variation.
But the next try came from a straightforward collection of a clearance kick on halfway by fullback Tom Bourne. He raced into space, was half-stopped on the five-metre line, but regained his balance to power through the last tackle and over the line, and Stockford converted. James Tindall added another from short range two minutes later, before a perfectly weighted cross-field kick by James Davies was collected by Aaron Dimmick on the right wing and grounded in the corner.
The half-time whistle blew, but after a consultation between the referee and the Thanet coach they decided not to play the second half and the score remained 48 - 0.
