Medway RFC U17s

13 April 2008

The U16s reached their third county Cup Final of the season, but sadly ran out of steam on the home straight and were soundly beaten at the end by an inspired Beckenham team playing in front of a home crowd.

The day started well enough with a resounding victory over the admirable New Ash Green, who never gave up despite the mounting score. Medway were in a ruthless mood and ran in eight tries and six conversions in the fourteen minutes of the game. Congratulations to Jack Walsh who showed persistence to get to the line and score his first try for Medway in a 52 - 0 win. There were also braces for Jamie Chapman and Stewart Stockford, and a try each from Richard Verrall, Aman Gill and Simon Brooks.

Old Dunstonians, in the second pool match, were a tougher nut to crack but two tries from Tom Bourne and another from Jamie Chapman broke their resistance. Aaron Dimmick completed the scoring with a trademark try from all of four feet, and the final score was 24 - 5.

It was in the quarter final that things started to go awry for Medway. The games are short in Sevens, and a single mistake can cost the match if it's close. To give a good side a two try start leaves a mountain to climb, but that's what happened. Tonbridge Juddians came out from the start and pressured the Medway players at every opportunity. Missed tackles let them in for two tries and a conversion which left Medway 12 - 0 down. Joe Jelfs led the way back into the match with a well taken try just before half time.

Medway came out for the second half in finer fettle and a try from Simon Brooks tied up the scores. Aman Gill then turned up on the wing to beat his man on the outside and then achieved the longest hand-off in history as with the ball snug in one arm he held off a tackler with the other for 20 metres at high speed before tumbling over the line. Judds were not finished though and came back to tie the scores up at 17 - 17, before a flowing move through the hands left and two man overlap, and Stockford had enough pace to reach the line and convert to make the final score 24 - 17.

Tunbridge Wells were the opponents in the semi-final and the match began in a freezing rain, sleet and hailstorm that did nothing for flowing rugby. It was tense though. Jamie Chapman opened the scoring with a try and conversion, but Wells came back with a scrambled try to get back in the game and it was 7 - 5 to Medway at half time. The weather moderated slightly in the second period, and Wells had the better of the early exchanges but a scrum and pick up from Richard Verrall put Medway back in the lead against the run of play. Back came the opposition to level the scores at 12 - 12 with a converted try. Extra time loomed but with the last play of the game Stockford burst down the wing and popped the ball off the ground for Verrall to go to within feet of the line, and Brooks was in support to pick up and run round behind the posts for a converted try that won the game 19 - 12.

So to the final, where Medway got off to a bad start with a try conceded almost immediately. Ryan Ellis tapped a penalty and ran in from half way to level the scores, but Beckenham were not to be denied and ran in another three tries before half time, playing the Sevens game in a much more polished way than Medway, who had too often in this tournament taken the ball into contact and tied it up instead of passing it and keeping it alive.

The second half was more even but Beckenham still outscored Medway by three tries to the two scored by Brooks and Ellis, and ran out deserved winners by 43 - 17.

It was a disappointingly heavy loss but not many clubs reach all three County Cup Finals at Fifteens, Tens and Sevens in a single season. The experience should be invaluable in the future and Coach Tony Ellis gives his hearty congratulations to all the players in the U16 squad.