21 September 2008
This result was unfair. Deal should have won by at least 20 points.
Playing their first game of 15-man rugby for nearly 6 months, Medway looked like a team that had never met each other. Deal were well-drilled and compact, and had a game plan that paid off handsomely in the first half, thanks to Medway's incompetence.
From the first whistle, Deal took the game into Medway's 22 and stayed there for almost the entire half. The early pressure paid off with a converted try after five minutes, when a missed tackle in the centre put Deal's inside centre under the posts.
Soon after, an infringement at the ruck (a frequent occurrence) gifted Deal a a penalty in front of the posts to take the lead to 10 - 0.
Deal might have had two more tries in the following 15 minutes but failed to take their chances. Medway were in rags, and Deal finally started making the score properly reflect the reality when after 24 minutes they slotted another penalty that came within range after Medway failed to retreat 10 metres from an offence.
Two minutes later a high kick over the top, a tactic that was planned and well practised by the look of it, was fumbled twice by the Medway defence and picked off the ground for another converted try. It was 20 - 0 to the home side, and well-deserved too.
Whenever Medway got the ball in hand their backs looked dysfunctional, flat and fumbling, while the forwards (with the notable exception of Joe Jelfs) were too slow all round the pitch and especially at the breakdown. Players having to switch position all the time just added to the confusion.
It was five minutes to the end of the half before Medway got into the opposition's 22. Pressure was put on and they went close on one occasion, before squandering a three on one overlap through, let us say, "individual flair".
It was necessary for Medway to restore some pride in the second half, and they managed to put points on the board through dogged determination. Unsurprisingly there was an improvement once the best players were playing in their best positions.
Deal narrowly missed an opportunity to go further ahead from a penalty after a Medway player went offside, ridiculously, at a scrum, but then Medway forced their way back into the game.
The introduction of Jordan Hannah at hooker for the second half made a big difference to the side's fortunes. Medway started winning some ball at the lineout, and then after 12 minutes a scrum near the touchline was won against the head. It was taken on by Tom Barnes, and the scavenging Joe Jelfs picked the ball off the ground and was driven over.
The conversion was missed, but at least Medway were on the board at last. Simon Brooks then turned over the ball at a ruck and for once the ball was moved quickly. Aaron Dimmick went over and Stewart Stockford converted to make the score 20 - 12.
Aggression from the Medway forwards and some direct running was starting to pay dividends, but nevertheless Deal had several chances to finish the match. On three occasions they had overlaps but the final pass went astray.
As full time approached Medway applied pressure on an increasingly panicked Deal defence. A free kick on the five metre line was moved to Simon Brooks who forced himself over. Stockford again converted to get within a point of the Deal total, but it was the last play of the match.
