Medway RFC U17s

1 March 2009

After the disappointment of their last game, Medway improved their performance throughout the side and deserved to win in the end against a big Dover side. The visitors came to compete hard up front and at the breakdown, and had enough talent in the backs to cause Medway some anxiety periodically.

The ground was firm but forgiving, and with little wind the conditions were good for running rugby. Medway's backs started the match moving at pace and with invention, and with only five minutes gone good hands down the line put Chris Davies into the corner for his first try for Medway. The conversion missed from out wide.

Dover showed their intent then by putting pressure on in Medway's 22 and re-cycling efficiently several times from the breakdown before a chip over the top towards the in-goal. Two defenders were covering it but a perverse bounce backwards over their heads allowed the ball to fall invitingly into the arms of a Dover player following up and he needed only to fall over the line. The kicker converted superbly from out wide and Dover had the lead.

They extended it three minutes later when a Medway were penalised for coming into the side of a ruck and the goal was kicked from 30 metres. Dover led 5 - 10, but the setback was temporary.

Medway's forwards were up for the challenge in the scrum and were starting to assert themselves strongly. Taking a scrum against the head in the middle of the field, Medway's backs reacted quikcly to the possibilities and Stewart Stockford fed Aman Gill on an inside break that nearly went all the way. Brought down just short, Gill popped the ball to Joe Jelfs who was there quickly in support and with the help of more rapidly arriving forwards Medway drove Jelfs over the line. Stockford converted and Medway had the lead back, 12 - 10.

Medway missed a chance to extend the lead with a penalty, but it wasn't long before backs and forwards combined to put another score on. A kick out from defence was returned by Tom Bourne in a piercing run. Recycling quickly, number 8 Tom Barnes took the ball on, before passing to Simon Brooks. Ignoring the easy score that was available via a two-man overlap, Brooks jinked and struggled to the line and, luckily for him, just about made it. The conversion missed and Medway had to be satisfied with a 17 - 10 lead at half-time.

Dover appeared to have received an ear-bashing at the break and came out with all guns blazing. Medway had their worst spell in the match as Dover piled some pressure on, and the visitors were rewarded with a penalty in front for an offence at the ruck: 17 - 13.

Medway sought to regain control and battled up the hill to force a couple of scrums on the five metre line. The second of these went to the right, was recycled and quick ball was moved back to the left where Jamie Chapman crashed into the corner accompanied by defender and flag. The try was given, Brooks missed the difficult conversion from the touchline, and Medway had a nine-point lead.

A few minutes later Chapman was in again. A Dover scrum was put under great pressure by the Medway pack and although they got the ball back, Jelfs was quick out of the traps to snaffle the scrum-half and steal the ball. Turnover ball was moved rapidly down the line to where Chapman waited.

Some teams might have collapsed at this point but Dover were determined to make an impression on the home side. Medway conceded a few penalties from the pressure and one of these was taken quickly. Medway were penalised again for not retreating and, against convention, Dover were allowed also to take the second penalty quickly and their big number 8 crashed between the posts for a converted try.

The margin was back to seven points at 27 - 20, but Medway put together another penetrating attack that unfortunately ended with the ball being lost forward in the tackle five metres out. The call went out for a big shunt and the forwards complied with gusto, winning the ball against the head and allowing it to flow thorugh the hands of Ellis and Gill to Stockford who crashed into the defence and broke through near the posts. Brooks converted to make the final score 34 - 20.

This was a good return to form for Medway. The forwards were committed, aggressive and dominant in the scrum and at the breakdown, and their support play was good most of the time. The lineout still needs work. The backs returned to doing the basics well, using the ball through the hands and coming on to it at pace, which made all the difference. Decision-making was so much better: risks were still taken where there was a decent chance of it profiting, and risks were not taken when the percentages favoured a territory gain or ball-retention. This is how it should be.

It's a pleasure to report that everyone played well and everyone played an important part in a team performance. There were no passengers. A few players deserve a special mention: Joe Jelfs was man of the match for an outstanding display of impressive support play, aggressive tackling, constant disruption of Dover ball and a couple of burglaries that beggared belief; Steve Lowery and Richard Petch were committed and competent in their characteristic unsung way; Will Smith debuted well at flanker; George Dyer put in some thumping tackles including a try-saving one at a short lineout; Aman Gill and Stewart Stockford combined intelligently and unselfishly to give the backs the best chance of shining; Ryan Ellis made the right decisions at scrum-half and tackled well; and Tom Bourne covered the fullback position with confidence, returning the ball with half a dozen penetrating runs at full tilt through the enemy.

Dover came with a small squad that was further reduced before the kick-off but they never stopped playing rugby, making this a most entertaining game to watch.