FORDINGBRIDGE RUFC under 10s match report 17th November 2013

“We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in Winchester, we shall fight on the pitches and in the mud, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the loose, we shall defend our line whatever the cost may be…” (apologies to the great man 4.6.1940).

Because the eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed something from the scores: viz. Fordingbridge under 10s did not ship a single score; not one.

There is one person in particular to whom this statistic is a testament and that is Ben. On 4 or 5 occasions, when the oppo had burst through and brushed one or two not wholly committed tackles aside, there was Ben. Either he miraculously managed to get between the runner and our line or he chased them down from behind. What knocked a lot of them over was the surprise that they had been taken out below the knee when they clearly saw glory beckoning.

It is slightly invidious to pick any one player out but this was Ben’s forte (along with 9 tries) and he will be a full back one day.

Great tackling is not quite a universal in the under 10s but it’s coming. The usual suspects were here, there and everywhere else: James and Jack W amongst them. Anyone old enough to remember that most partial of rugby commentators Bill McLaren (yes I know, lovely old bloke but as independent as Adolf Hitler) may remember an expression he had for powerful players on the move and driving back their opponents; they were (roll your “r”s please):
“Run away road rollers”.

Oddly, given his size, James C has developed a new and very effective technique in steamrollering opponents who are still on their feet and in possession of the ball. On one occasion a two pronged attack involving Jack P led to an advance of 20 metres and a try.

Sadly I missed the first two matches but my little helper took notes for me as follows:
“Winchester 5-0. Fantastic Max sidestepping! Hayden C – amazing! Archie tackling! Jack and James. Finlay. Hayden C. Hayden B try”.
Reading between the lines it shows that the current Mrs Pawson likes nothing more than a good exclamation mark and the rest speaks for itself. In particular the buzz names in match 1 were Hayden (both). In a moment of real poignancy Hayden B scored and was described by several as wearing a smile of solar proportions. He dutifully trotted off post match to discuss with Mum and Dad only to discover they had popped off for coffee. NEVER AGAIN! Heidi, he may not score that many, you are going to have to persevere pitchside.

Hayden C made a run which, having heard it recounted 3 times, I wish I’d seen. It was a rumble forward finishing in a “wonderful offload” to Jack P and a try.

The second match, Overton, was a draw. Mrs P has only written one thing “Finlay’s run”. Finlay was described by many as amazing. So why was he only there for the first 2 matches? Because he had a swimming lesson. The trouble is he’s too good for us to lose to Sandy Balls on a Sunday Richard, we want him back full time.

Third up were Trojans and the nicest ref we had all day. He didn’t need to be told what to do by TK because he had obviously listened to TK pre kick-off.

This match was instructive. Try scoring passes were delivered by Archie (1st try by Ben); Hayden C (2nd try by Ben); and Gabby (3rd try – yes you’ve guessed it). Not only did this show the development across the team and the importance of the whole team but also the benefits of passing.

Jack P had one disallowed in circumstances almost identical to England’s try against the All Blacks and then made up for it with another following a 20 yard rampage of what looked like wading through a land of little people.

It was in the Fareham match that Dr Cook’s (the ugly one) caring side came out. A Fareham player had been wiped out (again) by one of the Fordingbridge assassins. He lay crying bitter tears into the mud but was, apparently, actually hurt. As the ball moved across the pitch with everyone following, one player stayed behind to check on the welfare of his opponent. It was Max, and Cookie thinks he deserves an award.

One thing which did stand out in these 2 matches was the increasing competition for “most ferocious tackler”. This is going team wide or “viral” as the children would probably have it. But Jack Wells was front runner over
this 40 minutes.

And so we came to the injustice of the day (or does that sound like whining?). We were top of the group, or nearly were. We had only scored 11 tries, Overton had scored 12. It did occur to me that this was Ben’s fault; he didn’t score enough - but on reflection that’s a bit harsh.

Anyway, unbeaten though we were, so were Overton. They went to the A final and we went to the B final. That was a mistake. I simply don’t believe that there was another side who conceded not one try. Fordingbridge were the Ebeneezer Scrooge of under 10 rugby; they gave absolutely nothing, to anyone, ever….full stop.

Jersey had the misfortune to be flattened by us in the B final and here a star was born. Yes the team played as a team, yes everyone was flinging scoring passes like confetti; yes tackling improved; yes we have our very own run away road roller, but here in the final against Jersey (they looked a bit like they were from Jersey – they looked like cows, healthy and well groomed but docile) Jack Wells decided he’d had enough.

Jack W had had enough of tackling, enough of letting everyone else run forward, enough of keeping his head down and at ankle level. Jack W is a canny operator. He stays below the radar until the oppo is running at us, then like a member of the Viet Cong he emerges almost tunnel like at ankle level. You could have been forgiven for not really noticing him other than in his tackles.

But not today. Today Jack W decided enough was enough, he wanted more, more glory, and he got it. He seized the moment, took the ball and just as everyone was getting blasé about “another try from Ben…(stifled yawn)”, he set off on a sensational run. He had about half the pitch to cover and about 9 opponents to beat. Only one got near him, a large boy just managed to grab Jack by the shirt. For a moment hearts were in mouths, surely that was it, he’d been caught. But in a moment worthy of “Come dancing” Jack twisted, pirouetted, and burst off, escaping the clutches of the dairy monster.

As Jack headed for the line there was a marvellous photo opportunity (where was Cook senior? Off the boil as usual). I was watching from the back and every single adult, to a man and woman threw their hands into the air, everyone was screaming “Go ON Jack”. It was a great moment and try of the day. He then scored another in the second half. One couldn’t help but feel that Jack W, reluctant as he appears to be to enter the limelight, stepped out of the shadows. No longer a simple assassin, a showman too.

It is almost an injustice not to write several paragraphs on each player. They were all great today. But I think it will prove to be swings and roundabouts.
They all turn up and they are all brilliant some of the time.

It was a credit to the under 10s that they reached and won the B final. I have no doubt whatsoever they would have won the As.

I said to Graham Branagan (Grazza – head of all rugby under 12s down) that “of course it was development sides”. He properly pointed out that unlike every other club we play we don’t have the luxury of “development sides”. Whether you start picking the team from the top or the bottom it’s still the same team.

There are many disadvantages of a small squad and we undoubtedly need a few more players (what a difference Hayden C and Finlay have made). But there is something most honourable about such a small unit punching so far above its weight, and I keep on thinking of Winston Churchill when I see them and make no apology for it.

We left our greatest Prime Minister mid quotation:
“we shall defend our island whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender”.
It always nearly chokes me as a piece of oratory in ghastly circumstances. What appeared to almost choke one or two today, myself included, was seeing Jack W suddenly burst out of himself and light up a dull and cloudy day.

TK is organising a meeting in a pub for all parents and no players, more to follow on that.

Tries:
Ben = 9
Jack P = 2
Jack W = 2
Hayden B = 1
James C = 1
Max = 1

Vs Winchester = won 5 – 0
Vs Overton = drew 0 - 0
Vs Trojans = won 4 – 0
Vs Fareham = won 2 - 0

Final vs Jersey = won 5 – 0