Ashford RFC U13s Match Report 27th November 05

Ashford topple county aristocrats

Sevenoaks Under 13s 5 – Ashford Under 13s 22
Sevenoaks is probably the most aristocratic rugby club in Kent. World cup winning RFU President Robert Horner is a member. The walls of the clubhouse bar are lined with the shirts of a dozen schoolboy internationals produced by the club. Their Under 18 team are current Kent champions. And up until this encounter, the Sevenoaks Under 13 side were undefeated this season.

From the kick off the Ashford forwards were uncharacteristically tentative. This allowed the home side to take control of the opening exchanges. With possession, Sevenoaks secured territory and camped inside Ashford’s defensive “22”. After 8 minutes weak Ashford tackling allowed the Sevenoaks’ outside backs to burst through and score the opening try of the match.

The shock of conceding a try woke up the Ashford forwards, who now realised they faced a real challenge. Ashford gradually applied sufficient pressure to force the play into Sevenoaks territory. With 20 minutes gone, the breakthrough finally came when Ashford stole an opposition lineout. The otherwise eagle-eyed referee missed a knock-on that was gathered by tighthead prop Billy Stevens. Stevens drove towards the Sevenoaks try line and offloaded to loosehead prop Tom Collins, who crashed over to level the scores. Half time Sevenoaks 5 – Ashford 5.

In the second half, Ashford used the slope and wind to pin Sevenoaks into their defensive 22 metre area. After just 4 minutes Ashford won an attacking lineout and fly-half Louis Burdon broke through the defence and passed to supporting No. 8 Christopher Albrow, who touched down to open the second half scoring. The try was converted by winger Harry Atkins, making the score 12-5 in Ashford’s favour.

Ashford caught the restart and immediately went back onto the attack, forcing a series of scrums. Pinned close to their try line, Sevenoaks spilled the ball and No.8 Albrow picked up and crashed over to open up a 17-5 lead.

With the Sevenoaks forwards fading, the match’s final score came when Ashford called a shortened lineout. Albrow gathered the ball and was held up 10 metres short of the try line. From the resulting maul, lock George Morgan peeled off the side and dived over to make the score 22-5 in Ashford’s favour.

Forward Patrick MacEnri was player of the week.

Next Sunday – 4th December – Ashford Under 13s are away to Sittingbourne.

Ashford RFC U13 Match Report 20th November 05

Ashford changes fail to stop winning streak

Ashford Under 13s 53 – Tonbridge Juddians Under 13s 0

Tonbridge Juddians brought a robust and well drilled side to Ashford. In their previous match the Tonbridge boys had beaten Sussex side Heathfield 52-0. However any illusions regarding their prospects were shattered after just 30 seconds, when Ashford prop Billy Stevens charged over to score the match’s opening try.

Recovering from the early shock, Tonbridge regrouped and battled their way back into the match. Despite their best efforts they couldn’t escape from their defensive 22 metre area. After 8 minutes Ashford scored their second try when No. 8 Chris Albrow took a quick tap penalty and dived over under the defensive cover.

On 17 minutes Ashford scored their third try when Albrow picked up from the base of a scrum and forced his way over the line. 5 minutes later wing forward Glenn Caton picked up a loose tap from a defensive lineout and scrambled over the line to make the half-time score 24-0 in Ashford’s favour.

Both teams had match day squads of about 25 boys. So it was agreed to make a number of personnel changes for the second half. Ashford went immediately onto the attack and were held up illegally just short of the try line. Scrum half Rory Beech took a quick tap penalty and dummied a pass to a decoy runner. This ploy fooled the entire defensive line and Beech touched down unopposed.

From the restart Ashford again went on the attack and a drive by the forwards saw hooker George Sladden squeeze over in the corner to make the score 34-0 after just 8 minutes of the second half.

At the next restart Tonbridge Juddians tried a kick-off ploy, directing the ball away from their pack. The ploy backfired and Ashford’s Stevens rumbled upfield with the rest of the Ashford team in support. As the defensive cover closed in, Stevens offloaded to No. 8 Albrow who dotted down under the posts to complete his try hat trick.

As the match drew to a close, centre’s Adam Batt and Grant Noremac scored a try apiece to take the Ashford score over 50 points. Full back Daniel Head and fly half Louis Burdon also scored two conversions apiece.

Winger Aaron Achong was awarded player of the week.

Next Sunday – 27^th November – Ashford Under 13s are away to New Ash Green.

Ashford Under 13s make it 10 wins in a row

Ashford RFC Under 13s Match Report 13th November 2005

Old Elthamians 7 - Ashford 32
Old Elthamians have one of the strongest youth sections in Kent and are Kent champions at Under 14s and Under 17s. However, the illustrious reputation and 45 mile journey to Chislehurst did not faze the Ashford Under 13s. Going for their 10th consecutive win of the season, Ashford dominated proceedings from the start.

With prop Tom Collins to the fore, the forward pack quickly asserted control over both territory and possession. Within 3 minutes of the kick off, from a scrum just twenty metres out, Ashford spun the ball to the right and outside centre Grant Noremac crashed through the defence to score the opening try. From the restart, OEs kicked short and Ashford played advantage and drove upfield. Lock Lukas Warrilow charged 30 metres upfield and was held just ten metres from the OEs try line. This time the ball was passed left and neat inter-passing between forwards and backs saw Noremac break through to touch down. Next it was the turn of both wingers to feature on the score sheet, as first Luke Chinnery and then Harry Atkins dotted down in their respective corners. Ashford reached half time 20-0 in the lead.

For the second half a number of replacements entered the fray. However with a strong tackling back line OEs were pinned in their 22 and could only use their possession to make relieving kicks from defence. Good positioning from fullback Daniel Head ensured the pressure was maintained. Eventually wing forward Glenn Caton and No.8 Christopher Albrow combined to send the latter over the try line under the posts. The try was converted by Louis Burdon.

With Ashford 27-0 in the lead, the team’s concentration lapsed and poor tackling allowed OEs to score their only try of the match.

Conceding a try spurred Ashford back into action and first George Woodrow and then George Morgan had touchdowns disallowed. Eventually Ashford’s pressure told and in the last play of the match, prop Matty Monje-Shefford drove over to score the match’s final try and leave Ashford 32-7 to the good.

Centre Grant Noremac was awarded player of the week.

Next Sunday – 20th November – Ashford Under 13s entertain Tonbridge Juddians.

Ashford RFC Under 13s maintain winning streak

Ashford 22 – Beckenham 5
Beckenham are one of Kent’s stronger rugby clubs. Last Sunday, they anticipated an easy run-out against traditionally weaker East Kent opposition. Beckenham had misread the strength of the local boys as the Ashford Under 13s came into this fixture with the momentum of 8 consecutive wins. With wins against opposition from as far afield as Northamptonshire and Essex, the reputation of the visitors counted for very little. Beckenham won the toss and elected to play with a strong diagonal breeze at their backs. It was the last time the visitors were to be ahead.

From the kick-off, despite playing into the wind, Ashford’s forwards worked collectively to gain the upper hand. With aggressive loose play by recent recruits George Woodrow and Tom Collins, this advantage was turned into territory. After 5 minutes, No. 8 Christopher Albrow broke from the back of a maul and sprinted through the Beckenham defence to score the opening try.

With their noses in front, Ashford maintained their pressure throughout the first half and worked their way up the left touch line. When Ashford knocked-on a metre short of the Beckenham try line, a defensive 5 metre scrum was awarded. Aided by a big shove, hooker George Morgan stole the opposition put-in. Glenn Caton, packing down at No.8 in a tactical switch, instinctively picked-up and dashed around a narrow blind side to score the team’s second try.

Turning round for the second half, Ashford were 10-0 up with the wind behind. This advantage was initially put to good effect when centre Adam Batt broke through the Beckenham defence and presented a scoring pass to winger Luke Chinnery. Now 15-0 up, Ashford lost concentration. The two most aggressive forwards had been tactically substituted and the Ashford pack began to concede territory and possession to the visitors. The ultimate letdown occurred when the Beckenham inside centre ran through from 60 metres to score under the Ashford posts.

Scoring an easy try raised the spirits of the visitors and Ashford failed to respond – despite now having the wind in their favour. Twice Beckenham were held up on the line and on another occasion a Beckenham player was adjudged to have knocked-on just short of the try line. To restore some forward power, Woodrow and Collins were returned to the fray. Ashford recovered sufficiently to create space for centre Batt to burst through the middle and score a try under the posts in the dying minutes. The try was duly converted by full back Daniel Head. Ashford Under 13s emerged worthy winners by 22 points to 5.

Prop Tom Collins was awarded player of the week.

Next Sunday – 13th November – Ashford Under 13s travel away to Old Elthamians.