The golden globe glistened & the guys & gals glowed. Rumours of Led Zeppelin re-forming. The Under 9's re-formed after a successful tour. All signs of of a great day, a gargantuan day, surely ending in gongs & glory.
Tunbridge Wells were first up in a strong group in which all four teams were evenly matched, largely cancelling eachother out with good defending & some excellent tackling. Against Tunbridge it was a case of a mistake or individual brilliance that would result in a try. The latter was provided by two powerful runs from Sam Sharpe: finding space behind the Tunbridge defence & off-loading to Jack Johnson who scored to make a period of good Medway pressure count; the second an un-stoppable run half the length of the pitch to put Medway 2-0 up. A stray Medway pass gifted Tunbridge a try but Medway deservedly won 2-1.
New Ash Green provided equally tough opposition & Medway were unlucky to be 1-0 down at half-time. Just before the half-time whistle, another Sharpe run deserved a try but ended in disappointment as the ref disallowed it because either his name wasn't Jonny Wilkinson or the ball was grounded a fraction before the try line. But Medway & Sharpe shrugged off that disappointment & Sharpe did equalise in the second half. A draw would have been a fair result but with the last touch of the match NAG snatched a 2-1 win.
The final group match against Westcombe Park saw Aaron Clarke score the only try & Medway topped the group to proceed to the 1/4 finals, where Old Alleynians were the opposition. Another hard fought match & again Medway were unlucky not to score. 1-0 down at half-time, Medway's effort & commitment went un-rewarded as they eventually lost 3-0.
Okay, no gongs but glory in the knowledge that they gave it their all, they can defend (witness Sharpe's superb try saving tackle against NAG), they have some talented players & by moving that ball out wide quicker they will get the results their efforts deserve. Player of the day, obvious. But mum of the day? Wendy.
Medway under 9's B team were at the Upminster Festival on Sunday
25th March. A winning start was scant reward for all the committment
and bravery of the players. Medway made the perfect start against
Romford, with a typical mazy run from deep inside her own half, and try
from Rebecca Wadhams. Oliver Potter put Medway 2-0 up at half-time
and Wadhams added a third in the second half to give Medway a thoroughly
deserved 3-0 win.
The same work ethic and support play continued into the next match against Chelmsford. However injuries took their physical and mental toll on the side and despite some heroic defending, Medway succumed to two second half tries. Their next match, against Upminster was also a tough affair and despite the players giving it their all, Medway's dogged defence deep inside their own half, finally gave way to an Upminster push- over try in the second half.
Having to win their next match
to stay in the competition, Medway were soon 2-0 down to a good Hertford
side. Oliver Potter got his second of the day following some
good Medway pressure, but it was of little consolation as the
side went down 3-1. It may have been the same score in the losses
and wins columns (won 1, lost 3) but that didn't reflect the commitment
and fine defending shown by every player in the team, and epitomised by
Tom Collins and Fred Hawes, and all the players should be proud of their
performances in their first festival together as a team.
They may not have been the toughest of opponents, but Vigo still had to be beaten, and it's a sign of a good team, that both Medway teams, the Blues and the Reds, played good rugby to beat their opponents well. So well, that if match stats were available they'd show both possession and territory at 90% in favour of both Medway teams, who made it all count by scoring 14 tries between them, whilst conceding none.
The Blues were up first and a Sam Sharpe hat-trick had them 3-0 up at half-time. Sharpe added a fourth, rewarding his team's pressuring of Vigo deep in their own half, by forcing his opponent back over his own try line and then holding him up long enough to grapple the ball from him before putting the ball down for a try. Daniel O'Brien and David Harris added tries five and six.
The Red's turn next, and they ran in 8 tries. They too were 3-0 up at half-time, thanks to tries from Aaron Clarke and two from Jordan Stubbington. Clarke scored his side's fourth early in the second half, intercepting a pass near the Vigo try line. Alec Conway and Sidney Holland added a try apiece before two typical Jack Johnson surges ended with untypical but just as welcome off-loads to a team mate, in both cases Fraser Symonds, who finished of Vigo with two tries. Pass and a try shall be thine according to the Gospel of The Coaches, and so it passed.
The Reds and the Blues then took on each other in an evenly matched contest that the Reds just edged 2-1. The Blues did well to hold the stronger Reds pack and should have scored a second themselves before the Red's late winner, but a superb run from deep inside his own half went unrewarded for a Blue's player due to some confusion over the whereabouts of the tri line. Player of the day was Joseph Earl, for getting stuck-in.
The A & B teams both faced strong opposition from the TJs & Crowborough & all
the matches were tough & close. The A team lost 1-0 to TJs' A
team & in their second match against Crowborough A were 2-0 down
at half-time. More passing, especially out wide, & an early try
were needed in the second half. That's just what the team delivered
as Sam Sharpe scored the first & Daniel O'Brien added a second to earn
a hard fought draw. Not one player of the day, but all 9 recognised
for their team effort.
As for the B team, they lost 5-3 to TJs B team, Matt Munday, Kyle Durkin & Amrik Bains the Medway try scorers. Next up were Crowborough & 4-1 down at half time, Medway soon found themselves 5-1 down early in the second half. But they kept going, especially Sam Sharpe (doubling up for the B team) who added to his first half try, with 4 more to make it 5-5. But with the last play of the match, Crowborough made it 6-5. Amrik Bains was the B's player of the day for his first ever try. (picture- Medway A-v- TJs' A)
Two Medway teams: the Lions & the Pumas. The Lions' first match against Sidcup A saw a first half hat-trick for Sam Sharpe & one try for Jack Johnson, to give the Lions a 4-2 half-time lead. Despite a Sidcup fight back, the Lions deservedly held on for a 4-3 win.
The next match with Sidcup B, swung one way then the other. It was 2-2 at half-time, Sam Sharpe & Jack Johnson the scorers. In the second half, Sidcup took the lead for the first time, but immiediately from the re-start, Jack Johson powered straight through the Sidcup team to draw the teams level at 3-3. That it stayed that way was largely due to some try saving tackles from Sam Sharpe.
Thurrock were first up for the Pumas, who in a lacklustre display were well beaten 3-1, with Matt Munday getting the sole consolation try. Next up were Sidcup, who also found the Pumas toothless, running out 4-0 winners. Nevertheless, congratulations to Sidney Holland, the Pumas player of the day, & Adam Sales, the Lions' king for the day, both for their commitment & 100% effort.
Medway Lions were rampant, showing no mercy to either of their opponents. They ravaged Ashford 8-1, Sam Sharpe scoring four tries & Jack Johnson one, to give them a 5-0 half-time lead. Having had their fill, they eased off slightly in the second half, scoring three more tries to Ashfords single reply, Joe Coyd adding to one more try apiece for Sam & Jack.
Sittingbourne were similarly ripped to shreds, this time 7-0. Jack Johnson & Sam Sharpe scored three more apiece & Matt Munday got his name on the score sheet. As if to show their compassionate side, the Lions agreed to give Asford a re-match, this time only scoring 6 tries and allowing their opponents a couple.
Medway B didn't fair so well against the same opponents, having to blood in no less than three newcomers to the game, into their team, but Mitchell Dowsett & David Harris led by example with some surging forward runs & Sidney Holland gave a superb demonstration of the art of tackling to his new team-mates.