Aylesford Festival
23 April 2010
Well this was the last festival of the season and the boys just wanted to play contact! They had a pep talk from Sandie and Mark on playing their best rugby yet and getting lots of tags – one last time- and boy they didn’t let us down. I have NEVER seen them tag so well or be so determined in the game.
First up was Medway v Sidcup
This team we thought would be the hardest to beat but the boys “rocked” in this game. The tagging was fantastic and on several occasions had more than 7 tags under their belts before turnover was finally given by the ref!
They really put the pressure on Sidcup and they didn’t like it. They even disputed the score at the end! As you all know I’m never wrong!!!!!!!
Tom was great and got his first try – what a day to get it!!! Well done Tom.
Final score Medway 5 Sidcup 4
Tries by Owen 2, Tom 1, Patrick 2
Next up was Medway v Folkestone
Another fantastic game of tagging well and unfortunately 2 tries were disallowed due to 2 steps being taken after being tagged (for Iwan and Dan).
Ryan did some great defensive play again this match. 3 of our 4 tries were achieved as a result of turnover of the ball so the lads worked hard to get these.
Final score Medway 4 Folkestone 6
Tries by Lewis 2, Dan 1, Ben 1
Third match Medway v Maidstone
This was a very exciting game with lots of great thinking and passing skills.
Dan did a great pass to Owen, who then proceeded to get a try. Also, Owen did a great pass to Will who also got a try. Well done boys lets hope we can continue with the good passes- not the lobs we usually see (as if ball is on fire!) Will did a fantastic Pick up of the ball when Maidstone dropped it but then Will tripped and luckily the ball rolled backwards and Jamie did a very efficient scoop of the ball, ran for his life and got a try!
This was absolutely brilliant to watch and good to see the boys using their initiative. It certainly paid off. It was such a close run thing for Dylan Earl too he so nearly scored his first try, but unfortunately was tagged just before the line. There was another episode of 7 tags by Medway and turnover of the ball so they can do it when they want to!! Also Maidstone began to panic and tried to block our players so we had further turn over of the ball! Go Medway!
Final score Medway 8 Maidstone 3
Tries by Jamie 1, Rhys 1, Will 3, Dan 2, Owen 1
Fourth match Medway v Aylesford
This was a close run game but we made lots of silly mistakes (obviously over confident from previous game). There were not so many tags grapped this match and buttery fingers seemed to appear with lots of dropping of the ball.
Tom had a fantastic game and obviously loved the feeling of scoring a try as he went on to score 2 more.
Final score Medway 6, Aylesford 7
Tries by Patrick 1, Tom 2, Ryan 1, Ben 1, Lewis 1
We came 2nd in our group and had one more game to play for a chance to win the plate.
We had every chance of winning this prize as the boys had played very well and with enthusiasm and determination. Choice of players for this game gave a few people a headache but the decision was made and off the team went.
Final game Medway v Ashford
The shouts were getting louder (if possible I hear you say) as the excitement began. The boys gave it there all with some super tagging, passing and running and at the end of the game it was a 5-5 draw. The marshal got out the manual and it said we had to go for a golden try! A little unfair in the game of tagging, when whoever starts with the ball almost always scores a try! But hey ho who are we to argue!!!!!!
Ashford had the ball and off they went. The boys tried there best to get the tags and have turnover of the ball, but it wasn’t meant to be and Ashford scored and came out triumphant.
We may as well have tossed a coin to see who won!!!!
The boys were devastated and the heads hung low BUT they certainly did us parents and the coaches proud.
Just to finish I must mention it was Lewis’s last game of rugby with Medway on Sunday and he played very well (as always) and will be missed by us all.
Shame I can’t say the same about Dean (his dad) HA HA who kept giving me all the wrong information to record about the games, so I apologise now if this is all nonsense or more nonsense than usual! Just joking – we will miss the lines man! Good luck to the Carpenter family in their new home/jobs/schools.
P.S for those of you who won’t know this, Daniel collected the runner up trophy on behalf of our team. He looked lonely but proud when given it by the organisers (who I must add told us we wouldn’t have anything).
Westcliff Festival
UNDER 8’S WINNERS OF THE SHIELD Well done boys
First up Medway v Westcliff A
The team luckily didn’t do their usual of taking half a game to warm up, else they would have been wiped the floor with! Westcliff had their eye on the trophy from minute one of the game and didn’t stop until they got it. They played contact rugby for much of the game, by “shoving “players out of play. Rhys will vouch for this as he got pushed out twice. Our boys did forward passing, lots of falling over and Dan passed the ball to Owen, who unfortunately only had one tag on! We had a few episodes of turnover of the ball as a result of these errors but hey ho it’s only a game!!!!
Final score Medway 4, Westcliff 6
Tries -Rhys 1, Ben 1, Dan 2
Second match was against Rochford
This was a great game and a very close run match all round. Loads of tags were grabbed this game and the boys seemed to enjoy it more and worked better together.
Ryan had a fantastic game and STORMED through the opposition in what was a perfect straight run to get his first try. He literally bulldozed his way through and no-one was going to stop him! Go Ryan!!
All try scorers had great runs and all deserved the result. Lewis did some great runs too, bit close to the edge for comfort at times, but luckily stayed in play (just)! Archie continued with his weaving in and out hips to get his tries and Rhys just loves running.
Final score Medway 7, Rochford 7
Tries- Archie 2, Rhys 1, Ryan 1, Patrick 1, Lewis 2
Third game was against Westcliff B
A much better game against this Westcliff team and caused great excitement all round. I struggled with counting the score this match as so many tries were scored. I nearly ran out of fingers!
Patrick, most definitely was the star of this game. There was no stopping him – not sure what he had eaten or drunk prior to the game but can all players have some of it!!! He was everywhere on the pitch and not only did he do some great defensive work (chased players the moment the ball was in play) he also got 5 tries. Shame he’s not old enough to get the jug of beer in!!
There was much better passing of the ball this game too and the players were more aware of their positions and supporting each other in play – therefore fewer errors were made and a better flowing game was had.
Final score Medway 10, Westcliff B 9
Tries -Patrick 5, Lewis 3, Dan 1, Rhys 1
Last game of the day was against Barking
This game was a different game altogether. Butter fingers springs to mind and the passing skills – well what are they? The ball appeared to be on fire and panic mode set in!
The Barking team were fast and kept their defensive line very well. They didn’t give our team any space to run. I have to mention Dan now as he was so determined to get more tags he actually had one players both tags in his hands (as if to prove a point!).
There were quite a few knock forwards given against us but I have to say well done to Ciaron who did a fantastic pass as he was falling to the ground whilst running at speed which then enabled Medway to get a try.
Final score Medway 4, Barking 7
Tries – Jamie 1, Dan 1, Patrick1, Lewis 1
BUT this did give us 3rd place and allow us to bring home the shield.
Well done to all of you.
Only one more lot of tag games to play and then BRING on the contact!!!!!
Upminster Festival
Off we went again, this time to Upminster and all were in a good mood considering 1 hour less sleep was had by all!! This was a great opportunity for those who didn’t play in the last festival and everyone had good/equal playing time.
First up were the hosts Upminster.
This was a great game and quite a close contest with lots of turn over of the ball from both sides - some due to off side – Jamie!!!! , some due to forward passing, but most due to lots of fantastic tagging. Upminster were penalised on 2 occasions for crashing to the ground and then reaching for the try line!! Luckily for us this was NOT allowed. Great ref!!!!
Ciaran did the best tagging this game, but as in previous matches every player grabbed those tags very well.
Final score – Medway 3, Upminster 4
Tries by Will 1, Dan 2
Second match was against Thurrock
This was a great game to watch with lots of passion from the players and great excitement for the parents. Ryan was fantastic at standing his ground and holding the line. No-one was going to get past him!!! Another very evenly played match with better passing of the ball and involvement of all the team. At last they are playing as a team and all are getting more involved. Well done boys.
Final score - Medway 4, Thurrock 4
Tries by Ben 1, Jamie 1, Dan 1, Will 1
Third match was against Brightlingsea
The team had won 1, lost 1 so the pressure was now on. The boys didn’t stop or get fazed by any of it. There were a few very fast runners in the opposite team so the boys couldn’t give them any space because when they did they were off to the try line!
All had a good game again and Ben has taken over from Will at needing the cattle prodder!!! He was running so fast and was so focused on the try line that he stepped out of play on 2 occasions. It was great to see him play like this. Keep up the great work Ben.
Final score – Medway 5, Brightlingsea 3
Tries by Ben 1, Jamie 1, Dan 3
Next game was to decide if we were going through to the next round and the boys really wanted it now. They were playing Bishops Stortford.
This was a stressful game for the parents and coaches as the boys were trying SO hard and were absolutely brilliant at tagging with more turnover of the ball as a result. Jamie kept his usual pressure on the opponents and Will was fantastic at chasing them for tags!
Dan was fab at tagging this game – I haven’t seen him this determined at getting those tags before. The boys so deserved to win this game as they all played so well and fought so hard, but unfortunately time was against them and the final score was Medway 4, Bishops Stortford 5
Tries by Will 1, Owen 1, Dan 2
Kent Shield Final
So off to Tonbridge for a chance of winning the shield. Come on Under 8’s!!!
First up though was Sevenoaks and the pressure was on. Luckily the team had their “rugby” heads on (which always helps, of course)
The boys were fantastic at tagging in this game, in particular Owen and Patrick and as a result of this we made lots of turn over of the ball enabling us to have the advantage.
Patrick was absolutely awesome at chasing the opposition for their tags. He never once gave up. It was as if his life depended on it! Well done Patrick! There was some great passing of the ball too (also some rubbish ones) and this helped the speedsters Jamie and Dan getting tries.
Final result - Medway 8 Sevenoaks 6
Tries by: Dan 4, Jamie 2, Will 1, Patrick 1
Oh boy, we were through to the next round and up against Thanet
This was a strange game really and was quite disjointed!!!
Lots of distractions (mentioning no names, of course!!!!) were had and this upset the flow of the boys, and they ended up arguing amongst themselves and with the ref. Now we all know this doesn’t happen, don’t we?
There were lots of tags grabbed, thrown and lost but it was otherwise an evenly played game and ended with extra time and finally a 5-5 draw was called.
Tries by: Will 1, Dan 2, Patrick 2
So Medway under 8’s are sharing the shield with Thanet.
Well done all who played
Kent Qualifying Tournament
The team haven’t played rugby for weeks so they knew they were in for a big challenge, but the boys played really well and certainly didn’t disappoint! The team was split differently in these games and they played well and worked hard together.
Each game, the first half was a struggle whilst the boys realised what it was they were meant to do – “like playing rugby” – tagging, passing etc. Once they realised, they did do some great passing and tagging but at times were left struggling defensively because they forgot the line!
First match MEDWAY V SIDCUP
Sidcup were “nippy” kids and excellent at passing, so didn’t give us much space to play but Medway never gave up and responded well to the challenge with every team player getting tags. Tries were achieved by Will 1, Owen 1 and Dan 2
Score Medway 4 Sidcup 7
Second match MEDWAY V ASH
We didn’t know what to expect in this game, having not played them before but it was a great close run game. This was another game where every player had lots of tags and Jamie “rocked” in this game. He played like a demon and there was no stopping him – and as a result got 3 tries. Lewis was very unlucky whilst charging for the try line but unfortunately was knocked out of play and wiped out the post in the process! Rhys did his speedy straight running too and got 2 tries.
Score Medway 5 Ash 6
Third match MEDWAY V OLD ALLEYNIANS
We deserved to win this game as it was another close run match but we were pipped at the post and defeated by one try again. There was some fantastic defensive work this match, and Kieran did the best tagging and avoided going out of play by Little Miss Quiet reminding him how close he was to the edge! Again every member of the team had lots of tags. There was a flash of great thinking in this game as the team nearly got caught out forward passing, but luckily they remembered the rules!! Well done Owen.
Tries by Owen 2, Rhys 2 and Dan 1
Score Medway 5 Old Alleynians 6
Even though they lost all their matches the boys had one last chance to prove themselves and wow they did us parents proud!
MEDWAY V WHITSTABLE
What a final game – it finally had all come together and the team played fantastically. The defensive line (all be it a diagonal one) was used well and maintained to put the pressure on Whitstable. Again without fail each and every player got lots of tags and Dylan and Jo had a great game with good passing skills.
Will had his speedy legs on and wasn’t going to be stopped by anyone to get 4 tries. Patrick darted amongst the defence as well to complete the game with another try. Amazingly, Archie amazingly didn’t score but he was impressive with his “hoola hoola hips” which he used to avoid being tagged. Those hip movements are what us women would be proud of!!
Score Medway 5 Whitstable 3
To round up, I must say thanks to Mark Unger for the “knees up Mother Brown” impression up and down the pitch, which helped us parents know how well the boys were doing!
Upminster Festival
11 October 2009
Here we are again ready for action with three big games to play. The pitches were huge for the boys but it didn’t daunt them at all – in fact I think it made the challenge better!
The teams were split up more this week and randomly chosen so to allow all players a fair go on the pitch and without keep substituting them ,as this breaks up the flow of the game and team. It worked really well.
First up we played against Stanford. It was a great flowing game with good passing skills and we managed to keep possession of the ball as a result.
Sam did some great chasing for the tags and Lewis, wow where did his running come from? He was off and managed 2 fantastic tries as a result.
Owen was very unfortunate to be tagged just before the try line as was Dan – He dropped the ball just before the try line, did a little kick and then put the ball over the line. Nice try Dan at getting a try but sorry not allowed!!
He did get one later though and it was allowed!
Patrick was up to his usual best with great running and tagging and flew passed the Stanford team to get 2 tries for Medway.
Jamie and Iwan had a great day too, getting tags and stopping the Stanford team in their flow.
Final score: Medway 5 Stanford 3
Tags: Lewis 1, Iwan 2, Dan 3, Sam 3, Patrick 3, Jamie 2, Owen 1
Tries: Lewis 2, Dan 1, Patrick 2
Poor Jamie hurt his fingers (off the pitch) so ended up going off to hospital to get them checked out – we hope he is okay and will be back playing with us soon!
Second up were the hosts Upminster – always a challenge.
Another fantastic game with lots of tags, tries and great flow to it. It was a close game but the boys held it together and managed to get a few turnovers of the ball. This stopped the opponents getting more tries. Ryan did some good chasing and grabbed the ball when Upminster dropped it, so allowing us more opportunities.
Dan ran for his life this game, there was no stopping him. Every time he was passed the ball he ran like”” Forest Gump”. Ciaran did some great weaving in and out too and squeezed past the defence to get a try.
Final score: Medway 6 Upminster 5
Tags: Lewis 2, Dan 2, Dylan 2, Tom 1, Ciaran 2 William 2
Tries: Dan 5, Ciaran 1
Third game which unfortunately turned out to be the last was a challenge to say the least. We had to win this to go through. It was against Braintree who also hadn’t lost either of their games.
We had 3 tries disallowed (must be a record in itself) for one reason or another but the boys did not let it get them down or deter them in any way. It was a great disappointment for the team and its passionate supporters but the decisions of the ref must be obeyed!!???
The team tried very hard, held their heads up high and showed their determination by grabbing the most tags of the day. Two great tries were scored but they did deserve far more!!!
Final score Medway 2 Braintree 4
Tags Iwan 2, Sam 2, Patrick 6, Tom 2, Ciaran 2, Owen 4, William 4
Tries: Patrick1, Owen 1
Medway Festival
Medway Bulldozers
What an encouraging start to the season with each and every player working hard, tagging well and making some great passes along the line .It was great to see the children playing as a team and making the most of the opportunities that came their way. Some excellent tries were achieved by focused running and good use of space.
First up was Aylesford and Medway won this match by fantastic defensive play and brilliant tagging. Patrick was the star with the try scoring and tagging. Also Sam got an excellent tag near Aylesford try line and turned the ball over for Medway then to run the pitch and score!
Tags: Lewis 2, Dan 1, Sam 1, Patrick 3, Ciaran 2, Owen 1, Dylan 1
Tries: Dan 1, Patrick 3, Ciaran 1, Owen 1, William 1
This was Dylan’s first time playing with Medway and he fitted in great!
Score Medway 7 Aylesford 5
Next game was against Sittingbourne and even though there were a few discrepancies along the way the right result was achieved – a 3 all draw. The team kept it together throughout and continued with great tagging.
Tags: Dan 4, Patrick 1, Ciaran 2, Owen 2, William 3, Dylan 1
Tries: Patrick 1, Ciaran 1, Owen 1
Gravesend were the next up and this was a close match which we lost at the last hurdle by an out of touch call. William showed how to pass the ball along the line perfectly and made good use of the space Medway were allowed .It was unfortunate that they lost this game as they had tried really hard and did deserve to win!
Tags: Dan 4, Sam 1, Patrick 3, Ciaran 1, Owen 1, William 3
Tries: Dan 2, William 1
Score Gravesend 4 Medway 3
Medway Magic
This team were defeated in the first match but they didn’t let it hold them back. Their game improved with each match they played – with lots of tagging and tries scored.
First up were Sevenoaks and they were a strong team to contend with. No tries were scored this match by Medway but they did great tagging. Tom did some great runs in this game and fab passes, whilst Rhys made good defensive cover.
Tags: Jo 1, Iwan 2, Archie 5, Dylan 2, Jamie 3, Tom 3, Ryan 2, Rhys 2
Next up was Upminster and there was great support for the players from Jo and Tom, with Archie never giving up and Rhys running the pitch very well.
Tags: Jo 1, Iwan 1, Archie 3, Dylan 2, Jamie 3, Tom 2, Ryan 2, Rhys 2 and Ben 2
Tries: Jo 1, Rhys 2
Score Upminster 4 Medway 3
The team writer (Ryan’s Dad!!!!) for the next match Medway V Maidstone failed to collect the information but final score was
Maidstone 2 Medway 3 and the try scorers were Tom 2, Rhys 1.
Well done guys.
Final match was against Barking and more great runs were made.
Tags: Jo 1, Iwan 1, Archie 1, Dylan 1, Jamie 1, Tom 3, Ryan 3, Rhys 2, Ben 1
Tries: Jamie 1, Rhys 1, Ben 1
Score Barking 2 Medway 3
As a result of the improving game by the Medway Magic team they ended up in a play off with Medway Bulldozers for the Plate.
It was a game that neither team really wanted but they gave it there all. The magic team were determined and didn’t make it easy for the Bulldozers. They showed great defensive action by “bunching” together around their opponents so they had nowhere to run to. It was a close run game and a shame someone had to win/lose but to give credit where credit is due the Medway Magic team won and the final score was Medway Magic 5, Medway Bulldozers 4
Tags (Magic) Iwan 2, Archie 1, Dylan 1, Jamie 2, Tom 1, Ryan 2, Rhys 2 Ben 1
Tries (Magic) Jamie 1, Tom 1, Rhys 3
Tags (Bulldozers) Dan 2, Ciaran 1, Owen 1, William 2
Tries (Bulldozers) Dan 1, Patrick 2 William 1
As a result of the festival both teams should be proud of themselves. They tried hard, gave it there all and most of all had great fun whilst playing.
Also, Owen ,you did us proud today mate!!!!