Stroud provide some Pre-Christmas Cheer!

No sign of future Kings Prince Charles, Prince William, or Baby Prince George, (or even Mike Tindall) but Stroud were inspired to put in a fantastic performance at the Cotswold home of Royalty - Tetbury.

Fromehall's pitch had succumbed to the weather so Tetbury kindly hosted the fixtures for all age groups. Many players were out of position but able to perform well due to the all round coaching they receive every week.

On with your Santa hat and off we go....

We three kings of rugby are,
bearing bruises we travel afar,
five in the scrum,
seven in the backs,
cold parents in the car!!

Match report by Mark......

As Alex was one of the many ill or injured this weekend, Russ has again passed on the journalistic duties to me. So much entertainment to cram in, so here goes!

Blighted by injury and illness, Stroud arrived at Tetbury with just the minimum 12 players required to put out a side. The cold, gusting wind added to the challenge but with the news that nobody would be standing about on the touch-line waiting for their chance the boys began to recognise that constant movement today was not just going to help the quality of rugby but also avoid the onset of hypothermia!! Consequently the boys whole heartedly threw themselves into the warm up out of sheer necessity! (Editors note - without Chris and Russell to dish out the running, press-ups and planks no wonder the boys enjoyed the warm up!)

Today’s players: Liam, Tom O, Stoner, Will T, Jedd, Ryan , Dave, Arthur, Dash, Archie E, Edgar, Laurie.

Game 1

Playing up the slope, Stroud unfortunately, made their now traditional slow start. Some missed tackles and hesitation at the breakdown meant Tetbury were constantly camped in our half. Eventually this pressure told and a Tetbury forward went over in the corner for the first try of the day. More Tetbury pressure followed and only determined tackling from Edgar and Laurie (today stepping in at Full Back) kept the Stroud line intact.

Stroud cleared their lines with a kick from Dave then suddenly seemed to come to life! A lineout secured, a forward drive and a typical strong burst from Arthur took us further up the slope. Improved rucking allowed Ryan, who stepped in to play Scrum Half with all of 5 minutes notice, to feed Dave to crash up the middle to score. Confidence re-appeared on the boys faces as Stroud were soon back in Tetbury territory after good handling and a strong run from Archie E. Good clearout work allowed quick ball and Dave scampered in at the corner.

To their credit Tetbury pressurised Stroud immediately and a number of handling errors allowed Tetbury to touch down to level the scores.

Half Time Tetbury 10 Stroud 10

With the benefit of the slope, Stroud started the second half more positively, dominating possession with forwards and backs running hard and handling well despite the cold conditions. A strong gallop from Will was halted just before the line but a typically powerful surge from Liam from the resultant penalty moved Stroud back into the lead.

More pressure from Stroud kept Tetbury pinned inside their own half. Excellent rucking from Stoner and Tom O recycled ball after another run from Arthur. This allowed Ryan, now fully relishing his new role to snipe and offload to Dave to score.

Full Time Tetbury 10 Stroud 20

Game 2

With a very quick turnaround to avoid players seizing up in the cold, Stroud were soon back on the front foot. Playing back up the slope Stroud almost scored directly from the kick-off. Liam was very secure under a high kick then produced a bludgeoning run up the middle of the field. Great distribution from the backs allowed Dash to beat his opposite number in very little space and scurry up the touchline. Only a committed last ditch tackle from Tetbury stopped a great passage of play. Winning the resultant lineout allowed Will to drive around the blind-side to score.

Stroud continued to press home their advantage in the scrum with the front row exhibiting text book body positions (which pleased Chris O immensely) and Jedd and Will now driving well from the second row. A ball against the head was swiftly distributed by Ryan to allow Dave to crash up the middle to score again.

Half Time Tetbury 0 Stroud 10

Scores came thick and fast in the second half with Arthur and then Dave again producing great running lines to score soon after the restart. Edgar and Archie E produced excellent runs on the outside and Jedd was unlucky not to cross the whitewash after a great surge down the left wing. Tom O was mastering the wind with some accurate lineout throwing and secured ball from Jedd and Stoner led to Stroud’s try of the day. A safe take and drive gave great ball to Ryan whose pass hit Dave on the burst, a step inside and a long outside pass found Dash in space. As everyone knows if it’s a footrace, Dash has few equals and sprinted over for a great team try.

More fine runs from Ryan, Archie E and Arthur were well supported by Edgar and Laurie who were both producing really solid performances, retaining the ball securely. Dave scurried in from distance to add another try but Tetbury had not given up. Strong forward drives allowed them to make good ground and threaten the Stroud line. In the last minute, a terrific side-stepping run from Ryan took play back within yards of the Tetbury line. Spilled ball from a Tetbury lineout fittingly allowed Liam to smash over for another well deserved try.

Full Time Tetbury 0 Stroud 35

A great effort from both teams in challenging conditions. Well done boys for producing some Pre-Christmas cheer on a bitter morning.

Men of Match - A tough decision with all 12 boys putting everything in.

Forwards - Liam (excellent all round play and incredibly powerful scrummaging)
Backs – Ryan (fantastic first display at Scrum Half)

Many thanks to all Stroud players and supporters. Thanks also to players, coaches and referee (excellent game!) of Tetbury RFC for a great game played in a great spirit.

Russ will be back with your reports in the New Year!! (Editors note - any other parents are welcome to contribute match reports and photos).