Stroud win the County Plate in style

*** Spoiler Alert ***

Different pairs of 2 words are all we need for this match report:

We won!
Plate Champions
Just Rewards
Team Display
100% Commitment
Everyone Contributed

*** Spoiler Over ***

It was County Finals day at Longlevens. Decent size pitches and 30 minute games would give us chance to play our expansive game and wake up from the customary slow Stroud start that was a trademark of some festival games.

Warmups were hard work. Ball handling drills were mistake ridden. Let’s just hope the kids were focusing all their efforts into the upcoming games…..

Plate Semi-Final vs Old Pats A

Stroud kicked off and quickly forced a lineout which Liam won from an accurate Orgy throw. He quickly turned up field and put pressure on Old Pats line. Stroud were awarded a penalty that Keyan took at pace and powered his way over the line for an early try. This could prove to be valuable silver try if the game ended in a draw.

Old Pats kicked off and Liam caught it cleanly. A few attacking phases by both teams ended up with a Stroud lineout that Mr T caught cleanly. Hilly got the ball out quickly to Keyan who ran to the right. He passed on to Finn who kept the attack going. Old Pats defended well and eventually forced a turnover that they turned into a sequence of attacks that pressured the Stroud line. Stroud were awarded a scrum that the forwards did well to win. Will kicked long to relieve the pressure. Old Pats won their lineout and kicked back. This time Joe caught the ball well and ran it back well. Play settled down and both teams attacked and defended in style.

Old Pats were camped on the Stroud line and won a lineout but great defence from Stoner and Lucas kept them out. Next was an Old Pats scrum that again gave them an attacking platform but again great team tackling kept Old Pats from crossing the whitewash. Stroud were awarded a penalty and Will kicked long and with a great kick chase it forced an Old Pats knock on. Stroud won the scrum and attacked left and right through the backs. A sequence of penalty’s alternated with Keyan and Stoner punishing runs and Will kicks. The half ended with another Stroud penalty and another Stoner run dragging players with him. Unfortunately they were tacklers and not Stroud supporting players so the play petered out at the breakdown and the ref blew his whistle for half time with Stroud holding a 1-0 lead.

Old Pats kicked off and Harry was unlucky to knock on. Old Pats won the scrum and ran right and were close to scoring but stout tackling by Laurie and Harry helped keep them out. Stroud won their own scrum and attacked back and were awarded a penalty. A long Will kick gave Stroud an attacking line out that Jedd helped to win. Stroud attacked a few times with Callum, Dave and Finn. Old Pats were playing well though and forced turnovers in strong tackles. Luckily Stroud were up for the battle though with Archie and Arthur equally strong in the tackle and stopping Old Pats in their tracks. Old Pats were growing in confidence though and kept attacking and squeezed a try into the left corner to level the scores.

Stroud kicked off and the ball bounced out of play. Old Pats knocked on in the lineout which gave Stroud the ball for Arthur to attack. More penalties against Old Pats gave Liam and Dave chance to attack the Old Pats line. Old Pats defended well though and managed to kick long for touch. Stroud knocked on in the lineout and Old Pats won the resulting scrum and kicked long. Alex ran the ball back. At the ruck Callum and Laurie helped with good clearouts. Stoner took the ball on. The ball came out to Arthur who attacked well. Dave and Finn also had opportunities to attack that fizzled out.

Old Pats were now attacking for the go ahead try. Great technique from Arthur ripped the ball in the tackle and Stroud were awarded a scrum which they duly won and another Will long kick released the pressure valve a little bit. Old Pats knocked on in the lineout and Stroud won their scrum. Jedd found himself with the ball and went on a great run that Old Pats disrupted with foul play. At the penalty Stoner attacked. Another penalty and a Jedd run with great support from Liam who somehow smuggled the ball out of the maul and kept the attack going. Dave saw the opportunity and came onto the ball at pace and scored in the middle for a 2-1 lead.

With time running out Old Pats attacked repeatedly but tackles from everyone helped slow them down and take the wind out of their sails. Full time whistle went and Stroud had held on for a 2-1 victory and progressed through to the final.

Plate Final vs Longlevens

It was final time. True to Stroud tradition they mixed up the team again to give all players a chance to shine in the final and hopefully share the glory around….. Longlevens were the opponents. Would they beat their bogey team who had denied them at the death in the Landrover Cup? Would home advantage prove to be decisive for Longlevens……

Stroud kicked off and Longlevens ran it back but Arthur was waiting with a customary rip tackle. This quickly turned defence into attack. Stroud were awarded a scrum which the forwards dominated in. Hilly got the ball out quickly to Will who shipped it quickly onto Dave who ran right to score another early try. After 6 years of festivals we had finally learnt to start fast and keep the pressure on our opponents. What better time to do it then at the pinnacle of youth rugby and County Finals day! Longlevens now needed to score twice to take the lead.

Longlevens kicked long and high. A brave Hilly caught the ball under pressure and was rewarded with a high tackle that brought Delia onto the pitch to administer medical attention. As the coaches started to re-organise the team and find a scrum half alternative a brave Hilly declared himself fit to continue to everyone’s relief – more so for Stu who was worrying about his footy teams next match.

At the resultant penalty Will kicked long for touch. Stroud won the lineout through Mr T which gave Will the chance to attack left. Jordan took the ball on and Arthur also heaped on the pressure with his own attacking runs. Longlevens were playing well themselves and were defending stoutly and forcing their own turnovers. Dave and Arthur were proving equally adapt in the defensive arts with their own tackles and steals at the breakdown.

Longlevens won a try and attacked well but a mistimed pass gave Will the opportunity to bravely dive on the ball and secure Stroud possession. Next it was Stoners turn to somehow turn a certain Longlevens try into another turnover that gave Dave the chance to kick long. The ball kept bouncing and the Stroud kick chased kept pursueing. Longlevens ran the ball back well though but Finn was waiting for them and dropped them to the floor. Longlevens kept attacking though and more pressure was on the Stroud line. This time Alex cleared the lines with a kick. Longlevens attacked back though to the left and right and were rewarded after a few phases with an equalising try at 1-1.

Stroud kicked off and the game settled down into both teams attacking and defending in equal intensity. Stroud had a penalty and kicked long. At the lineout Stroud won it which gave Keyan the chance to attack. Just as we thought he had scored he was adjudged to have knocked on. Later photographic evidence from the Photo Bus did show the ball about 5 ft above his head and in front of him so the ref was correct!

Longlevens won their lineout and kicked long. Alex had to run back to collect the ball. He set off down the left wing on a winding run. Drawing in a few tacklers he set the ball back in a ruck and Keyan saw his opportunity and picked it up and went down the blindside and accelerated towards the line to outrun the cover tackles. This time his dive for the line was rewarded with a try and a 2-1 Stroud lead.

Longlevens kicked off and Joe ran it back well. Jordan took on the attack which Longlevens slowed up illegally. Stroud kicked long from the penalty and at their lineout Jedd caught it well which setup another backs attacking move with good support from the forwards at the breakdown. Stroud were poised to score again but Longlevens got their own turnover and ran it back but Finn ripped the ball back in the tackle and attacked himself. At the perfect time he passed to Dave who scored in the corner for a 3-1 lead.

A quick kickoff went short and the ref blew for halftime with Stroud leading 3-1.

The 2nd half started with a Longlevens kickoff and a Liam run back. Longlevens got the ball back but Laurie showed his abilities with a great rip tackle and then run back. Liam took the ball on but play fizzled out with a number of scrums and mauls that neither team was able to dominate. Stroud backs got the ball again and Dave improvised with a long gruber kick that forced the Longlevens full back to field the ball but go out of play. Stroud won the lineout and attacked left but knocked om in the hard hitting tackles. Longlevens were doing well in their scrums to give them a good base to attack from. Another turnover by Dave in a ruck gave Stroud an attacking option that Arthur took and as he offloaded in the tackle to a well supporting Joe he was unlucky to see it end up in the hands of an opportunistic Longlevens winger who had gambled on the interception that he returned for a try and reduced 3-2 Stroud lead. It didn’t matter though because our attacking play was paying dividends far more often than the occasional intercept that went the opposite way.

Stroud kicked off and Longlevens sensed their opportunity. A good run back was denied by a good Will tackle. Arthur went off injured and another re-jig of the back line. Stroud won a lineout with Lucas and Will kicked long. Laurie showed great wheels to get up the pitch quickly and recover the kick and set up another Stroud attack that was again slowed up by strong Longlevens tackling. It was Longlevens turn to attack now though and brave tackling by Alex and Finn stopped try scoring opportunities. Longlevens were not to be denied though and they kept pounding away and were rewarded with a try up the middle and a 3-3 scoreline. Still the early Silver try was giving us the trophy but we wanted to win it in style.

Stroud kicked off and Longlevens ran back but did a forward pass that gave Stroud a scrum that they duly won and attacked to the right. The ball ended up with Joe and he weaved down the right wing. The ball came back inside and Keyan attacked to the left. More good defending meant Stroud kept the ball alive and attacked back to the right. Finn was threating to score but ended up with his head on the try line but unfortunately the ball in the air! A penalty was awarded though and Stroud quickly tapped left and Dave scored in left corner for a 4-3 lead and a great reward for a lovely attacking phase – a fab response after Longlevens had come back strongly in last 5 minutes and threatened to de-rail our trophy dreams.

Longlevens kicked off and Laurie took the kick cleanly and ran it back well. Stroud were awarded a scrum that Longlevens won and ran back but Alex copied his mates with his own rip tackle and run. Good support from Stoner gave Stroud another penalty that helped relieve the pressure. The next few minutes settled down into alternating scrums and attacking/defending phases with Archie, Joe and Liam having good runs. Longlevens rolled the dice and kicked long and a retreating Alex picked the ball up under pressure and ran it back to where the support was. Stroud kept the ball alive with good runs from Archie and Orgy. Another Stroud scrum and another great push gave quick ball and Will attacked to the left. As we thought another try was in the offing the defence closed in and play fizzled out. The ref’s whistle went and the kids celebrated ecstatically for their first trophy and a 4-3 victory in a thrilling final game.

Players congratulated each other and Longlevens were very gracious in defeat and showed what a great spirit the game had been played in and some onlookers commented it was the best game of the day with both teams playing lovely attacking rugby, but also defending resolutely.

Wrap Up

The coaches congratulated the kids for the fab effort throughout the day and getting their rewards by winning their first trophy as a team. Rewards for 6 years if hard effort for some of them, but equally great contributions by the newer kids that have joined in along the way and added to the team performances.

It was impossible to reward a Man-of-the-Festival award after the total team performance.

We went up and collected our medals and trophy and then celebratory photos taken to record the moment.

Well done kids. It was a greats day rugby and a memorable occasion for everyone involved, and everyone linked to the team and the club. You did yourselves and Stroud Rugby proud.

Special mention to the following:

1) Finn playing the final with untied boot laces. Imagine how ferocious his tackled would be with tied laces!
2) Coach Chris losing his commanding voice due to over exertion on the sidelines with supporting the team
3) Laurie’s mum Karen for actually getting us to Finals day after organising everyone at Matson in Nov to come back to the ground to then be awarded a bye through to Finals weekend
4) Flash for coming along to support the team even though he’s been injured last month or so
5) Orgy for wearing this years must have fashion accessory – a Stroud rugby coat. Is that what you meant by another starring writeup in the match report?? ;-)
6) Keyan for managing to lose his medal while removing his boots. Forgetting gum shield is 1 thing, but losing your medal is a big no-no ! Luckily it was found

So where do we go from here? After the Landrover Cup success Arthur got himself and the team performance in all the press. Perhaps a team trip to Europe to celebrate? Perhaps not. Lets go to Weymouth instead and put in a great showing down there.