Stroud U12’s come runners up at Thornbury Festival

Stroud U12’s travelled to sunny Thornbury to take part in a festival – part of the warm-up preparations for Weymouth tour next weekend. Weymouth tour hoodies were handed out but with the sun beating down not required. The force 10 gale and freezing conditions waiting for us in Weymouth will be a good test for them…….

Another large turnout was going to give Phil and Mark substitution nightmares but it was also a chance to give everyone a good run out and give well earnt minutes to all the players. Throughout all the games Stroud experimented with a new look with Ryan coming in at scrum half for the day and a mixed up group of forwards and backs.

Game 1 vs Dursley

Familiar faces lined up for Dursley with Laurie knowing a lot of the guys and the Marling group looking forward to taking on their school team mates.

Will kicked off and the ball was allowed to bounce out. Dursley won their lineout but an alert Orgy was quick to win a turnover which caused Stroud to be awarded a scrum that they duly won. Ryan quickly got into scrum half mode and got quick ball out to the backs that gave Arthur a good attacking platform to make some good progress. Unfortunately Stroud were penalised at the breakdown and Dursley kicked long to relieve the pressure.

Dursley lost their lineout and Keyan took on the ball but knocked on in the tackle. Dursley won their scrum and attacked with their big forwards but Finn was strong in the tackle and stopped them in their tracks. The ball was recycled well though and Dursley attacked the other flank but equally good swarming tackles forced them out of play. Stroud lost the lineout though and Dursley powered down the left wing and scored an easy try to give them a 1-0 lead.

Will kicked off again and this time the ball went straight out on the narrow pitch so Dursley took the scrum on half way. The forwards showed their strength though and with a great shove won the ball against the head. This set up an attack to the right but the game was stopped due to a Dursley injury from the scrum collapse.

Stroud won the scrum restart and attacked left but a forward pass stopped the great move and half time was taken. The coaches calmed the kids down and reminded them to play their normal game and they would still have chances to get back into the game. Subs were taken en-masse and the game restarted with a Dursley kickoff.

A good return setup a ruck that a re-focused Stroud won easily that gave a great platform for Keyan and Stoner to take it in turns to gain a hatful of yards and a path of Dursley destruction left behind them. Dursley defended well on their try line but Keyan saw his opportunity and ran left to score under the posts to make it 1-1.

Dursley kicked short and recovered their own kick and attacked to the left but Arthur did his famous rip tackle move and forced a turnover that gave Dave an attacking run to the left and then an offload to Keyan who finished off the move with a score in the left corner for a 2-1 lead.

Dursley again recovered their kickoff from a Stroud knock-on. Laurie was enjoying the battle with his school mates and put in some big tackles. There was no way he was going to lose the bragging rights at school on Monday morning. Mr T forced a turnover that gave Dave the chance to run up the right hand wing. He was stopped but good forward support from Harry and Laurie meant Ryan got the ball out well to Will who attacked to the left. The ball came out to Archie who went on a mazy run and was close to scoring but a great Dursley tackle denied him on the line with a force out tackle.

Dursley lost their lineout to a good Keyan jump. Ryan ran to the right but Dursley turned over the ball but Laurie was quick to show them we were still in charge with another big tackle. At the breakdown Stroud were penalised so Durlsey kicked long but again lost their lineout to another Keyan jump and take. This set up a rolling maul that the forwards did well to control with Stoner taking it on at just the right time. The forwards won the ruck with great clearouts from Mr T and Harry and this gave Dave and Will to combine well with runs to the left. Archie on the wing received a perfectly timed pass and this time cut inside and threatened the try line again. Keyan supported well and at the resulting breakdown he saw the gap and dived over the line to give Stroud a well deserved 3-1 victory as the final whistle went.

Game 2 vs Cinderford

Keyan was looking forward to this game to play against the team he used to play for a few years ago and the one his older brother plays senior rugby for. Could he follow on from the hat trick he scored against Dursley?

Stroud kicked off and Cinderford ran it back strongly but Keyan was the forst to put his mark on the game with a big tackle. Cinderford were a big and well prepared team and just used this to setup another attacking platform to the right. Again more good Stroud tackles from Lucas and Callum just delayed the inevitable as Cinderford then attacked left and with a big overlap scored an easy try and a 1-0 lead.

Will kicked long at the restart and this time Cinderford were under pressure so they kicked to clear their lines but Joe showed great technique with a clean catch and run back. Cinderfords defense was very strong though and they won a turnover but Stroud were equally strong in the tackle and forced their own turnover with a combined effort from Callum and Lucas. Keyan picked up the loose ball and powered over for a try under the posts and a 1-1 scoreline.

Cinderford kicked off and Keyan again took the responsibility and ran back the kick off well. He was determined to show Cinderford what they were missing and what Stroud had gained in all aspects of the game! Finn took on the attack with his own good run. Stroud were playing much better than the Dursley game and were competing in all aspects of the game against a very strong Cinderford team. Ryan took om the next attack with a sniping run from the ruck. Then Joe took on the attack. Cinderford didn’t panic though and just showed disciplined rugby to keep us in check and make us win the rucks with fiercely contested forward play. Stroud managed to get the ball out well though and Wil attacked down the right wing and just as he was about to be forced out he showed great technique to put in a low kick close to the Cinderford try line.

A good kick chase by Keyan forced Cinderford to take the ball back into their own dead ball area for a Stroud scrum but for some reason Stroud were penalised and CInderford instead had the easy option of a long penalty kick to touch. Stroud won the lineout though but messy ball back to Ryan meant he was forced into a hurried pass that Cinderford intercepted and ran in for a try and a 2-1 lead. It was a pivotal 2 minutes of play that could have given us the lead but instead Cinderford got the rewards.

Cinderford ran back the kickoff and were then awarded a penalty. Again they kicked long for touch but Lucas showed great skills to catch the ball still in play and run the ball back. I don’t think Cinderford will make that missed kick mistake again when they get a bruising Lucas run back as a reward! Cinderford make up for their mistake though and won a turnover themselves and ran to the right and scored another try to give them a 3-1 lead at the half.

Cinderford kicked off and Orgy had another great catch and run back. Cinderford were not slowing up though and managed to win a turnover that launched an attack down the right wing. Just as we thought it was going to be 4-1 a diving Stoner cleanly took man and ball to remind Cinderford we were still in with a chance and would not lie down. Mr T won the Stroud lineout and Stroud attacked again from deep. A few phases of play were rewarded with a Stroud scrum that we duly lost to a strong Cinderford pack. Cinderford attacked but were penalised which gave Will the chance to do another great kick for touch. Stroud lost the lineout though but forced a turnover by Keyan but play fizzled out after a few phases.

Stroud won a scrum and Will kicked long but this just led to alternating attacking and defending moves by both teams. Stroud were showing good defensive awareness, none more so than Stoner who was becoming very adept at tackling the guy and then quickly turning over the ball, or forcing them to hold on and win Stroud a penalty. Stroud had a tap and go penalty that Stoner took on. At the ruck we won the ball again with Jedd imposing himself on the game. The ball was recycled to Riley who ran down the right wing and was rewarded with a high tackle.

Stroud took a quick penalty run to the left with Keyan and he took it upon himself to throw a 20 yard pass to James on the left wing who showed great technique to pick up the bouncing ball and still manage to turn back inside avoiding some tackles before setting up a ruck that Stroud managed to win and then attack to the right. Cinderford forced a turnover though and kicked long and James was unlucky to knock on the ball as him and Joe got mixed up with each other. Cinderford won the resulting scrum and attacked to the right but again strong Stroud defense forced them out of play and the full time whistle went giving Cinderford a 3-1 victory but a hard fought drawn 2nd half.

Game 3 vs Thornbury

Stroud had to win this game against the host team to give themselves a chance of silverware.

Thornbury kicked off and showed great technique to collect their own kickoff at pace and pressure the Stroud line. Fortunately Arthur was alert to the threat and put in a good tackle. Thornbury recycled the ball well though and managed to attack both left and right with only tackles from Alex and Finn holding them up. Thornbury were not to be denied though and got the ball outside and ran in the first try of the game and a 1-0 lead.

Stroud kicked off and Thornbury attacked again and made good progress up the pitch through a few attacking phases. Eventually they were forced out of play while threatening our line. A well thrown Orgy lineout was won cleanly by Mr T and Ryan got the ball back to Will but 2 Thornbury players closed him down ready for the charge-down but somehow Will managed to avoid both of them and reset to allow him to kick for touch. His great technique was all for nothing though because the game was brought back for a Stroud scrum which just meant he had to repeat this all again after another good Stroud scrum – where had the advantage rule gone?

Stroud won the Thornbury lineout though and attacked to the right via Arthur. Strong tackles were coming in on both sides and Arthur was unfortunate to knock-on. Thornbury won the scrum and kicked long and Finn gathered the ball and ran it back and was rewarded with a thumping tackle that took him out of play. Mr T stole the Thornbury lineout though and Ryan went on another run. Then it was Will and Keyan who took it in turns to keep the attack going. The game slowed down a bit but this just gave Stroud a chance to reset their attacking back line and the ball came out quickly to Alex who ran down the left wing and as space appeared to be running out with a closing Thornbury tackler he saw Finn supporting well on the inside and offloaded perfectly to him for Finn to score the first (and only) non-Keyan try of the day ! Score now 1-1 and game on again.

Finn ran back the kick off but Thornbury did well to win a turnover and attack themselves but a forward pass denied them a try scoring opportunity. Stroud won their scrum with another good team shove. The ball was kept within the forwards with the highlight being a bruising Jedd run. To half petered out though and half time taken with the game delicately balanced.

Will kicked off long and Thornbury were slow to react which nearly gave Stroud a try scoring opportunity that was denied. Stroud won the resulting scrum though and Keyan attacked to the left and scored for a 2-1 Stroud lead.

Orgy ran back the kick off again and won a Stroud penalty that Will kicked long but just missed touch. Thornbury were pinned in their own 22 though and decided to kick long. Joe at full back did a great catch and run though but Stroud couldn’t break through the strong Thornbury defense. Thornbury got their own chance to attack and pressured both left and right flanks but good tackling kept them in check. Stroud forced a lineout that they duly won but a poor pass sent the ball back to the Stroud try line and panic looked to set in but Stoner showed a calm head to recover the ball, keep his feet and then provide a platform for Will to get clean ball and kick long.

Thornbury ran the ball back well though and good tackles by Joe and Arthur slowed them up. Thornbury had a tap penalty that they ran but a joint Keyan and Arthur rip tackle gave Stroud the ball. Play slowed up after and Stroud were awarded a scrum that they won and then did a great attacking move to the left with Will passing to Keyan and then onto Joe. Stroud were not able to score though and Thornbury slowed the game down. The ref called last play and Stroud managed to win their own scrum again and Will kicked for touch and the full time whistle giving Stroud a well earnt 2-1 victory and 2nd place in the group.

Wrap Up

We hung around for a while waiting to see if there would be a 1st vs 2nd playoff but nothing developed so the kids just stayed around and managed to inflict various injuries on themselves while playing kicking games.

The tannoy warmed up and we were rewarded with climbing the steps to the Thornbury balcony to collect our runners up medals and milk the applause of the crowd. We had come runners up in a tough group with Cinderford being the eventual champions and after reading their website you see how well their squad has played this year winning other festivals and beating strong touring teams from Devon.

No man-of-the-match awards were down this week.

See you all at Weymouth and another chance of winning some silverware, but just as important a great opportunity for the kids to enjoy each other’s company and keep growing their team spirit.