U17 RFU U17 National Cup Final-Sunday 2nd May 2010
Cobham 55 pts vs Bedford 3 pts
An exhilarating display of running rugby from Cobham U17s saw them crowned as U17s National Champions in an emphatic victory by nine tries to nil against the Midland/North champions, Bedford, who provided worthy opposition.
With the Cobham A team winning the Surrey county title for the 7th year in a row and the Cobham B team winning the Division 2 title this result capped a hugely successful season for this exceptional group of players.
Playing at Franklin's Gardens, the home of Northampton Saints, Cobham settled well at the start of the game. The forwards drove the first scrum a metre and the first line out drive took them 20 metres to provide a solid platform and set the tone for the game. Cobham were playing a fast tempo and a blind side move by Bliss released Clifford into space to run in for the first try. Then a good series of drives followed by good hands from the backs provided Hughes with room to score, Powlson adding the conversion. Then Bedford followed up a good kick off with a sustained attack into the Cobham 22 where a penalty for offside resulted in 3 points for Bedford. However Cobham remained on the front foot, winning the battle at the breakdown and moving the ball well. After a break from Clifford through the middle, Harty released Hughes who danced his way over. Then from the kick off the ball was moved to Flynn who burst for 50 metres but just could not get the pass away. The rest of the first half saw Cobham camped in the Bedford half but just unable to score. A couple of line-out drives were thwarted and a couple of half chances near the line were missed, however Cobham maintained good pressure throughout the half and were playing with great intensity.
Half-time: 17-3
After an excellent team talk from McCallum, Cobham started the second half with an explosion of movement that led to Sharpe making a searing break down the right wing to within 5 metres of the line. A penalty was given away to relieve the pressure but not for long. From a line-out steal and a quick ruck in the middle of the pitch good hands from Bliss and McCallum fed Powlson who ran an excellent line to draw in the defenders before passing inside to Sharpe to score, with Sharpe also adding the conversion with precision from wide out.
Then came another moment of magic from Flynn, who has produced several in the last month. A series of passes along the backline found Flynn who burst through the middle and rounded the full back before passing to Sharpe who passed inside to the ever supporting Cragg to dot down for a fabulous try that very nearly lifted the roof off the Tetley Stand. Sharpe converting.
The 6th try came from a scrum and “Ireland” move that got to the very line where Koep got the touch down, Sharpe converting. Then with more ball in the Bedford 22 than he knew what to do with, Harty decided to go walk about and after a couple of dummies scored, with Sharpe adding another conversion.
With the bench now all on Cobham were in no mood to relax, and a break from Gillott and run from Swindell took play deep into the Bedford half. Then a chip to the corner resulted in a wicked bounce of the ball and Williams was able to score in the corner. Then in the final play of the game a line-out catch and drive followed by a couple of drives produced a ruck near the line from which Hughes darted over on his opposite wing for his hat-trick of tries which made his watching father proud but a little poorer.
At full time Cobham had produced an absolutely fantastic performance. They were irrepressible and the nine try performance will live long in the memory and was a splendid way to become National Champions.
The whole squad played magnificently. Thurston, Philips and Coutts provided the solid work in scrum and line-out that often goes unseen but which provided an excellent platform. McCallum had a good game in the line-out winning several opposition throws and was prominent in the loose as well as leading the side well. Mead had his normal barn storming game, all energy, tackling and speed. The back row proved dominant throughout. Cragg was pacey and took his try well, Koep had a superb all round game winning several turnovers as well as taking the ball up well, and Clifford was simply outstanding. His runs off rucks and the fly half were devastating, regularly sucking in 3 defenders and he added ballast to the forward drives.
In the backs, Bliss and Harty linked well and with so much ball, created effectively. Powlson and Gazzard were strong throughout, passing well and making breaks when space opened up. The back 3 had pace in abundance and the Bedford cover was constantly stretched. Sharpe had several good runs, took his try well and kicked 4 conversions, Hughes scored a neat hat-trick of tries and always has the supporters on the edge of their seats as did Flynn, who played magnificently at full back. Given time and space from kicks out of defence by Bedford he ran great lines with such pace and strength that he constantly caused havoc and set up at least three of the tries.
The bench all came on and did well. Gillott, Peacock, Vartevanian and Ross in the pack and Williams, Swindell and Burns in the backs. My thanks to the travelling reserves of Bolton, Mathews and Watkins who have been involved in earlier rounds, to Mays, who would have been involved but for injury and to Stout and Markham who due to the competition rules were ineligible to play but who have provided great support for the team throughout the run.
My thanks to Paul Markham and Mark Harty for their tremendous work as part of the coaching team, and to Chris Mays, Roy Bliss and Steve Heard for providing such support during the cup run and throughout the season. And of course we should not forget to thank our lost but not forgotten South African rugby mentor, Bob Jones-Davies, the backs coach for many seasons, who would just have loved the way we played the final.
This Cobham side are a pleasure and privilege to coach. They thoroughly deserve their success and today when their moment came they took it and played a fantastic brand of Cobham rugby.
Well done lads---National Champions!!
Squad:
Richard Thurston, Richard Philip, David Coutts, Peter McCallum, Harrison Mead, Jack Clifford, Matthew Cragg, Matthew Koep, Tom Bliss, Tom Harty, Madison Hughes, Gareth Powlson, George Gazzard, Seb Sharpe, Tom Flynn.
Subs: Kyle Ross, Alex Vartevanian, Max Peacock, Matthew Gillott, Jack Burns, Paddy Williams, Henry Swindell
Travelling Reserves: Laurence Bolton, Andrew Mathews, George Watkins
Plus: Alex Stout, Elliot Markham, Oliver Mays
