U8 MINI RUGBY REPORTS

Etihad Cup Semi finals – 1 March 2008 Chris Cullen

A fine but windy day greeted the teams as they gathered at theTwickenham Stoop for the semi final stage of the Etihad Cup competition. After a brief warm-up on the training pitch we were ushered into the stadium for our first match against a well drilled Tunbridge Wells side who were much improved from when we met them earlier in the season.

The teams seemed well matched as they traded tries twice early on with neither able to stamp their authority on the game. In second half however Cobham seized the initiative by scoring an early try and then defending stoutly, twice acheiving the seventh tag turnover, punishing their opponents on both occasions.

They eventuallly ran out 5-3 winners in what was to prove the toughest encounter of the day.

The second match saw Cobham line up against near neighbours Weybridge Vandals and was a much more one sided affair. The benefit of the early win had obviously settled any lingering nerves. Despite playing in quite a cavalier fashion Cobham never looked like conceding a try. The match finnished early and was officially recorded as a 6-0 win to Cobham but in truth the tie  was more comfortable than the scorleine suggests.

The third and final match of the day was against new opponents in New Milton who had made the long journey up from the New Forest for the event. For a small squad they put in a very solid performance and by no means did Cobham have it all there own way in a first half which finnished whith Cobham leading 5-3. Pleasingly, despite knowing that they had already qualified, the Cobham players responded to the challenge of 'winning the second half', eventually emerging with an 8-5 victory.

Winning the match and finishing top of the group ensures that Cobham U8s will be invited back to contest the grand final in late March which will inevitably see them pitted against some very stong teams.

Those that stayed on to watch Harlequins take on Gloucester were rewarded with a thrilling match and plenty of expansive rugby as the home side upset league leaders by 30 points to 25 crowning a fabulous day all round.

Team:

JORDAN BOND, CONOR CULLEN, HUGO COUGHLAN, EVAN DAVIES, CALLUM DREWETT, ETHAN KITTO, WILL KOROLKIEWICZ, JACK PALLISER, JACK RICKERD, JAKE ROBINSON,