Cobham 28 Esher 12
Sunday 1st May 2011
The contrast was significant and a little foreboding.
Esher ready and prepped to go before high noon and the Cobham fraternity casually drifting in, in ones and twos, over the next half an hour ....or so!
The talent on display suggested not too many problems should be encountered, despite the back line being a little unfamiliar in its make up, but with proven talent on show. The first 15 minutes was encouraging with the pack looking well in control and taking the ball forward at contact, whilst working well through phases and pinning Esher backing in their 22. Despite some valiant defence by the Esher team and the close channels being well closed off to the Cobham attacks, sense prevailed and the ball was moved wide with Sharpe and Flynn darting into the corners from well transferred ball and Markham spotting a gap in the defence and gliding in from 15 metres out.
All looked well set, with Esher losing their scrum half to a yellow card, but a series of dangerous tackles by the "oppo" (neither appropriately dealt with) lead to Flynn being substituted with concussion and our young but valuable recruit (in the form of James Manning) being dumped on his nut ! This seemed to stall the momentum and it remained 15-0 at half time. Despite an excellent performance by the pack in general and the back row in particular (Cragg, Clifford and Stout) and some good lines taken by Jones in the middle, an unwelcome air of carnival rugby had appeared in the 2nd quarter and correcting this was to be the focus of the team's effort as we entered the second half.
This Esher team were fired up, committed and talented, and as our festival attitude continued with too much ball finding fresh air rather than hands, Esher pounced twice, one with a well taken long range try from a loose ball in midfield and a second scored after some well organised short range work from the Esher pack. With 20 to go and Esher in the ascendancy the score was at 15-12 and back up coach Harty felt he was about to drop the precious 7 year old record well and truly in the dust!
A slightly sterner tone of direction under the posts seemed to click the team into action, and back on show were the well organised, cool handed and deliberate skills of the U18 team, with drive after drive being well marshalled as always by Bliss leading to a well taken penalty by Markham.
The game was still in the balance until Mays broke from the marauding pack at short distance and muscled the ball over the line, 23-12. Esher continued to compete and threaten, but sound defending by the back line led to turn over ball that was finished off in the corner by Harty and the safe harbour of a 28-12 score line which signalled the end of the match.
Well done to the "high soaring" skipper McCallum and the lads for knuckling down and showing the spirit that has made them such a great team even when they have been less than fluent; thanks to the reserves who came on to help finish the job and in particular to James Manning and Ryan Saunders who stepped up in a big way to help out. Great to see the injured Koep, Thurston, Jack Burns and Powlson ever present and deserved of our praise for their contribution in recent times.
Good luck and God Bless to a very special group of sportsmen.
Harty
