Surrey Youth U17 League Two
Old Reigatians A vs Cobham B
25 April 2010
And so it was to the lovely surroundings of Old Reigatians’ (OR) home that we went for the final of the league season. Despite the overnight rain, the ground was hard and the pitch in great condition, against the backdrop of the Downs.
The teams started the game at opposite ends of the division – Cobham at the head and probably sure of the title but wanting a win to end on a high note and guarantee clear water between themselves and the rest; OR at the tail and wanting to secure their second win of the campaign and avoid sole title to the wooden spoon.
The first half started very brightly for Cobham, with a lineout in the OR 22 and a try for George Watkins which Eddie Jones converted. 7-0 to Cobham and only a few minutes gone!
Then the game went into a phase where events turned tense for Cobham. A penalty gave OR a lineout on the Cobham 5 metre line, which Cobham dealt with. This was, however, followed another two OR lineouts in the same position when Cobham were again penalised. OR got the ball over the line but were held up, and from the resulting 5 metre scrum Cobham turned the ball over, got to their 22 and cleared their lines.
Having weathered this period, a number of themes became clear. Cobham were defending like fury and prepared to counter-attack whenever the opportunity arose. OR had an impressive pack, but perhaps lacked the cutting edge to score. If Cobham could compete up-front, surely their attacking flair would secure the win?
Cobham played with ambition, but not always the execution needed when spreading the ball wide. However, their defence kept OR pinned down, moving laterally and committing errors. A penalty kick from just outside the OR 22 was unsuccessful but a few moments later, after a purposeful OR attack, George Watkins picked up from the back of a scrum and ran half the length of the pitch to score his second try under the posts. Once again, Eddie Jones converted to make the score 14-0 to Cobham.
From the restart, Cobham attacked which - even though it broke down – showed their desire to take the game to OR. However, OR remained spirited, counterattacking strongly. Both teams' commitment boiled over occasionally, but never in a nasty way.
The first half ended 14-0 to Cobham, and the second half opened with the attacking move of the match. Eddie Jones saw Jack Burns steaming into the three-quarter line and passed to him on the Cobham 10 metre line; Jack broke through and slick passing - first to Peter Saunders and then Joe Cooper - had Joe scoring under the posts. Eddie converted once again – 21-0 to Cobham.
OR fully played their part, but their enthusiasm was not matched by their execution which allowed Cobham to relieve any pressure situations. Cobham were very hungry for the win, and aggressive chasing by both backs and forwards kept the pressure on OR.
By this stage, the hard ground and the competitive nature of the game (not reflected in the scoreline) was taking its toll. Scrums were uncontested after an OR prop was injured, and Peter Saunders was taken to hospital with a suspected broken wrist.
There were two final plays left in the teams, though. A quick lineout by Cobham and a flowing passing move through the backs saw Sam Wood score in the corner. Then the last move of the match had OR scoring a try from short range. Neither kick was successful, so the game ended 26-5 to Cobham.
So, Cobham B ended the season winning Surrey U17 League 2, matching the Cobham A achievement in League 1. They have settled and played some fantastic rugby over the season; today against OR, they competed and won both in the forwards and the backs, playing some truly excellent rugby
All the squad must be congratulated – well done lads!
Our thanks go to Steve for his coaching, David for his line-running (plus Gareth, who took over when Peter and David went to hospital!!) and Gareth for his medical assistance and water-carrying.
We wish Peter well and a speedy recovery – I have just heard that he's being operated on this afternoon at St Helier Hospital.
