Hendy Gwyn a'r Daf RFC under 6's Whitland RFC under 6's v North Bristol RFC under 6's Sunday 30th March When the referee says to the North Bristol coach at the beginning of the games "You have different rules to us in Wales" in a "loveleey" Welsh accent, you know the game will be interesting. Well, I know North Bristol are slow starters, but they must have had too many OJ's the night before, because Whitland were away and scoring tries at an amazing pace. Jamie and Scott flew down the pitch for 2 sparkling tries and then flew back ready for the restart. Not even Michael's focus and flying runs could achieve a try in the first half and W were 3 up thanks to another speedy try from Tristan. The water "boy" from W was on the pitch at half time with matching water bottles in a crate. It's then you realise that rugby in Wales is serious stuff -even at 5!! The second half brought 3 more tries from W by Jamie again, Scott and another from a young man who was so quick I couldn't get his name. I was just thinking a whitewash was about to be recorded when Michael struck and a brilliant sprint down the right wing got NB their one and only try and a cheer from the visiting spectators that rattled the windows in the club house. I have to report a very young man, who is not yet 5, with blond hair, clearly enjoyed the game and was the perfect gentleman on the pitch. He came off at the end and told his coach how much he had enjoyed the game. Well played Lewis. Score Whitland 6 North Bristol 1 Tries Whitland Jamie 2 Scott 1 Tristan 1 Daniel 1 "speedy ?" 1 North Bristol Michael 1 Hendy Gwyn a'r Daf RFC under 7's Whitland RFC under 7's v North Bristol RFC under 7's Sunday March 30th I thought this game would be the one for North Bristol. The Whitland team, some of whom had played against the NB under 6's would be feeling tired, and the OJ hangover would have worn off the NB team. Certainly the improved pace of NB got W a bit worried, but W struck and Stefan scored their opening try. However the determination and stride of Verity got the scores level soon after. Young Tristan (who I am sure must be related to Shane Williams) powered down the length of the pitch, with the referee trying to catch up, to score the second try for W. NB retaliated with well worked moves from the team resulting in a try by Nicholas. W struck back with a try from Jamie and at half time it was 3 - 2 to Whitland. A much closer encounter. The second half brought valiant effort from NB after their team talk but again the pace of Whitland players was the talk of the touch line. Quick tagging and quick accurate passing bought 2 tries for W thanks to Scott - clearly not at all tired!! North Bristol's star player Nicholas was determined not to give in and scored his second try, again with great cheers from the ranks of the visiting spectators. A final W try from Daniel was quickly followed by a stirring run Archie with Verity just failing to take a final scoring pass. An excellent performance from Whitland and some clear thoughts of how to improve NB's strike rate for the future. A great game to watch clearly enjoyed by both teams - nice touch from one Whitland player who tagged a North Bristol player, picked up the tag and put it in the NB player's hand. First class refereeing from Edward Howells, a local farmer who coaches the under 6 and 7 teams who has clearly done an excellent job. And he was up at dawn milking his cows early that morning! Score Whitland 6 North Bristol 3 Tries Whitland Steffan 1 Tristan 1 Jamie 1 Scott 2 Daniel 1 North Bristol Nicholas 2 Verity 1 9th March - Stockwood Sharks U11s 14pts V North Bristol U11s 47pts What a day…. Well we all managed to get to the correct place and it just goes to show you must listen to Uncle Philip at all times. Bolstered by Tyler and Stewart the team consisted of 11 players and we managed to secure the services of a great guy from Stockwood who I called Sam all day to wit he corrected me each time but I still can't remember mate but I still remember your great skill. The first half from North simply fizzled with great work from the forwards and backs. A stunning move came when Tyler wrestled the ball off the Sharks and must've had his hearing aid on as he ran forward towards the defence and passed out to Charlie who ran straight, committed the defender and passed to William. William stormed forward and also committed the defender and passed to Sam who powerful rangy run brought him within 5 meters of the try line and it was a scrum down to sharks. Charlie managed, as all day, to win a strike against the head and we were off and running into the opposite corner for a great score. North's kicking and running was superb all day with John making some good ground out of hand with Milo and Kieran chasing everything. James is now improving with every game securing some good strong ball, Reece wanted to take on everyone. In Stewart I think that we have the smallest second row ever but his size never stopped him for producing a great diving tackle to knock another wonderful Sharks player into touch. Michael as usual was getting hold of the ball and driving through everyone with James P in the thick of all the good action from the forwards. This was the first half…..now the rub, North lost concentration and the Sharks elusive runners could've taken the day as they had threatened all day with marvellous runs. Eventually the final whistle went and it was onto Old Reds Stockwood Shark U9s Vs North Bristol U9s - 9th March 2008 Match One 2:4 Match Two 0:7 Now that the season is well into its second half the North U9s are now showing real signs of gelling. In fact their hairstyles have all improved significantly since the start of the season. At this fixture Stockwood's mixed age side was clearly not a physical match for North, but did nonetheless provide an opportunity for some entertaining rugby played in the right spirit. The spectators were treated to a fine display of passing attacking play by the visitors, which was initiated in the main by Elliott. Several try making passes were set up by his strong running and well timed passing including the first sighted crossover pass manoeuvre by this U9 team (although it wasn't clear that it was intentional, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt). Elliott, Aaron and Jonathan formed a formidable midfield trio which prevented any opposition score while they were all on the pitch. Their combination of speed, dogged tenacity and accurate distribution provided the platform for North's try scorers. North were able to run in and push over a good collection of tries spread through the team, with the usual suspects featuring. Noteworthy also was the first competitive try by Jaden - congratulations. It looks like we have another speedster in the squad. Well done guys, this season's results are looking very respectable now after a slow start; let's see if we can continue this run of form to the end of the season. Oh, but we've got the tour yet …er…um… Today's triumphant squad was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Cameron, Elliott, Isaac, Jack, Jaden, Jonathan, Oliver and Phoebe. North Bristol U9s Vs Frampton Cotterell U9s - 2nd March 2008 Match One 0:7 Match Two 5:3 For a while it looked like Frampton were going to complete their double over North…but they hadn't prepared themselves for Bill and Ben. In the 'warm-up' match, which everyone knows is not to be taken too seriously; North performed to their customary ploy of gently shaking off the coco pops while letting the opposition wear themselves out - hence the firth match score line. But after the first match just as the Frampton supporters started to use the word 'rout' a little too freely along came North's not very secret weapons Bill and Ben. A hat trick of powerful push over tries by Ben added to Billy's two solo sprints from deep provided the five tries to three which brought victory once more to the U9s. At the end of play it seemed that North's U9s had won the world cup (at least) judging by the celebrations. It may have been a coincidence but the "…and don't forget the Champaign…" did seem to be a little louder and more jubilant the second time around. Well done North and congratulations also to Jaden on his competitive debut. This week another huge North Bristol squad of sixteen was available to the coaches. This proves yet again how the touch challenges are not shirked by this spirited bunch. Today's victorious squad was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Elliot, Harrison, Jack, Jaden, Jonathan, Keeley, Max, Michael, Oliver and Phoebe. North Bristol U9s Vs Shipston U9s - 16th February 2008 Match One 2:7 Match Two 2:4 North were outplayed by a well drilled touring team. In the fist game Shipston's superior positional discipline and ball handling showed how easily North could be thwarted during their attacking and how easily they could be breached during defending. On a positive note there was a hint of some previously untapped potential within the North squad when Ben S introduced himself to the scrum half position with some success. This maybe demonstrates how North's players are now developing a deeper understanding of the game which is good to see and is to be built upon. North still have much work to do however on distribution during their attaching phases as well as recovery from rucks. Super Sunday can't come soon enough! Today's squad was Aaron, Ben C, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Elliot, Harrison, Jonathan, Keeley and Michael. Minchinhampton U9s Vs North Bristol U9s - 10th February 2008 Match One 0:3 Match Two 1:1 Match Three 2:0 What a fantastic day! In the bright early spring sunshine at this away fixture set everybody into the frame of mind to enjoy some good rugby. Two well matched teams shared the spoils over three games which allowed all available players to enjoy plenty of time on the pitch. The players from both sides all seemed to have a great time attaching, defending, counter attacking and so on to produce some highly entertaining and good quality play. Of particular note was the trio of Aaron, Ben G and Jonathan who collectively ran the midfield zone when they were on the pitch together in the first game. This workmanlike combo very effectively stifled Minch and allowed three tries to be run in by North's speedsters in the first game. Also showing useful contributions during the games were Phoebe and Keeley who both added attaching flair and elegance. The second of the games resulted in a closely fought draw, with the third providing Minch with a victory which North couldn't begrudge. All in all this was a compelling and hugely entertaining fixture well done to everybody. The Minchinhampton hospitality even managed to top last year. A literal mountain of hot dogs greeted the players after the matches and was consumed ferociously by the well deserving players. Today's squad was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Harrison, Isaac, Jack, Jonathan, Keeley, Oliver, and Phoebe. North Bristol U9s Vs Gordano U9s - 27th January 2008 North Bristol U9s Vs Cleve U9s Match One 3:1; Match Two 1:8 This first victory of the year came as a result of some outstanding play by North. The Gordano match provided the long awaited opportunity for the squad's excellent training to be put into action. Defensive duties were undertaken with vigour with a series of rucks, mauls and tackles which could easily have been acceptable at higher age group rugby. The tackle of the day was performed by Aaron, which when added to his two tries made his selection of North's man of the match indisputable. In the second match Cleve provided a much stiffer test for North, completing their home and away double as expected; but nothing can detract from the improvement of North's growing bunch of U9 players who appear now to be developing into a force to be reckoned with. Today the coaches faced selection problems in that a huge squad of fit and fearless U9s, all eager to get between the cones, were available. This kind of selection 'problem' is testament to the atmosphere in the squad and at the club in general - long may it continue. Today's squad of seventeen (!) was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Cameron, Elliott, Harrison, Isaac, Jack, Jonathan, Keeley, Max, Michael, Oliver, and Phoebe. Sunday 27th January NBRFC U10 Wow! Sunday saw the U10 side find their winning form in some style! Oaklands was overrun with Junior players and the car park ran out of space as North hosted a three way match day against Gordano and Cleve. North Bristol split into two teams to give continuity in the games and both teams did the coaches proud. First up, North took on Gordano and took the game to them giving a brilliant display of teamwork and unselfish play as the ball was passed between the players and off loaded cleanly when going into a tackle. This resulted in a win for North by 9 tries to 1 and a very excited sideline of parents who were thoroughly enjoying watching the team play this well. Not to mention the two 'front row' coaches who couldn't stop grinning as North scrummaged powerfully against Gordano winning the ball time and time again. Scorers were: Toby (3), Kayne L.(2), Tom (2) and Will (2) but this really was a superb team effort. Next, whilst Gordano took on Cleve, the other half of the North squad played Aretians who were surprise additional opponents on the day! Again, North scrummaged powerfully and played an excellent team game, resulting in a win by 4 tries to 1 and by now the North spectators were far too excited. To see the team play together so well is really encouraging and to see so many players scoring tries shows that this success was all about teamwork. Scorers were: Jay (2), Ashley, and Steve (our scorer on the day) got a bit confused but thinks the final try was scored by Billy in his first ever match in a North Bristol shirt (or any shirt for that matter!) Well done Billy and welcome to North Bristol. Next, North took on Gordano again, only this time Gordano sought revenge and fielded a very strong (and huge) side. North were tiring a bit at this stage, a couple of players had to leave early as well as an injury or two meant that this time Gordano ran out winners at 5 tries to 0 The final game saw North take on Cleve in another thrilling encounter where once again North looked strong and played well as a team. Cleve took the honours 4 tries to 1 in a game which was closer than the score reflected. Scorer: Max A massive well done to the whole squad - you were great - let's keep the momentum going for Thornbury this week. - early nights on Saturday please. Allen & Martin North Bristol U11s v Gordano U11s With lots of people held up by the amount of traffic trying to get into the ground 9 hardy souls eventually lined up to take on Gordano. All of a sudden there was a whoosh and the 7th Cavalry arrived in the shape of reinforcements from Aretians to bolster our numbers in the form of Mitchell, Corrie and Tyler and what a wondefull set of players they were. The game kicked off and we were well into our stride and the move of the match from North soon ensued. North secured their own lineout and milo zipped the ball out which then proceeded to zing through the backs with Kieran hitting the line at pace from full back. Unfortunately for North Kieran was tackled 10 meters from the try line and the attack fizzled out. Things were looking really good in the set piece with North's pack scrummaging really well but weak tackling allowed Gordano in for a good score in the corner. Kieran still protest that he held the ball up but Dan Dan the referee man was on the spot and decided the try was good. John kicked off well but North were soon under pressure again from weak tackling but Kieran pulled off the tackle of the match this time in the left hand corner and from the ensuing 5 meter scrum John pulled off a fine kick to clear our lines, in fact John kicked exceptionally well all day. In the second half North really took it to Gordano with some fine running from all the backs, a tenacious drive from Michael took practically the whole of Gords with him but the meter and half rule drive was adjudged (correctly) to have been breached and a scrummage was awarded. This was a great game to watch with all North players playing so much better than they have in the past. A huge round of applause is reserved for Tyler, Corrie and Mitchell for some terrific play and of course Gordano for being worthy opponents. Score Gordano 1 try North Bristol 0 North Bristol U11s v Cleve U11s With the adrenalin still pumping through their veins Cleve were up and looking menacing. After the children had performed a pile on top of Phil, the housewives favourite took to the field with his whistle and we were off. Michael unfortunately had to go home so the smallest player on the pitch, Milo, took over at Loose Head Prop and Tyler moved to scrum half. John kicked off to Cleve who then passed it to a child the size of Sebastian Chabal who charged down the wing brushing off everyone in his wake and Cleve were one try up. There were many barnstorming runs from the backs again with Tyler taking everyone in his stride but as with the first game you will only win by passing. All of the guys have a lot to learn about running with the ball in two hands with their heads up so they can pass!!!!! Tyler's presence eventually told when he piled in over the line to level the score. Unfortunately Cleve managed to run in another fine try and at this point Stevan had to go off with a sore finger. Cleve agreed that North could then play one down from the U12s to play as prop and the game got back into its swing. Kieran then decided that it was time for him to get in on the act and a scintillating run down the left wing saw him power in for a great score. Phil had had to warn North about high tackles early on and a powerfull promising run from Reece was cut short by a dangerous tackle but the ref let advantage be played and 3 or 4 phases of attacking play from North ensued and Kieran dotted down in the corner. North now started to really preasure Cleve's line but Tyler came back inside with an two man overlap begging on the left and somehow dropped the ball over the line - remember guys PASS THE BALL!!!! Score Cleve 2 tries North Bristol 3 tries Match Report North Bristol U7s V's Cleve U7's 27th January 2008 Pitch 1: With the U7's squad split in 2 the team on pitch 1 also had to contend with a new coach! A big thank you to Paul for stepping up from the unicorns. And what a baptism for all concerned as 1st up were Cleve. With memories of our last encounter fresh in everyone's minds North had to start strongly. Captain Sarah won the toss and Clara set the tone by quickly scoring in the first half to give North Bristol the lead. Cleve then equalised followed quickly by another North score by Toby who dodged all the way up the pitch and then another by Josh. Cleve then scored again and Jacques finished the first half with an amazing run up the wing to score again. Half time and North were in the lead 4 - 3. Cleve scored the first of the second half with Toby streaking in again for his 2nd try of the day. Cleve then scored twice more to finish the game as a draw. Honourable mentions go to Ryan and Thomas on making their club debut - both did extremely well. The final score: North Bristol 5 Cleve 5 North Bristol Scorers Clara 1 Toby 2 Josh 1 Jacques 1 Pitch 2: The other half of the U7's squad also opened up against Cleve. Unfortunately North Captain Archie lost the toss and Cleve were quickly into their stride opening the scoring. Not to be disheartened North were straight back into the game with Zack finishing in the corner. The tone was set for a see saw match - each time Cleve scored North battled back to equalise. First Tilly finished a run up the left wing, and then Archie took the direct route through the massed ranks of the Cleve defence to the amazement of the watching North parents. Cleve once again took the lead and with time running out North were looking for a score. Up stepped Verity with a run around the back of the rest of the North team and score in the corner with the last run of the game. The final score: North Bristol 4 Cleve 4 North Bristol Scorers Zack 1 Tilly 1 Archie 1 Verity 1 Match Report North Bristol U7s V's Gordano U7's 27th January 2008 Pitch 1: Captain Josh Little won the toss but the ball was lost and Gordano were first to score. In only his 2nd game for North a brilliant run from Ryan - a testament to the Unicorn Coaching team - opened the scoring for North. North were straight back into it and a run from Jacques took North into the lead. Gordano then followed to bring the score back to the level again for the end of the first half. Toby started the scoring in the second half, Gordano then followed with another try followed by a spectacular run by Jacques for his 2nd of the match. Gordano then scored again followed by yet another Jacques spectacular. Once again Gordano scored to bring the score level. Jacques, however, had not finished and with a Gallic shrug of the shoulders went on to score the final try of the game taking North into the lead. The coaches are thinking of asking Jacques mum to provide breakfast for the whole squad next week! Unfortunately Sam had a try disallowed in the second half as he was tagged just short of the line. The final score: North Bristol 6 Gordano 5 North Bristol Scorers Ryan 1 Jacques 4 Toby 1 Pitch 2: Fresh from their rest, as Cleve took on Gordano, North Bristol took to the pitch ready to take on Gordano. Captain Joe Cogram strode forward for the toss and yet again a North Captain was successful. Unfortunately, in a mirror image to pitch 1 the balls was lost and after a good pick up Gordano were in for the first score. Determined to lead from the front Joe was first to score for North and the teams were level. Gordano scored 2 unanswered tries before North were able to respond through Verity - an inspired run up the wing and a dive to the line. Gordano were quick to respond and it was beginning to look like the rest had worked against North. Iona - boot laces now firmly tied - tried to buck the trend with a fine score but Gordano were able to score with the final score of the match. The final score: North Bristol 3 Gordano 5 North Bristol Scorers Joe 1 Verity 1 Iona 1 Cleve U9s Vs North Bristol U9s - 25th November 2007 Match One 8:0; Match Two 4:0 It is difficult to take many positives from this encounter except perhaps two things; North's U9s were twice as good in the second game as the first, since they lost by half the amount; and the truly excellent and consistent tackling from Oliver. Oliver received much praise from his coaches and from both sets of spectators as the stand-out player for North on this occasion. He delivered a master class in textbook tackling which many could learn from. Plenty of work still needs to be done in training to turn this trend in results around; not least on the running skills within the squad. Today the pace within the team was severely tested when it was realised that Jonathan had a head start on the run-in to the clubhouse for post match hot dogs! Today's squad of eleven was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Ben S, Billy, Harrison, John, Jonathan, Michael, Oliver, and Phoebe. North Bristol U9s Vs Thornbury U9s - 18th November 2007 Match One 2:5; Match Two 3:2 "… I'm Ben and so is my wife…" It has long been said that what this squad really needed was another player named Ben; three simply wasn't enough. This week, however, Ben D arrived to bolster the backs line and made a noteworthy debut providing additional steel in defence and strong running in attack. The weather for this fixture was difficult for the spectators, so must have been tough for the brave players. North U9s started the first of the two fixtures in their usual 'relaxed' manner, but it soon became apparent that there had been a subtle change. The team has at last begun to capitalise on their collective strengths using pace, support, strength and perseverance to break down the opposition's attacks and make good use of their own attacking phases. The best attacking move of either of the two matches was an unstoppable four pass try scoring move involving Phoebe, Elliott, Jonathan and Try scorer Aaron; proving once and for all that teamwork works. Harrison also notched up his first competitive try - well done! Defensive duties were also carried out with collective success. After the first victory of the season Elated Head Coach David was quoted as saying "The defence at times was monumental … can't think of many junior teams who collectively pushed the opposition back off their own try line - I think it was twice! ... absolutely awesome!" There was much to celebrate from this fixture, good work guys, I think we are on the edge of something here. Today's winning squad was Aaron, Ben C, Ben D, Billy, Cameron, Elliott, Harrison, Isaac, John, Jonathan, Michael, Oliver, and Phoebe. North U11 V Gordano 4th November 2007 It's a bit hard to write a match report when the opposition have provided almost a 3rd of your team but there were some great positives along with the usual negatives. Many thanks to Gordano for loaning us players and the first game was off with North kicking straight into Gordano's hands and the biggest kid on the park line up one of the smallest but stand up Charlie Fettis just got into his contact position and over his shoulder he went. The game carried on in the same vein for Charlie and for the first time ever he muttered the eternal phrase "No one else is tackling dad" and they weren't. Some of the people that you'd put your house on to make a tackle didn't and we were soon 3 down but then the team got into action with a great pick and drive by Kieran saw him go over the line which galvanised the team and the tackles started to come in and the rucking improved.. In the second half North battered the Gordano try line only to be held up 3 times. We still didn't pass!!!!! famous last words from the coach were when we pass we win when we don't we lose. Gordano on the other hand had the ball gliding between their hands and played some sumptious rugby. The second game saw a massive improvement on the first with the two on one tackle perfomed by Milo and Reece on the pacey winger was a peach. As I mentioned at the end the positives outweighed the negatives but oh I wish they'd pass.......... North Bristol V Gordano U7 4th November 2007 Game 1 Well what can I say! Our 3rd game of the season and yet another new experience for our team. The team adapted quickly however and started strongly having been asked to start the game playing up the hill. 2 weeks of training started to pay off and the players were much more confident in their ability to pass the ball to their team mates. Once again we had a great turnout - after finding somewhere to park - and had a regular flow of substitutes. Zack James- Knights came on early in the first half and made an immediate impact. Those regulars at training are used to seeing Zacks' dancing feet but this time they were coupled with a decisive turn of speed to score the first try of the game however North were left mystified by the 3 unanswered tries scored by Gordano. North Bristol 1 Gordano 3 North Bristol Scorers Zack James-Knights 1 Game 2 North scored 2 tries in each half Archie Payne - cruelly denied a 1st half hatrick and Sam Flay in opposite corners in the first half. With Jacques Dondoua taking the "Chabal" route up the middle early in the 2nd half and Josh Little taking a mazy run to the line. The stand out moment of the game came in the 2nd half as Zack refused to pass until his team mates were behind him - well done Zack! RUN FORWARD PASS BACK -there are plenty more stickers' available guys. This was by far the teams' best performance of the season so far with all players showing increased skills and loads of spirit. The Final Score: North Bristol 4 Gordano 5 North Bristol Scorers Archie Payne 1 Sam Flay 1 Jaques Dondoua 1 Josh Little 1 Gordano U9s Vs North Bristol U9s - 4th November 2007 This fixture will be remembered for one thing; the 'arrival' of Ben C into his natural habitat - Full Contact Rugby. Despite carrying a nasty injury picked up in the pre-match warm-up training, Ben fought through the pain barrier to lead the team with an awesome display of forward power. The fireworks began as Ben almost single-handedly drove the Gordano massed defence virtually the length of the pitch to allow North's speedy backs to run in a well executed try. Not only in attack was North's 'MOTM' notable though, probably the best technically executed tackle so far this season was performed to thwart one of several attacking moves by Gordano. Unfortunately, despite highly productive forward play, North were unable to stifle all of the Gordano attempts and sadly leaked a few tries too many. The crowd could not fail to be impressed however at the marked improvement in North's play in general. The handling errors have reduced, willingness to support and work for the greater good and spatial awareness of teammates during open play are all improving thanks to the expert coaching the lads & lasses are now obviously benefiting from. Well done to the squad comprising: Aaron, Ben C, Billy, Cameron, Elliott, Harrison, John, Jonathan, Oliver and Phoebe. Rarely, if ever, has an U9 player been applauded off the pitch during a well earned tactical substitution. Ben C certainly deserved it, a star is born… North Bristol U9s Vs St. Brendan's Old Boys - 14th October 2007 More hard lessons were learned by the U9s as SBOB showed how teamwork triumphs over individual endeavour every time. North's approach of solo tap'n'go ran into massed defence each time, which without immediate and close support, was bound to end in either a penalty for holding on or otherwise a turnover. This allowed an embarrassment of tries to be scored by SBOB's team of players in both matches played. Some signs of latent potential did come to light late on, however, as William and Jonathan combined to tackle SBOB's ball carrier from their lineout, which resulted in an opportunity for Ben G to rip the ball away from the opposition and powerfully run in a deserved try - much more of the same teamwork needed lads & lasses. North Bristol's U9s squad this week was: Aaron, Ben C, Ben G, Ben S, Billy, Cameron, Elliott, Harrison, Isaac, Jonathan, Keeley, Max, Michael, Oliver and William. (By the way SBOB stands for 'St. Brendan's Old Boys' not SpongeBob SquarePants - if you were wondering) North Bristol V's St Brendan's U7 team 14 October 2007 Match 1 Another great turn out with 14 of our 15 strong U7 squad turning out. Apologies to Charlie Stagg - we will remember you are an U7 this week! The second match of the season and North Bristol's first home game. The team received their first pre game talk from a referee and all of them listened intently as he explained all the rules. I really do mean ALL! They were all a bit thunderstruck that there were rules they were meant to be sticking to other than run forward and pass back and did struggle to pull it together early on. St. Brendan's started quickly and raced to an early lead. North played themselves back into the game with a try on home debut for Zack James-Knights and a much talked about try from Katherine Cleary. Jo Cogram carried on his try scoring form from the previous week but the final score was: North Bristol 3 St. Brendans 7 North Bristol scorer's Zack James-Knights 1 Joe Cogram 1 Katherine Cleary 1 Match 2 North Bristol started much better in their second game as they adjusted to the intensive refereeing style. The offside rule being repeatedly explained throughout the game. The team started taking their time to pass under instruction from the referee and enjoyed long periods of possession. St Brendans were quick to pounce on dropped ball and raced away several times to score breakaway tries. Obviously enjoying the feeling of scoring Zack was again on the scoreboard. This had the effect of spurring on all our new comers with none of our "old stager" getting on the board this time. Both Clara Gray and Iona Antwis scored short distance tries finishing of a period of territorial dominance. With Toby Dawkins taking the long way round to the try line scoring in the top right corner. All scorers looking to their parents with big cheesy grins! The final score was: North Bristol 5 St. Brendans 8 North Bristol Scorer's Zack James-Knights 1 Clara Gray 1 Iona Antwis 2 Toby Dawkins 1 North Bristol V's Frampton Cotterell U7 team 7 October 2007 Game 1 With 9 of the 13 strong U7 squad making their debuts North's players taking a while to warm into their first game of the season. Frampton Cotterell had been together for most of last season and they started quickly with North easing their way in to the game. With North's large squad the constant flow of substitutes meant the team didn't really settle until late 2nd half. North's more experienced players came to the fore as the game went on with a fine hat trick from Joe Cogram the stand out performance. The final score: Frampton Cotterell 9 North Bristol 4 North Bristol scorers Joe Cogram 3 Josh Little 1 Game 2 The second match of the day saw a great improvement from North and all players seemed more confident and sure with what they needed to do. North started much better in this game with some excellent tagging across the pitch keeping Frampton in check. Both teams were drawing 4 all for most of the 2nd half after 2 long distance strikes from North's new speedster Clara Gray. Unfortunately Frampton's experience showed with a winning try in the dying minutes. The final score: Frampton Cotterell 5 North Bristol 4 North Bristol scorers were: Clara Gray 2 Joe Cogram 1 Josh Little 1 North Bristol Unicorns train with Frampton Cotterell team 7 October 2007 An unexpected bonus on the first match day of the Under 7 season was a rare outing for the Unicorns, after enjoying a great training session there was a training game held between the two sides. So unexpected was the game that the coaches were unable to find a pen between them to record all the details so our apologies for missing some. Although surprised to be playing the unicorns did their club proud with 1 win and 1 loss. Everyone played fantastically well, each and every one of the squad showing great comradeship and sportsmanship and most importantly - having loads of fun. For most of the players this was their first time facing a line up of an opposing team. The coaches were amazed at how quickly the new recruits began to understand how the game was played - learning from their older tea mates. Each and every one of them ran their legs off. We did score a number of glorious tries, 12 in total, making both matches fun and exciting for players and spectators. Unfortunately that lack of pens came back to haunt the coaches and we weren't able to record all try scorers but both Charlie Hancock and Lewis Morris scored 2 tries on debut with Archie Payne weighing in with 5 more. At the pace the team is improving the U7's need to be looking over their shoulders already! Frampton Cotterell U9s Vs North Bristol U9s - 7th October 2007 The first competitive fixture for the new U9s squad was never going to be the easiest, especially against a well drilled Frampton Cotterell team on home soil. Attempting to emulate their National team's heroic encounter with the green and gold of Australia, North's Powerful pack led the team at scrum after scrum providing ample opportunity for our pacey back line. Unforced errors unfortunately allowed too much loose and turnover ball to go to the opposition who took pleasure in running in many well deserved tries. To North's credit though they never allowed their heads to drop and eventually scored their first full-contact competitive try through the fancy footwork of Aaron. Impressive debuts were had by Harrison, Isaac, John, Max and Michael all of whom showed their potential to enhance the bunch of seasoned players who represented the squad on the day: Aaron, Ben, Ben & Ben, Billy, Cameron, Jonathan, Oliver and William. Special mention goes to Cameron who attempted a last ditch tackle to prevent a try which was reminiscent of when Jonah Lomu trampled over Tony Underwood in the World Cup semi-final in 1995. Many lessons were learnt on this sunny Sunday, with our boys showing much promise for encounters yet to come; we might have lost but at least we didn't get knocked out of a world cup competition we were favourites to win! 30th Oct 2007 - Bernadettes 5 tries North Bristol 3 tries A combined Under 11 and 12 side played St. Bernadettes score St. Due to the lack of players within both the U11 and U12 age groups a decision was taken to combine both sides to play an U12 fixture against St. Bernadettes. The combination of the two sides looks to be developing very well as they took on a strong St. Bernadettes combination side. Congratulations must go to the Under 11's who made the step up to play in the age group above with particular mention going to Milo and Charlie who were the two smallest on the pitch but showed the way on how to tackle. The play was very positive and for the last ten minute of the first half and the first ten of the second North were in a different class and were very unlucky not to score. The St. B's play was focused on their forwards who were larger than North and ST. B gradually ground their way back into the game. Tries scored by George 1 and Josh 2 To all who played don't be down hearted we are a good side and when we get used to the way everyone plays we will be unbeatable. And at last they passed…… Concerned by the lack of passing between North Bristol’s U10s the coaches decided to return to TAG rugby with restrictions on the amount of time the children could run with the ball during training without passing. Sunday’s game showed the dividends of this thought process with a wonderful game of running rugby. North Bristol turned up at Gordano a man short (any boys and girls wishing to play rugby should contact the club) but not short of anything else to face a strong Gordano side who loaned an excellent player for both halves. North Bristol were first to score with the prolific Milo Lewis who scorched in for an early score. North employed a new defensive strategy and Captain Kieran Peacock marshalled them perfectly. With North’s scrummage dominant they enjoyed lots of possession but the difference was one of team play, passing and supporting. The move of the match was when the front row of Kieran Peacock, Charlie Fettis and Stevan Holt shunted the Gordano pack off their own ball (they were playing down hill) and a perfect pass from the base of the scrum found North with an overlap on the left which was finished off by Reece Peacock. This wasn’t just North’s day however as Gordano were full of powerful running, tackling, mauling and rucking but the spoils went to North with 7 tries to 5 victory. The result however wasn’t important as on the day it was rugby and enjoyment that had won. Both sets of parents would’ve willingly have paid to watch this game such was the commitment and team play displayed by both sets of players. Scorers: Milo Lewis, Keiran Peacock and Reece Peacock. North Bristol’s man of the match was the team with stand out man being Stevan Holt. 15th October - North Bristol U10s 2 St.Brendans 0 What an unusual day with North having 10 men for the first time this season and Charlie Fettis only moaning at the ref for a quarter of the game and not the full one. This was a great game of rugby to watch. North were very indecisive to begin with and seemed reluctant to tackle whilst trying despertaly to wrestle the ball out ouf Brendans hands who were having none of it. The game ebbed and flowed and then the tackles began to flow the best by far was by John Derrick. Brendans began a terrific move passing the ball in midfield and one their dynamos stepped inside and went hurtling down the wing. A great try was on it's way but John Derrick said no way, crouched into his contact position and over his shoulder he went. At this time the likes of Tom Jeal were coming into their own making good runs and refusing to let the ball be wrested away from him and Reece was mauling everything in sight. The scrummage practice was coming into it's own and Brendans were pushed off their own ball frequently but North were still a bit unsure of what to do with it at the back of the scrum. Now came a sublime moment when Kieran put his head down and the rocket was employed with one man bound onto him and then about another 4 bound on perfectly and drove practically the length of the pitch. Unfortunately the Continuum states that you are only allowed to drive 1.5 meters at this level but it was beautiful to see anyway. The match eventually turned round at 0-0 at half time but it was more of the same in the second half with Brendans matching North play for play but North's rucking and driving paid dividends and eventually Reece went over for a well deserved score. It was now time to ring the changes and Charlie went off to be replaced by Stevan Holt for his debut and Harry slipped seamlessly into the Hooker berth. We were off again with Stevan playing stoutly with good runs and tackles. Unfortunately Mike got hurt and Charlie came back on again at Scrum Half with Kenny coming on for Milo. The tempo was upped by both sides and when North won another scrum Charlie picked up at the base and started weaving his way through the defence until he was well tackled but as he went down he executed a perfect pass out to Kieran who strolled in for a great score. I could go on all day saying how well each individual guy got on but I'd be here all day and there was another game to come. Role of Honour: Milo, Kieran, Reece, Mike, Stevan, Kenny, Charlie, Tom, Harry and Joseph 21/10/2006 - St Brendans The under 9's introduction to contact was completed with a trip to Coombe Dingle to meet St Brendans. We played one match, 15 minutes each way and unfortunately, continuity was a problem as rolling subs came into play for the first time. Re-organising the team after players went on and came off was an issue, and St. Brendans ran out 7-2 winners with Joe and Ashley scoring our tries. North played some excellent flowing rugby at times and were unlucky not to get the tries the performance deserved. Credit to St Brendans who were playing their first contact match, and took their chances well. A special mention goes to Jack who went on a one man charge up the middle of the pitch taking half of the St Brendans players with him, and to Joe for a great covering tackle, coming from one wing to the other to save a certain try, great stuff! Matches in successive weeks is a tough start, as the coaches can't get the players back on the training ground in between to work on the problem areas. As the players get used to the changes, the performnances are getting better and North playing some good fluent rugby at times during this match without the rewards. Plenty to work on but an encouraging start to contact rugby. 14/10/2006 - Aretians and Dings Followiung a tough baptism against Longlevens, the under-9's played a double header the following Sunday at Aretians. First up were Aretians and an improved tackling display kept North in touch, but too many turnovers hurt the team and we eventually lost out 6-4 with Will scoring all four tries and putting in an excellent display of tackling. Alfie also get a mention for the most tackles by a North player. In the second match, we conceded too many turnovers again and were hit by some excellent running rugby from Dings (especially the girls) and we lost 5 -1, with Will scoring our only try. The tackling improved in game two but going forward, the players struggled to hold on to the ball in the tackle and were punished by strong opponents. A big improvement all round but still plenty to work on. 7/10/2006 - Longlevens The Under 9's first contact match was played in atrocious conditions against Gloucester side Longlevens. Torrential rain throughout made it hard for both teams (and the scorer!) and Longlevens nicked the first match 4 - 2 with North unluckily knocking-on twice when over the line. Our first tries of the new season came from from Joe and Will, with everyone trying really hard to get st ther opposition and make tackles.. The weather took it's toll on the North squad a we were reduced to 9 players for the whole second match. This took it's toll and Longlevens made full use of their large squad to keep things fresh and they ran out comfortable winners. Credit to everyone for keeping going right to the end despite a heavy defeat. A tough start with plenty to work on in the tackle and ruck areas. North Bristol Under 7's Tour - 2006 The under 7's arrived at Topsham Rugby Club on the morning of Sunday 2 April, excited to be finally getting in some game time. After the previous day's entertainment at Crealy Adventure Park and subsequent gathering at the Cat & Fiddle, it would have been understandable if the tourists were feeling a little jaded. However there was no sign of this as the under 7's were put through their paces by the coaching team, (who themselves were showing no signs of the previous days activities!), and began their pre-match warm up routine. After moving away from their training area the Under 7's were greeted by the sight of a pitch that stretched away into the distance, (during their pre-match jog round the outside of the pitch this reporter lost sight of them for a good 5 minutes!!), and included a very steep gradient. Add to this the biting wind that was sweeping across the pitch and the slight drizzle that began to fall as kick off approached, the spectators huddled together in keen anticipation for the game to commence. North under 7's Squad: Billy Phoebe Will Aaron Jonathan Elliot Louis James Harry Ben Josh Match 1 North v Topsham Topsham kicked off and quickly moved into the lead despite playing up the slope. North soon got possession and after a great run by Aaron the ball was won by Topsham. Some great tagging by the team saw the game approach hafltime with North scoring one try through Aaron, although Topsham had scored 4 tries. The second half saw North playing up the slope but despite this North quickly made light work with Elliot scoring a great try in the corner. Some great interplay between Jonathan and Will saw the ball being passed out to Billy who made a run to the line to score North's third try. After a nasty collision Elliot left the field to be replaced by Louis whom, along with Phoebe, James, and Harry upped the work rate and started tagging everything in a blue shirt. As the game entered the final third Topsham ran in two late tries and after great team play Aaron went over for his second and North's fourth try of the game. A knock on from Topsham resulted in turnover ball for North who, through great interplay between Louis and Phoebe, saw North make some good territory however the final whistle blew before further progress could be made. Final Score, North 4, Topsham 7. Summary: A bruising encounter that saw North battling against the elements and the physical presence of their hosts in a sporting, good-natured contest. Match 2 North V Exmouth Cockles North kicked off and after a quick dart in midfield an excellent try was scored by Aaron. Some great defense by North including a diving tag by Will saw the tourists hold out Exmouth for a couple of minutes. Exmouth eventually replied with a try of their own but North soon regained the lead after a long run to the far off try line by Billy. Some excellent tagging by North followed and despite a further collision involving Elliot with his opposite number, he bravely stays on the field of play. After some excellent support play, Phoebe manages to firstly trick the opponents and then make a dash for the try line to extend North's lead to 3 tries to 1. Exmouth started to increase the pressure on North's defence and despite some huge efforts by Harry and Jonathan who tagged away at their opponents, Exmouth managed to score a further try. Aaron proceeded to go on a further darting run and scored a try that saw North go into halftime with a 4-2 lead. Exmouth got off to a fantastic start in the second half by scoring a try however North responded by working together to put Billy away for his second try of the game. North had the bit between their teeth now and soon won possession and only narrowly missed out on scoring another try when Aaron was tagged in the corner just short of the try line. North made a quick substitution 2 minutes from time that saw James getting a further run out. North applied further pressure as they looked to extend their lead however Exmouth won the ball and broke away for their fourth and final try. Some further excellent interplay between North players saw Aaron go over for another try. Final Score - North 6, Exmouth Cockles 4. Summary A further excellent game that saw North hold on to get their first win of the tour. Match 3 North v Topsham After the final whistle the North players went to the clubhouse to re-energise, (the burgers were lovely!), and to continue their preparation for their final re-match with Topsham. Unfortunately, by this time, your reporter had frostbite, (well, its hard to write and eat a hot dog at the same time!!), and was unable to fully record the events of the final game. However, following a great all round team performance, North were seconds away from snatching a victory against their hosts but in the end settled for a 6-6 draw. We all the returned to the clubhouse to enjoy the hospitality of our hosts and to relax prior to our return to Bristol. A fantastic Tour was had by all the under 7's and our thanks go to the club for making this all happen. A special mention to Phil for organising the tour and to David and Mike for their coaching and support not only this weekend but all season. Keynsham U15s 27 v North U15s 0 On a cold overcast morning North Bristol U15s travelled to Keynsham for the first time and participated in a hard physical game. The forwards dominated the game for the first 20 minutes with no team able to take the ascendancy. As neither team had met previously it appeared that each set of forwards were testing the other for weaknesses. Eventually North Bristol cracked due to not getting sufficient players to the breakdown and Keynsham were able to overturn possession on three occasions in rapid succession and scored well developed tries. Notwithstanding this set back, North Bristol came out full of confidence in the second half and for a full 20 minutes dominated the field with some exceptional forward play. Moreover, North spent some five to ten minutes camped on the opposition line; however, ‘white-line’ fever by a number of players denied then the opportunity to reduce the difference in the score line. Again, in the latter part of the match Keynsham responded with two more tries the last coming from a set move with the blind side winger receiving the ball inside from outside half and penetrating North Bristol’s defence. Despite North not getting on the score sheet the game was enjoyed by players and spectators from both sides with displays of skill, enthusiasm and sportsmanship well in evidence. This was one of the better performances from the U15s especially the forwards with a couple of lads having an outstanding game. A strong win in the near future is in the offing and expected. North U10s 5 Chipping Sodury 7 We now seem to have a strong core of players who regularly turn up for the matches. This week we concentrated on our fastest players, lead by George and admirably supported by Shaun, Junior and Ben. The idea was for these players to carry the ball as far forward as possible, relying on the rapid arrival of support from each other when it was necessary. Luke provided the power base on the opposite side of the pitch supported by Kieran, and two of the under nines, whilst Kyle took up position as full back. Additionally we worked on three strategies for possessing the ball at each kick off, and tactics for secretly communicating the choice of strategy with all the team. In the first half this strategy worked with all players knowing their positions, and there was a demonstration of good support and defence from all the team. Gorge performed well making a number of tries, and by the end of the first half the position was 4-3 to North Bristol. Unfortunately the team did not show as much control and self discipline in the second half, with cold and tiredness setting in. Chipping Sodbury came back strongly, retaking the advantage with some powerful play and the game ended with a score of 7-5 to Chipping Sodbury. The game showed that we must make tackles quickly and effectively - primarily going for the legs and not relying on the shirts! Additionally the squad must get use to closing down the opposition as soon as the whistle goes, and the opposition can build momentum. Finally the team can not afford to rely on one or two players in the maul, as there were one or two occasions when players were standing back, simply waiting for the opposition to break free (this handed them possession on a number of occasions). Overall the team played well and the use of tactics was very successful in a number of disciplined moves and set pieces. North U9s 0 Chipping Sodbury 9/10s 5 This was a fantastic game of rugby and although the oppostion were a very good team the score flattered Sodbury. The North Tackle count for the day was 53!!!! of which Kieran was the top tackler by a country mile - well done fella. Debuts for Kennedy Jones and Thomas Jeal meant that North for the first time ever had sufficient players to field a substitute. Both Sodbury and North played some scintillating rugby and were a credit to both clubs. The coaching team to a man was proud of this performance as North took on older boys and stood their ground magnificently. I could pick out storming individual performances but I won't as this was as ever a team performance. North U7s 12 Chipping Sodbury 10 On a very cold morning the under-8's played one game against a combined Chipping Sodbury 7's and 8's. A wide pitch ensured a high scoring game but a couple of early errors probably cost us the game. Cold fingers coughed up the ball early on and the resulting Turnovers saw the team go 3-0 down but credit to everyone for getting stuck in and working hard to fight back to within a try, before finally going down down 12-10. One game meant all thirteen players were used. Straight running and good support play from everyone ensured a close game although tagging was difficult on such a large pitch, which gave all the players lots of space to run in to. Try scorers on the day were Sam (3), Ashley and Joe (2 each) and one apiece for Ben, Max and Toby. Bristol v North Bristol The under 8's took on a very young Bristol side at the impressive indoor facility at the Wise Campus on 12th February 2006. North came through as comfortable winners 13-8 in match 1 and 8-6 in match 2. Credit goes to a relatively inexperienced Bristol team who worked hard, never gave up and played some excellent rugby. For North, everyone played their part and whilst not everyone scored lots of tries or made tags, the teamwork and support play were excellent. Toby, Ben and Ashley all made a number of incisive breaks but were tagged close to the line, however the support was on hand and a quick offload ensured tries were scored and few chances were missed. A good all round performance from everyone, and our Trys came from Tom, who weighed in with 7, Sam, Alfie and Toby 3 each, Joe and Peter 2 each and Ashley 1. Notable Taggers were Tom 12, Joe 7, Stuart and Sam 6. North U9s 3 Saracens U9s 5 The pitch was heavy and the fog was down but if you'd had to pay for this match you wouldn't have been shortchanged. Both North and Sarries had decided to listen to their coaches and a most enthralling game took place. There isn't enough superalatives available to get in about both teams but it started badly for North who after winning the toss weren't switched on enough and the ball was knocked on straight away. From the resulting scrum Sarries hurtled in for a fine try in the corner and North from now on were playing catch up. The tackling from both sets of players was outstanding and the ref hardly had to put his whistle to his mouth with Reece Peacock running out as the gold medal winner for tackling on the day with Milo winning the tackle of the day. Apart from those two the rest of the guys put in great tackles with Harry, Patxi, Kieran, Charlie and John proving their mettle. The presentation of the ball was sweet and the mauling was terrific, to see Charlie go into really heavy traffic and to come spinning out with the ball was immense and then you had Kieran who was showing that he listens at training and was using his shoulders to get more power an agression into the maul situation. Sarries kept coming and coming and North were matching play for play and half time arrived with North 3-2 down. Kieran's second try was a perfect execution of determination and controlled agression as he put his head down and kept his legs pumping to cross the whitewash. Shortly after half time Kieran's third try brought the scores level but Sarries superb recycling had North constantly tackling and the pressure told after a period of time with Sarries scoring a further two fine tries. This was a great advertisement for the age group and a huge thanks must go to Sarries for arriving in the fog and giving us a great game - and some coaching tips after the game. Under 10’s North Bristol 4 Avonmouth 5 The match against Avonmouth, I felt, was a real character builder - fewer tries than usual through open play, and conversely lots of rucks and mauls (resulting in many off side calls) and well balanced teams. Avonmouth had the advantage at the start of the game, whilst North Bristol took time to get that team spirit in place, possibly due to two Avonmouth players (Josh and Charlie) joining in order to make up numbers. Despite this North Bristol scored the first try; but at the half time we were down three tries to one. The North Bristol team were intimidated by the high tackles, and as referee I had to speak to both teams in order to control this element of dangerous play. The second half, was if, possible a tougher period. Both Josh and Charlie were accepted by the team and added greatly to the skills and efforts of North Bristol especially blocking Avonmouth’s rolling mauls and actually ripping and repossessing the ball. In the final moments of the game George gave a magnificent effort in a scrappy maul, won the ball and ran the entire length of the pitch to score a superlative try. The final score did not reflect the effort that North Bristol put into the final fifteen minutes of the game, and another five minutes might have provided an entirely different score with the team fired with the enthusiasm and confidence that should be shown at the beginning of a match! The under 8's played Avonmouth on a very soggy pitch and credit to both sides for playing some excellent rugby with a ball that must felt like a bar of soap. Both teams moved the ball well and looked to take the game to the opposition at every opportunity. North went down 8-7 in game one, losing to a try scored on the last play of the game, which was tough on the team after they fought back from two tries down at half-time to draw level late on. Tries came from Alfie and Joe (2 each), Tom, Ashley and Emma - her first competitive try for the club, and hopefully not the last. The second match ended in a 7-7 draw. North Bristol were never behind in the game, but Avonmouth scored a late try to force a tie. Tries from Ben, Joe, Will (2) and a special mention for Peter (2) and Max, who joined Emma in scoring their first tries for North Bristol. Everyone contributed and the team seems to be getting better week by week, but the highlight was the incredible improvement in tagging in this game. Tom (12) and Ashley (11) lead the way with great support from Stuart (8) and Sam and Thomas with 5 each, whilst everyone else weighed in with at least one tag each. Credit to North for the awesome tagging display across both games, and for forcing turnover ball on the 7th tag on a few occasions - overall I think the players got more tags in these two games than the entire season to date-Keep it up! 20th November 2005 On a cold and foggy morning, the Under 8's took on Aretians in one match only, and ran out 7 - 5 winners. Having lost Joe to a back injury in the warm-up (hope you are feeling better Joe) North had 13 players to cram in to one match, Coach Coggrem decided to field two seperate teams playing one half each with Thomas staying on for the second half as he played such a good game iin the first. After losing the first half 4-2, Aretians showed up well in the second and each team scored three tries each in an even contest. From the side-lines it looked like everything the coaches are working on in training is coming together on the pitch. The organisation was much improved, everyone is running straighter lines and supporting well. We saw some excellent passing with the players moving the ball before the opposition tagged, creating space and running in some excellent tries. I think we even saw a side-step or two! Tries were shared out amongst Alfie (2) and one each for Ashley, Stuart, Will, Sam and Thomas. Top taggers were Tom, Ashley, Will and Sam with 3 each. Thanks as always to Aretians for fully contributing to a highly enjoyable match. U13 Norrth Bristol u13s travelled to Lydney in the Forest of Dean and some people nearly got lost in dense fog but arrived in just in time for the game. The team had a outstanding game with the lads really playing as a unit which was quite a shock for some of the watching parents but not the coaches. The coaches know that these are a great bunch of lads who are capable of playing this type of rugby. We kicked off and North were quickly into the game playing some hard flowing rugby. Athough finding it difficult to compete with North, who after two defeats on the trot had put in an immense amount of hard work with a lot to prove to themselves, Lydney fully contributed to a great game between these two fine teams. All North's tries were scored by the forwards who were really on great form. The games saw great scores by Nathan B scoring 2 from no.8 and 2 scored by Andre playing at flanker withthe other try scored by Jason "mad dog" Smith who told everybody back at the club about a hundred times each about it. Let's face it though, those of us who play in the forwards do tend to dine out on our scores. Only one score was converted by Ashley whohad a great game in the backs with Mike. Big mention goes to Josh playing his 1st game at fly half who controlled the game brilliantly. Well done the lads and many thanks to Lydney for a brilliant game. Lets hope we can carry on the spirit when we play Dursley at home next sunday the 27th of November 30th October 2005 Under 9s - Sunday was a day we thought would never happen. After threatening all week the heavens opened and after a quick call between the two clubs we decided to suck it and see and turn up. Just in time the deluge stopped and the guys started to dribble in and a rethink on tackling went into action to complement the work that had been started in previous weeks. Captain Reece Peacock won the toss and decided to attack first and North didn't look back from that point. The first up tackling and ripping the ball from Thornbury hands was just brilliant on the day and I hope the guys can take this forward week in week out. Every now and then a team hits peak form for that one game in a season and unfortunately for Thornbury this was North's game. Let nothing be taken away from Thornbury who were constantly running at North and recycling brilliantly from the tackle but everywhere they turned they were met by a wall of North Bristol defenders who where actually defending as a defensive line. Well done to Harry Emery for tackling like a demon and his fantastic touchline run which ended with him being pushed into the corner flag before he could score. Well done to Kieran Peacock who won the tackling gold medal for the match and Patxi who is growing with each match driving on and presenting the ball providing a perfect platform for the speedsters to be off and running plus his mauling which added an extra dimension. What game could go by without the ever present Milo Lewis who was mauling, tackling and scoring at an alarming rate. Charlie Fettis had a great touch down and made some sparkling runs through the defence. John Derrick was all over the place supporting and providing the extra man and making good runs. Last but not least Reece Peacock who also played a stunner with his attacking, scoring tries, defending and tackling. The defending was shown to be improving as Thornbury made some fantastic runs in the second half only to be denied at the last minute but still managed to go in for a great score in the corner. The main factor here today was that North worked as a team and talked to each other and tried their very hardest, with the result certainly being second behind the performance. We must at this stage thank George from Thornbury who graciously agreed to play tight head for us and provided that extra dimension in attack and defense - well done George you should be proud of yourself. Thornbury, as with all away teams, were then invited inside the clubhouse for a hotdog and this gave the opportunity for children who school with each other to but were briefly opponents to come together for some chat and banter. Thank you to Thornbury for contributing to a great day Aa combined U7/8's team played two games against Thornbury. The first game was a win, but depending on who you ask it was either 6 - 5 or 7 - 6. The ref. called it 6 - 5 and the NBRFC official statisticians reckon it was 7 - 6 but either way, the team performed really well in wet and windy conditions and in the unusual situation of playing 11-a-side! Notable performances from Tom (2 tries annd 2 tags), Alfie (1 try and 4 tags), Joe (2 tries) Emma (3 tags) and Aaron (2 tries). Thornbury took revenge in a tight second game, winning 7 - 6 or 6 - 5 again depending on who you ask! The team worked hard, with Emma and Aaron making some excellent breaks and Jonathan tagging very well. Billy weighed in with 3 great tries, with Joe (2) and Tom (2) picking up the other scores. Two excellent games between well-matched sides provided plenty of entertainment for the spectators with North showing improvements in all aspects of their game. Tagging is getting better with each match and the the coaches efforts week in, week out in training, are much appreciated by all. 16th Oct 2005 Under 9s - Sunday was a great day for playing rugby as the weather was again perfect and the guys spirits were high. This was shown by their eagerness to show off their arrowhead formation and then run with the ball passing and supporting each other - things were looking up. With the team arriving earlier it afforded us more time to prepare for the game and the new contact suits came out again and good pre-match session was held. North 3 - St Brendans 1. The first game kicked off with North looking really organised and effective immediately putting St. Brendans on the back foot. All the elements of improvement over the last two weeks were here for all to see with the whole team getting involved in a major effort. The defence was good, the organisation was good, the attack was good, the communication was good. Let's not get carried away however as there is still room for improvement and St. Brendans were also in this game a were by no means a walk over putting in some great work and making North and their noisy supporters worried on many an occasion. Scorers Milo Lewis and Kieran Peacock x 2 North 4 - St. Brendans 1 After a short rest and encouragement from the coaching staff of Desperate Dan and Weaksie the second game was more of the first with great play by all. Patje was taking the game to St.Brendans and standing up strongly in the tackle allowing the likes of Charlie to rip the ball out and spread it wide. There was great tackling from George, Reece and Harry, whilst all were running with the ball with purpose. Milo ran in for a good try, whilst Kieran scored twice more. The performance was capped off with John who scored his first try for the club. A special thank you to Dan, Dan the water man who put in a sterling effort making sure that the guys were rehydrated every time there was a break. Scorers Kieran x 2, John and Milo Under 8s The Under 8's played 2 matches against St Brendans on the morning of Sunday 16th October, and both were very tight, closely fought contests with North prevailing 6-5 in the first, followed by a 6-6 draw in the second. Both teams came away with allot of credit and the games were played in the right spirit by all. The Squad of Tom, Alfie,Ashley, Ben, Joe, Emma, Stuart, Toby, Sam and Peter all performed really well and are starting to gel into a strong unit. Highlights from the games were a much improved tagging display, with Emma's impressive tally of 9 in total leading the way, and a superb passage of play which started on the North try line in the left hand corner of the pitch. The team shipped the ball quickly from left to right, before the opposition could get near them or grab a tag, which set Tom free to go the length of the field and score a sensational try in the right hand corner. Fantastic stuff. If these guys can stick together and carry on working for each other as they did on Sunday, we can look forward to some good performances in the upcoming matches. St Brendans played a full part in two entertaining matches and our thanks to all concerned. Under 7s North 9 St. Brendans 7 another great performance from this exceptional little team with Billy running in 6 tries for which his dad is looking through his bank balance to see if he can pay for all the jugs of beer - Cheers Mike!!!! Kirsty got off cheaply as she had him down for a fiver to score 7. There was great defence and great attacking by North with sterling efforts from Elliott, Aaron, Cameron, Phoebe and William. A big congratulations to Ben and Jonathon on their debuts who played really well with Ben tag tackling like a demon. Welcome to George who joined the squad of whom we're looking forward to getting to know better and getting him in his Royal and Scarlett hoops. Scorers Billy x 6, Elliott x 2, Aaron 2nd Oct 2005 Clifton Tournament By far the most successful team on the day were the U7s. All the players did fantasticly well and looking good in their new shirts.Here are the results and scorers St.Mary's OB 3 - North Bristol 4 - (Phoebe x 1. Elliott x 3) Keynsham 8 - North Bristol 4 - (Will x 1, Aaron x 1, Billy x 2) North Bristol 4 - Saracens 3 - (Billy x 3, Aaron x 1) Semi Final North Bristol 2 - Cheltenham 4 - (Elliott x 1, Will x 1) Plate Final North Bristol 3 - Keynsham 5 - (Aaron x1, Elliott x1, Billy x1). Under-8’s Match Report – Clifton Junior Tournament (2nd October 2005) On an overcast and slightly chilly morning, the North Bristol u-8’s with an assortment of bleary-eyed parents in tow, arrived at Clifton Rugby Club to get stuck into the Clifton RFC Junior Tournament 2005. Drawn in Pool B with Clifton Sharks, Cleve and Winscombe, the team, ably led by Allen Coggrem, needed to finish in the top three to advance to the Shield, Plate and Cup finals. The squad included a number of a number of new players, and were unfortunate to meet a well drilled and organised Clifton Sharks in the first game. Clifton really hit the ground running and gave a lesson in the art of tagging, forcing North into a number of turnovers which resulted in a 7 – 2 defeat. North’s tries came from Alfie and Joe. Lessons learnt, North put up a much improved display against Winscombe, before going down 6–4 in a closely fought contest between two well matched sides. Again, Winscombe had the edge in tagging and this proved to be the difference in the end. Despite two tries from Toby and one each for Joe and Tom, North went down 6 – 4. Needing a big win in the last game against Cleve, North started to show their true ability and both teams played some excellent rugby and scored goods tries. Matching each other try for try for most of the game, unfortunately North fell foul of the “6 tags and turnover” rule played on the day and had a late try cancelled out that would have earned a well-deserved draw. To rub salt into the wound, Cleve nicked a late try to inflict another 6-4 defeat on the team, whose tries were shared by Tom, Alfie, Joe and Sam. Overall, a good effort from the squad of Alfie, Ashley, Ben, Emma, Joe, Sam, Stuart, Thomas, Toby and Tom, and whilst the team came away three defeats, they will hopefully have learned that tags and teamwork, as well as tries win games. The new players showed up well and given time and practice the under-8’s should gel into a strong unit over the coming months. Thanks to Allen for his leadership, to Allen and Kirsty for organising the team rota’s and providing an HQ for the day, and to all the parents who took the time to come along and support the team. The U9s took to the field bouyent after a good weekend against Frampton and immediately came up against a very strong and experienced St.Mary's OB team. North weren't awake at first and were found guilty of knocking on a few ocasions and Mary's made North pay dearly. This was followed up by a very creditable draw agains Clifton with Milo scoring a studpendous last minute try. Tackling was going in and on occasions North were found to be driving forward. Unfortunately this was a false dawn with many tackles being missed from thereon in amongst some stupendous ones, Milo was particularily noticeable. North were subsequently put to the sword by Wellington and Saracens. Milo scored another great try during this period but we were left to rue chances. North can only get better for this experience and I'd like to thank Milo, Charlie, Patxi, Reece, Kieran, Harry, John, Dan, Kieran & Joseph Stephenson for the great effort they put in on the day. It was a very long day for people unused to playing so many matches at one time - thanks guys and see you all on Thursday&Sunday 26th Sept 2005 North Bristol U13 10 V Bristol Harlequins U13 15 North travelled to the deep south of Bristol to play their first Full pitch game aganst Quins. Both sides were finding their feet in this new environment but it should be remembered that this was Quins 2nd game in the new format. The game started at a furious pace but stayed on the correct side of the laws ( I know, I was ref). Quins early set pieces looked more coherent than North in both Line out and Scrummage and this resulted in 2 first half tries for Quins , both due to some average organisation from North's backs ( Dont worry it will come guys). At the break it was 10 nil to Quins and it looked like the referee was about to blow some chunks ( thanks for the water Brad). Piggy and Nigel hosted the half time talk which seems to have inspired a spirited comeback. The scrummage in the second half looked not just organised but unable to take a backward step ( Jack , remember, a backward step or I will bin you).The North Forwards should all be proud of themselves , special thanks to the new starts Nathan and Mike who took the game to opposition on their first outing with Nathan scoring a proper forwards try on his debut. North pushed Quins of the park ( 1.5 meters, I mean) and challenged for the line out ball. The result of this newly found forward domination produced 2 trys to 1 in the 2nd half. The backs looked out of sorts on this occasion but nothing that cant be fixed. Harry yet again showed a tackling ability that was fair but akin to a missile with tooth-ache and Jason showed how much of a pain he can be ( and I dont mean in my neck this time, well done mate). Andre and Jake showed their powerful running abilities, just imagine if they ran straight????. Well done guys none of you let the team down in a clean and brave performance. North Bristol U9s v Frampton Cotterell U9s It was a shame that although we had a full team onsite that Joseph was feeling too poorly to play but as usual Frampton turned up with enough for two teams plus replacement and we happily accepted a substitute player for each half - thanks guys. The first game kicked off with some great rugby from both sides but Frampton were quickest into their game and scored two great tries. The runs were being made by both sides and the defences were making important tackles. Every now and then both sides would grasp the nettle and bind on and drive the opposition off the ball. Unfortunately for North Milo was bundled into touch next to the try line where a quick switch of the play would've had us in at the other coner. North's improving game produced a great try from Milo and a great game ended at 2 tries to 1. The second game got under way with North well and truly warmed up and North supporters were in for a treat. Frampton started the game with some great running and moves but North got themselves into a defensive line and consequently gave Frampton no room to manuevor. Norths tackling and support play turned this game on it's head and Milo was soon in with a great score and next up was Charlie. Milo was held up by great Frampton defence but he managed to turn and present the ball which Charlie was on hand to gratefully receive and waltzed his way through the defence to score in the corner. Next Milo executed a perfect rip of the ball from the opposition and went in for the try. During this period there big runs from Patxi, Harry, Keiran, James and Reece. Every one of them were putting in big tackles as this was no walk over with Frampton still coming at us from all angles. Milo soon went over for his hat trick followed by Kieran with a scintillating run from his own half. Frampton however weren't going to let him have the last word and went in at the corner for an exceptional team try. Both teams should be extremely proud of themselves and the coaches pleased with the way things have gone with this first game of the season - both sides can only get better after this display   1st May 2005 North Bristol U14's 21pts. St. Bernadettes U14's 10pts. For the final game of the season both sides turned up on a lovely summers morning with the intention of playing entertaining rugby. It was fortunate therefore that the heavy rain the night before made the surface a little easier. The visitors got play underway and the kick was cleanly gathered and ran back into the midfield. Saints tackled well and for the next ten minutes neither side could get an advantage with the play staying mainly in midfield. Saints did manage a couple of strong runs down the right and were stopped 10 metres out. North never panicked and kept clearing their lines with pressure defence leading to some handling errors in the Saints backs. North then opened the scoring, after some good recycling by the back row, and the ball was fed out to the inside centre who was not going to be denied once he had breached the defence. This was converted by the fly half who five minutes later cut inside forty metres out, and showing good pace, dodged the full back to score under the posts. He converted his own try and with the confidence that a couple of scores bring the home side began running the ball at the heart of the Saints defence. The visitors tackled well and played with great spirit but some powerful running by the North No.8, who kept picking and driving, eventually sent himself over. The successful conversion brought the half to an end. North started the second half with some enforced changes due to injuries especially to the open side who had been winning a lot of ball in the tackle. Saints played with belief in themselves and the unsettled home side were soon on the back foot. It wasn't long before the sustained pressure brought a try wide out which made for a difficult and unsuccessful kick. The visitors had also made some changes and these seemed to be for the better. They were determined to spin the ball and the amount of defending the home side were doing was taking it's toll in the sunshine. It seemed inevitable that if Saints could get the ball wide enough that another score was on the cards; and so it was that North's back line didn't close the visitors down quick enough and their pacey winger crossed for the second try. This set up a nerve wracking final ten minutes with the home side flagging and the visitors pushing hard for another score. Unfortunately it wasn't to be and North ended their season with a win but a lot of credit for a fine game must go to Saints. It was a fair and well matched contest played in good spirit and the players of both sides were a credit to their clubs and to the game. Well done.   Date: 10th March 2005 U14s North Bristol u14's 7pts. Frampton Cotterell u14's 10pts. North got proceedings underway with a probing kick to the open side. Frampton were unable to make a clean catch and knocked the ball forwards. Advantage was played and some good pressure from North resulted in quick ball to players in space and a score under the posts. The conversion was successful whilst the visitors tried to come to terms with the worst possible start. The spectators were not to be disappointed. Frampton as in the game earlier in the season came back strongly with their forwards leading the way. They battled their way down field and a series of strong drives earned them a try in the corner. A difficult kick from wide out proved too much to ask and the game was nicely balanced. Frampton began to get the better of the forward exchanges with some strong mauling from the second row and the hooker. An indiscretion by a North flanker earned himself a ten minute rest but more importantly it gave the visitors a platform in the home side's 22 and a man extra. They put it to good use, sucking in the defenders with the forwards and trying to spin it wide. Eventually the gap appeared and they knew where to find the line. The kick was missed and the rest of the half was even. With both teams back to full strength Frampton got the second half under way. This half was played mainly in between the two 22 metre lines with neither side being able to get the score that might seal the game. There was some strong running from both sides in a game that was generally played in good spirit. In the end Frampton hung on and deserved the win. U9s First of all - it was great to be able to put forward a full (i.e. nine aside) team, at least initially; and the games on Sunday were physical but ultimately good natured affairs. Frampton Cottrell had some excellent players and showed us that tackling practice on foam filled dummies are no substitution to flesh and blood! This is one area of focus as the natural reaction is to push, tug or barge an opposing player, in order to gain the ball; but this is no substitution to successfully bringing them down to the ground and out of play. George once again showed a great turn of speed, and towards the end of the second game he was ably supported by Sean who swapped sides in order to take up the left hand ‘winger’ position; it was also interesting to note that Calum who then played on the right wing also played his part and made good ground in a more open position. The guys involved in the scrum (a new position for them) were excellent in hooking the ball into play, and everyone else finally became absorbed in the game, which helped the second game become much more evenly matched. Poor Kieran was the Jonny Wilkinson of the game in that he was always in the rough an tumble of the game, unfortunately frequently coming off worst! U8s This was the day when everything seemed to come together at once. The first game was a marvelous affair with both both teams going at it from the very beginning. The ball was being passed between the players who were communicating with each and Charlie went in with an early score which was disallowed because he didn't keep to his feet. The game ebbed to and fro with terrific defensive lines and tagging with Milo storming through to score twice but unfortunately North went down 3-2. All 8 played one heck of a game and a big hand should go out to Milo, John, Charlie, James, Stevan, Joseph, Harry and Patje starting his first game was a revelation. The second game started with North down to 7 men and the game was equally impressive with Milo, John & Charlie scoring. Harry, Joseph and James were everywhere and Patje was stoutly defending and attacking. This game was a blueprint of the first with Frampton managing to even the score with the last play of the match. Both North and Frampton should take a lot out of this game - well done everyone Date: 6th Feb 2005 U8s After the untimely demise of our fixture against Avonmouth a fixture was quickly aranged between North and Frampton Cotterell. Although decimated through illness a much improved North, down to 5 men took to the pitch. Frampton loaned us two storming players to make up the numbers and we were off at high tempo. Noth defended well and attacked with purpose with the ball being passed between players and many incisive runs were made to the try line. I can't pick anyone out as they all had exceptional games, James Dubowski who unluckily had a try disallowed, Milo Lewis who threw so many dummies I'm surprised his legs didn't tangle, Charlie Fettis off on his usual barnstorming runs, John Derrick contributing manfully and incisively and James Hughesdon steaming in at pace from depth only to knock on. This was a very creditable 5-5 draw. We played Frampton again (there's so many it's like Zulu Dawn) and they loaned us a couple more players to make up the numbers. It was more of the same with North winning 3-2 after having a try disallowed in the final seconds for diving. It was a fantastic effort by the guys who are starting to listen and implement - boy am I looking forward to Sunday and a rearranged game against Saracens. Date: 9th Jan 2005 U8s A much improved Clevedon side arrived at Oaklands on a day when the rain that had been promised stayed away. It took North an age to get themselves motivated for this game after the Christmas break and the game gave the coaches much to mull over for further training sessions. As with all our games there were many good points on an individual basis and when the ball was passed between the players poor old Phil's eyes glazed over as this is the way to play good Rugby. Notable was John Derrick's first try for the club who on the day never gave up running and looking for the ball - Well done John!! Defensively we came together and on many occasions denied Clevedon space to run but the final tackle (getting the tag) was just missed giving a couple of the Clevedon live wires good scores. We can and will do better to get on the winning side but as long as the kids have fun - who cares. Date: 23rd Jan 2005 Under 9s - The focus for training, in recent weeks, has been on team play, positions, tackling, scrums and line outs - this has really started to pay dividends. After a warm up and a session of control and kicking the ball within a limited area (not everyone can be Johnny Wilkinson - eh lads), the under nines/tens were challenged to a match by Bristol. Six members of the team played and were joined by one or two members of the opposition to make up numbers. George made the majority of the running as usual, but opportunities were few as Bristol play a tight formation and the game was physical from the start. In the first half Bristol scored three tries, but North Bristol proved themselves by putting in tackle after tackle; and Kieran in particular demonstrated a good technique in making successful challenges. More opportunities where opened up in the second half, and once again it was George who brought the ball away, only to be confronted by a solid wall of opposition, as the Bristol team recognised the potential danger. Luke and Ben worked like Trojans inside the pack; both made ground and successfully passed the ball back to their side to enable another surge forward. Ryan and Calum both supported the team well, with Ryan moving into a number of positions when required. Bristol scored two tries whilst North Bristol were stopped frustratingly short of the line on a number of occasions. It has to be born in mind that the majority of the Bristol team were just that bit older! The message from this game was for the team to protect the ball and get it back to their mates when ever possible; possession counted in this game. The line outs and scrums were formed quickly and efficiently; but defence and attack formations lacked cohesion at times, particularly in the second half and we will need to work upon this discipline (with an emphasis on discipline!). U7s North Bristol 9 - Bristol 7 A bright sunny morning at Old Colstonians Ground brought the best out in the North Bristol U7 team. North Bristol started well and were soon in the lead after a couple of inspiring tries. Good running play saw tries from many of the players well supported by the rest of the team. A gazelle like run by Elliott was halted near to the line due to good defence by the Bristol team but a swift pass to Tom ensured the try was in the bag. This move was mirrored later with an outstanding run by Ashley again tagged on the line but Alfie was perfectly positioned waiting in support to score the try. Stuart managed to find the gaps in the Bristol defence to touch down and get his name on the score sheet. Phoebe scored her first try for North Bristol - Could she be following in Uncle Deans footsteps? A superb all round performance by every member of the team - Ben, Billy, Nicholas, Alexander, Joe, Phoebe, Ashley, Tom, Alfie, Elliott and Stuart - you all played brilliantly and thoroughly deserved the win. Both sides still had more Rugby in their legs at the end of the match and a second game followed which resulted in a draw. It's heartening to see such good rugby being played in this age group and both teams can feel very proud of their performances. Date: 5th Dec 2004 U8s It was a great day for playing Rugby, not too cold and not too wet and the early signs were all were going to go well. It wasn't going to be North's day however when an greatly improved Saracens outfit started to turn on the style. Sarracens went over very quickly during the game followed shortly after by a very well worked North Try scored by the irrepressable Milo. At this stage North were defending well as individuals and attacking as individuals but still holding there own and turned round at half time 2-1 down. North then seemed to go to pieces with everyone bunching at restarts and defence laying themselves open for some good attacking play by Saracens which ended with a further three tries. This wasn't of course one way traffic with North still putting together some splendind phases of Rugby full of vitality and support but with no width they fell foul a few times to the 7 tag rule turning the ball over to the opposition. There were plenty of encouraging signs here for Instance, as Saracens had 9 men (normal team size 7) we imported 5 year old Elliott Fettis who had a storming game showing plenty of pace and flair. The fact that we had 8 to play in the first place with an absentee was encouraging and the commitment, hard graft and individual skills shows that we have plenty to work on to make a succesfull team. All the children appeared to enjoy themselves and this is what it's all about. We will hopefully have another game on Sunday against Frampton Cotterell followed by a game against the Adults and then the PARTY!!! Hope to see you all there before the Christmas break. U7s Saracens 4 North Bristol 6 Building on a great performance last week against Aretians. The confidence among the North Bristol players was high. In a fast paced match North Bristol played some superb rugby with the whole team pulling together for a great team effort. tries were scored by Alfie (1) Tom (2), Joe (2) and Toby (1). Sarecens were put under pressure by a good defensive line which forced the mistakes by the home team.. Keep up the good work team and the dads will have to start stumping up for some jugs very soon! This team have come a long way in a relatively short space of time - the second half of the season should show some rewards for the excellent effort they have put into training so far.Keep up the good work- well done to all of you - you have made an old coach proud ! (Allen) 30th Nov 2004 U8s It was always going to be a tough game and both sides entertained the watching parents with some wonderfull running Rugby which the coach would like to say he had something to do with but it was pure raw talent on the day. Aretians provided a referee who wanted to use the game as a total learning experience which left the team slightly frustrated and a tighter adherence to the rules would've ended up with NBRFC running off having a substantial win under their belts. At the end of the day it's all about fun and not results and that's what we had fun with some very good Rugby. North managed to adapt to the different rules and off we went at a hundred miles per hour with the whole team providing a spectacular exciting Rugby. Good individual play by Milo Lewis saw him cross the line frequently, with Charlie Fettis scoring his normal individual try and James Hughesdon providing his telling bullish runs along with strong running and defending from Stevan Holt, Harry Emery, James Dybowski enabled Harry to score his first for the club. John Derrick on his debut, in fact his first taste of Rugby, was a revelation in defence and attack with all his passes going to hand and some straight running - surely another star in the making for this team!!! There were some major good points in this game with the ball being passed occasionally with people getting into the right places to receive the pass. Sometimes however we didn't let the ball carrier know that we were outside him so this is something for the coaches to work on for Sunday's game against Saracens. I think we won this game but in the end the game itself won so well done North and thanks to Aretians for a great game of Rugby. U7s After the Under 8s had played Aretians it was the U7s turn to play, It looked to me that they were playing the same the same opposition who had some very big boys on the park. It turned out to be a lively encounter with some wonderful running and defending shown by both teams. The team was very composed and well marshalled by Allen Cogram. There were cameo performances by many of the team and there were favourable comments made by the opposition supporters and Coaching staff on the playing skills of the team. Joe Harrison was very lively and seemed to want to run all day in the process of scoring tries, Ashley Knapp weighed in with his first try for the club and his Dad shot off early so not to buy a jug. Great performances by Alfie Ford, Elliott Fettis, Tom Cogram, Sean Holt, Ben Green, Billy Cantin and Stuart Sopp saw the side flourish and Johanthon Isles came on for his first appearance in a North Bristol Shirt - well done!! There was a huge amount to take out of this performance and when taken into account that a lot of the boys are only 5 means that things can only get better under Allen and Nick's tutelage. There was some good defending, good incisive running and some top tries scored by this outfit however some children are still trying to run from one side of the pitch to the other to try and find space instead of using the ball. This of course gives the coaching staff something to work on prior to the Saracens game on Sunday. Is this a team for the future or what!!