Match report North Bristol 48 v 22 Minchinhampton under 13’s  15/4/2012

Matches between these two teams during the past few seasons have always been hugely enjoyable affairs with both teams serving up a diet of fast flowing rugby and tries aplenty. This latest instalment was no exception. Barely 3 minutes had elapsed before the visitors struck first. North were caught napping when Minchinhampton pounced on a loose ball just inside North’s half. Their powerful outside centre found a gap in the home defence to scamper home for the opening try.  It was clearly the wake up call that the boys needed and it was not long before North found the inspiration that it needed to spark them into life. An attack deep into visitor’s own 22 yard line saw their fullback desperately trying to clear his lines but Dom launched himself at him like a exocet missile to make a stunning tackle.Their full back spilt the ball, Ben picked up and offloaded to Ollie who was lurking outside him on the right wing to dart over the whitewash to open the home side’s account with a equalising try. Aaron calmly converted to make the score 7-7.

Minchinhampton came back with another try of their own to regain the lead. Undaunted by this, the home side continued to pour forward and gradually were building pressure chasing and harrying the visitors into mistakes at every opportunity. Suddenly they began to lose their shape and discipline. It was from one infringement that North were awarded a tapped penalty.  Jaden unleashed the onrushing Conor who bulldozed his way through several challenges only to be held up a few metres from the try line. Ben followed up superbly to pounce over the line to level the scores again. Aaron then curled in a superb  conversion to give the hosts a slender 14-12 lead.  Some breathing space was afforded with another try shortly after, Harry expertly finishing off a glorious passing move started by Morgan who was enjoying his best performance of the season. He offloaded to Jordan who in turn found Ollie who then released Harry in the corner. 19-12. Aaron added the extras with another fine conversion.

A further two tries from Dom which included a scintillating length of the field break ensured that North went into the half time break with a commanding 31-12 lead.  It could have been more. Tom made a powerful break down the middle of the pitch evading several tackles before eventually being held up and Billy who also made an incisive break down the centre of the pitch but was isolated when a supporting runner might have given him an option and brought greater reward.

It had been a topsy -turvy opening to the half and Minchinhampton’s physical presence created a few problems to the home side but North’s forward’s more than held their own against their pack and the backs’s ability to counter from deep lying positions proved decisive. The forwards laid an ideal platform for Jaden to deliver a constant supply of good ball and Billy and Dan engineered space for themselves to unleash the pacy wingers  as North gradually gained the upper hand.

The second half saw the home side pull clear. Phelpsie and Jacob were rested allowing new recruit Dan J and Jonny to take up the roles of flankers and both fitted in seamlessly as the forwards continued to gain the upper hand in the scrums. Jordan who was colossus throughout, ripped the ball from the clutches of his opposite number, fed Tom who duly offloaded to Aaron who scorched down the left wing to score a blistering try. 36-12. To their credit, Minchinhampton kept plugging away and reduced the arrears with their third try of the morning but the respite was shortlived as ‘terminator’  Jordan once again dismantled a visiting player with a crunching tackle, Dan M picked up the loose ball before releasing Dom who raced clear down the left wing to score his second try of the match. The hosts had now raced into an unassailable 41 -17 lead. The hosts’ superiority was emphasised when a great pick up and run from Conor saw him make great inroads into an increasingly tired and desperate away defence before unselfishly slipping a perfectly timed inside pass to Dom who dived over to complete the away teams misery. Aaron’s regulation conversion made it 48-17.

Although beleaguered ,Minchinhampton never threw in the towel and continued to attack whenever they could and they seemed destined to score another try when their left winger raced clear of North’s defence. Fortunately, Ollie sprinted back and managed a magnificent last ditch tackle to prevent a certain try. However, the away team did have the last say when scoring a what proved no more than a consolation try to ensure that the final score ended 48-22. A cracking match, a feast of tries and for North reward for their ambitious attacking brand of rugby where forwards and backs worked in tandem to produce ‘total rugby’.

Jordan deservedly won the player of the match award. He was at his destructive best and completely disrupted Minchinhampton’s  attacking forays and set up his own teams’s own attacks to great effect. Dom won tackler of the match with a number of great tackles and it is fair to say that his bone crunching tackle in the first five minutes which effectively put the home teams’s first try on a plate for Ollie set the tone for the remainder of the match.

A big welcome to Dan J who showed up well  on his debut despite not feeling too well prior to the match. He can feel well pleased with his contribution and we hope that he enjoys a long and fruitful association with North Bristol.

Squad: Aaron, Ben, Billy, Conor , Dan J, Dan M, Dom, Harry, George G, George P, Jacob, Jaden, James Y, Jordan,  Lewis, Morgan, Ollie and Tom     

Match report North Bristol U13's 53 v 10 Tewkesbury under 13’s         (Gloucestershire Cup) 19/2/2012

Without a match since 29th January due to postponements following the recent cold snap, it was business as usual with the Gloucester cup back on the agenda. Although North had won their last encounter, they did so without ever playing to their true capabilities but it seemed that the enforced break had a beneficial effect on the boys who looked refreshed and raring to go.

Tewkesbury were the opponents and the first ten minutes was a fairly even contest with both teams showing up strongly both in attack and defence. North were first onto the attack with some sterling work from the forwards in rucks and mauls and Jaden setting the tone by delivering quick ball to his fellow backs. Billy orchestrated several promising early moves involving Dom and James O which nearly brought an early score but to their credit, Tewkesbury held firm to keep the home side at bay. Tewkesbury offered a threat of their own and one wonderful break from their influential centre almost caught North unawares.  It seemed  as though he was going to run through unopposed until  James O served notice of his defensive capabilities by coming off his wing and getting back with a fantastic try saving tackle. This proved a defining moment from which North did not look back.

A storming run from Conor ensured that he broke through the gain line before offloading superbly to the on rushing Tom who dived over for his second try in two matches. 5-0 soon became 10-0 when Conor picked up and drove over for a second try following an excellent initial break from Dom. James O gave perilously close to adding a third try shortly afterwards only to be denied by a last ditch tackle but he was not to be denied for long. Aaron embarked on a superb mazy run and although he was held up by a couple of the visiting teams’ players, he managed to offload to James who was up in support and he scorched past a couple of despairing covering defenders to score under the posts. Billy added the conversion to give North a commanding 17-0 lead.

Immediately before half time, Jaden decided to join the party when gathering up a loose ball and rolled away from the close attentions of Tewkesbury’s defence to squeeze through the narrowest of gaps to score a try to increase the lead to 22-0. Aaron’s expertly taken conversion ensured North went in at half time with a 24-0 lead.

North had enjoyed a purple patch where everything was going to hand and the forwards and backs were working together in tandom to produce wonderful feast of flowing, running rugby. Back to back breaks from the likes of Conor, Jordan and George D generated the momentum that brought about a lot of the tries and the backs were looking potent in attack. Billy was enjoying an extremely assured performance and  was relishing the space and time afforded to him by the dominant pack in front of him and the swift passes from an alert Jaden.  Billy often managed to engineer space with intelligent breaks and found  willing support in the form of Dom and Dan. This combination continually asked questions of the away defence.  They were also looking to involve their wingers at every opportunity and time and again James O and Harry caused pandemonium in the Tewkesbury midfield as they found it increasingly difficult to contain their lightening quick bursts down the flanks.

The second half saw North carry on in the same vein. The introduction of a fresh faces at half time did little to disrupt the North’s rhythm as they continued to dominate the exchanges with their high tempo game and direct running at pace. One of the replacements, Herbie made a great pick up and run saw him scythe through the middle of the pitch before being crowded out but he cutely offloaded to Dom who was running alongside him and there was no stopping him as he raced over for another try. Billy kicked over the penalty to make it 31-0. It was Tewkesbury’s misfortune that they had run into a team oozing confidence and belief and playing the wonderful free flowing rugby that had deserted them on their last couple of encounters. Although you could not deny that North were well worth their lead the score line was perhaps a bit flattering as Tewkesbury also showed moments of brilliance which tested the home teams defence. They were given some encouragement by a try of their own to reduce the arrears to 31-5 but this merely served to act as a spur to North to up the ante once again and Herbie filled his boots with a try to take the score to 36-5. Herbie then added his second try of the game to make it 43-5 before Tewkesbury hit back with a try of their own to make it 43-10.

Conor who was enjoying a hugely impressive game in the front row capped off a player of the match performance with another try following a bulldozing run which took him over the whitewash despite desperate attempts to hold him up. He was dynamic in the loose and powerful in the scrums and he contributed to a sound defensive performance by the boys. With the score now standing at 48-10 the scene was set for Ollie to make a cameo appearance as a late second half replacement. Clearly chomping at the bit and bristling with intent after his enforced absence, he was immediately given a powerful reminder of the physicality of the game when he ran into a brick wall otherwise known as Tewkesbury’s  heavyweight second row forward within seconds of coming onto the pitch.  Not deterred, he sprinted up alongside the marauding Dom who had embarked upon a trademark storming run through the middle of the pitch before unselfishly laying the ball off to Ollie who raced over for a try to mark a dream comeback and was the final nail in the coffin of an increasingly demoralised away team. A conversion by Billy made the final score  53-10. James O won the tackler of the match epitomised by his outstanding intervention in the first half which complimented his undoubted attacking skills.

All in all , it was a dominant display where every player gave a good account of themselves and even though the coaches rung the changes during half time and at times during the second half, all of the boys fitted in seamlessly. Everyone is presenting a strong case for a regular place  in side. Make no mistake, to dispatch a team as capable as Tewkesbury with such aplomb  was no mean achievement and the final margin was a reflection of how far the team has progressed this season. Next up is Old Patetians RFC as the boys try to cement their place in the next stage of the cup. Providing there is no hint of complacency amongst the boys , this should not be beyond them.

Squad: Aaron, Ben, Billy, Conor, Dan, Dom, George D, George G, George P, Harry,Herbie, Jaden, James O , James Y , Jordan, Jonny, Lewis, Morgan, Ollie, Tom,         

Match report  Old Patesians U13’s 24 V 10 North Bristol U13s                       Gloucester Cup 26/2/2012

This was the final match of the round robin group stages of the Gloucestershire Cup with the prize a guaranteed place in the quarter finals of the competition.  The boys had arrived at the ground ,some having taken a more circuitous route than others thanks to a faulty sat nav which was unfortunately and unhelpfully was set to give directions in Spanish which meant that training was preceded by a bit of sightseeing of Cheltenham and its surrounding countryside. The ground was bathed in glorious sunshine and the boys seemed in determined mood at they embarked on their training drills.

However, the hosts stormed into a 17-0 lead after barely quarter of an hour of the match as North made a poor start for which they were made to pay dearly. Old Pats quickly raced into a commanding lead scoring three unanswered tries and although the boys felt a little aggrieved by one or two debateable refereeing decisions that did not go their way that cannot alter the fact that the first line of defence missed too many tackles allowing Old Pats, particularly their centre playmaker to make good ground.  To be fair the forwards stood toe to toe with the home pack during the whole of the first half and often pushed them back only to carelessly lose possession again in the rucks and mauls when there was a general reluctance to gather up the loose ball and present the ball and the support play, such an impressive feature of the North’s play in recent matches was curiously absent.

In fact there was precious little to cheer during the first half as the hosts were virtually camped inside North’s 22 yard line. Although some of the tackling lacked its usual bite there was some sterling defensive work from the likes of Dan, Dom, Georgie P, James O , Tom and Ollie which ensured that the score line did not resemble a cricket score. Only once did North show a glimpse of their attacking flair when the jet propelled James made a fantastic break down the right wing and seemed destined to score only to be held up five metres from the try line.

It was time to regroup and whatever the coaches said to the boys at half time clearly had the desired effect. Certainly if the team were going to retrieve the situation they found themselves in, they would need to get points on the board early in the second half. 

The forwards upped their game another notch and the defensive line pushed up with a press defence rather than wait for the Old Pats players to gather momentum. A great forward push led admirably by Tom and Ollie and continued by the marauding Conor led to North’s opening try. Billy picked up the loose ball and scampered over to claw back the deficit to 17-5. Suddenly the boys were starting to ask some questions of the home team’s defence which had a largely untroubled first half. Then came another fabulous bit of play which proved the catalyst for a comeback. Georgie P clearly growing in confidence made a sensational tackle and steal from the home side’s fly half to lay the ball off in the path of a grateful Dom who must have thought Christmas had come early when gathering up a loose ball no more than five metres from the try line and he made no mistake diving under the posts.

The advantage was now trimmed to seven points with the score now 17-10. This was just reward for a much improved and more purposeful start to the second half. With the aid of the slope and the team enjoying some possession for the first time in the match, it was game on.

The forwards continued to push the home pack backwards with Tom and Georgie  P driving their teammates forward with clever breaks from the fringes and Conor and Ollie putting in a good shift. However, there were one or two handling errors which undermined the good work and led to hard earned possession being conceded cheaply.  The next try would be crucial but unfortunately, the home team broke North’s hearts when they gathered up a head of steam and put some concerted pressure deep into North’s own 22 yard line. Despite some desperate tackling the home side were clearly determined to stem North’s progress and raced over for what proved the decisive try to make it 22-10. The resulting conversion made the final score 24-10.

Old Pats were worthy winners on the day as they did just a little bit more overall than North on the day. North were left to rue what was a missed opportunity to progress to the knock out stages. There is no question that the team are more than a match for most teams on their day and there was no disgrace in losing to Old Pats who were a decent outfit. However,   if there is a lesson to be learned from today’s defeat is that you cannot gift the opposition easy tries before starting to play. It also showed players and coaches alike where the squad is compared to the likes of some of Gloucestershire’s finest teams such as Cheltenham.  The players can aspire to improve themselves both individually and collectively as some of the top local junior teams. That said the boys have demonstrated how far they have come this season to have been in contention for a place in the knock out stages of the competition .  

As ever there were positives in defeat. The boys showed tremendous character in fighting their way back into the match and not giving up, a trait found in all top teams. The boys can now realistically target progress in the plate trophy and gain some reward for all their hard work and effort since pre-season.

Dan was tackler of the match for standing up to some strong running centres and tackling his heart out to stem wave after wave of attacks that were coming North’s way during the first half and Tom capped a fine display with Player of the Match. He took the game by the scruff of the neck and tackled well as well as make some good catches at the front of the lineout and some strong runs from the sides of the scrum. Well done.

Squad. Aaron, Billy, Conor, Dan, Dom, George D, George G, George P, Harry,  Jacob, Jaden, Jonno, James O ,James Y, Lewis, Morgan, Ollie and Tom 

 Match report North Bristol U13s 24 v 17 St Marys under 13’s 29/1/2012

North’s recent dominance of this fixture with their local rivals continued today but it was by no means as straight forward as neutrals may have imagined given the drubbing that North delivered to St Mary’s at their Trench Lane HQ back last October.  To be fair, no-one in the North Bristol camp expected anything other than a closely fought encounter. It was evident during the early exchanges  that the visitors were desperate to erase the memory of their early season fixture. Keen to exact revenge for that heavy loss, the visitors came out of the blocks strongly forcing North back in their own twenty two yard area for much of the opening five minutes. Having weathered the early storm, George D  gathered up a loose ball following a handling error by one of St Mary’s team and raced up field before offloading to the overlapping Harry on the left wing just before he was caught and the jet propelled winger reminded his former charges of just what they were missing by crossing over for the game’s opening try. Aaron added the extras with the conversion to make it 7-0.

St Mary’s responded with a try  of their own following a period of sustained pressure to make it 7-5. This provided the wake up call that North so badly needed as they began to realise that they were in a game and the lads started to impose themselves on the visitors for the first time in the match as the forwards were gradually starting to punch holes in the away defence, retain possession and  gain some hard yards into the opposition half. It was from one ruck that the ball was recycled out to Harry who raced over for his second try of the match to make it 12-5.

Unlike the previous fixture between the teams when North totally dominated territory and possession throughout the game,  St Marys took the game to North Bristol and certainly gave as good as they got during the first half and could perhaps count themselves unlucky to be trailing at half time and it only took a number of fine tackles from the hugely impressive Dom,  George D and Georgie P to keep the lead intact. 

St Marys served further notice that they were not going to lie down and give up when they scored their second try of the game which was then converted to level the scores at 12-12. Then James O who came on for the start of the second half to make his first appearance for the club sprinted clear down the right wing following a good passing move involving Dan and Billy and scored a beautiful debut try to make it 17-12 and a smart conversion from Aaron increased the lead to 19-12. St Marys kept plugging away and were making strenuous efforts to claw their way back in the game.  They began feeding their  powerful centre with lots of ball and using him as a battering ram  to punch holes in the home defence and it took a wonderful try saving tackle from Aaron on him to prevent him racing over for a try when he was getting up a head of steam. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective and it took some stout defence to keep the away team in check. Further great tackles from Georgie P , Dom, George D and Billy were in evidence but St Mary’s were rewarded for their persistence when they darted over for try to reduce the arrears to 19-17. This set up a thrilling nail-biting climax and the next score was going to be crucial as the clock ticked down.

Fortunately, it was North who grabbed the decisive try when Harry rounded off another fine personal performance with his third try of the game escaping the close attentions of St Mary’s defenders to make the final score 24-17.

Both sides gave their all but North repelled everything that St Marys threw at them in the closing stages and continued to look a threat with the ball in hand.  Even though they did not perform anywhere near their full potential on the day and lacked the fluidity that has characterised so many of their performances this season, they still had too much of a cutting edge for their opponents  with the ability to run the ball from deep positions with some scintillating breaks from the likes of Billy , Dan, Dom and Harry. At times too many players were involved in clearing out at the rucks leaving themselves short in other areas of the pitch and the backline at times were a bit flat and not always running into space to receive the ball at pace but it was never going to be pretty with local pride at stake on a heavy pitch and in such cold conditions.

It would be remiss not to mention the outstanding Aaron who was truly magnificent throughout. His elusive running has always been an impressive feature of his play but he has displayed a notable improvement in his defensive work and he put in a number of wonderful tackles to keep the North’s noses in front. He is so dependable gathering the high ball under pressure and is always willing to launch some devastating counter attacks from deep positions. When in this form he is quite irrepressible.

Tackler of the match was George D. He was like a ferret chasing and harrying opponents into mistakes and tackling everything that moved.  He is scrummaging well and never shirks a challenge, no matter how big his opponent. Player of the match was Georgie  P. He was a colossus. He made a high tackle count in this match and was dominant in the loose and on the fringes. He also showed courage and increased confidence to run with the ball in hand and presented the ball well at rucks and mauls.

It might sound clichéd but today it was a case of ‘winning ugly’. North showed  courage, commitment, guts and determination to grind out victory despite not playing anywhere near their best. You have to give credit to the opposition who clearly raised their game but the fact that North were able to secure victory without firing on all cylinders and with so many key players -unavailable through a mixture of injury and illness ( Brooke, Charlie, Jacob, Jonny and Ollie to name but a few) speaks volumes about the character and ability of the team.  They proved conclusively that their victory over the same opponents earlier in the season was no fluke and can hold their heads high. The players and coaches will have taken great satisfaction from the fact that the boys responded positively to last weekend’s rare defeat . Well played boys. Now the boys can turn their attentions back to the Gloucestershire Cup and aim to make progress in the competition.

Finally, a big welcome to new boy James who showed some exciting glimpses of his potential capped with a great try. 

Squad Aaron, Ben, Billy ,Conor, Dan, Dom, George D , George G, George P,Harry, Jaden, Jordan, James, James O, Kayne, Lewis, Morgan, Tom,