So far so good, all our teams winning, clean sheets in defence, lots of points scored and everybody is happy. Now let's get serious. We know what it's like on the receiving end so let's make sure that we keep the good work going. Club training, individual fitness, keep our mouths shut when we disagree with referees and support our team mates. We all know when we've messed up and criticism from others doesn't really help.
Like I say, we all enjoy success, whether we are players, supporters or whatever, so lets keep our feet on the ground and make sure that we sustain the improvement shown this season.
First XV
The first round of the Midlands section of the Junior Vase paired us with Cannock who play in a parallel league to us. In conditions that were perfect for open rugby, our visitors to Tilehouse Lane played to their strengths which were based around a solid pack of forwards who were impressive in set pieces and arround the fringes. However, the Yards soaked up the pressure and solid defence prevented us from conceeding any points.It was only going to be a matter of time before we would score as our superior fitness, pace in the backs, good handling and close support play looked to be too much for Cannock who were starting to look tired. Tries came at regular intervals from, Adam Walker x3, Ben Honey, Tom Grocott, Phil Painter, Dino Markou, Steve Grainger, Joe Patrick and Jake White who also kicked 5 conversions. Cedric informs me that he would have scored if selected and Chicken and Smoking spent the afternoon arguing about what constitutes a forward pass. To me that was totally irrelevant as neither of them ever passes anyway.
Development XV
It's good to see the young lads in our development squad doing so well both for their own sakes as they have been training hard and also to put pressure on the first teamers who will realise that if they underperform then there will be somebody ready to take their place. The trip to Wyre-Piddle (not a joke) to take on Pershore 2nds would usually be a difficult encounter but not this time. A win by 56 - 0 shows how well the team is playing. Having asked a number of the team who scored the points, I get a different answer from everyone but it seems that we got 10 tries and 3 conversions. In fairness we don't mind who scores as long as the wins keep coming. Well done fellas.
Vandals XV
Nothing changes too much as our mature Gents travelled west to play Stourport 2nds. Manager Martyn possibly needs to work on the team's defence as they were the only side in the club to concede points. We scored 7 tries in total with 4 coming from the Aquinas Academy Graduate, Andrew Pearce. I suspect we need him back in the first team squad fairly soon before he becomes old before his time (slippers and Horlicks etc.). I suspect that Slow will soon submit his brief outline report of the game.
See below for full match report - Stourport 2nds vs. Vandals
This weekend's matches
Saturday 29th First XV v Claverdon Home 3.00 League
Development XV v Dudley K. Home 3.00
Vandals XV v Redditch Vets Away 3.00
Sunday 30tth Under 17 v Aston Old Eds Home 11.00 League
Our undeer 7,8,9,10,and 12s all visit Kings Norton for a multi club start to the season.
Touchline entertainment
Just an idea, how about coming along to support your club. Seniors, come and support our youngsters on a sunday morning? Minis and Juniors, come and see the seniors on a saturday afternoon and bring family and friends. You might even enjoy the experience.
And Finally
It's true but our local teams, Blues and Villa, conceded 9 goals between them, which is more than all our Old Ys teams put together.
Theo seems to be unhappy but in all honesty I suspect that we could probably cope without him.. Manchester City, Champions? I think that we played them off the park Next up, Chelsea, which could be interesting, but remember, Mr Wenger knows best.
Stourport 2nds vs. Vandals - full match report
Last Saturday found us by the river in picturesque Stourport for Game 4 of the 2012/13 season against their 2nds/3rds; Slow having had a few reservations earlier on in the week after being tipped off by our man in the Welsh Intelligence Service, who using his frightening array of web based assets had learned that their first team were without gainful employment having cried off their Vase game against Greyhound RFC (Hereford for those who want to know such things); but having sought assurances we were told we wouldn't be facing a side all young enough to be our sons.
With our man in the WIA MIA and Shannon sunning himself in foreign climes Slow had negotiated, albeit briefly, with our back up, stand by, emergency, prop of last resort John "Casper" Lonie to start at loosehead, and with Rick stalking universities, meant a start for the old man of the squad the right dishonourable Steve "Sid" Sidwell at hooker; and following his successful one man tour of Butlins Minehead a return also at tighthead for Pete "Luvverman" Butler. In the shed Andy "Harry Hill" Killarney & Phil "BMT" Gouldbourn, with a back row of Nick "Assassin" Levey , Chris "Golfball" Rowe and Ali "Spasm" Gouldbourn at No.8.
Half backs this week scrum half Phil "General" Evans & at fly half the mercurially Welsh sounding Barry-John "Baz" Cole, with Tony " Achilles " Fitzgerald & Max "Gimo" Gimson in midfield with Sean "Squealer" Bryne & Andy "the Mutant" Pearce (kids can be so cruel) on the wings with Mr Angry Dave "Ralph" Rollins at full back. A r elatively s mall bench than of late in Alex "Conan" Doyle, Captain Slow , Alan "Impact" Arkell and better late than never Marcus "Shark" Hope.
Chaps can we please stop taking pots at goal, look what it does to poor Ralph, he knows I'm going spare out on the touchline wondering why we are kicking at the sticks, and the pressure must be telling as he fails to convert our first scoring opportunity about five minutes in. Kick to the corners or run it cos we ain't gonna lose a game by three points and if we do it's because we simply haven't played well enough!
Our first try follows a defensive lineout inside our twenty two, big Phil takes it cleanly, drops it down to his namesake who spins it to Baz who rifles one downfield and their player obligingly makes a real mess of it and knocks it on for a scrum just inside the halfway line. Steady scrum from our Eight, Phil to Baz, Fitz comes in on the scissors, makes good yards before going to ground, pops it off the deck to the General who box kicks it over and the ball bounces obligingly into the chasing Andy Pearce's hands to run it in under the posts 5-0 Simple conversion for Ralph for a 7-0 lead (see no pressure with conversions).
Our second try follows only a couple of minutes later after Stourport fail to deal with Ralph's kick over the top, and again Andy Pearce gives chase, this time deciding to toe poke the ball past his man, before going in under the posts 12-0 Ralph's excellent form with the boot continues as he converts 14-0.
Big Phil takes the restart and opens them long legs, before getting tackled and we drive over, the General ships it out to Baz, who sends a long miss pass to Max, who kicks ahead for Pearcy to chase down the fullback who does well to evade Andy's attentions, he punts it back down field where the General takes it at the second attempt and finds Max who passes to Baz who then puts one down field this time for Sean to run onto, but the ball finds good touch instead just inside the Stourport twenty two. Big Phil pinches their ball and we drive it on a yard or two before Nick Levey splinters off and takes it into their midfield. We set and ball comes back Ali G just about manages to hang onto it, before ball finds Tony Fitz in support and his good line sees him in under the posts for our third of the day 19-0. Another simple one (well he makes it look that way) for Ralph 21-0 But that's moreorless the last of the action for Fitz as his troublesome Achilles tells him that's enough and Slow comes on at inside centre & Arks takes on the commentary duties.
Now this must be the three-quarters equivalent of being slung between Shannon & Fridge having Baz & Max either side of you as Slow takes a couple of Route One trips down memory lane and through the Stourport defence (though I did hear one of the "Girls" comment "typical f**king back row head down not looking for support") I only played centre for twenty five years...why should I start f**king looking around now!
Anyway according to Arks, not long after Slow "goes crashing up the middle" (his words), ball finds Baz, back inside to Golfball in support, he's stopped, looks like they've pilfered it but we rescue the situation, General feeds Baz, who passes to Max, commentator starts to verbally shake his head as Max looks to have taken the wrong option only to keep going and finds Baz on his shoulder who jinks his way under the posts...and Arks commences the eating of his verbal hat 26-0 and Ralph goes four from four 28-0 just as Shark gets in from work, and Nick requires running repairs from Nurse Arkell.
Soon after we win a lineout ball (his words) against the head, and Harry Hill takes the ball & ploughs through the middle and the Massive give chase. We set Phil spins it out to Baz who mesmerises the defence, cuts back and goes through the middle where he finds Slow in space moving at what now passes for full tilt these days and with just the line to beat manages to find a tackler from somewhere, twists his knee and disconsolately hobbles off. Alex comes onto the wing omni-directional Squealer switches to fullback and the equally mult-positional Ralph moves to centre. From the resulting scrum five minutes from halftime Andy the Mutant (I'm really hoping it's a term of endearment as even his mum used it on the touchline) completes his hat trick when the General goes blind pops it to Andy and he crashes over in the corner 33-0 and Ralph is close but not close enough.
Halftime 33-0 by which time Sid has had enough, in fairness he is sixty odd, so Nick switches to hooker and Marcus comes onto the flank. Casper also decides he's having too much fun at prop and decides to carry on for another ten minutes after the break...just so he can have bragging rights over his mate Arks.
Anyway a lot of sides have caved before us with this score on the board but not Stourport; whether it was captain's stern words or halftime reinforcements they came out all guns blazing after the break their forwards making an immediate impact when their kick off fails to go ten they drive us off our own ball in the resultant scrum...and that just about sets the tone for the opening ten minutes where their forwards attempt to batter ours into submission with a series of bruising incursions into our twenty two and attacking scrums close to our line. Our scrum is visibly creaking now with Fridge the only remaining recognised front row; ten minutes in & John takes a bow and Arks comes on with instructions to go to passive scrummages, but he's having none of it and keeps stum on arrival and we continue to scrum. Gradually our ship starts to steady, the turning point coming with Stourport being awarded a penalty which they take quickly but get turned over close in and Ralph kicks to touch the ball going out on our twenty two. Shark nicks their ball drops it down to his hooker Nick who drives round blind but is forced into touch a metre or so past our twenty two. Carbon copy as Marcus steals it again and finds Nick, to the General to Baz who punts it down field to put a bit of daylight between them and our try line. They attempt to run it back but our rush defence is up to it as Baz, Arks, Alistair & Andy K make the first up tackles. Whilst we're pinged in the last tackle for hands in after Arks has dumped his man and rolled him on his back..the siege has effectively been lifted.
We start to give the ball more width, as big Phil & Marcus begin to dominate the lineouts on both throws and we start to boss the tackle areas as we begin to get our dander up. We are awarded a scrum following a gang tackle from Ralph & Max, before which Max has time to have his now customary chat with the ref as captain Al looks on. We win the scrum but the General's kick goes direct into touch, no matter as big Phil steals it, drops it to his namesake who finds Arks who makes a nuisance of himself, we recycle, Phil to Baz, Andy Pearce comes in from the inside, he's held we go again, we work the overlap, ball finds Alex, he steps back inside, we recycle, big Phil "tidies" up the ruck and the General ships it out to Baz, he makes space feeds Andy who gasses his man, rounds the corner and dots it down a few metres from the posts 38-0 & Ralph gets his fifth conversion of the day and we go 40-0 up.
The game starts to lose a little shape and gets a bit fractious for the next five or so minutes during which we are treated to a new one from the law book when the game is halted for "man in danger" says the referee. Suits us as we win the scrum and clear our lines, at which point Mr Lonie, glutton for punishment that he is, comes back on in the second row as Andy K takes a well earned breather. We start to take the game by the scruff of the neck and Ralph is unlucky not to score when he takes a great interception in midfield. We then see some good runs from Golfball, Ali G & Casper and some great defence by our two larger units Fridge & Arks as we begin to get a stranglehold on the game, and when we start to "unintentionally" wheel on their ball we pinch a couple of put ins too.
But our final try of the day starts & finishes with young Alex, following a good tackle by him Stourport are awarded the scrum that we then pinch, Phil spins to Baz who puts one over the top for Andy Pearce to give chase, the defender however, takes this one cleanly but gets a hug off the shiny headed Bear, and Max steps in and relieves him of the pill, he pops it to the General who finds Baz in space who burns his man and sets off across the park looking for friends, and finds one in the shape of Alex who still has work to do but goes over about five metres in from touch 45-0. Conversion missed.
Unfortunately we fail miserably to deal with the restart and the ball goes loose and eventually finds one of their younger more robust replacements who steamrollers his way over in the corner for a consolation try 45-5, conversion not even close and with that the referee, whom I thought had an excellent game blows for the end of the game.
Final score 45-5 Final age 634 and still averaging above forty for the season and at 42 almost the combined age of our two youngsters.
Men with the dirtiest shirts this week go to Baz for pulling the forty year old strings throughout and also to Andy for his four try haul.
Last call for a nyone interested in having their own stripey playing shirt let me know, these can be a little personalised, choice of flag for the nationalists amongst you, nickname on collar etc, cost about £35.00 I will be placing orders this week!!!
Slow.