Match Report

Maidstone U9s win the Plate at the Medway Festival

Last year this team were very successful at Tag Rugby but the step up to contact rugby this year is quite a significant one, tackling, scrums, rucks and no coach on the pitch. Happy to flatten each other in training, how would they cope playing real matches against real opposition? The Medway Festival was a chance to find out.

We took a squad of 14 with Robert and Samuel coming along as non playing reserves to help out with warm ups etc.

Barking were up first and initially we thought their U11s had wandered on to the wrong pitch. Our boys battled gamely and found their stride towards the end of the first half but the National League 2 side were 2-0 up by then. In the second half we barely let them out of their half and ran in a well worked try. Barking’s defence was impressive, keeping our players on their feet and out mauling us, but on the ground Harvey and Nathan’s ball recovery meant even a 40/60 was likely to be ours. Barking ran out 3-1 winners, but we knew we were unlikely to come across a better team and if we did, we’d be ready.

For the next few games the boys tried out different positions and tactics and worked out for themselves that it took several of the opposition to stop Jenkins, Jack or Harvey and passing the ball away from the break down (often recovered by Zak and Matthew B) released our backs with Oliver, Archie, Luke and Matthew F running a hatful of impressive tries, with Dan going close several times too. In defence the boys worked out that getting to the opposition quickly rather than waiting resulted in a lot more turnovers and Upminster, Old Colfs and Medway Bulldozers all discovered that going near Louis, Evan or Henry resulted in you hitting the ground rather quickly, rather often.

Three convincing wins and that solitary loss to Barking meant an appearance in the Plate final against Sevenoaks. And what a final! Sevenoaks had a couple of big strong runners who’d been strolling in for tries all day and were well organised in defence. A very well worked passing move saw Sevenoaks go one up. Jenkins crossed the ‘Oaks line with most of their team hanging off him to levels the scores. In the second half Henry looked certain for the winning try with his blindside break from the scrum only to be bundled in to touch inches from the try line. The sides were fairly evenly matched with Maidstone’s attacks being thwarted by herculean efforts from the Oaks’ defence. Maidstone were just shading it when Sevenoaks worked a nice opening for their winger who was clear through to the try line. Losing after playing so well would be harsh and fortunately Evan had been reading his “Big Book of How to Tackle Really Really Hard” and came hammering in from the other side of the pitch to put in tackle of the day, if not the Festival. With the final score at 1-1 our boys were rearing to go for extra time, ‘Oaks possibly a little less so. The festival rules however determined that the team with the best results in the group stages were the winners in the event of a draw, so Maidstone were crowned Plate Champions not only thanks to the 9 on the pitch in the final, but the due to the efforts of the whole squad during the day. A fitting end to a great start to the season.

Coach Contacts:

Jamie Mills

Mob: 07990 520199

Email: minirugby@jamiemills.plus.com