Sunday 29th January 2012
Crowborough vs Eastbourne (Friendly)
Final score: 0 - 25
Eastbourne U12s at Crowborough, 29th January 2012
Match 1: Crowborough 5 - 10 Eastbourne
Match 2: Tonbridge Juddians 0 - 25 Eastbourne
Seven weeks had passed since their last competitive match, and with three consecutive training sessions under their belts, there was much expectation and anticipation in the air. Freezing mist and fog was also in the air as the team congregated outside the newly built clubhouse high on the Sussex Weald. Their second trip away to Crowborough RFC so far this season was a great opportunity to put all the hard training-ground sessions into practice. Would the Eastbourne U12's rise (above the clouds) to the challenge and leave as clear winners, or would it be a wintery mist opportunity?
A hastily arranged invite by Crowborough RFC, would see the Tonbridge Juddians 'C' team join-in with the days rugby. With temperatures dipping below freezing, the first priority was to get all the players warmed-up, so a joint session with all three teams was the order of the day, including a quick tag game to help sharpen the reflexes. The first match would see the regal gold and blue Eastbourne line-up against the candy-cane red and white Crowborough.
For the first half, Eastbourne had the advantage of a downhill start on the 1:3 gradient pitch, and as the game got under way and the ball was launched high into the murky mist, so started the downhill charge. With a few players' joints still suffering from the stiffening effects of the cold conditions, Crowborough managed to ease through the first few timid tackles and managed to make their way back up-hill as far as the half-way line. Then came some crunching tackles that would signal to Crowborough Eastbourne's intent, and the resulting turn-over ball would see Eastbourne take the fight back down the valley towards the Crowborough try-line. This forward momentum was temporarily halted 15 metres from glory and the resulting ruck-of-sorts enabled the ever-rampant Number 8 Louis Wood to launch a trademark growling ram-raid. A flailing Crowborough defense couldn't hold back the blue and gold bulldozer as the ball was shoveled over the line for Eastbourne's first try of the day. For the next few minutes the play would shift up-hill and down-dale with both teams endeavoring to settle-in to some structured passages of play. High on the hill, deep into Eastbourne's misty territory, the gold and blues were awarded a scrum which the forwards powered through to win possession with ease. The ball was arrowed towards Fly Half Harvey Warren who relieved some of the pressure by aiming a high clearance kick down-slope for the free-running three-quarters to chase. The ball was ably collected, but the forward momentum was temporarily thwarted by the ensuing maul that steadily began to eat-up crucial meters, until the ball eventually went to ground from which a ruck started to form. The initial attempt of a one-player clear-out was totally inadequate as the lone player was sent packing backwards at a high rate of knots. The ensuing counter-ruck was magnificent though, and the ball was plucked from the floor and found it's way into the hands of Louis Greenfield. The rock solid silent-but-deadly player from the Second Row, locked his sights on the try-line and thundered forward in a super stealth like fashion. This determined run evaded every Crowborough challenge and 'the rock' slammed home Eastbourne's well deserved second try.
For the second half, Eastbourne would now have to battle their way up the 1:3, which would call on extra reserves of fitness if they were to continue to pressure the home team. Despite numerous forays up the slope and into the giddying heights of the oppositions half, Eastbourne struggled to make the extra effort required pay off. Some players were showing signs of altitude sickness from spending the first half in the thinner atmosphere at the top of the slope, which clearly affected their ability to ruck effectively. The clear benefit of playing down-slope were now evident as Crowborough took full advantage of their new found forward momentum and put Eastbourne under increasing pressure throughout the second half. The ever-advancing opposition found themselves with a scrum just a few metres short of Eastbourne's try-line, and the determined forward shove afforded one of their three-quarters a stumbling run at the line. His sheer size took the ball, and several Eastbourne defenders over the line, but some quick thinking saw Full Back Mason Dowle place his arm between ball and ground to hold the ball up and prevent the try. This was a stark warning to an Eastbourne side that now found themselves at the mercy of the hill and a not-so-sweet candy-cane Crowborough. With just a minute or so left on the clock, Eastbourne were under the cosh once again, defending a scrum just five metres out. Despite being forced backwards towards the try-line, the ball wormed it's way to Eastbourne's stand-in Scrum Half Zoe Balsdon, who managed to pop a pass to Fly Half Harvey Warren who was all set to kick the ball away from danger. The forward momentum that Crowborough had, combined with a narrow scoring zone didn't leave him with any room to clear, and he was quickly swallowed up in a thick soup of players from both teams. The ball popped-out towards Crowborough's attackers who scooped-up and ran the ball over the line for their first try of the match. Luckily for Eastbourne the match ended shortly afterwards which allowed them to secure a solid victory in their first game for seven weeks on this very cold day. Result: Crowborough 5 - 10 Eastbourne
Whilst Crowborough did battle with Tonbridge Juddians, Eastbourne were engaged in a training session designed to counter the effects of the altitude sickness that was robbing them from rucking effectively. After the training and a short period of rest, Eastbourne were back at full strength ready to start the vertical challenge that awaited them in their second and final match of the day versus the hastily drafted-in Tonbridge Juddians. Knowing how much of an advantage playing with the rub-of-the-slope gives, Eastbourne knew that they would have to put Tonbridge under pressure straight away, as they faced the 'hill' for the first half.
From the off, Eastbourne launched the ball deep up into the Judds' half and set about charging the ball receiver down. With a blue and gold tidal wave heading his way, the Judds' receiver fumbled and knocked the ball forward and Eastbourne had put-in at the scrum. Despite pushing uphill, the mighty Eastbourne pack easily won the scrum and the ball was dispatched with pinpoint accuracy out to an eager and primed three-quarter line by Scrum Half Oliver Ashdown. The flowing up-hill move was pegged-back by the Judds' defense just 10 metres short of the oppositions try-line, and the ball was sensibly taken to ground. The Eastbourne forwards, fully fit thanks to their altitude training between matches, were instantly rucking-off the opposition leaving the ball on a plate for Eastbourne's Second Row Man Mountain Haydn Allport to scoop-up like the bucket of a JCB. With the ball safely under arm, Haydn marched seemingly unopposed through the perturbed looking defense to crash over the line like a felled Norwegian Pine for a very valuable up-hill try. Tonbridge restarted and the ball landed securely into Eastbourne's hands, with the immediate surge forward gaining precious ascending yards. A series of well executed rucks started to frustrate the opposition and a scrum was duly awarded for a Tonbridge hand in the ruck. With the ever-eager three-quarter line set behind the pack, Scrum Half Oliver Ashdown spotted a gap in the defense ahead and exploited the gap by taking the ball forward at pace himself to catch the Tonbridge downhillers by surprise. A neat pass to his left found the clutches of the raging bull that is Number 8 Louis Wood. Riled by the red hoops on the Tonbridge shirts, Louis 'Toro' Wood lowered his head, and snorted loudly from his hose as one by one the Juddian Matadors were tossed aside like rag dolls. With no challengers left Louis stomped over the try-line for the second priceless upward score of the half. For the rest of the first half, Tonbridge were unable to use the bonus of gravity to their advantage and Eastbourne were two to the good at the end of the half.
With their tails-up, and the murky fog starting to lift, Eastbourne stood majestically atop the High Weald, ready to apply further downward pressure on the Tonbridge opponents amassing in the valley below. From the restart, Tonbridge were immediately under pressure, as the blue and golds continued in their relentless drive forward. Before too long, Eastbourne found themselves rucking just two metres out, and this time it was left to Tight Head Prop Euan McGreevy to take the ball forward in pursuit of glory. As his path cleared and the line beckoned him forward, Euan 'swallow-dived' over the line, reminiscent of England's Chris Ashton. The execution was more 'hoping budgie' than 'soaring eagle' but the end result was a valuable try nonetheless. The Tonbridge Juddians continued in vain to break through the massed ranks of the gold and blue defense, with Eastbourne counterattacking at every opportunity. One such retort witnessed newly positioned Left Wing Zoe Balsdon launch an attack along the left wing, only to see her valiant efforts bundled into touch just five metres short of scoring her first try for the team. From the ensuing line-out, Eastbourne managed to win the ball thanks to the team's very own self-hire tower crane - Second Row Haydn Allport. With a swift turn line-ward, Haydn powered forward towards the beckoning scoring zone with a steely determination. The knocking-knees of the Tonbridge defense echoed through the mist as the ball and Haydn were unceremoniously dumped in perfect unison over the line with a thunderous thump. The Tonbridge restart was once again competently collected and taken into contact with the resplendent forwards maintaining control at each ruck that followed. From the melee of players gathered at the back of one such ruck, one player reared his head with ball in hand, and to the horror of the Judds it was once again Eastbourne's Second Row 'Mobile Mountain' Haydn Allport. From deep within the blue and gold's half Haydn started his charge, and as he rumbled down the hillside gathering pace like an avalanche in the Alps, he simply consumed everything in his path. A trail of arms and legs were all that was visible as Haydn continued on his destructive path down the valley towards the final resting place that would inevitably be the Tonbridge try-line. As the screams of the panicked Tonbridge parents subsided, and the heady mix of mist, steam and mud dispersed, it revealed the triumphant Haydn Allport beaming from ear to ear having just scored his hatrick of tries for the team. Tonbridge had hardly dusted themselves down when Eastbourne were at it again! Some superb dummying and passing from the three-quarters found Fly Half Harvey Warren in space heading toward the try-line with Left Wing Zoe Balsdon in support. With just one defender to beat and certain of a try, Harvey magnanimously passed over his opportunity to score and slotted the ball out wide for Zoe to take the glory of her first try. Alas, as she dived bravely over the line her foot was adjudged to have been in-touch before the ball was placed. Next time Zoe - next time! At that moment the whistle blew to end a match that quite literally steam-rollered the opposition. Extra congratulations should go to Eastbourne's forwards who, for possibly the first time ever, scored all the tries in a run of two matches, a great effort indeed! Result: Tonbridge Juddians 0 - 25 Eastbourne
Man of the match is voted for by fellow team players via www.teamer.net. The result of the vote will be published on the U12s webpage at www.eastbournerugby.com. A big THANK YOU to all the coaches, team manager, parents and team sponsors, and a huge WELL DONE to all the players.
MOM (via teamer.net): Louis Greenfield/57% of vote (Second Row), Haydn Allport/29% of vote (Second Row), Emily Hird/14% of the vote (Hooker).
