Bournemouth Festival Report U10A

Sunny Bournemouth was hot and dry for a big festival of 120 squads on 17th April 2011.

Ealing

This year's Salisbury U10A's specialise in sleepy starts to tournaments. This game was in the first possible slot - a horribly early 9.30am - so the omens weren't good. There were also a number of newcomers to the squad, so some rapid familiarisation was needed. Ealing proved to be excellent runners and tacklers. We made a decent start, with some nice running by Piers, immediately countered by a big Ealing attack. Xav managed to break out from near our line, but Ealing were soon back again, and found the holes they needed to score. Salisbury fought back, and upped their tackling - a lovely one by Charlie Mayhew in particular - but we struggled to get out of our own half, and needed to be saved by another breakout run from our own line, this time by Charlie Smith. The second half started disappointingly, with an early Ealing score on the wing. Our tackling was still uncharacteristically weak, and this really mattered against an opposition who knew how to use their backs. We counter-attacked, and rucked well, but struggled to break the Ealing line. We fought our way into Ealing territory, starting with a wonderful break-out by Xav, running pretty much the length of the pitch before being tackled into touch. Inspired and (shockingly) awake now, we twice came close to scoring, but couldn't quite do it. But the boys had held their nerve and showed that they could keep up the fight when the chips were down. This was to stand them in good stead.

Ealing 2; Salisbury 0

New Milton

Salisbury stayed awake. This was a hard fought battle against familiar adversaries. We set the scene with some feisty rucking, on which base Xav was able to break through to score a diving try on the left wing, a la Chris Ashton. New Milton fought back and with Salisbury's tackling still a bit rocky, they came close to scoring, but for a mass hustle into touch. Salisbury applied relentless counter-pressure, rucking and mauling their way back up the pitch to within 10 metres of the target, from which position Xav was able to do the honours again, this time without the theatrics. The second half started with some great forward driving work by Josh, working with the relentless Xav. There were great runs by dodging Daniel and fearless Charlie Mayhew, and New Milton were largely kept contained in their own half, but for a breakout on the wing, which Daniel saw off with a lovely try-saving tackle. Xav broke back and the game ended with some fierce mauling in the centre of the pitch. Salisbury were now looking more assured and distinctly on the up.

Salisbury 2; New Milton 0

Launceston

‘A great win; but it would be nice to see the boys give someone a real pasting', one parent said. Launceston stepped forward. They were a very long way from home, and particularly small. Salisbury were on fire, and the pasting duly followed. Salisbury took control of the rucking early on, and from that base released Fin to saunter in from the half way line. We rucked our way into their half, to set up a Xav special, storming bull-like through the middle of the ruck to score. Then the boys started to move it out a bit, and Fin scored in the centre. Then it was Xav again, scoring on the wing, and by half time it was beginning to look like a rout. Josh did a long lope into the corner, set up a nice maul, and the ball came out to Piers who made a determined charge to score from close range. Next, Xav yet again, on the right wing after a slick little one-two with Freddie. For the coup de grace, Charlie Mayhew made a nice run from a maul, drifted a good pass to Tom Ponsonby, who went over the score the seventh. It didn't technically count (the tournament rules set a six try maximum) but Launceston had gamely played on.

Salisbury 7; Launceston 0

Broadstreet

Broadstreet had come all the way from Coventry for their spring sunshine. In this last pool game, Salisbury had them going backwards from very early on. Oscar made a threatening run (they come naturally to this promising newcomer), and Salisbury kept up the pressure throughout. Piers broke out and laid the ball off very nicely to Fin, who scored the first. Unsatisfied with that, Fin ran the next one in by himself from half way. Salisbury could smell blood. They kept up constant pressure, and Xav was the next over, scoring in the corner. Then he thought he'd take another before half time, the hard way; straight through the middle he went. The second half saw a combination of good rucking and individual running, a relentless assault on Broadstreet, although their defence had now improved. Fin scored once again, in the right corner. There was some nice running from Danny. An impressive haul, and with a bit more use of the line, it might have been bigger still..

Salisbury 5; Broadstreet 0

So Salisbury finished the pool stage very strongly, and it was on to the Shield semi-final after lunch and a bit of ray-catching.

Fordingbridge

This was a big match. Salisbury made a good start, with a good run from Oscar, followed by a rather eccentric try from Xav, running about 15 metres sideways to go 5 forwards. But then complacency seemed to set in. Some very sloppy defending let Fordingbridge come straight back; although Fin saved a try on the wing, Fordingbridge could not be denied when so close, and swiftly scored. Salisbury fought their way back into the enemy half, but weak tackling again allowed the opposition runners to break out; they scored in the centre. This was worrying. We looked the better team overall, but were having disastrous defensive problems, and we were 2-1 down at half time. A little word in the boys' shell-likes should have seen matters rectified, but it wasn't to be. Once again Fordingbridge broke through a sloppy defence, and scored. 3-1 down with only a few minutes' playing time left, and the game looked over, and lost.
Then something remarkable happened. The boys heads did not go down. They dug deep, cranked themselves up, and rucked and mauled their way into the Fordingbridge half. The ball came out to Freddie, who found that if he kept hold of it for a bit, he could bob and weave his way through the enemy; when he was caught, there was Fin outside, who darted over to score in the corner. The clock was ticking away, almost audibly. Salisbury were put back onto the defensive, but again the ball came out to Freddie who again made the break-out; this time he found Josh, who characteristically took it on the left side of the pitch and scored way over on the right. Miraculously, we were level again. But it wasn't over. Tick tock. Fordingbridge attacked hard. This time the Salisbury tackling was really solid; there was no way through. Xav led his pack forward, Josh and Jordan in the thick of it, and the ball came out and was spun swiftly down the line to where Freddie was waiting; he'd got the general idea now, and made a lovely run down the wing to score in the corner, winning the game - a nano-second before the final whistle. A nail-biting game, a fantastic recovery, a real display of character - and a place in the Shield final.

Salisbury 4; Fordingbridge 3

Bournemouth

And so Salisbury finally met their hosts, in the Shield final. An extraordinary match followed. It was like World War I. After an early war of movement, in which Fin and Xav and Charlie Mayhew were the action men for Salisbury, the game settled into a gruelling slogging match, played almost entirely within 10 metres of the centre line. It was trench warfare. The mauling and rucking was the key. This we can do. The ball stayed close. Tackling was universally strong. Nobody could break through. Sam and Fin (more than once), tried to break out, but the route was barred. It was mutual. At full time, these two hot, exhausted teams had to settle respectfully for a nil-all draw.

Salisbury 0;Bournemouth 0

But now, those early Salisbury try-fests really counted, as the day's total net try tally decided the winner. There was no room for doubt here; to Bournemouth's net tally of 8, Salisbury's was an awesome 13 !

The team ended the day tired, happy and deserving winners of the Shield. A really impressive achievement. And with bonus suntans !