A Long Day

The under 14s headed off to Colchester for a Festival which would see the boys drawn against some serious opposition. Drawn in a group with Chelmsford A, current leaders of Essex Division 1; Wymondham, newly crowned Eastern Counties Champions; Essex Division 1 side Brentwood and fellow Division 2 adversaries Ipswich YM, it was going to be a tough competition.

Each match was limited to 7 minutes each way so there could be no easing into the games. This needed a sprint from the off. With 24 boys to choose from Gareth rotated the squad as much as he could to keep players as fresh as possible.

Rochford v Brentwood

First up were Brentwood who we had beaten in a friendly in February. The boys started quickly and immediately put Brentwood on the back foot. Pushing the opposition back to their own line they began to kick to relieve the pressure but that only saw the ball returned with interest. With Rochford moving the ball well from the back of a scrum and moving towards the Brentwood twenty-two an intercepted pass gave the opposition their only chance of the game which they duly took.

The second half saw more of the same with Brentwood under constant pressure. A full game would have surely seen Rochford pull ahead but the urgency required, which saw some handling errors and some stout defending by Brentwood kept the scores as they were.

Full-time: Rochford 0 – 7 Brentwood

Rochford v Wymondham

Next came the best side in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire who were one of the favourites for the overall competition. We had just seen them ruthlessly destroy Chelmsford A so we were well aware they were going to be tough opposition. The boys fought well from the off and had plenty of possession but the solid defence of Wymondham gave very few chances. In the end the pressure grew and the opposition began to slice open the Rochford defence at regular intervals. This was a defeat but not one the boys should feel bad about. They showed they had ability, stamina and a good work ethic and never stopped trying until the final whistle.

Full-time: Rochford 0 – 29 Wymondham

Rochford v Chelmsford A

After playing the Eastern Counties Champions there was no let up as next came the prospective Essex Champions. Chelmsford currently sit top of Division 1 and so the boys needed to keep their discipline and work rate. Despite the score this was by no means all one-way. Rochford put together some well worked expansive moves using the speed off the centres and wingers to great effect. The forwards worked effectively as a unit to ensure that the boys retained the ball at the breakdown but were just unable to break down the Chelmsford defence.

Full-time: Rochford 0 - 38 Chelmsford A

Rochford v Ipswich YM

With Chelmsford and Wymondham clear at the top of the league it was very tight at the bottom which made Rochford’s last game a “must win” and with a few tries required too. Having beaten Ipswich away in the league earlier in the season the boys went into the match with renewed confidence.

It was Ipswich who took the lead, against the run of play but Rochford fought back with Tom Harris scoring two tries either side of another by Louis Dawkins. Callum Stanley added two extra points to put Rochford ten points up at half time.

The second half was a much tighter affair with both sides adding another seven points, Rochford through a try from Christopher Hastings and a conversion from Callum Stanley.

Full-time: Rochford 24 – 14 Ipswich YM

The competition rules included bonus points for tries scored and with Rochford and Brentwood finishing on 14 points and Ipswich YM on 13, Rochford were placed in third, above Brentwood, on points scored and were placed in the Shield A semi-final.

Rochford v Maldon, Shield A Semi-Final

So the semi-final saw Rochford drawn against their league rivals Maldon who had already been dispatched twice this season in the league and a friendly match. Rochford began to press the Maldon defence back towards their own line, mirroring the previous two encounters. However it was Maldon who made the first break through an intercepted pass and a 50 metre dash for the line. What should have been a routine score took an unexpected turn as the Maldon attacker dropped the ball from only a few inches off the ground, denying his team the lead.

Rochford were determined to make the most of the let off and began to exert their superiority. A break through a gap from Tom Harris saw him set up Aaron Cocks for the opening score of the game to put Rochford ahead. Another break and pass out to Aaron on the wings was stopped 5 metres short of the line and with it the chance to extend the lead.

Full-time: Rochford 5 – 0 Maldon

Rochford v North Walsham, Shield A Final

The Final came, to be honest, a game too late with the boys that were still able to play feeling the fatigue of a long day and an increasing number unavailable due to strains and pains. Up stepped North Walsham who we had last played on tour last season.

We knew that North Walsham were a very good side and they proved as much again, however this time they were given a much harder test than our last meeting. The boys stepped up, putting their bodies on the line for one last push. The result went Walsham’s way but by no means did all the play. Rochford made a number of good breaks, using space well and working as a unit in attack. They were just not able to get the ball over the line.

Full-time: Rochford 0 – 17 North Walsham

It’s always frustrating to lose a final but the boys should not feel disappointed in their performance. They played some of the best teams in the region and put up a sterling performance against them all. This season has been a steep learning curve for the team and they have improved greatly. They should go into their last league game confident that they have the potential to become one of the best teams in Essex.

Tries
Tom Harris 2
Louis Dawkins
Christopher Hastings
Aaron Cocks

Conversions
Callum Stanley 2

1, James Mowle; 2, Joe Mitchell; 3, Elliott Parsell; 4, Jack Murphy; 5, Jack Cahill; 6, Reiss Sellwood; 7, Reece Garstin; 8, Louis Dawkins; 9, Callum Stanley; 10, Tom Harris; 11, Aaron Cocks; 12, Chris Hastings; 13, Joseph Cottam; 14, Rob Sheldrake; 15, Corey Lazell; 16, Daniel Harvey; 17, Chris Martin; 18, Connor Jones; 19, Harrison McKenna; 20, James Berry; 21, Louis Croll; 22, Callum Blackman; 23; Daniel Harvey; 24; Jacob Lipscombe