Rishworthians v Huddersfield YMCA and Telford/Scarboro Festivals

Reds win Telford Festival

The under 11's tour got underway last Friday teatime with a trip down to Telford for their Festival on Sunday. After 2 days of wining and dining there were some tired looking parents and coaches at breakfast on Sunday. The kids however were obviously fresher than parents because they played 6 games of rugby, winning 5 and drawing the other, making them winners of the Telford Festival. The format was based on a league with the obvious winner being the one with the most points. Twelve minutes for the match, no half time.

Game 1 Reds 15 - 0 Newport
The Reds are usually slow starters at tournaments but pre match talks got the guys in to top gear from the off. Rishies put Newport under early pressure and Nathan Cooper from full back sneaked through a gap to open the Reds account. Newport came back at the Reds but we were stronger in the maul and George Radcliffe and Thomas Cockroft, up to their usual tricks, were ripping the ball of the opposition. Rishies increased their lead from a maul on the Newport 20 metres, when the ball was fed out to Sam Bake who jinked over the line. The final score went to the Reds after good hands down the line brought play to the Newport line. From a Reds penalty Jack Davis barged through to make the score 15-0. A good opening win.

Game 2 Reds 20 - 0 Sandbach
As in the first game the Reds took early play in to the Sandbach half and stayed there for quite a while. From a line out the Reds controlled a driving maul for 5 metres before the ball was taken by scrum half Will McDonnell who dived down the blindside to score in the corner. The Reds were dominant and a scrum against the head was fed out to Bake who, after a weaving run, increased the score. Sandbach could not cope with the pace of the Reds back line and McDonnell scored again after outpacing the defence from half way. Rishies were putting on a display of rucking that impressed the Sandbach coaches and after some flowing phases of play Bake finished off the match with another zigzagging run through the defence for a 20-0 win.

Game 3 Reds 5 - 0 Chaddersley Corbett
This was a more difficult game to the other 2 but the Reds did open the scoring through Sam Bake who found the pace from half way to go over the line. Chaddersley put the Reds under pressure and they had to tackle like demons to keep them from scoring. Chaddersley did manage to go over the line but were ruled to be held up. It appeared that Will McDonnell had made the game safe after a 50 metre run down the touchline to score a great try, but was ruled out after the touch judge said that his foot just touched the line. The Reds held out to the finish for a hard fought 5-0 triumph.

Game 4 Reds 45 -v 0 Burntwood
This game turned in to a Reds try fest with the white wash being crossed 9 times in 12 minutes. The first try came courtesy of a powerful Reds scrum from which the ball was fed to Davis who again powered over. Bake increased the lead with another try after some great rucking produced quick ball. The game then went like this. Restart return by Oliver Marshall to score. Restart return by Jacob Bower to score. Restart return again by Marshall, pass to Bower to score. Suddenly the score was 25-0. Burntwood were not the best defence ever and were exploited further with another driving maul to the line where hooker Cockroft dived over the line. Two further tries came from Davis before Bake finished in style with another run from midfield. 45-0.

Game 5 Reds 5 - 5 Telford
The home team had some big forwards in their side and had been using their size to power through teams. Pre-match game plan was hit ?em hard and low. The guys did just that and it allowed Will McDonnell to set off from half way to outpace the defence to score. One of the big Telford forwards did manage to cross the Reds line to level the score and a further Telford try was disallowed when McDonnell managed to get himself between the ball and the ground. Telford were now pounding the Reds line but the guys defended with guts and determination and managed to keep them out to the end. Superb defence by the whole team working together.

Game 6 Reds 30 - 0 Shrewsbury
The final match was reminiscent of the Burntwood game with the Reds in total control throughout. Fly half Sam Bake got the scoring started with another weaving run cutting through the defence. From the restart McDonnell returned the ball with a scorching run down the left wing before cutting inside to outdo the full back and touchdown. After a "Rhino" charge from Davis, Bake was again fed the ball from the ruck, and after an outrageous dummy dived over the line. Excellent passing play brought the Reds again to the Shrewsbury line and from 5 metres McDonnell side stepped the defence to put the ball down. 20-0. From a penalty the ?Sweets? set move came in to play. With the ball going from one side of the pitch to the other McDonnell fed Bake and his final pass to Ollie Swales on the wing gave him the easiest of scores next to the flag. Perfectly executed. Prop Greg Day had been busy all day and after he gained good yardage in Shrewsbury?s 20, Davis picked up and finished off to make a final score of 30-0.

Tries: Nathan Cooper, Sam Bake(8), Jack Davis (5), Will McDonnell (5), Oliver Marshall, Jacob Bower (2), Thomas Cockroft, Oliver Swales.

With Telford winning four of their games and drawing against us, all eyes were on their last match against Newport. After a hard fought game, and with the Rishies contingent on the side lines with fingers crossed, Newport beat Telford which meant that the Reds had won the tournament having gone through unbeaten.

After each game every opposing coach made a point of letting us know how impressed they were with the attitude, skill and quality of the team, particularly in our rucking. That was confirmed by the proud Cheshire cat smiles from all the coaches and parents at the end. Well done guys. After playing some wonderful, intelligent, skilful rugby you deserve to be crowned as CHAMPIONIES!!!!!!CHAMPIONIES!!!!

I know it was said on the coach on Sunday but I would just like to have it in print "A very big thank you from all the kids and parents to Julie the Tour Leader, Rob the Fines Master, and all the chaps that worked so hard in the kitchen, for making such a memorable under 11's tour".

Dave Mc