H&B U12s at the Hove Festival (6 November 2011)

Playing in the third tournament of the season, H&B U12s welcomed three new players into a growing squad, and trekked to Hove for the very well organised U12 festival. 16 teams from the region and beyond (including Cambridge, Reigate and Chobham) contested for the main trophy and plate trophy. H&B were pooled with strong opposition in the form of Chichester, Chobham and Crawley. In the first match (against the very strong Surrey-based Chobham side) H&B took their customary game to warm up, shipping a couple of early tries through missed-tackles as a very slick opposition ran the field. H&B can take heart from a very strong scrum, and some good line-out work, but were outplayed in a 4 - 0 loss.

In the second match, against the big West Sussex side from Chichester, H&B again struggled in the first half; going two scores down. However, it was in the second half that H&B finally lifted their spirits and played some heart-on-the-sleeve rugby; clever passing play and kicking play from the backs, brave defence from the wings, and some awesome rucking and scrummaging from the forwards made it a much closer contest. Despite an eventual 3 - 0 loss, the lads came off the field with a much-boosted confidence in their own performance. This finally translated in the third match against a Crawley team we were unlucky to draw against earlier in the season. H&B dominated throughout; despite some controlled mauling from the two big Crawley props. Great ripping work in the close allowed Chandler Buckingham and Tommy Russell to make some cleaving runs in-field. The rewards went to Tommy Russell with well-deserved scores either side of half time. Only some very creative decision making from the Crawley linesman stopped Chandler Buckingham from making it 3 - 0 by the end of the match. A great effort which saw H&B placed against old foes Uckfield in the Plate semi-final.

Uckfield - previous victors over H&B in two recent encounters - were relishing a match they anticipated as being 'a walkover'. In order to crush their hopes, H&B carried their good form into the match and began to control the play through excellent scrums, rucking and ripping, and slick passing between the backs. Late into the first half, Uckfield carried the ball over the H&B line, only to the denied by some incredible tackling from Ronnie Doorey-Palmer, Stuart Chisholm, and Lee Hopkins in particular to hold the ball up. From the resultant scrum, Uckfield were able to take advantage of an illegal feed to release a winger and draw first blood. 1 - 0 at half time. The second half could have gone either way, with the two sides evenly matched in most areas of the game. With the clock ticking away, an unpleasant incident involving the Uckfield linesman required some intervention from the H&B coach which eventually caused the referee to abandon the match in favour of the team currently in the lead. The two sides left the field quietly; both disappointed not to finish a very closely contested game.

H&B can take great heart from some much-improved rugby during the tournament; and a well-deserved win against a fairly desperate team. Standout performances from Chandler at prop, Harry Samra and second-row, George Marvin at centre, and a host of others in each of their positions. Player of the week went to hooker Lee Hopkins for his gladatorial efforts in every match; his rucking at the breakdown, and try-saving tackle.

Squad:

1. Chandler Buckingham
2. Lee Hopkins
3. Max Holmes
4. Owain Lusted
5. Harry Samra / Stephen Beach
8. Tommy Russell
9. Tom Hirst
10. Ronnie Doorey-Palmer (c)
11. Ashley Hills
12. George Howard-Smith
13. George Marvin
14. Gabriel Balde
15. Stuart Chisholm

Also: great work from newcomers Jack (centre), Josh (wing) and Louie (wing)