Junior Match Reports (13 October)
Here is your weekly round-up of some of the Youth rugby action across the club. If you want your report to be published – please send through to Ryan Martin and it will be published on a Thursday in that week. It’s up to you to get your reports in ……
UNDER 16s – v Basingstoke (away)
In a fiercely contested away fixture, Tottonians U16s narrowly lost 31-24 to Basingstoke, but produced their best display of the season so far. Despite playing with a bare 15 due to holidays and school trips, the team demonstrated outstanding attacking shape, particularly in the first half.
Hector opened the scoring after a clever dummy switch between Sidney Tipp and Jack Harris, allowing Hector to break through and score under the posts, with Sid adding the extras. Basingstoke responded quickly, but Tottonians maintained their lead with a second try from Jack Harris, following slick handling from the backs. Captain Charlie Presland crashed over from close range for the third, and Hector crossed again for his second try of the game, capping a brilliant team move.
Basingstoke’s ability to make multiple substitutions took its toll in the second half, with Tottonians tiring but continuing to fight hard. Ultimately, Basingstoke capitalized on fresh legs to edge the win.
Man of the Match went to Hector for his two well-taken tries and smart running lines, while Marley Maxted earned the Coaches’ Player of the Match for a tireless shift at hooker, stepping away from his usual full-back role to ensure contested scrums.
The team leaves with more positives than negatives and looks forward to the next match with confidence.
UNDER 13s – v Andover (home)
For their first home game of the season and a cup game at that the boys of Tottonians U13’s certainly gave the sizeable crowd a game to watch!
Both sides played well and with plenty of effort deny their lack of experience of playing on a large pitch.
Tottonians started strong with some powerful runs and willing support. A very dominant scrummage also helped keep them on the front foot and get a couple of scores in first. Andover realising that in order to gain a foot hold in the game they needed to move the ball wide to avoid the strong defence. They did this well with some very sharp handling and awareness of the available space.
They scored a couple of quick tries to bring the scores closer together and stay within the now tiring Totts.
With some fresh legs brought on at half time Totts scored a series of quick tries from great teamwork and support to create a more comfortable score line. By now though there where injuries coming through and some of the Totts boys where having to play out of position.
Andover now rallied together and played some great rugby, really moving the ball about with great skill and found some space to which they scored again to bring them back within strike range of totts.
With one last surge Totts scored again to take them 2 tries ahead of Andover and the game seemingly in the bag, but as before Andover kept playing and not letting the game go and where camped on the totts try line. After a sustained period of great defence by Totts Andover finally wore them down and scored, bringing them within a score.
Totts decided to receive the kick off to which they kept the ball through some great recycling and hanging on for the win 7 tries to 6.
A great game and result to which either side could’ve won and was credit to both clubs in the spirit of how the game is played.
Totts now have a series of friendly games before playing Alton in the round of the cup.
