Junior Match Reports (17 November)

by | Nov 23, 2024 | Youth Rugby

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 13s – v Alton (away)

Having played Alton in a friendly earlier on in the season and coming second, the Totts lads knew it was going to be a tough game.  After being seeded second from bottom at the start of the season and then moving up to 14th after beating Andover in the first round, along with some good performances and wins, the boys were optimistic of a result.

Alton played down the slope first and used this to their advantage and piled the pressure on to Totts pinning them down in their own half.  With some resilience in the scrum and great cover tackles, Totts kept the score to a respectable 2-0 for about 15 minutes and it still looked like the 2nd half could be open.

Unfortunately Alton’s experience and quality of play broke down the Totts defence and they flooded the try line three more times at the end of 1st half.

This did the trick though!  The Totts boys showed great sprit in their fight back in the 2nd half and really took the game to Alton.  A mention has to made to the Totts centre pairing whose work rate in defence and attack really kept the team going and help disrupt Alton’s attack on numerous occasions. Also both of the getting a brace of tries each.

Luck wasn’t with Totts though losing their half backs early on in the 2nd half through injury. Both key players including one being skipper made the coaches move players about to cover. Full credit to the players that changed positions as once again this spurred on Totts to take the game to Alton with some great personal performances.

The score lines started to become close and was there going to be an upset? Alton brought on some fresh legs and experience which helped organise themselves and they pulled a few more tries to get the win.

Full credit needs to go to Alton for their rugby and teamwork, along with a good ‘hunger’ for the ball and their pressure on Totts to stifle their play.

The final score of 10-5 shows that Totts can put in a good performance against a stronger team, some consistency and work rate can hopefully bring them the results they want. The whole squad, not just those involved in this game are developing together and are enjoying their rugby journey which is what it’s all about!

They’ve now got Gosport & Fareham in the bowl competition, away on the 8th December.

Player of the match as selected by Alton was Paddy.

UNDER 16s – v Fordingbridge (away) – WON 29-24

Tottonians U16’s secured a narrow victory in a competitive friendly match against Fordingbridge U16’s, bolstered by players from Fareham Heathens to field a full side. The game provided a valuable test before our league game next week for Tottonians, who ultimately edged the contest 24-29.
 
The opening half saw Tottonians race to a strong lead with tries from Leo Havelock, marking his return from knee surgery, Reed Amey and Jack Harris. Charlie Sign slotted a conversion to further the lead. In the second half, further tries from Marley Maxted and Charlie Presland, along with a conversion by Sid Tipp, showcased the attacking depth of the team.
 
However, enforced substitutions due to injuries and experimentation with players in unfamiliar positions allowed Fordingbridge to claw back into the game. Full credit to the opposition for their resilience and strong performance, especially as they compete two leagues below. Their commitment and determination provided a stern challenge.
 
Reed Amey earned the Coaches’ Player of the Day award for an outstanding performance, while the opposition named Jack Harris their Man of the Match. A special mention goes to Archie Cousins, who made an impressive debut, and to Leo Havelock, who came through his return to the pitch well.
 
This match was a perfect platform for Tottonians to focus on tactical elements, such as slow-ball and quick-ball plays, along with their exit plays from their own 22. The coaches were really pleased with the sides efforts and showing what we had been working on in training in preparation for their upcoming league fixture against Ellingham and Ringwood next Sunday.