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Writtle Wanderers RUFC |
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Writtle Wanderers RUFC |
January 2005 Match Reports
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Scorers:
Tries: Clark 4, Janes 4, Cleare 2,
Wallbank, Redfern
Convs: Clark 8
Man of the Match: Jack Redfern
Wanderers Start 2005 in Style!
In our first outing of 2005 was due to have been an Essex 3 league fixture against Old Edwardians. You may recall that Old Eds cried off on us for our very first league game way back in September and it was not a huge surprise that they had to do so again. The Romford based club have been struggling all season and were beaten by 150 points shortly before Christmas! We hope that they are able to rebuild, as it would be a shame for the county to lose such a long established club.
In place of the league fixture, we secured a game against Rayleigh Wyverns. Up until Christmas they had been playing in Division 2 of the Essex Leagues, but they too have been struggling all season and have therefore taken the decision to withdraw from the league and try to rebuild with social games. However, we expected a reasonably testing game.
The Wanderers were understandably rather rusty after a three week lay off, but the result of this game shows that the attacking flair is still there! I cannot remember much of the detail of the game - I never can when I have been concentrating on my own game - but there were some delightful instances of forwards and backs combining for some of the scores.
Steve Clark and Tim Janes continued their own little competition for leading try scorer with four tries apiece, with Mike Cleare adding a brace of his own from the wing and forwards Robin Wallbank and Jack Redfern adding one each.
With the game well secured by half time, coach, Mark Rawlinson, made a few positional changes to help players get used to different roles! But don't fear - this didn't see anything as drastic as Culleton move to stand off!
In what was generally a very good natured game, I do have to briefly mention one unfortunate off-the-ball incident which saw Writtle lose quality flanker, John Blanchfield, to a broken jaw. I won't say anymore about the incident at this time as matters are ongoing. John will require surgery to repair the damage to his cheekbone and jaw, and I am sure that you would all want to join me in wishing him all the best for a speedy recovery!
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Men of the Match: Andy Ellis/Luke Benning
Sorry - no report submitted!
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Scorers:
Try: Janes
Conv: Clark
Pens: Clark 2
Man of the Match: Graham Gillett
Writtle Wanderers welcomed Dagenham in the quarter finals of the Essex President’s Shield competition in what promised to be a tight but exciting game, and both teams delivered just that. Dagenham, the current Shield holders, came out fighting, putting pressure on Writtle straight away winning a penalty which they kicked. When awarded another penalty, Dagenham took it quickly, maintaining the pressure on a Writtle defence, which held out well with good tackling by the forwards. When Dagenham had a scrum 5 yards from the try line, the Wanderers managed to take it against the head, passing back for the fly half to clear, but Dagenham followed up well to charge it down and score the try.
The Wanderers had to play the defensive game as Dagenham used
forward runners around the fringes but when Writtle managed to get their hands
on the ball and pass it through the line; they gained in confidence, and were
rewarded with a penalty which Steve Clark converted. Writtle held out well when
reduced to 14 men and a good kick took them into the visitors 22 as the half
time whistle blew; scores 3 – 8.
The Wanderers looked better after the restart, turning the
pressure onto Dagenham, forcing the holders to deliberately kill the ball, which
resulted in a sin-binning and a penalty to the Wanderers which Clark kicked.
Cutting runs by Clark, Kanz and Janes finally resulting in a Janes try, which
Clark converted. The holders were visibly rattled by the distinct possibility of
losing their crown and the last twenty minutes were nail biting as both teams
strived to get the score that would make them safe. However, Dagenham never
really looked like creating that elusive try and Writtle had most of the
possession. Final score 13 – 8 and Writtle look forward to the next round.
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Scorers:
Tries: Cook 2, Wilson, Young,
Phillips, Denenga
Man of the Match: Kenny "G" Wilson
No report submitted.
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Scorers:
Try: Janes
Conv: Clark
Pens: Clark 2
Man of the Match: Mark Dempsey
Writtle Scrape a Win
For some reason, we really weren't up for this! Whether it was a hangover from the victory over Dagenham in the President's Shield the week before, or just one of those days where no-one was really switched on, a determined Pegasus/Palmerians side very nearly upset the Writtle apple cart on what should have been a perfect day for running rugby!
Credit should certainly go to the Pegasus coaching staff who had apparently picked a team to try and beat us. It very nearly worked! Obviously, I'm not going to say too much here in case of prying eyes from future opponents, but we found our normal scoring channels well marked and struggled to cope with a particularly well drilled Pegasus lineout.
Pegasus opened the scoring with a well worked maul, I think from one of their lineouts, which we were unable to drive back. The conversion was missed, giving us a 5 point deficit in the early stages. However, this did not provide the kick up the proverbial that one might have hoped and it was only some good breaks by the likes of Clark and Rantell that helped us to keep play in the visitor's half for much of the game. This at least gave Clark the opportunity to slot a nice penalty to reduce the deficit to two points at half time.
After a good talking to in the interval, things looked to be back on track with fly half, Dempsey, at last managing to beat Peg's midfield defence and put Janes in under the posts. Clark stepped up to take the conversion and we were into a five point lead. However, any thought that this might be the start of another Wanderers' scoring spree were dashed as Pegasus continued to carry the ball at us in the forwards and snuff out our attacks. It was not particularly attractive rugby to watch and regular breaks for injuries gave a very disrupted feel to proceedings.
Pegasus' efforts were eventually rewarded with a kickable penalty, duly converted to bring the score back to 10 - 8. A nervous Writtle then mounted further forays into Pegasus territory and were eventually gifted another penalty kick following an infringement. Clark kicked it to increase the cushion to five points again, and Writtle managed to hang on for a tense victory.
The reaction of the players at the end of the game said it all - compared to last week's jubilation, we looked like a funeral cortege as we tramped off the field! But, on a day when we really never got into gear, we still came away with a win over the 3rd placed team in the league and secured our top spot!
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Scorers:
Try: T Young
Conv: W Young
Man of the Match: Tommy Young
Sorry, no report submitted.
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Scorers:
Tries: Clark, Redfern, Dempsey,
Wallbank, Young, Blythe, Janes
Conv: Clark 4
Pen: Clark
Man of the Match: Morgan Barrett
Writtle Back on Form
Following the disappointing performance last week, where we lucky to scrape a victory, the Writtle Wanderers got back into gear with a good win against the King Cross Steelers. Injury and unavailability meant that a few changes to personnel were required and it was pleasing to see newcomer Will Young, playing in the slightly unfamiliar role of scrum half, adapting well to the role. Combining with Mark Dempsey, the pair made up probably the heaviest half back pairing the Club have fielded and they provided a good link between forwards and backs to get the Wanderers back on try-scoring form!
From the kick off, the Writtle pack established their superiority. With Martyn Howarth taking the ball and setting up a maul, the forwards moved play upfield and then released the backs. An infringement by the Steelers gave Steve Clark a fairly easy penalty chance, which he converted to give Writtle an early 3 point lead. With the Writtle scrum, led by the front row of Robin Wallbank, Glen Richards and Kev Cansell, causing havoc to the Steelers eight, it was somewhat against the run of play that the home side managed to get within range of the orange posts and slot a penalty of their own to tie the scores. However, these were to be their only points of the match.
With the likes of Morgan Barrett, Jack Redfern and Cansell carrying the ball nicely around the fringes and the rolling maul working particularly well, it was only a matter of time before the tries started to come. To start with, Clark showed his turn of pace to beat his opposite number and scoot home. Redfern followed up with a try for the forwards and it looked as though the home side were about to capitulate! However, the Steelers showed some invention and came back into the game with some good work by their centre, who regularly turned over ball in the tackle. Their speedy winger almost broke free on the stroke of half time, but a superb try saving tackle from Clark took him into touch and the referee blew for the change around.
As the second half got underway, the Wanderers were determined not to let the home side back into the game. They did this in superb style with Dempsey showing and going to run in unopposed under the posts. Further excellent work between forwards and backs eventually saw Wallbank romp home for another try, running a good 20 yards with the Steelers' winger on his back to make the game safe.
With club stalwart, Jon Horne, replaced on the wing by Adrian Blythe and Scott Taylor coming into the second row for Howarth, the Wanderers continued their dominance of the forward battle with a pushover try, touched down by Young. Good handling down the left hand side saw Blythe go in for a score with his first touch of the ball - causing a wry grin on Horne's face as he is still to notch up a try for the club he helped form!
The final try by Tim Janes was a gem, with the ball being worked up the left hand side, sucking in the defence. The ball was passed back to Janes who began to cut across towards the right. As the Steelers defence tried to come across to cover, Janes turned on the gas and looped round the entire opposition back line to go over in the right hand corner - a fine individual try made possible by a great team effort!
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Scorers:
Tries: Stimpson, Denenga
Pen:
Nicholson
Man of the Match: Dave Rowan/Dave
Kenwell
Sorry, no report submitted.
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