Sunday, 13th April 2008

Under 13 Report

Stanford 22 Old Dartfordians 27

Stanford U13s had a great warm up match v strong Kent Opposition Old Dartfordians, in preparation for next weeks U13 Festival at Westcliff. The visitors started off the sharper team and took and early lead thanks to some strong running from their speedy full back.

Stanford came back with some aggressive forwards play and rumbled up the field before spreading the ball out wide to winger Mitchell Young who scored in the corner. Dartfordians took hold of the game as their backs began to break through the Stanford back line and scored two more long-range tries.

Earlier in the season the Stanford teams heads would have dropped but not today. A massive effort from the Stanford pack, marshaled by scrum half Jared Gounden, drove the visitors back over their line and prop Gareth Anstee grounded the ball to score. Dartfordians made a number of breaks and looked dangerous with the ball in hand.

The Stanford side tackled like men possessed, especially winger Nathan Thomas who was kept busy and made some crucial tackles. The half came to a close with the score at Stanford 12 Dartfordians 17.

The second half started badly with Dartfordians extending their lead with another long range try but Stanford was far from beaten. No8, Mark O'Connell and Captain and flanker Tristan Barry were awesome in loose play. Coming on as a replacement flanker, Nicholas Sharp showed a clean pair of heals breaking from a rolling maul to score.

The Stanford backs were desperately keeping the ball alive and ran the ball from deep inside their own half. Outside half Luke Dawson found a gap and sprinted away from his would be tacklers only to be called back by the referee who had to stop the game for an injury to a Stanford player. When Dartfordians scored yet another try Stanford dug even deeper and the forwards led by Ryan Edgeway, bossed and bullied the visitors until ever present Gareth Anstee was rewarded with his second try. For the last 10 minutes of the game the borough team camped on the opposition line and in the dying minutes seemed to have scored only to have the ball held up by a desperate defence.

When the final whistled blew Dartfordians were relieved to have escaped with a tight win against a plucky and determined Stanford side.

Stanford's player of the match was winger Nathan Thomas.

Final score Stanford 22 Dartfordians 27