grasshoppers rfc juniors - Under 15's news

JUNIORS - UNDER 15'S NEWS 2008/09 Season

Match report for Sunday 19th April 2009

London Scottish U15s 5 Grasshoppers U15s 22

In the final match of the season the team made the short journey down to Richmond to face London Scottish in a repeat of our earlier League fixture. This time round the glorious Spring sunshine proved the catalyst for a sizeable Grasshoppers squad with a good twenty or so boys cajoled from their teenage pits by Marion’s siren call.

As always the encounter with Scottish proved to be very close but Gs set the tone from the off with some adventurous attacking play and fine handling. The forwards endured a physical time up front with honours probably even overall. As has been the case throughout the season, the front five were in fine form; Marc, Louis Beard, James, Conor H and Ryan (with Zak and Ali on at half time) dominated the scrums despite a formidable opposition, although to be fair the line outs were a more mixed affair with LS coming off slightly better overall. However our forwards were mobile around the park, quick in support and always looking to keep the ball alive. It was therefore quite fitting that the first try of the day came from a repeated surge from the pack; having moved us forward by a good 30 / 40 metres in multiple phases, this finally saw James go over for a fine try.

As was to be expected our hosts responded with intent and it was only some fine tackling by the whole back division, and especially Conor G, Matthias, Olly, Ash and Max (and Jonny B / Dylan each side of half time), which kept the Scottish at bay. However, not to be outdone, Scottish returned to the attack each time they were repulsed and in the end ex G Jimmy Flynn went over for a try similar to ours to bring the score back to 5-5. To their credit Grasshoppers returned to the attack from the restart and from a miscued clearance by our hosts, Max recovered the ball just inside the opposition half, beat his man on the outside and made it through to score in the corner. Half time therefore saw the Gs enjoy a narrow 5 point advantage.

The second half saw the Grasshoppers dominate early proceedings, with Scottish pegged back in their own half. As in the first period the back row played exceptionally well, with Louis Brown reading the game splendidly and Yun Long always in the mix, ably supported by Alex and Jack each side of half time. Indeed it was Yun who very nearly opened the second half scoring but was called back for a bootlace in touch. As territory was dominated by the Gs the backs began to enjoy more frequent ball and went close on a number of occasions. Jonathan and Conor G looked an assured partnership at half back with both taking good initiative and making good decisions. In the end it was Conor G’ s famous step which did for the home side as the pressure finally told and CG glided in under the posts for a third try. Ash’s conversion brought us to 17-5.

This said there was absolutely no room to be complacent. Scottish remained full of running throughout the match and fine breaks from their outside half, full back and No 8 amongst others provided a constant threat. However on balance the G’s defence was equal to the task; indeed this was probably one of the best tackling displays of the season with big hits put in at one time or another from practically everyone. As the Scottish threat was snuffed out, G’s mounted a last couple of counter attacks; finally, in the dying seconds, a nice ball from Louis Brown found Max on the wing and despite the presence of some solid Scottish bodies, he managed to make it over and ground the ball. This brought the final score to 5-22 in favour of the Grasshoppers.

It was a fitting way in which to end a challenging season and as the coaches said it fills us with hope for 09-10. On behalf of all parents and I am sure all the boys, an enormous thank you to Juan, Rob and Manny for their dedication and hard work throughout the season. The post Christmas period has seen a significant upturn in fortunes which is well deserved considering the tremendous effort put in by all concerned. Also a special mention to photographer Francois and to all those who have helped chauffeur the team around Herts / Middx and the rest (remember Brighton ?!). Last but certainly not least a big thank you to team manager Marion who has managed “her boys” with impeccable good humour and splendid efficiency; how does she do it ?

MOTM today for his two tries and a fine defensive display went to Max.

Enjoy the summer; no more of this drivel to read for the foreseeable…..phew !
SF

Match report for Sunday 29th March 2009

Grasshoppers U15s 35 Hitchin U15s 19

In a fitting finale to the 08-09 League campaign, Grasshoppers U15s put in their best performance of the season to beat Hitchin by 35 points to 19.

The game started with a green blitz as the boys applied some serious pressure from the off. Following a fine long touch from Jonathan, the ensuing play led to a Grasshoppers’ penalty which saw the ever alert Conor Gilmore tap and go for a first try of the morning. This early momentum was maintained such that Grasshoppers completely dominated the early exchanges, our scrum (James, Marc, Louis Beard, Conor H and Jack in the front five) looking powerful with the backs able to contain the threat of a classy Hitchin three quarter division and always dangerous on the counter. It was not long before a second try came from Alex; keenly following another up and under, some deft footwork saw the ball kept in play close to the touchline and this was then followed up and finally pounced upon to bring us to 10-0 with only some 10 minutes of the match elapsed. From the restart the Gs were straight back for more and Alex was also on hand for the third try, his excellent offload to Jack in close support allowing the latter to sprint over from 20 metres out. As the half wore on, Hitchin upped their efforts and just before half time managed a breakaway score from the blind side of the scrum, which, with the conversion, brought us to 15-7 at half time.

In an admirable move, the coaches made a number of changes at half time such that everyone got a game and overall it was extremely pleasing to see that the team’s performance was as resilient in the second half as it had been inspirational in the first. That said, the second period began well for our visitors who within no time were back to a 15-12 deficit following a slick passing move to their impressive right winger. Yet this was not to be a day when the Gs crumpled and showing great determination and resolve, the team returned to the offensive. Following excellent work in the line out from Ryan, ably supported by Yun Long, the ball broke to Louis Beard who used his strength to power over for a fourth try, thus ensuring the bonus point. As Hitchin attempted to get back in the game, great tackling from Oliver and Matthias in the centre as well as from Ash at full back with cover from Louis Brown, Yun Long and Jack kept the visitors at bay. This allowed Conor Gilmore to score a fine try on the counter attack, running and stepping from half way to provide a further cushion for the Gs, particularly following Jonathan’s conversion. As the icing on his cake, Conor G completed his hatrick with some five minutes of the game remaining, although Hitchin did manage a last minute score as their centre skipped through our central defence. The last kick of the game was a Jonathan penalty to bring us to 35-19.

All in all this was by far the best performance of the season and a credit to the whole squad. Everyone played a full part in a splendid victory, with effective but also very flowing and attractive rugby. It was in addition a great recompense for the dedication of the coaches and team manager, all of whom have put in so much effort over the long months of the season. Our League fate now lies in Letchworth’s hands but whatever the outcome, everyone can be very pleased with this morning’s work.

A particularly hard decision for MOTM given that everyone played to the very best of their ability. In the end the nod went to Oliver and Jack, who both had really exceptional games.

Well done to one and all!
SF

Match report for Sunday 1st March 2009

Grasshoppers U15s 24 Twickenham U15s 19

Some people will do absolutely anything to get a mention in my match reports and so it was that Jules, never one to do things by half, took it upon himself to steal the headlines with some 10 minutes of the game remaining. For those hardy enough to subject his right forearm to close examination, poor Jules appeared to be in for a double fracture and a pretty gruesome one at that. The abiding memory of the game will be the tremendous courage shown by Jules through his excruciating pain and the splendid rallying round of all, with Marion magnificent in the Florence Nightingale role, ably supported by Garry Weir on ambulance spotting duty and all the team chipping in to keep those French spirits as high as possible in pretty dire circumstances. Naturally we all wish Jules a speedy recovery and a special thought too for Francois in what was also a particularly difficult situation for Papa.

The injury saw the abandonment of what had been a fantastic game of rugby. In the picturesque setting of Bushy Park, Grasshoppers travelling support was fearful of a further Bambi-like performance, as seen in the last woeful couple of matches. It was therefore delightful to see the boys more in “Prince of the Forest” mode, ready and willing to lock antlers with a competent Teddington side which historically has held the upper hand in our encounters. Right from the kick off the Grasshoppers took the game to their hosts and in the first half we undoubtedly played some of our best rugby of the season. The pack, up against a sizeable Teddington unit, looked well drilled and produced some quality ball at speed. The backs also looked assured and moved the ball fluently, thus creating a number of chances throughout.

Our first try was a real beauty with quick ball from the pack allowing Conor G to make a decisive break and fantastic support from Olly, who was in the right place at the right time to take the offload and cross the line. Very little time elapsed before our second score. From a midfield position, excellent back row work by Jules allowed the ball to move swiftly to Max on the wing. Although some 30 metres or so out, Max used his pace to reach the line, riding the covering full back’s challenge to score near the corner. Ash managed a great conversion to bring us rapidly to a 12-0 lead. During this period, all was going well. New outside half Hakim was demonstrating speed, vision and an impressive step. Matthais was looking hungry for action on the wing, Dylan playing skilfully and courageously at scrum half, Ash covering and kicking well at full back and Olly and Conor G looking assured in the centre. The pack was no less impressive, with the front five of Louis Beard, Zak, Marc, Jack and Conor H providing a stable platform in the tight and Jules, Yun Long and Louis Brown outstanding around the park in both attack and defence.

As we know Teddington are no slouches and despite our efforts our hosts were quickly back in the game as they exploited a forward surge followed by a two man overlap in the backs to score in the corner. However the Grasshoppers were not to be done down and with superb spirit and resolve we took the game straight back to the opposition. Further pack pressure led to a penalty some five or so metres out and wonderfully quick thinking by Louis Brown saw him tap and go whilst others dithered. In fact so impressive was Louis’ quick witted score that Teddington decided to emulate it; in an identical situation some five minutes later, we conceded five points from a replica tap penalty; this brought us to half time at 12-17 in our favour.

In the second half we made some changes and Jamie, MoMo, John and co all acquitted themselves very well as this finely balanced encounter was played out. First score of the second half went to the Grasshoppers after some fantastic forward play in the line-out, followed by a scrum and a tremendous surge by the pack. With Teddington in disarray, it was Yun Long who dropped on the loose ball with speed, skill and an agility not seen since his Dad dived on a stray bacon roll back in the harsh winter of ‘82…….

Ash’s conversion enabled us to open up a 12 point lead but, as is their wont, our hosts returned to the attack and from a five metre scrum managed to manoeuvre in on the blindside to bring it back to 19-24. And that was how it all ended as poor old Jules took centre stage. Man of the match was awarded rightly to Louis Brown for a brilliant all-round performance. True grit of the season award though goes to Jules for his fantastic bravery throughout the ordeal.
SF

Match report for Sunday 22nd Feb 2009

Grasshoppers U15s 0 Weybridge Vandals U15s 56

After a number of excellent performances since Christmas, the half term blues descended upon the Gs for our home fixture against Weybridge. Debuts for new boys MoMo and Aaron and even a guest appearance from old boy Conor Gilmore were not enough to enable us to field a full complement but Weybridge were able to donate from their more than ample squad to make up our numbers.

Despite the unusual team composition, the first half was a relatively balanced affair with Grasshoppers showing resolve and determination to repulse a number of Vandal attacks but also taking the game to the visitors and enjoying good territory and possession for long spells. In the end the Weybridge support at the breakdown led to the creation of opportunities, with quickly recycled ball being spread wide first one way and then another by the visiting backs. This enabled two nicely worked tries to be scored in the period just before the interval. Still at half time the score was only 0-10 and the Grasshoppers were still very much in the game.

The second half was another story. Weybridge dominated in every department and played some very good basic rugby, above all working well as a unit. In contrast Grasshoppers looked disjointed. Individual actions on occasions showed promise but too often tackles were missed, players were isolated, support was inexistent. Even our usual bedrock of the scrum was put under pressure by the impressive Weybridge pack. As a result, gaps began to appear in our defence and the visitors were all too willing to exploit our mistakes to the full. As the tries started to go in, heads went down and the desperate rallying calls went unhindered. The outcome was a further eight tries conceded in the second period, which, with just three conversions, brought us to a calamitous 56-0 scoreline.

So it’s back to the drawing board and above all back to the training ground. We still have two vitally important league fixtures in March and if we are to stand a chance of maintaining our status in League 2, then a real effort is required by all the squad. Training is at 6.30 on Wednesday as usual.

Match report for Sunday 1st Feb 2009

Grasshoppers U15s 17 Bracknell U15s 45

On a day when the true meaning of the phrase “the wind chill factor” was revealed to all, the Gs came up against a well drilled and competent Bracknell side, the visitors eventually emerging 45-17 winners.

The first half saw Bracknell playing with the wind, come blizzard, at their backs and during the course of this period, they took full advantage of the conditions. On the whole Grasshoppers were pinned back in their own half and whilst Dylan, Alex and Greg (and Jamie bravely playing with damaged fingers) enjoyed the odd foray up field with some promising runs, Gs rarely looked like breaching the Bracknell defence. The visiting backs played well as a unit throughout and often threatened to break away, with good covering tackles from Olly, Ash and Max preventing tries early on. Eventually though, the breakthrough came, assisted a little by some inconsistent tackling…….although to be fair even when the tackles did go in, the visitors to their credit often found men in support and thus regularly kept the ball alive. This approach led to multiple breaches of the Gs’ defence, such that during the course of the half Bracknell managed four tries, three of which were converted to give them a 26-0 advantage at the break.

The second half saw Grasshoppers in their turn benefit from the icy wind, which coincided with the forwards upping their game, Overall the scrums once again looked solid, with the front five of Nick, Louis Beard, Marc, Conor and Jack providing a solid platform and the back row of Jules, Yun Long and Louis Brown always in the mix. The Gs’ recovery began as forward pressure led to a nicely placed penalty some 15 or so metres out and Yun Long broke several tackles to score, with Ash adding a nice conversion. This momentum was continued when more good work from the pack led to Louis Beard steamrollering his way through a number of Bracknell bodies to make the try line, a just reward for his fantastic performances over the last few weeks. During this spell, Gs played their best rugby of the day with Jonathan Woodward excelling with some superlative passing, often under pressure, in appalling conditions and the forwards punching holes at will through the opposing defence. At 12-26, it really seemed like we were back in with a shout but with a quarter of an hour to play, the tide turned again and Bracknell, with some simple but effective back play, including a length of the pitch counter attack, notched up three more tries.

To their immense credit, the Grasshoppers boys bounced back at the death and some quick thinking at a penalty by Jonathan was followed up by more excellent initiative from Louis Brown, his quick tap and go enabling him to cross for the final score of the match.

17-45 was probably a fair reflection of the match and demonstrated the Gs’ curate’s egg of a performance. Overall the visitors managed the harsh conditions better than us but there were many positive aspects to our game in the second half from which we can draw encouragement.

Man of the Match for a great performance throughout and an excellent try, went to Yun Long.

Match report for Sunday 25 Jan 2009

Grasshoppers U15s 12 London Scottish U15s 0

Robbie Burns, Braveheart, Mary Queen of, John Logie Baird, Sean Connery, Walter Scott, Rob Roy, Billy Connolly and yes you, Gordon Brown ………….your boys took a hell of a beating ! OK “hell of a beating” may be exaggerating just a little but a league victory has been a pretty rare commodity this season so a touch of poetic licence can hopefully be excused.

In conditions so treacherous underfoot that Garry Weir wisely decided to stay within the slip free clubhouse zone, the hardy Grasshoppers’ boys faced up to London Scottish for this key League fixture. Whilst LS are having an equally challenging season in Division 2 of the Herts and Middlesex, there were clear indications from early on that this was going to be a very tough encounter. Indeed the first meaningful pressure came from the visitors and it was only courageous and determined defence from the Gs which prevented the Scottish from taking an early lead. Once these initial attacks had been repelled, the game settled down into a fairly balanced war of attrition in the middle of the park. During these phases and indeed throughout, the forward battle was key. Scottish enjoyed a clear advantage in the line out, winning the lion’s share of the ball and any returns to the Gs were rare and / or scrappy, putting our scrum half Jonathan under real pressure. However, in the scrums themselves, the Grasshoppers’ front row excelled (Louis Beard; please note; it is in writing; the “front row excelled”……..mine’s a Guinness) and enjoyed clear dominance (and a whisky chaser?), with occasional ball won against the head and a rock solid platform on our “put in”. In the loose, Gs again benefited from a fit and physical back row but Scottish were in no ways overwhelmed in this department, their No 8 enjoying a fine match. The deadlock was eventually broken just before half time when Gs’ backs followed a testing up and under from Jamie, resulting in a charge down of the visitors’ attempted clearance. Oliver seized the loose ball and darted over to give us a slender 5-0 advantage, which was the score at half time, despite the Gs being reduced to 14 through a sin bin just before the break.

In the second half Grasshoppers began to achieve territorial dominance with the advantage of the slight slope but the home support was unable to relax as Scottish and in particular their able fly half, always looked capable of scoring on the break. The home forwards continued to apply the pressure and whilst the backs on occasions looked too static, there was also the odd glimpse of our running potential. However the principal handicap to further progress was a whole string of infringements which meant that practically every promising position saw the ball handed back to the opposition for a penalty clearance. That aside, the Somme-like conditions meant that the game endured long phases of hard-fought forward play but in the end the final breakthrough came from the Grasshoppers’ three quarters, some five or so minutes from time. Following good, quick ball from the pack, the backs at last moved the ball at pace whilst running from deep. This combined with a strong run from Matthias was enough to allow him to scramble over for our second try, duly converted by Ash.

The game ended on this 12-0 score line providing Grasshoppers with a first league win of the season; following on from last weekend’s hard-earned draw, this provides Gs with a possible lifeline to retaining Div 2 status. As for Scottish, it was an extremely brave effort but now unfortunately from a league perspective, they look “doomed, Mr Mainwaring, doomed “!

Man of the Match was awarded to new boy Jack for an excellent game in the pack whilst a special mention goes also to old boy Yun Long for a splendid effort in the back row. Congratulations too for Marion who has now managed to assemble such an impressive squad that we enjoy the unheard of luxury of substitutes…….. we have come a long way since the days of the dirty dozen at Barnet. So well done to the whole squad, including the non-players, all of whom will certainly have an opportunity for action in the coming series of matches.

Match report for Sunday 14th December 2008

Barnet U15s 42 Grasshoppers U15s 5

On a fine if blustery January morning, Grasshoppers recorded their first league points of the 08-09 campaign with an excellent draw against high flying Ruislip. Thanks to her tenacious pursuit of the players, Marion did a great job in rounding up a full 20 man squad for probably the first time this season and following the lengthy Christmas / cold snap lay-off, all the players looked hungry for action.

Grasshoppers played the first period with the slope in their favour and a gusty breeze at their backs. Notwithstanding this advantage, Ruislip showed from the off that they are no slouches and well deserving of their league status. Immediate pressure by the visitors was only relieved by some good cover tackling from Max and an excellent clearance up field by Ash. This initial pressure relieved, the game settled down into a hard fought battle with Grasshoppers gaining good territory with wind assistance, only to see Ruislip battle their way back from defensive positions. The pack in particular played some outstanding rugby during this period. The front row of Louis Beard, Marc and James, ably supported by Conor and Ryan in the second row, provided a rock solid platform in the scrums and managed on more than one occasion to steal ball against the head. In the line out we were overshadowed by the giant Ruislip second row but managed to spoil and snatch a fair share of the ball. The back row of Louis Brown, Jules and Yun Long was equally impressive, with Louis working extremely well in the close quarter battles whilst Jules and Yun roamed the park, omnipresent in defence and equally effective in support of our backs. One particular spell in the second quarter saw the pack repulse countless Ruislip attacks on our line before the half backs were eventually able to clear.

Once this danger passed / as the half wore on, Grasshoppers looked more and more in control and started forcing visitor mistakes; some twenty minutes in, following a Ruislip infringement, Ash popped over a penalty for a three point advantage. Then, in the last play before half time, repeated tap penalties quickly and intelligently taken by the lively Jonathan Woodward led to an opening for Marc Weir who plunged over for a well deserved debut try. Ash’s conversion led to a 10 point lead at the break.

However, the second half saw us working against the elements and as expected Ruislip exploited this advantage to the full; indeed it was not long before the score was pulled back to 10-3 by a penalty. With the visitors mixing up their running and kicking game nicely, our defensive qualities were again called to the fore. The pack continued its excellent work as did the centres with both Oliver and Matthias putting in some bone crushing tackles and Oliver making good ground on his weaving counter attacks. However, Ruislip maintained the pressure and half way through the second period managed a converted try to bring the scores level. With a few substitutions made in the final quarter, some of the new Gs recruits were also able to get a run and they all acquitted themselves most ably. Unfortunately a further infringement some ten minutes from time saw Ruislip take a three point lead from a penalty but to their enormous credit the Grasshopper boys fought back and battled to the Ruislip 22, where they won a penalty of their own. Ash coolly pushed the ball between the posts to bring us to 13 a piece.

In the final few minutes either side could have snatched victory; Ruislip missed a hard but kickable penalty and in the final play Gs stormed away and looked good for a wide move to the speedy Jonny Boyes on the wing. However the ball got sucked back in, was eventually turned over and Ruislip were able to clear the final danger (which appeared to cause Manny more than a little distress; think blood pressure Manny !)

All in all a draw was a fair result and it was a real achievement for the Grasshoppers to get their first league points of the season. Joint men of the match for really outstanding performances were awarded to Jules and Oliver. However, this one deserves a special mention to all as it was a fantastic team / squad / coach performance in which everyone, new boys and old…….. as well as those who call themselves men…… played their part.

Congratulations and bring on the Scottish !

Match report for Sunday 14th December 2008

Barnet U15s 42 Grasshoppers U15s 5

When they penned the lyrics to that famous refrain “No More Heroes Any More”, they obviously had not come across the Grasshoppers U15s. Although down to only 12 players through a mixture of injuries, illness and plain absenteeism, the remaining Dirty Dozen boldly accepted to maintain the League fixture against Barnet rather than forfeit the match. Torrential rain over the previous few days had left the pitch as a practically unplayable quagmire and Gary Weir was particularly keen to demonstrate the treacherous underfoot conditions to all present with his pre match Jane Torvill routine. However, nothing would prevent our 12 from taking to the field.

Yet despite playing with three men down, it was honestly hard to tell that the Gs were at such a disadvantage. The first half in particular was extremely well balanced and it was not just a question of holding the opposition at bay. Whilst structurally the home side was always going to find room on the wing and space at the back, the Grasshoppers were fully willing to take the battle to Barnet and the overall contest was most even throughout.

Fairly early on the home side looked to exploit their numerical advantage and through a well executed kick and chase policy, two early converted tries were scored. However, this did not dent our spirit and the Gs returned to the fray, spending a good ten minutes camped on the Barnet tryline and twice being held up. In the end it was the excellent Yun Long who managed to secure our try with a determined and evasive run from a tap penalty. This took us to 14-5, two tries to one at half time, a stupendous achievement in the circumstances.

The tackling throughout the match was exemplary, with Ash, Oliver, Jonathan and Dylan all making splendid hits as Barnet looked to counter and exploit the open spaces with any ball won by their pack. Louis Brown, James and Yun Long all had absolutely fantastic marauding games in the back row and a special mention must go too to the scrum. In appalling conditions with a depleted pack we managed to win the lion’s share of scrummage ball thanks to the fantastic work of Louis Beard, Nick and Marc in the front row, ably supported by Conor and Ryan in the second row. Conor and Ryan were also very effective in the loose and both had as fine a game in a green shirt as I have seen (and that’s a fair few games……..). In addition Louis “manicure me” Beard was an absolute inspiration in the loose as well as the tight and seemed (understandably) to strike fear into the home pack.

In the second half, there was absolutely no let up from our boys and the commitment, zest and drive remained intact. However, as Barnet kept plugging away, eventually more space opened up on the field and four further converted tries were scored during the period. Grasshoppers too went close on many occasions and were held up at least a further twice during our surging second half counter attacks. Whilst never in the history of rugby union would another try have been more richly deserved, unfortunately it was not to be.

As the final score came in at 42-5, everyone, including the generous home support and the misty eyed Gs’ parents / supporters, agreed that this was a Grasshoppers’ show to remember and probably the best “against the odds” performance since John Wayne and the boys did their stuff at the Alamo.

It was absolutely impossible to name a single man of the match from the dozen heroic performances so in the end the MotM award goes jointly to Nick, Marc, Oliver, James, Jonathan, Louis Brown, Louis Beard, Yun Long, Ryan, Conor, Ash and Dylan.

Well done all.
SF

Match report for Sunday 30th Nov 2008

Grasshoppers U15s 5 Fullerians U15s 27

Grasshoppers resumed the League campaign today in decidedly unappetising weather conditions and although there were many promising aspects to the performance, we finished up on the wrong end of a 5-1 try scoreline.

The first 10 minutes or so in fact saw the boys play some of the best rugby of the season and the visitors were on the back foot for most of this period. Despite playing up the hill in the first period, our forwards looked well drilled and confident, with the scrum a particular strength. During this period, Fullerians’ main tactic consisted of clearing their lines with long kicks and hard chasing, which often resulted in Gs losing much of the territory gained painstakingly through earlier hard work from the pack. This was notwithstanding some excellent work by Ash at full back, who was invariably in the right place at the right time. In addition our visitors were very proficient in the line out, which limited our options in this area and led to us quite understandably avoiding this aspect of the game where possible.

As the half progressed, Fullerians slowly but surely came back into the match. More often than not, Grasshoppers’ first line of defence would be breached and whilst the covering players would make the requisite tackles, the visitors had an ability to offload and find support. Also the Fs’ fly half was a very sound player and it was from one of his breaks that the first try came. Despite a fantastic cover tackle from Jonny Boyes just a few metres from our line, visitor reinforcements were on hand to record the opening score. The second try soon followed as the Fullerians forwards set up good ball for the backs, who in turn moved it wide to score in the corner and as the visitors maintained their revival, a third score followed shortly thereafter. Although some spectators felt that this particular try may have been just a touch on the fortunate side, we all recognise that the referee’s decision is final (particularly when he is employed by the Met !).

0-15 was clearly not a fair reflection of the balance of play over 30 minutes and thus it was with delight that the somewhat chilled home support finally saw the ball moved wide to Jonny Boyes, who used his raw pace to destroy the Fs’ defence and score on the stroke of half time.

At 5-15 with the slope in our favour, the omens were good but the second half proved somewhat of a disappointment. The endeavour was still there, with excellent work in parts from all the forwards but too often the wrong decisions were taken and good opportunities wasted. One piece of very quick thinking (unusual in a Tottenham fan……………don’t hit me Gary) from Marc Weir saw him go over from a quick tap penalty but the referee, whose decision is final (in case of doubt, please see above) called them back. By this stage Fullerians were down to 13 men but the Gs were unable to exploit the advantage; in fact, to their credit, the visitors managed two further scores, a peel from the back of the scrum for the first and an intercept and long run in for the second. Grasshoppers had many chances to register more points but too often the wrong option was chosen and the two man advantage was not driven home.

Well done to all the boys for unstinting determination in difficult conditions; with a little more practice, cohesion and awareness, we can clearly continue to move forward.

Man of the Match for his all round performance and fantastic commitment throughout went to Marc Weir.

Match Report for Sunday 9th November

Ampthill 34 Grasshoppers 5

Following last week’s successful excursion into Surrey, Grasshoppers today returned to League action in the wild wastelands of the North. Yet despite a certain degree of trepidation as we headed up the M1, our boys put in an excellent fighting performance, from which the team should take heart and all G’s supporters present were able to derive much enjoyment and encouragement.

To be fair, Ampthill are an excellent side and played with great cohesion and fluidity throughout the match. Nobody can deny that their victory was deserved. However this was not an entirely one-sided affair and from the off the exchanges were very much in balance, with Grasshoppers’ bold attacks repulsed and then met with cutting counters from the home side. As our hosts were most adept at supporting and keeping the ball alive, the Gs were called into much cover tackling which was executed on the whole very successfully. Matthias “The Scythe” was particularly effective in the centre midfield but Jamie, James and Max were also regularly involved in holding the defensive line. It was also a pleasure to have Jonny Boyes back on the wing and despite several weeks’ absence through injury, JB looked dangerous in attack and solid in defence. In addition Ash played an assured first half at full back with good hands and powerful kicking.

Half time saw the Grasshoppers 19-0 down but it was three quality backs’ moves from Ampthill rather than any real lapses by the visitors which led to this position.

In the second half the Gs upped their effort and as a result the balance of play swung in our favour. With the added benefit of the wind, it was now Ampthill’s turn to defend, although as could be expected, they did this on the whole most effectively. By now the Grasshoppers’ pack was in top gear; whilst the line out was not to prove our strong suit, the front five of Marc “Breezer” Weir, Zak, Louis Beard, Conor and new recruit (well done Marion !) Brandon won some excellent ball in the scrums, including a couple against the head. This was particularly rewarding as Ampthill would often opt for scrums over penalties, thus demonstrating their confidence in their ability in the area. The back row of Yun Long, Louis “Sin Bin” Brown and Rafik / John also performed most creditably against a first rate Ampthill unit such that the whole second period was most evenly balanced.

In the end, it was Ampthill’s excellent support play which made the difference and they managed three further tries in the half, despite continued heroic tackling by the Gs. However, the visitors did have their reward with a much lauded try from James Kent following some really fantastic play by the pack during a number of phases.

The final score was 34-5 to Ampthill but credit to all the Grasshopper boys who played with real passion, commitment and not a little skill.

Man of the match was awarded to Jonathan Woodward at scrum half. This was highly deserved for his tenacious tackling, excellent decision-making and text-book passing off both hands. It is also a reflection on the quality of his performances throughout season so far. Well done too to this week’s non-playing, long distance travellers Nick and Jules who provided great support from the touchline.

Match Report for Sunday 2nd November

Dorking 17 Grasshoppers 32

It is with great joy that I am able to report a first victory of the season for the Under 15s. Despite an unpromising start with only 13 boys reporting for duty, the day finished on a high with a resounding victory, including 6 (six !) tries against a solid if fairly generous Dorking side. Well done to the hard core who made the effort to turn up and who will tell you to a man that it was well worth it. Indeed today everyone gets a mention as all the boys played to the very best of their ability; so congratulations to Nick, Yun Long, Ryan, Jules, Louis Beard, Louis Brown, Mark, Jonathan, Jamie, James, John, Mathias, Max and captain Ash, who, although injured and unable to play, travelled to the game to lend his support…..and valuable advice !

Our 13 boys were complemented by two recruits from Dorking, albeit that they looked like they had emanated from Snow White’s VII’s squad. However the tone of the morning was set from the first play of the game when big Louis Beard, propelled no doubt by one of his Sunday “special” breakfasts, set off on a storming run. Strong forward support ensued and it was not long before good ball to the backs was converted into the first try of the morning after a strong run from new recruit Mathias. Playing down the hill in the first half, Grasshoppers soon doubled their lead when Max took a clean catch from an attempted high clearance by the Dorking stand off and ran back through the opposition three quarters to score. Dorking then suffered another setback as Grasshoppers returned to the attack almost immediately. After good work by the pack, excellent second phase ball was worked and Jonathan sent a perfect pass to Max on the 22. Once again Max was able to out manoeuvre the home defence to score his second and the team’s third in the opening quarter of the game. With no conversions, this gave the Gs a useful 15-0 lead.

After this most effective Blitzkrieg, the game settled down into a more even contest. The Dorking pack began to dominate the set pieces and only some excellent cover defending by Jonathan prevented a home side try in the closing part of the first half. Yet this incident apart, the Gs never really looked in danger and good solid work from Ryan, Nick, Mark and Louis Beard kept the growing Dorking forward threat at bay.

The second half started with the Grasshoppers in dreamland. Within two minutes the team had conceded a run of penalties, which ended with the home pack barging over for their first try. However, to their credit, the Grasshoppers returned immediately to the attack and it was not long before James Kent muscled his way over for a good try to re-establish a 15 point gap. Dorking were definitely getting back into the game at this point but most attacks were cut down by excellent cover tacking from Yun Long, Louis Brown and Jules, ably assisted by Jonathan, Jamie and James in the backs. As the home side threat was dampened, Grasshoppers continued to attack and good work by forwards and backs alike finally found Max in support by the corner, from where he was able to crash over for his hatrick try.

However, in this tit for tat second period Dorking struck back almost immediately and scored again as an attempted clearance was charged down for a simple score. The open flowing rugby continued throughout the half and in the final ten minutes Mathias scored his second after a great run through the home defence…………. followed by a Nureyev style pirouette and touchdown to add a little “je ne sais quoi” to the art of try scoring (much to the delight and amazement of his team mates, it has to be said). This try was converted thanks to Jonathan. Dorking did have the last word with a successful kick and chase, which was also converted, to give a final score of 17-32 in favour of the Grasshoppers.

All in all a great team effort and a very satisfying outcome; as they say “All good things come to those who wait”. Well done again to everyone, including of course the coaches and team manager. Man of the match was awarded to Max Francis for his three tries.

Match Report for Sunday 12th October

Maidenhead festival

Well done to all those boys, coaches, parents and supporters who made the brief journey down the M4 for the Maidenhead festival. Whilst we lost our four games, there were a number of positives; our first tries of the 08-09 campaign, solid performances from a number of players, a lot of effort from all our boys against very high quality opposition and a couple of new friends in the form of the St John’s ambulance crew……..

By far the pick of our opponents were the two Maidenhead teams, the Bulls and the Stags, chosen from their 52 strong U15 squad ! The hosts provided our first and third opponents in the round robin and on both occasions were far too strong in the forwards and backs for our boys. Final scores in these encounters were 25-0 and 35-0 respectively. A more even match was the second encounter against Reeds Weybridge, where we went down 15-5 but did manage to secure our first true try of the season as Max followed up a very good kick and chase from Ash to score in the corner.

The final 20 minute match of the day was against Farnham. By this time the Gs’ squad was looking like a canvas from the opening day of the Battle of the Somme, such that three players had to be borrowed from our hosts. As is often the case, Grasshoppers saved their best for last, going down 10-5 in a very close encounter. Our try was scored by James burrowing over from a couple of metres out after good work from the forwards.

There were excellent performances throughout the day from captain Ash and Jonathan in the backs and Louis Beard and Marc up front. However, credit really goes to all of our minimal squad, who fought though to the end against consistently strong opposition.

Well done boys; chin up !

Match Report for Sunday 5th October

Letchworth 57 Grasshoppers U15s 15

Had Noah been a Grasshopper, he would undoubtedly have brought along his tool kit. So it was that in ideal Ark building conditions, the barest of Grasshoppers’ squads set off up the A1(M), with most making it as far as Junction 9 (sorry Tom, couldn’t resist !) to discover the delights of Letchworth under Squall. The opening league game of the season demonstrated just what a challenging time lies ahead for the Gs and as the result indicates, our newly promoted side was no match for a fit, fast and well-drilled Letchworth team.

Although the opening few exchanges were balanced, to be honest it was not long before the mounting pressure told and within ten minutes the impressive Letchworth full back had gone over for two very well-worked tries. With no easing in the wind and rain during the second quarter, it was case of the flood gates opening almost literally as the home side ran in a number of further scores to lead 31-0 at half time. Whilst we were unable to match the opposition, it was during this period that we did in fact facilitate the task for Letchworth by poor concentration and above all slack tackling.

With the match effectively lost in the first half, the second period became a question of honour and pride. It was therefore very encouraging to see a considerable improvement in the team performance. Of particular note was an excellent all round effort in the set pieces with the front row of Zak, Louis Beard and Nick taking a number of balls against the head. Line out ball was also reasonable and several forwards gave unstinting effort around the park, especially Jules, James, Yun Long and Louis Brown, who tackled exceptionally well in the second period. In the backs there was also renewed grit and determination with Jonathan and Jamie playing on well despite injuries. A special mention too for Victor, another member of our growing French Foreign Legion, who made a good debut in very testing conditions. However, the top performances, which gained them joint “Man of the Match”, were from Mathias, who tackled ferociously in midfield and captain Ash, who really led by example, giving it absolutely everything. Well done boys.

It is clear that to match sides of the calibre of Letchworth and others in League 2, we are going to have to work hard, improve basics and play more as a unit. The spirit we saw in the second half demonstrates that it is possible to play on even terms with good sides and improvement will only come from more hard work. Well done to all those who made the effort to turn out in such dire conditions.

Match Report for Sunday 21st September

Brighton 71 Grasshoppers U15s 7

"Oh I do like to be beside the seaside, I do like to be beside the sea......." Well, that's what they say but the Grasshoppers' day out to the coast proved to be somewhat harder work than they would have us believe !

For the opening game of the season, our depleted squad came up against a predictably large, fit and well organised Brighton team. In glorious conditions and a picturesque setting, the match (scheduled over three periods of 20 minutes), began in a balanced and competitive manner. Both teams battled hard up front and there was no lack of commitment from the Grasshopper boys. Slowly but surely though, Brighton took control.

Playing dynamic rugby and keeping the ball alive, the home side soon learned to exploit the exceptional speed of their left winger, who quite literally left the visitors standing as he alone ran in four tries in the initial period.

For the second spell, Brighton were able to rotate players, which was not a possibility open to us given that we took down a mere 15 boys for the match (although Brighton did lend a replacement scrum half as Jonathan Woodward was forced to retire injured). This second spell saw the hosts continue to score freely and at this stage the Grasshoppers did start to wilt a little and lose concentration. By the end of this period the score stood at 56-0 and Gs family, friends and supporters were quietly considering doing a mass Reggie Perrin.

However, following an emotional rallying cry from coach Murray, Grasshoppers, to their enormous credit, put up a much better display in the third period. At last pressure was exerted on the Brighton pack in the set pieces and in the loose regular ball was won. Although a few opportunities were spurned by not moving the ball wide, the Gs finally managed a well deserved try when our borrowed scrum half squirmed over following very good work from the pack. Ash duly converted.

The final score settled at 71-7. Brighton are clearly a well drilled and able team and it was no disgrace to lose to them. The 15 who turned up stuck at it and gave everything so well done boys; particular mention goes to John and Mathias who played for us for the very first time and who both acquitted themselves very well. They won't forget their Gs debut in a hurry...