Match Report Sunday 2nd November
U8’s Grasshoppers B Festival
Grasshoppers 6 Fichley 5
Grasshoppers 6 Pinner & Grammarians 4
Grasshoppers 5 Enfield Ignations 4
Grasshoppers 6 Hammersmith & Fulham 4
Final
Grasshoppers 4 Teddington 4
Grasshoppers scorers:
Jamie 12, Denny 9, Corran 4, Charlie 1, Nico 1
Victorious Under 8s
Grasshoppers hosted their annual ‘B’ - Festival on Sunday 2nd November. With visiting U8 teams from, Finchley, Teddington, Twickenham, Hackney Bulls, Enfield Ignations, Hammersmith & Fulham, Pinner & Grammarians, Kings, Bank of England and Rosslyn Park attempting to claim the silverware.
The team got stuck in from the word go showing great tackling effort from everyone ( all those tagging sessions had obviously worked !) which really made life difficult for opponents.
The team played brilliantly during the first match against Finchley with huge commitment and support play to tag relentlessly and pass well. The final score of 6-5 was the first competitive win for this team and set the tone for the afternoon.
All players played well in the next matches, winning against Pinner & Grammarians 6-4 Enfield 5-4 and Hammersmith & Fulham 6-4; in the last two matches in particular the team had to work hard to overcome strong opponents. The lead changed hands a few times but the strong running of Grasshoppers kept the scoreboard ticking over and they eventually prevailed.
4 wins saw the team reach their first final, which was is phenomenal achievement after the disappointment of the Guildford Festival.
The rain held off for the final and what turned out to be the hardest match of the tournament against a strong, well drilled Teddington team.
Both sides played with determination and spirit and the enthusiastic supporters on both sidelines cheered ever try, and despaired at every missed tag !
The game progressed quickly with both teams scoring great try’s, and at 5-5 with both teams locked in a tight struggle, the referee blew the whistle for full time.
The game was played with flair and passion and no team deserved to loose.. so both coaches agreed to share the winners trophy.
This was the best performance of the season by a young U8 team and the smiles on their faces said it all when they were presented with their medals alongside Teddington.
This was well deserved and the coaches are proud of all the team for their efforts in their first home festival - this bodes well for the rest of the season where they will surely go from strength to strength.
A big thank you to all parents who assisted on the day, donated items, and ensured the event was a success and further thanks to all who supported from the touchline.
Final mention goes to my coaches Billy and Gary and team manager Mandie, A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, training on Saturdays and Sundays etc and they all deserve a mention, especially Gary as he ‘hobbled’ away on Sunday evening after refereeing 4 matches…
This team still has a lot more to deliver, and the hard training will commence next Sunday…see you then.
Match Report Sunday 6th October
U8’s at Guildfordians
Guilfordians 4 Grasshoppers 0
Grasshoppers 2 Brighton 4
Battersea 3 Grasshoppers 3
Grasshoppers 3 Wimbledon 4
The first tournament of the season saw Grasshoppers U8’s travelling to Guilford Festival.
U8 Player of the Guildfordian Tournament - Jamies Johnson
The team took the to field, looking nervous, cold and very, very wet !! Torrential rain had fallen all morning and the first match was up against a very strong Guildfordian team. Grasshoppers showed glimpses of brilliance, but constantly panicked and threw the ball away when put under pressure.The second game saw an improvement as the team settled down and they played with a lot of commitment, however their tagging was very weak and this was the main reason they lost the game ( guess what we will be practising at training next week ! ) The next two matches were much closer affairs, with the team drawing one match and losing the other by a try on the stroke of full time. Well done to all the players, it was a brave effort and we will learn from this tournament and come back stronger !!
And last but not lets lets not forget the large number of parents and supporters who came along to encourage us on the day, their voices could be heard above the driving rain as they cheered on the team and this was appreciated by all.
To see last years news for U7s click here