Windsor U14's v Abbey - LEAGUE
19th March 2006by Dr FT Bosh (with Sam Yeandle)
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The Windsor U14’s needed to get their feet firmly back on terra firma this Sunday. Their last league fixture against current Berkshire Champions Redingensians, was a hard earned and deserved victory that has had the Windsor faithful buzzing ever since. But it is too early to be considering league positions at the end of the season. Today Windsor had to take on an improving Abbey side, that has recently beaten Maidenhead in a close League fixture and would need to pay attention to the basics if they were to succeed. Abbey held Windsor well in the first half, with the sides going in 12 a piece at the break, but in the second half the Windsor forwards controlled the game and the three-quarters ran riot with another 7 unanswered tries and ran out easy winners to consolidate their position in the League.
The half started cautiously, with both packs testing each other out. Initially Abbey had the greater commitment and the honours were roughly even in terms of possession. First blood came to Windsor when scrum half James Cullen got good ball out to fly half Sam Yeandle. A long miss pass to centre Josh Casey, gave the Windsor player enough space and momentum to outstrip the Abbey line and then leave the full back in his wake as he scored under the posts. This was followed shortly afterwards by another well worked three-quarter try. Abbey have a renewed sense of purpose this season and raised their game. The Windsor forwards seemed a little complacent and were knocked onto the back foot. The Abbey three-quarters took full advantage and when an unsighted referee missed a knock on in their backs, they swept in for their score. Shortly afterwards an indiscretion in the pack gave Abbey a penalty close to the Windsor line. Taken quickly, the Windsor defence could only watch as Abbey nipped in to draw the scores level with some clever opportunism.
So at half time Windsor had had the better of the game, but had squandered their lead. In the second half the entire team came out in a more purposeful frame of mind. From the outset the forwards looked sharper and more determined, from Cai Harrold’s hooking to Max Wilson’s No 8 breaks, Windsor started to take control of the game. Second row Jack Clemance and Sam Windmill created a lot of forward momentum and were awesome in the loose, regaining the ball on most phases. With possession secure the Windsor three-quarters began to express themselves. A training ground move saw centre Josh Casey in for his second.
Accurate throwing at the line out from Harrold began Windsor’s next scoring move. The ball was caught by Alex Moody and popped to a moving Sam Windmill, breaking around the front of the lineout into the wing channel, he barged his way in for another great team score. Windsor were soon on the scorecard again. Prop Stijn Hanson put in a bone crunching tackle on a marauding Abbey forward, the ball was knocked loose and got quickly down the three-quarter line to winger Russell Chester, once in the wing channel, he sped away from the covering defence and ran in to score.
Abbey showed great spirit and rallied again, putting Windsor under pressure and forcing them back into their 22. However, it was slow progress and demanding work. In the end flanker Alex Devereux broke up the siege when he ripped the ball away from the Abbey pack, got it to his backs and fullback Chris Laidler gave it the right boot howitzer treatment up to the Abbey 10 metre line.
With Windsor looking secure and three tries up, the coaches brought on some new blood. Notably new winger Joe Leroid. With virtually his first touch, he broke to the outside and ran to the corner to score and the followed this up with the finishing touch to a great three-quarters move involving the entire back line and then converted his own try.
Windsor scored twice more before the end of this fixture, unfortunately your correspondent has not got confirmation of the scorers and, as you are all aware, accuracy, veracity and accountability are the Dr’s middle names. However rumour has it that ownership of the eighth is currently up for grabs to the highest bidder on e:bay (bidding currently standing at £9.00 from an anonymous party in Ascot) and that No 8 Max Wilson is claiming a powerful break off the back of a rolling maul close to the Abbey line for the 9th.
Whoever scored, Windsor dominated the second half and ultimately the match and will look forward to their penultimate league fixture against Newbury on April the 2nd where this correspondent will look forward to one of the Windsor faithful taking some notes.
RESULT:
Windsor 53 Abbey 12
Scorers:
Tries: Casey (2), Anon (2), Windmill, Chester, Leroid (2), Wilson.
Conversions: Laidler (3), Leroid.