Windsor U12s at Marlow Tournament
28th March 2004by Niall Turner
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Windsor U12's brought two teams to the Marlow tournament this year and, following a recent dip in form, hoped to bring at least a resurgence in sporting prowess back to the club, if not any silverware. Personnel resources were stretched to the limit and both sides played with no substitutes.
The competition sees two groups of 6 teams playing to see who will head the group. The winners of each group play off in the final and the runners up in each group play off for the Plate Competition.
Windsor were drawn against Ealing, Maidenhead, Beaconsfield, Aylesbury and Drifters. When Beaconsfield failed to show, it left Windsor four matches in which to prove themselves.
Windsor A 10 v Ealing 20
They got off (as is traditional) in the worst possible way. Playing uphill, on a pitch with a pronounced right to left slope, the Windsor boys did not have the commitment necessary to take on quality sides at this level. A lack lustre forward display and three missed tackles in the first half resulted in three Ealing tries. At half time the situation they were in dawned on the players and they started to lift their game. Props Max Wilson and Rohan Dhaliwal were the first to really motivate themselves as they tore into the Ealing pack. Now playing downhill Windsor started to gain some momentum and whilst it wasn't pretty rugby, it was effective. Wilson was soon on the score sheet with a typically determined solo drive. However Ealing still had their own ideas and another missed tackle allowed them to score again, but the Windsor tide was on the turn. Wilson plucked a lineout ball out of Ealing hands and drove on to score his second try before the final whistle.
Windsor A 5 v Maidenhead 5
Windsor's next game was against old rivals Maidenhead and the Windsor boys took to the field with an increasing air of confidence. Maidenhead clearly wanted to make a point and came flying at Windsor right from the kick off. Caught on the back foot and playing up hill again, the Windsor pack gave up territory before being able to regroup. The Maidenhead backs kept the pressure on and a searing run gave first blood to Maidenhead. Windsor heads didn't fall and a steely determination seemed to take over. Pack leader James Tunnacliffe led by example, his presence in the loose and intelligent decision-making imposed some order and hard working Cai Harrold and Alex Devereux put the possession to good use. Maidenhead defended well, but realised they were in a contest. Windsor's new resolve was tested and not found wanting. When the speeding Maidenhead full back skirted Windsor's defence and seemed to be through to score, covering fullback Chris Laidler's diving tap-tackle brought him down 5 yards short. Moments later a Windsor indiscretion left them facing a penalty from only 10 yards out. The inevitable tap and forward run was stopped dead on the Windsor line by centre Sam Jordan's try saving tackle. The ball was coughed up and Windsor went in at half time 1 try down. In the second half it was Windsor's turn to apply the pressure and Maidenhead's turn to defend. A massive driving performance from the Windsor pack left hooker Cai Harrold the duty of diving the last 2 yards to score a superb team try and his first for the club. After this it was honours even and a draw was a fair result.
Windsor A 10 v Aylesbury 0
Windsor tails were now up and they took this confidence on to the pitch against Aylesbury. Up to this point the Windsor successes had been pack driven and the backs had looked a little flat and unlikely to penetrate. But in this fixture the three quarters also started to shine. With the pack securing good possession, scrum half Joel Turner was able release his backs. Intelligent kicking from fly-half Sam Yeandle kept Aylesbury pinned back in their half and darting runs from centre Richard Ayres and winger James Cullen ensured the Aylesbury defence had to tackle well. The breakthrough came with a crowd-pleasing solo run from full back Chris Laidler. Collecting the ball on the halfway line his arcing run took him around the opposition winger and then through the full back to score. Aylesbury fought back well in the second half, but Windsor only looked in trouble once, when a rushed kick gave Aylesbury good possession in broken play, but a quality covering tackle from Russell Chester snuffed out the threat. Before full time prop Max Wilson netted his third score of the day with another forceful and direct run.
Windsor A 10 v Drifters 0
Windsor now had to beat their next opponents, Drifters, to have any chance of continuing in the tournament. Traditionally, a very strong side this proved to be Windsor's finest hour (of this particular day). Drifters also needed to win and were up on the Windsor players remarkably quickly, but Windsor held their ground. Prop Rohan Dhaliwal was notably strong under pressure and when he caught a high, hanging kick, shrugged off the opposition tackle and passed the ball out to the three quarters Windsor looked very secure. New cap Josh Casey took the ball at pace and made huge in-roads into the Drifters half before being brought down with a particularly heavy scrag tackle - (welcome to rugby Josh). With the referee unsighted the tackle was not penalised and, whilst Casey recovered, the Windsor players seemed to seethe with a furious determination to win. Appropriately enough on the next scrum Cai Harrold struck against the head, scrum half Joel Turner went blind side and connected again with Casey. As the centre was edged towards touch, his winger Russell Chester cut inside sharply and took a beautifully timed and weighted scissors pass. Chester still had plenty to do, but took a wonderfully angled line towards the Drifters goal line, put his shoulder into the defensive tackler and drove over to score. Drifters were stung into a strong response, but the Windsor defence held secure. It was left to Max Wilson to administer the "coup de grace". He burst through a Drifters line out, intercepted the hesitant intended pass to the fullback and went over to score.
In the end Maidenhead's heavy defeat of Aylesbury meant that Windsor were edged out of second spot on points difference and so did not continue any further in the competition. From a very shaky first half against Ealing, they improved with every period of play and should take great heart from this performance. The silverware will come later.
Squad: Max Wilson, Cai Harrold, Rohan Dhaliwal, James Tunnacliffe, Alex Devereux, Joel Turner, Sam Yeandle, James Cullen, Sam Jordan, Richard Ayres, Russell Chester, Chris Laidler, Josh Carey.