Year 11 - Rugby Match Reports

HARTON 15 |RGS 34

The game was played at a ferocious pace from the kick off and possession stayed with RGS for probably somewhere in the region of 70 % of the 1st half.

RGS were very quick to re-cycle the ball and attack gaps which we were not defending  quickly enough, they scored 2 tries by creating 5 v 3 off quick ruck ball. There fly-half was very quick to switch play to the side which was poorly defended – simple in practice to do, but hard to defend without good communication, something for us too think about in training.

Basically, they won the game in the first half by exploiting gaps/poor defence and also (as I’m sure we all appreciate) our ball presentation was poor in ruck /maul situations. I counted 7 situations in the first half, where we ran into contact too high and their player just wrapped the ball and as we fell to ground, they kept a hold of the ball, forcing us to release the ball to them. Also, in the first half our rucking positions were not good enough, as when we were tackled, they were stepping straight over and stealing the ball off us.

All together, we all know that we should have reacted earlier in the first half. We discussed the issues that needed to be addressed at half time and sure enough look at the score-line in the second half, 2 tries to Harton and 1 to RGS.

So, the goals for the next game we play:-

• Improved body positioning in rucks (presentation and also supporting body height).
• Improved speed of rucks (reduce the time that the ball is left un protected)
• Quicker organisation in defence off DEFENSIVE rucks and mauls
• Great depth needed in attack (we were taking passes behind ourselves a lot)
• Get number 2 jumper infront of opposite jumper on our / opposition ball.

HARTON 11 |DURHAM SCHOOL 7 [Saturday 14th October]

The things which you wait the longest for and which you work the hardest for are all the more rewarding when achieved. A thoroughly deserved win which highlights the growing confidence and spirit of this side.

As satisfying as this win is what is more pleasing is the players response to what we have worked on in training. The defence around the tackle area was superb, big tackles which
prevented our opponents from off-loading or getting over the gain line. Our counter-rucking was also excellent with a lot of turnovers won in this way. Durham did alter their tactics and tried to move the ball wide but for the vast majority of this game we were organised and disciplined. Every player on that field did more than their job, but Michael Hatch and Michael Hackett were outstanding.

Yes, there are things we need still need to work on but in the meantime lets enjoy this excellent win.

Mr P Byrne - Head Coach

HARTON 22 | AMPLEFORTH 22

As the score line suggests this was an absolute cracker of a game. This side have been threatening to produce a performance like this for a while now. The effort and commitment was outstanding. Time and again last ditch tackles were made and the whole team rose to the occasion. A perfect example of this was Michael Hackets first tackle that certainly set the standard. Credit must also go to our opponents who like ourselves immersed themselves in this game.

The forwards competed at the tackle area well but defended sensibly when necessary. Good ruck ball was provided for the backs that ran effectively but should have more confidence in letting the ball go wider at times. Sam Elliots try emphasises that point. Thomas Shiel returned every kick with interest from Full-Back but he must realise that he may have to kick sometimes! Nathan Thompson and Graeme Elstob were a constant threat and the two Year 10 players, Michael Whitley and Christopheer Baynes had outstanding games.

This is the standard for the rest of the year boys!!!!

Mr P Byrne - Head Coach

HARTON 36 | EMMANUEL COLLEGE 12

After our previous fixture we were all eagerly anticipating this game to see if we could continue where we left off. Well we were certainly not disappointed. The high standards we set against Ampleforth were maintained throughout most of this game. Only on a few occasions did we let ourselves down.

Emmanuel were a direct side who had an effective set of forwards who ran well with the ball and linked with each other. Fortunately we were able to match them up front and our backs did a lot of damage. Grame Elstob and Nathan Thompson again had fine games and Ben Ali again was outstanding playing out of position on the wing. Despite not being the fastest of players he caused many problems for their defence with clever link up play. He certainly deserved his try. Gavin Cunningham played despite an injury and was very effective taking the ball up at inside centre. Andrew Tiffin played well at Fly-Half and is beginning to control the game well.

Only in the las10 minutes did we let things slip slightly, perhaps a lack of fitness. I am sure that can be sorted out in training!!

Mr P Byrne - Head Coach

HARTON 46 | KINGS GRAMMER SCHOOL 0 [Saturday 7th Oct 2006]

From the outset, Harton attacked Kings in a ruthless fashion, showing superior skill particularly around the ruck area for the full 60 minutes.

Here are some of the Positives:-

• The whole team worked relentlessly for the full 60 minutes.
• Generally, our defence was very good, especially in the first half, with some ferocious tackles being delivered by many.
• Our attacking play was very dynamic. We ran hard and straight when we needed to and we also demonstrated good evasive skills on the break (especially in the backs).
• We played the conditions well, closing our distance up in the backs due to the sun, wind and wet surface, this cut down on our handling errors and allowed us to retain the ball really well.
• Our discipline was excellent and in the face of various types of provocation and we stayed focused on the task in hand and did not react.
• In the second half, the opposition changed there tactics completely. They committed only 3-4 forwards per defensive ruck and maul, this allowed them to flood their backline with more defenders. We changed our tactics to overcome this by using the inside centre on straight crash balls and switches of the number 10 to ensure that the ball would be kept closer to our forwards, again this ensured that we retained possession of the ball.

Areas that we need to think about:-

• The main area that we needed to improve on in the game was the tackling during the second half. Kings obviously changed their approach to the game after the half time period and were looking to offload in the tackle at every opportunity. We should have recognised this early on and attempted to perform ‘wrap’ tackles to prevent the players offloading the ball in the tackle or better still, hitting them high and driving them back into their support, preventing their continuity and allowing us to reform our defence. See the Hard Core Rugby Poster outside of the small gym for some examples and also if you get the chance, watch some Rugby League, they are particularly good at this as it is a fundamental part of their game. We will be discussing this area over the forthcoming weeks during training.
• Some of our forwards need to work on their fitness. Kings actually looked like a much fitter team in the last 10 minutes, they actually scored their try in the last five minutes, working the ball from their own try line ….

Overall the team looked completely focused on the task in hand and every player that took the field gave 100% effort and commitment. Another very encouraging aspect was the fact that I could sense a really good team spirit. When players performed good skills drills, especially some of the crunching tackles, everyone was very quick to offer praise which was fantastic to see. The game was a pleasure to watch.

Mr T Brooks - Assistant Coach