U13s Gordano V St Brendans 9 Dec 2012

Due to a lack of space and waterlogged pitches at Gordano, this match was played at St Katherine’s School, with the pitch being in excellent condition.

Sharks could have been forgiven for entering the match with trepidation, having lost this fixture by 60 points in the previous season. However it is a measure of the character and growing confidence of the team that they approached the game as ‘just another match’, and immediately from kick off it was evident that these were two well matched teams.

The Sharks defence was resolute and gave the St Brendan’s team very little time or space to manoeuvre – and in a complete reversal to the previous season it was the sharks back-line which looked the more dangerous. This turn-around was created through excellent ball from the Sharks forwards, with Sam Merrick to the fore in the front row, ably assisted at various times by JB, Ollie Maggs and Joe Mason, who all disrupted the ball for St Brendan’s. With great go forward from Will Rogers at flanker, and good support work by Sam Kessler, Pete Atherton, George Cogzell, Will Hawkins & Jacob Evans,

The pressure eventually told with St Brendan’s giving away a penalty from a ruck 5 metres out and Sam Kessler going over to score a well-deserved try, which was not converted.

St Brendan’s, to their credit, soon fought back and from a turn over ball inside the Sharks 22, they moved the ball along the line to score in the left hand corner. This was also not converted and the teams turned around at half-time 5 – 5

The second half saw St Brendan’s begin to exert some pressure through their half-backs who played very well. However the Sharks defence stayed resolute, and where the occasional break was made it was covered. Although St Brendan’s tried to move the ball, their back-line were often static and the midfield of Ben Critchley, Tom Stirzaker and George Briggs, supported by Adam Chadwick, Sam Green, Matt Wilkinson & Josh Porter applied pressure to thwart the attacks time and again.

Eventually the St Brendan’s pressure paid off, with a break down the blind-side which managed to fend off the scrabbling defence, and score under the posts, which was converted. St Brendan’s continued to press for the win, but resilient defence kept them at bay. George Briggs made some telling runs deep from inside the 22, which not only relieved the pressure, but from one such run a Sharks try was created. Breaking tackles George managed to off-load and the momentum was maintained by several players with an excellent off-load from ‘JB’. Although this counter attack was eventually stopped it led to a scrum in the St Brendan’s 22. The Sharks pack delivered and with the Brendan’s defence stretched wide by the threat of the Sharks back line, scrum-half Jordan Shaddick was able to hustle over for a try which was converted by Ben Critchley.

Both teams worked hard in the remaining time to seal the game, but a 12 – 12 draw was probably the fairest result.

The highlights of the game were the resolute defence, the willingness to try things (e.g. quick throws), the Sharks players making their own decisions, forwards play, and the ability to off-load which eventually led to the score.

Match report by Gary Townsend