U16's vs Sutton Coldfield

Date: 13-12-2009
Venue: home
Opponents: Sutton Coldfield
Result: W 38 - 19

Stratford upon Avon Rugby Club U16    38   v   19   Sutton Coldfield Rugby Club U16
 
Sutton Coldfield U16 squad visited Peacecroft to face Stratford's U16 squad in a 3 segment game, with Stratford claiming a comfortable 38 - 19 win. Stratford used their 1st XV element for the opening exchanges and quickly got into their stride. As usual, the pack was dominant creating plenty of time for Selby to engage his backs. It was Mills-Baker who opened the scoring, receiving a pop pass from Selby to cut inside and score near the posts for a converted try. Sutton Coldfield, stunned by the early score soon found themselves further behind as Stratford pressed home the advantage, winning their scrum deep in their visitors territory, Sinclair making the decisive break to score in the left corner, superbly converted by De-Weymarn (14 - 0) Sutton Coldfield tried to respond but they looked completely out-gunned and a third try followed when Sinclair grabbed his second as Stratford won their line out, off loaded by Sullivan and Sinclair did the rest to score a converted try. (21 - 0). The half was rounded off by a James Evans try which summed up Sutton's problems, winning their own scrum on half way, the ball emerged from the base of the scrum with Sutton unaware they had won it, Proctor was the first to react, claiming the loose ball, recycled to the backs from where Stratford chipped forward through Owen Evans, Corbett chased down the defender, created the turnover inside Sutton's 22 allowing Stratford to spread the ball quickly from right to left where James Evans on the left wing out paced his defender to score in the corner. (26 - 0).
 
Stratford entered the next period with a completely different pack and retaining only two of the original backs and with Sutton Coldfield having been given a "rocket" by their coaches the visitors looked a completely transformed outfit. With Stratford's forwards struggling to get the pace of the game straight away, Sutton pressured their hosts and found they had the upper hand now in the rucks and mauls. Sutton opened their account within 5 mins of the restart, driving forward into Stratford's territory, recycling and powering forward again gaining 15 metres on a huge drive, working the ball to their backs who elected to chip to the corner where the bounce evaded Liggins and Marcus for Sutton to grab the loose ball to score a converted try (26 - 7). Sutton's confidence rose, they spotted a potential area of strength for them and looked to exploit this, attacking with their flanker, No8 and wingers down Stratford's left. This gave them their second try, as they won their scrum on half way, fed their backs, cut down the blind side and scored in the right corner, unconverted. (26 - 12). However, Stratford suddenly raised their game, the pack stepped up a gear and matched, the support play became instinctive and from nowhere Sutton Coldfield looked second best.Mid way through the period, Stratford moved from their own 22, with a series of passes through the backs with mini-breaks from Havers gaining valuable yardage and all the time off loading in the tackle, keeping the ball alive, and maintaining momentum all the way into Sutton Coldfield's half. Stratford were unlucky not to be awarded a try soon after, when Weiner looked to have finished off a sweeping move only for the referee to decide he was held up. Sutton did manage to break through, down their favoured right, but Dan Marcus pulled off a text book full back's tackle to deny his opponent and win a line out. Finally Stratford got their reward with a further try, Fisher winning a scrum against the head, Havers' quick ball to De-Weymarn and on to Mackenzie-Lawrie who broke through 3 tackles to score and unconverted try (31 - 12). But the period belonged to Sutton as they added to their points tally with a further converted try, winning a line out deep in Stratford's half, pressurising their hosts line and eventually forcing over. (31 - 12).
 
To end the match, Stratford changed the pack around again and mixed up the backs further, but in a truncated final period with Stratford holding the upperhand only one further score was possible as Sinclair strolling through the Sutton defence from the half way line, to score under the posts for a converted try and his hat-trick.