12th March 2006
Results & Reports
St. Ives U9 5 Peterborough U9 35
St. Ives paid the penalty for failing to make basic tackles in the first of 2 matches against a strong Peterborough team. As a result some excellent driving work in the mauls went to waste. Peterborough, on the other hand, were clinical in their finishing and snuffed out the majority of the chances created by the Saints. The tone was set after less than a minute when Peterborough scored direct from the kick off, their runner going in from long range with barely a finger laid on him. A strong period of pressure from the Young Bulls followed, with Nick Abbott running strongly and Tyler Elstub and Sam Hirons prompting the backs well from half back. Good rucking and mauling from Daniel McManus and Lachlan Park helped to recycle the ball well but the team were unable to covert pressure into points. Having absorbed the pressure well, Peterborough stormed back to score a further try before half time.
In the second half, Peterborough opened up the game more, passing the ball around well and running strongly to score 3 further unanswered tries. St. Ives on the other hand continued to drive well, making good ground but using up a huge amount of energy driving forward with Harry Leyden and Max Davies prominent, but apart from Bernie Augstein they seemed incapable of stopping the Peterborough runners. Only once in the match did St. Ives really get things right; Sam Hirons ran well into the heart of the defence. Sam Kennedy and McManus drove over the ball in the ruck to free up Elstub who broke the defensive line.As he was tackled he slipped the ball to the supporting Toby Naylon who rounded the cover defence to score in the corner. Unfortunately the team were unable to maintain the good work and Peterborough scored 2 further unanswered tries to record a deserved win.
St. Ives U9 0 Peterborough U9 40
The second match followed a very similar pattern to the first with Peterborough running strongly and scoring almost at will as St. Ives continued to miss basic tackles. Jack Fleming worked hard on his first appearance of the season and Tim Dale drove strongly in the front row but the team used up too much energy in driving mauls and conceded 4 tries in each half to lose heavily.
Peterborough U.13's 33 v St. Ives U.13's 26
Most certainly a game of two halves with St. Ives coming back strongly in the second half, after going into half-time 33 - 0 down. Playing with the wind at their backs in the second half, St.Ives applied immediate pressure with the first try being scored by Aden Fry, converted by Tom Whiteside. From the re-start debutant Pat. Nicholson took the ball inside his own 22 metre and set off on a long arching run resulting in a tremendous try under the posts,Tom Whiteside again converting. The players and spectators alike both sensed a comeback from this gallant St.Ives team and after more sustained pressure scored another try from Robert Langdown, Tom Whiteside kicking another conversion. St. Ives were unlucky having a try by Will Moore disallowed, but with the last move of the game, scrum half Harris Christison sneaked over in the corner, the conversion just drifting wide. Everybody was of the opinion that this was the best rugby this team had played for a long time and will set them up nicely for their run into the end of season.