Eton Manor RFC U16 v Thurrock RFC U16

Eton Manor RFC U16 v Thurrock RFC U16 (Friendly) 02.10.16

Sunday saw the return to Nutters Lane where Thurrock recorded their first League win in League 1 last season. With injuries, boys away with family and the Essex squad away training, Ts turned up wth 20 players, with the bare minimum of 7 backs, well with Blake playing 10, really only 6 backs!

A slow start with some missed tackles saw Manor score 2 early tries in the first 15min Quarter, but Ts warmed up and started playing rugby in the Manor third toward the end of the first Q.
Second Q, with a couple of changes, Ts played much better, with a marked improvement at the break down, they piled on the pressure and were justly rewarded.
Using the phase play from the back of rucks, they probed a couple of times before Kole muscled his way through to score. Blake duly added the extras to close the deficit to 10 – 7.
The remainder of the 2nd Q and all of the 3rd Q went scoreless, with Ts applying a lot of pressure when in possession, and defended well when they did not have the ball.

Into the 4th Q, and with Blake rested, Ts backline were exploited 2 more times by Manor’s pacey backs, to lose the game 22 – 7, in which the score line, again, did not reflect the effort put in by the team.

Along with the impact running from Kole & Scott, and the direct straight running from Jordan, the whole team played well, but noticeably, on the anniversary of his birth, Fergie stood out as the Man of the Match with his all round play, covering as near as dammit, the whole pitch!

Result;
Eton Manor RFC U16s 22 - 7 Thurrock U16s
Tries: 4 x Try Kole Awosika

Cons: 1 x Con Blake Burns

Ts go to the Golden Boot Festival at Brentwood next week before an away match at Old Brentwood then the first League game of the season…yes you guessed it, AWAY to Chelmsford