U10s v Helsby U10s
Coach Chris said that it would be interesting to see if any of the players from the Cheshire Cup had learnt anything from the previous weekend. These were two matches against a team we had not played before and it was obvious that the two teams were nervous. This showed in the first halves of both games.
Both teams seemed to panic at first, allowing the opposition to run at them and being hesitant in the ruck area. However, once they realised that by playing attacking basic rugby, they can beat anybody and this showed in the style of play when the second halves started.
Sunday’s game plan was to always take the ball forward and set up rucks, which may not show a lot of passing, but we took the game to Helsby. This allowed us to get the ball out when it was safer, and this resulted in some great tries.
C&N Eagles 3 Helsby 0
Tries from Josh Robinson, Calum Meakin and Nathan Hall.
C&N Falcons 8 Helsby 0
Tries from Tim Hagan (2) , Calum Meakin, Joe Telfer, Sean Davis (2), Rory Ewan (2).
Coach Chris felt that a lack of confidence may be to blame for one or two displays this season, but with a change of tact and a "go out and enjoy it attitude ", next season should see the lads progress further.
Well done to the two players of the day - Nathan Hall and Calum Meakin - who both showed that we can all learn from our mistakes and play a better game of rugby.
U10s v Bowden U10s - 8th March 2009
After a bright start to the day, the weather deteriorated badly. By the time pre-match training started, the temperature had dropped to 1 degree accompanied by strong winds, rain and sleet!
As a result of this bad weather it was decided to have one match which consisted of two 15 minute halves. Players from both sides were changed at half time.
The first half saw the same errors taking place, by the same players, such as going back in to the opposition instead of going around them in open play and not passing the ball when an over lap existed.
The second half however showed what team work is all about. Good support play, clean rucking, controlled passing and a go forward attitude were all demonstrated. From being 1-3 down in the first half, we deservedly came out victorious with a final score of 6-5.
Coach Chris commented afterwards “If we are to move forward and put up a fight at the up coming tournaments, then we need to start playing more like a team and not like individuals.
Well done to all those players who played as a team and supported each other. The players of the week showed good support play, good tackling and a positive attitude. Well done to William Molyneux and Ross Holland.
U10s v Lymm U10s - 1st March 2009
Spring sunshine as we hosted Lymm at Brine Leas.
Eagles 3 Lymm 0
The Eagles played first and started brightly with a run down the right by Calum Meakin supported by Nathan Hall. From the resulting Lymm line-out, Jake Simpson made an excellent tackle to stop our line being breached.
Our first try came after we won a scrum against the head. Swift passing by scrum half Reece Pemberton, led to William Savage breaking through the Lymm line to score. Later in the half, Josh Robinson made a break and a superb pass out of a tackle which led to our second try, scored again by William Savage. Half time 2-0.
The second half saw us display some valiant defence, as Lymm mounted wave after wave of attack on our line. From a Crewe line-out, George Spalding led a powerful drive, the ball being passed to Joe Telfer to cross the line for our third try. Result 3-0.
Falcons 0 Lymm 3
The Falcons played Lymm’s first team and again we started well, Ryan Harman being forced into touch near the Lymm try line. The game turned shortly after with Lymm mounting strong attacks. Despite some strong defending by Crewe near their own line, Lymm broke through to score the opening try. Rory Ewan led a drive of nearly half the pitch, eventually going to ground near the Lymm try line and setting the ball back well. Last ditch defending by Lymm prevented us from scoring. Half time 0-1.
The game became more physical in the second half, with Crewe suffering a number of injuries, forcing changes in key positions. This, coupled with one or two players making solo breaks, getting isolated and losing the ball when tackled, contributed to a final result of Crewe 0 Lymm 3.
Interviewed after the match Coach Chris commented:
“Each player showed today that with a bit more effort, their own game can improve to the standard that the coaches can see in them. With the smooth passing of the ball, clear communication and the confidence to tackle, the squad played some great rugby.
Although on the odd occasion the style of play drifted back to taking the ball on too far, the players concerned have grown up enough to realise their mistakes and are able to alter their attitudes and think about off loading to players who are in support.
Some work needs to be done on the re-starts, as once or twice communication did break down, putting unnecessary pressure on our own lines. This will be addressed before next week’s fixture against Bowden.
If the players turn up in the right mind, as they did today, we should see some good rugby again.
Well done lads.”
Next week we play host to Bowden.
U10 v Whitchurch U10 25th January 2009
A cold, wet and windy morning in Whitchurch started with a vigorous training session which got the boys fired up for the games.
C&N Falcons 1 - Whitchurch 4
The match started with the Falcons playing some good attacking rugby. Callum Meakin led the way with some great passing out of defense. The ball was moved away from the opposition and ground was gained by some impressive link-up play by the team.
However, Whitchurch took the lead running through our defense to score from deep in their own half. Despite this the Falcons seemed in control and just before half time Joe Telfer was driven over the line to score the equalising try. Half time 1-1.
Unfortunately the second half saw the same old faces switching off and resorting to their old style of play, not passing the ball, not committing to the ruck and taking the ball into contact and not turning to face their own team. Whitchurch took the lead after we gave away a penalty and two further tries followed. If the first half showed that they could do it, the second showed that they need to concentrate more and put effort into the whole game.
C&N Eagles 1 - Whitchurch 1
The Eagles showed that they had been listening in training and produced the kind of rugby the coaches know they can. Early in the game Reece Pemberton put in a superb try-saving tackle to keep the scores level. A sustained drive saw Oliver Botham over the Whitchurch try line but unable to ground the ball. The Eagles showed a solid line in defence virtually throughout the game and were unlucky to trail 1-0 at half time.
The second half saw support going forward which although slightly slow was there all the same. Some smooth passing of the ball forced Whitchurch to do all the running.
Despite going a try down the Eagles did not let their heads go down and some great charging runs from Oliver Botham saw Rory Ewan nearly score two tries of his own. A strong drive by the team led to Callum Meakin scoring the equalising try after receiving the ball from the back of the ruck. With a little more effort the Eagles could have scored more tries and won the match.
The Players of the week were Callum Meakin for the Falcons and Reece Pemberton for the Eagles, who both showed the determination to make ground and move the game forward.
Crewe & Nantwich U10s v Macclesfield U10s
C&N Falcons 0 Macclesfield 4
The Falcons started slowly ,demonstrating poor communication and lack of aggression at the ruck. This was punished by Macclesfield who showed their strength in moving the ball out of the tackle well. The Falcons struggled to do this as too many of the players were not passing the ball once tackled. This resulted in us either having the ball ripped out of hand or backing away from our own ruck. This was very disappointing given the talent we had on the pitch.
We finished the first half 0-4.
At half time each player was made aware of what they had to do to improve their own performance. The second half showed that Macclesfield were beatable. Our players upped their game and showed how good they can be if they put a little more effort into the start of their game and not have to wait for a few choice words at half time. The game ended with a 0-4 defeat.
Player of the match `steady' Eddie Ahearn.
C&N Eagles 0 Macclesfield 2
The Eagles showed that a flat line defence can destroy any attack with tackles being made by all on the pitch.What impressed the coach's was that once they made the tackle , they got back on their feet and got into the defence line again.
However, rucking again failed with too many players watching the ball on the floor or not driving through but standing by watching. This resulted in our own ball being turned over.
The fact that only two tries were conceded showed that our defence is improving but with more communication and a few players doing their job we will start to have a few clean sheets.
Eagles Man of the match Ross Holland.
Coach Chris’s overview of the games:
“Players on the pitch need to understand that they have a job to do and and they have got to want to do it as they can not afford to stand around waiting for a coach or another player to tell them. Each player has been playing in their position for some time and are more than capable of performing well when they are switched on.
Lets look forward to a better display next week at Whitchurch.”
Crewe & Nantwich U10s v Ellesmere U10s
21st December 2008
Both C&N sides played their first rugby for three weeks following cancellations due to frozen pitches and flooding.
C&N Falcons 2 Ellesmere Port 2
The Falcons got off to a slow start following their three week absence from rugby. Some strong defensive work by Crewe in the first half stopped many Ellesmere attacks. Calum Meakin made a great try saving tackle after we lost the ball forwards. Our line was finally breached when Ellesmere won the ball from our line out and passed the ball quickly wide to score. At half time we trailed 1-0.
We came out with more purpose in the second half and were rewarded by a try from Joe Telfer who drove over the Ellesmere line. An ever alert Owen Holding cleared the ball from the scrum for Calum Meakin to make another great break from the centre before being forced into touch. Calum’s efforts were rewarded with a try which gave us a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately Ellesmere scored with a direct run from the restart and the match ended 2-2.
Commenting afterwards coach Chris said that the result was a fair reflection of the game but “we made hard work of the game by not communicating and failing to move the ball down the line.” Lack of match practice certainly playing a part. Man of the match Sean Davis for an all round performance.
C&N Eagles 1 Ellesmere Port 1
The Eagles match commenced in a similar fashion to the Falcons with us being put under relentless pressure due to lack of match practice. We kept a great defensive line however which will be hard for teams to breach. The shortage of match practice showed itself in a lack of clear communication between Eagles players. Scoring chances being missed when the ball failed to reach our unmarked wingers. Great link up play under pressure at the back of the scrums between Reece Pemberton, William Savage and Rory Ewan meant that Ellesmere saw little of the ball. Quick passing from one scrum led to a try being scored by William Savage.
We led at half time 1-0. In a copy of the Falcons match, Ellesmere scored direct from the restart to level the game. Despite breaks from Oliver Botham and Rory Ewan, Ellesmere held on and the match ended 1-1. Man of the match William Savage for a great team try.
Coach Chris summed up the first half of the season:
“The first half of the season has thrown up some welcomed surprises with new faces joining the team and old faces putting in some great performances in training and in matches.
Every player regardless of ability has shown great improvement since the start of the season which makes us able to turn out two strong sides and sets us up well for the remainder of the season.
I would like to thank all the parents for supporting the players and the coaches so far and hope to see you all in the new year.”
Likewise, the parents would like to thank Chris, Phil, Richard and Steve for all the time and hard work they have put in developing the boys. Here’s to a great 2009!
Crewe & Nantwich U10s v Stoke U10s
16th November 2008
C&N Falcons 1 Stoke 3
The Falcons played some great attacking rugby in the first game played on Sunday. The first half saw an even start to the game with good driving and passing from Crewe. Our defence held firm against some sustained Stoke pressure and the half time score was 0-0.
A great start to the second half with Joe Telfer scoring direct from the restart running through the Stoke defence to score in the right hand corner. Crewe focussed on up front defence in the second half not allowing Stoke to gain much ground before playing the ball. Despite this effort however Stoke scored three tries, one a superb intercepted Crewe pass. The final result did not reflect the game and the Falcons players can feel rightly hard done by.
Player of the Week for Falcons - Owen Holding
C&N Eagles 3 Stoke 1
The Eagles gained a comprehensive victory beating Stoke three tries to one. Oliver Botham opened the scoring, breaking through the Stoke defence when he was passed the ball after a penalty. This was followed by tries from Joe Telfer and William Savage.
The half time score of 3-0 took the game away from Stoke who could only manage a consolation try in the second half, despite some sustained pressure. The game was notable for some excellent passing along the Eagles line when moving forwards.
Player of the Week for Eagles - William Savage
U10's V Wilmslow & Anselmians Away 9th November 2008
On what would be considered the coldest match day so far, Crewe managed to field two full strength sides.Crewe Falcons were first up against Wilmslow who fielded their strongest side, although Crewe lost, it was end to end stuff with the last team to score securing the victory. Crewe's score came from prop forward Huw Roberts, who finished off some great forward pressure to score, unfortunately Crewe's defence was not up to its usual standard and the final score was two tries to one.
Crewe Eagles started their game well against the same opposition but were unable to break ground from the set scrum , although the score was three tries to nil the team played good controlled rugby and came very close to scoring three tries of their own.
Crewe Falcons went on to play Anselmians who turned up with one team, and as had happened at home earlier in the season, Crewe controlled the game scoring four tries to two from Calum Meakin , George Spalding , Joe 'crazy horse ' Telfor and a Great solo try from Owen Holding , who pushed his way through most of the opposition.
Crewe Eagles then took on Wilmslow's other team, although losing three trys to two showed they had learnt from their first game and became a lot tighter in defence and like Crewe's first game it was decided by the final whistle.
Crewe Falcons then had a chance to get revenge on Wilmslow with their final game, a chance they didn't grasp with some poor defence and rucking allowing the opposition to take Crewe's ball and score some easy tries. One highlight of this match was Josh Robinson scoring a great try after making his way through two or three tackles.
Over all, not the best day, but with some more effort in the tackle and ruck which will be the key part of next weeks activity as well as a match against Stoke, Crewe will get back on winning way's.
This week saw the start of a new venture of awarding players of the week. The criteria to win this is for a player to show true teamanship as well as the ability to learn from their errors on the pitch. The players who show that they are willing to put that extra effort in, in that all important tackle, ruck or maul and to support in attack as well as lead from the front. The worthy winners this week showed no matter what their abilities that they will apply the four point plan of effort, belief, respect & positive attitude to support their team and improve themselves; this weeks winners are Calum Meakin for the Falcons and Ben Johnson for the Eagles. Well done to both.
Crewe & Nantwich U10s v Anselmians U10s 19th October 2008
C&N Falcons 10 Anselmians 0
Sunday morning brought changes to the Falcons’ line up necessitated by the need to have more than one player able to play in key roles. Fears that this might upset the team were soon dispelled however. A drive through the middle by Ryan Harman led to a pass to Rory Ewan whose diagonal run through the Anselmians’ defence led to our opening try. The first half saw lots of attacking by Crewe but good opportunities were wasted due to lack of communication. One or two players not passing the ball meant that we could not press home our advantage and held a slender lead of 5-0 at half time.
A half time ‘reminder’ of the need for communication from the head coach had the desired effect. Passing in the second half improved significantly. Our second try coming from an attack involving a number of Crewe players. The ball passed from scrum half Owen Holding along the attacking line resulting in a well worked try for Ryan Harman. Anselmians picked up the pace but the Falcons’ defence held firm.
C&N Eagles 25 Anselmians 5
The Eagles produced some great rugby in a comprehensive win over Anselmians. The forward combination of Oliver Botham, William Molyneux and Jake Simpson brought controlled clean ball for the backs to work with. A break by William Savage brought our first try. Oliver Botham drove over the line for Eagles’ second try with a ball won from the opposition line out. Our third try came from an attacking scrum after Anselmians carried the ball over their own dead ball line. Scrum Half Reece Pemberton picked up the ball from the back of the scrum and burst through to score. Half time 15-0.
The second half produced great link up play between Reece Pemberton at scrum half and William Savage in his new position at fly half. Eagles’ fourth try was a repeat of the second with Reece Pemberton picking up the ball from the back of the scrum and crossing the line to score for 20-0. A break by Jake Simpson led to Eagles’ fifth with Nathan Hall scoring. Ansemians produced a late rally which ended in a consolation try for them and a result of 25-5.
Overall a very satisfactory Sunday morning’s rugby for both teams.
Bruising Encounters
Crewe & Nantwich U10 v Shrewsbury U10 & Telford U10 12th October 2008
Perfect conditions for rugby on Sunday as Crewe & Nantwich played hosts to Shrewsbury and Telford under 10s. Four matches were played with an outcome of won one, lost three. These stark results do not tell the story of the morning however, where no quarter was given and some harsh lessons learned.
Matches were played at the same time on pitches one and two.
Pitch one saw us losing a close match to Shrewsbury by two tries to three. The visitors had a very strong, well drilled pack which they used well. Our forwards, Huw Roberts, George Spalding and Eddie Ahearne knew they were in for a hard twenty minutes when the first two scrums were lost. Shrewsbury took the lead from a scrum after a forward pass by Crewe & Nantwich. Soon after, we were level. Following a knock on by Shrewsbury, a textbook scrum and quick ball from Rory Ewan led to Joe Telfer scoring the equalizing try in the right hand corner.
The second half saw us making good attacking moves but not making the most of them as the ball carrier became isolated with little or no support. Shrewsbury made good use of some strong forwards who drove through our defense to score two tries. A good break from Rory and then Ryan Harman was stopped by solid Shrewsbury defending. Following some good work by our forwards, Calum Meakin made a break through a number of defenders to score in the left hand corner. Despite a valiant effort to snatch an equalizer, Shrewsbury held on to win 3-2.
Pitch Two had us against Telford and a memorable victory 2-1. We went behind 1-0 but showed great character with Nathan Hall and Josh Robinson putting in some excellent tackling. Tries from Oliver Botham and William Molyneux ensured us a winning margin of 2-1.
Back on Pitch One there was another close match with us coming off second best again losing 2-1. In a tough bruising game, the first half saw two injuries for us. Despite some great attacking play from Crewe, Telford held on to go in 0-0 at half time. Telford nearly went ahead with a break direct from the start but knocked on just at the try line. From some excellent mauling in our own half, William Savage broke away to score (1-0). Telford equalized straight from the kick off when our tackling let us down (1-1) Shortly after the restart we gave away a penalty which led to a try for Telford (1-2). In the dying minutes we won a scrum against the head but couldn’t reach the line. Result Crewe & Nantwich 1 Telford 2
Meanwhile on pitch two, despite some valiant defending we went down 2-0 to Shrewsbury. The morning’s most memorable moment saw Reece Pemberton and Oliver Botham running half the length of the pitch to catch up and bring down a Shrewsbury break away saving a seemingly certain try. Henry Nash was unlucky to have a try disallowed.
Whilst we lost three of our four games we must remember that Telford and Shrewsbury are big clubs who both brought their strongest ‘A’ teams. The scores definitely did not tell the whole story as both of our teams put their bodies on the line and gave their all.
Coach Chris Pemberton said that performance was “better than expected.” He picked out two points that were highlighted on both pitches: “firstly poor communication by the players made it difficult at the back of the rucks and scrum when trying to get the ball away and secondly support play during mauls left players isolated.”
The boys certainly looked as if they had put in the effort at the end of the morning. Chris and his fellow coaches will be looking to address the lessons from today before next week’s fixture at home to Anselmians.
Crewe & Nantwich U10 v Northwich U10 5th October 2008
The under 10s played their first games of the season on Sunday away at Northwich and started the season with two victories.
Overnight heavy rain cleared on the journey to the ground and the players were greeted by blue skies. The pitch itself was a tale of two halves - grass at one end, lots of mud at the other!
Crewe & Nantwich were very fired up for the start of the first match following a rousing team talk by coach Chris Pemberton. After winning the toss, we started slowly but quickly gained control of the game following some excellent forward play. Rory Ewan found space on the blind side following a scrum to score in the corner. This gave the team confidence and superb rucking left Northwich reeling as they were on the defensive for most of the first half. Notable performances by Huw Roberts in his first match, Joe ‘crazy horse’ Telfer and Eddie Ahearne helped us to remain in control. Tries from Huw Roberts, Joe Telfer, Ryan Harman and George Spalding left us leading 5-0 at half time.
The second half saw Northwich put up a fight back but our defence held strong. Further tries from Ryan Harman, George Spalding and Rory Ewan saw us home to a victory by 8 tries to 0.
Speaking after the match, coach Chris Pemberton said he was pleased with the display but was looking for improvements in mauls where they were a “bit lax”. He added “the players need to send the ball wide as opposed to taking the ball back into contact.”
The second match started poorly for us with an early try conceded. For the first five minutes the players did not react to the game and looked all at sea. They were looking for guidance and received it with some direct feedback from coach Chris before the restart. This fired up the players and they rallied well and put in some outstanding attacking play. Tries by Reece Pemberton and Oliver Botham led to us leading 2-1 at half time.
With three substitutions at half time (due to the number of players available), the second half saw more attacking play and some good defensive work by Kieran Anderson and Ben Johnson. A try by Nathan Hall and two by Tim Hagen saw us home to a 5-1 victory.
“More communication required and strength in defensive lines” was coach Chris Pemberton’s verdict after the match.
With both teams winning, it was a great start to the season. Just reward for the hard work the coaches and players have put in over the past few weeks.
Next week we play host to Shrewsbury and Telford.
