Bletchley make Scorching Start to New Year

The Bletchley U13 squad opened the New Year with a cracker of a game against visitors Daventry. A mild day, wet underfoot – but there was to be nothing mild or wet about the Bletchley approach to this game!

Daventry kicked off, with ball falling to waiting Bletchley scrum half Andy Cumino; flip pass into the hands of winger Jack Garner, already on the move, who hit an impressive top gear instantly and covered the 60m to the tryline to register the first score of the match within 20 seconds of the start whistle, despite the frantic effort of the Daventry defence to lay hands on him. Cumino had no joy with the conversion attempt, so the score remained at 5-0.

The restart put Bletchley right back into the attack, impressive recycling among the forwards allowing the winning of good territorial position. Cumino showed how to exploit the defensive confusion the Bletchley forwards had created, with a clever run, with some deft changes of direction to fox the defenders and glide over the line for try number two. Sam Levy had no better luck with the conversion attempt; score now at 10-0.

Life was now becoming really difficult for the visitors. Any possesion won by Daventry from set pieces was being spoilt by good defensive positional play and tackling from the Bletchley backs and quick reactions from the loose forwards at the scrum. Quick, confident ball along the backs to wingers Garner and new find Kyle Gibbings posed constant threats, and centres Tom Stainsby and James Reilly always looked likely to break tackles and go for the line. Inevitably another try eventually came from such confident handling sequences, with Levy supplying the finishing finesse for a fine try. Levy's conversion attempt from near the touchline was good, but didn't quite have the legs to go over, so the score remained at 15-0.

The next score came from passage of good ball carrying and passing out of the tackle from the Bletchley forwards which placed the ball in the eager hands of No 8 Ryan Coleman who only had to run 20m and break half-a-dozen tackles to score! No problem – over the line he went for try number 4. Without the conversion Bletchley now enjoyed a 20-0 advantage.

Daventry, with great fortitude, fought back in the dying minutes of the half forcing several lineouts and scrums near the Bletchley line. Some fine defensive tackling kept the visitors out and enabled Bletchley to turn around at half time without having conceded any points.
The Bletchley U13 squad has strength in depth, and the coaches were able to ring the changes at half time and test some different combinations.

The game in the second half was to progess in much the same way as the first had done, with good handling, particularly in the Bletchley backs a key factor. The Daventry pack did begin to exert more effective pressure as the half unfolded but the Bletchley tackling game proved capable and kept the visitors in check.

Tom Stainsby at centre was to be the first to add to the scoreline in the second half, finishing off yet another passage of good passing play with a fine run and touchdown near the uprights, giving Cumino a straightforward conversion opportunity which was taken with clinical aplomb.

Clean ball retrieval and slick passing from the restart had the ball along the backs to wingman Kyle Gibbings, who, once given space to reach top speed, proved un-catchable and placed the ball under the posts, and again Cumino obliged with the conversion. 34-0 to Bletchley.

The Bletchley forwards remained a cohesive and dangerous unit right through to the end of the game, and, as if to prove the point, Jack Evans was to add the last of Bletchley's try tally and to show that not only the backs have running skills, taking the ball on from some open play some 30m out from the line to score under the posts, breaking and handing off several attempted tackles along the way. Levy added the two points to bring the score to 41-0, and it was to remain at this to the close of the game some 10 minutes later.

This was a spirited and confident start to the New Year for Bletchley U13s. The whole squad seemed to be 'on song' for this match and the seven-try haul was just reward for a truly concerted effort from everyone involved. The assembled spectators were treated to a fine exhibition of both running and handling skills, and some muscular, effective forward play.

Tries: Jack Garner, Andy Cumino, Sam Levy, Ryan Coleman, Tom Stainsby, Kyle Gibbings, Jack Evans.
Conv: Andy Cumino (2), Sam Levy (1)