18 April, 2010
Thoroughness of preparation has long been a hallmark of Maidenhead U16s management team. Even so, suspending all air traffic over Windsor in order to ensure picture postcard conditions for the climactic match of the 2009/10 season really does break new ground. (Apparently O’Flaherty spoke to someone close to Eyjafjallajokull.)
So, with all the senior royals gathered on the Sainsfoins terrace of the castle looking down on the splendid sight of Home Park bathed in warm spring sunshine, with the glorious cherry blossom accenting the serene beauty of the mature plane, oak and horse chestnut trees, the scene almost approached the ultimate Berkshire rugby panorama – that of the municipal waste amenity site at Braywick.
As you would expect on a hot day, the pitch was hard and dry. Recently scarified, it looked like the coarse surface of a cheese grater and all the players soon blossomed cherry red knees and elbows as a result.
Windsor started at a furious pace, flinging the ball left and right and tearing into the Maidenhead defence. It took only two minutes for the first try, scored by the Windsor inside centre on an outside break from a quick tap penalty.
Maids came back with a long individual run by Laurence MacSwan up to the 22. A series of reset scrums led to both front rows getting a long talking to by the referee but there was not much doubt that Maidenhead had the advantage in the set piece, disrupting and stealing Windsor’s ball and winning several free kicks for infringements including feeding. “You’re not playing Rugby League, son,” said the official at one point.
Despite this edge, Maids were still under the cosh. Windsor were running everything through their centres and impressive full back and eventually the latter hit a pass at full tilt and took the score to 10-0. Was it the end of the Champions' hat trick dream? No, of course not.
So far Maidenhead had not really started to play. What little ball they had seen in a free flowing game had been slow and awkward. Windsor were not competing at the fringes but were throwing the ball wide and trying to get outside and behind. Perhaps Windsor were too ready to kick and chase when the ball through hands was a better option but, nonetheless, they were threatening to run riot.
The first inkling that Maids were still in the hunt came from an innocuous maul 15 metres out on 17 minutes. Instead of quick ball on the home side, out came Dominik Bart with classic tough, ugly possession. Never in the clear, always with one or two opponents clinging on and trying to stop him, he twisted and struggled and bullied his way over for the score.
The second quarter was scoreless, despite Windsor’s backline running power. They frequently beat the first tackler with a sideways step, a swerve or burst, but not so often the second, and most of the fireworks took place in midfield areas where no great damage was likely. Maidenhead absorbed the pressure and survived on scraps and solid defensive organisation.
Maidenhead’s second half restart was short of 10m but they won the resulting scrum against the head and Seb Coric picked up and ran to the 22, found MacSwan in support and his inside ball to Michael Anderson almost gave Maids the perfect start. Windsor ripped the ball from the resulting ruck and tried to run out of trouble. Back came Maids and pressed again, only to drop the ball and turn it over again. Surely Windsor would kick for safety? Of course not – they ran it once more and made it all the way to 22 before being hauled down. Back came Maids with good hands and hard running to the right and back left with Michael Anderson racing clear until caught by the cover only 10m short. The ball was kept alive and Maids’ repeated close fringe assaults finally saw Mike Winter go over to level the scores. Maids were level after 10 minutes of the most frantic and entertaining rugby of the season, and Bart seasoned the asado with chimichurri by converting from wide out.
That was it for the Windsor challenge, in truth. They started to get into the referee’s bad books with continual backchat and their earlier swagger disappeared along with their concentration. They were still unable to secure their own scrum ball – the Maids' front rowers completely on top – and their lineout produced only pain, with Iain Whiteford taking over where Kaya Baxter had left off. Indeed it was a lineout steal by Coric which set up a try for Luke Thomas after a great run and offload by Winter. Bart converted for 10-19.
The next try was made by Leo Smith’s break, bursting though tackles in midfield and drawing the last two defenders before popping inside to the tireless Coric in support. Bonus point, Bart makes it 10-26, game and championship over with 8 minutes to go. The vaunted Windsor backline, so dominant earlier, were no longer at the races.
With fully nine minutes of time played after the scheduled end, Maids threatened to score more but actually it was Windsor who notched a consolation comedy try. A bouncing ball found its way to a frankly startled Windsor player closest to the Maidenhead tryline and he sheepishly tumbled over. Pyatt’s conversion made the final score 17-26.
The watchword of this record-breaking season has been cool intensity. Maintaining concentration in the face of the opposition and accepting the referee’s decisions with maturity. You say it best, when you say nothing at all, in fact. Maids have never given up and always believed in themselves and in their teammates. In four years of Berkshire Youth League competition, their record speaks for itself:
2006-10 (U13-U16)
Played 26
Won 25
Drawn 0
Lost 1
Points For 943
Points Against 118
Squad:Alex Avery, Mark Hine, Callum Hull, Nic Jones, Jamie Tolan, Mike Trevena, Kaya Baxter, Jacob Sanders, Iain Whiteford, Dom Bart, Calum O’Flaherty, Mike Winter, Seb Coric, LD Basson, Luke Thomas, Leo Smith, Markus Olivier, Laurence MacSwan, Daniel Andrews-Jones, Michael Anderson, Dhruv Surya, Tom Eckles.
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