Sun 10 Dec 2023, 11:00
Paviors U13’s v Mellish U13’s NLD Cup
The second round of NLD fixtures saw Paviors U13’s look to take on local rivals Mellish at Burntstump in what would be the first fixture between the two teams in a couple of years.
The previous game between the sides had resulted in a heavy defeat for Paviors at the hands of a very well drilled and physical Mellish side, with Paviors very aware of the challenge ahead of them.
Injury, unavailability due to family members ridiculously getting married during the rugby season, and illness on the day had depleted the Paviors squad with only 15 available for the game and only 6 of those being forwards so there would be no rest-bite for the big lads up front today, this coupled with disrupted training due to the bad weather recently could have had a negative impact on the side but the ‘feeling’ in the changing room prior to warm ups was positive.
The coaches messaging in the warm up was to maintain shape, both in attack and defence and try and exert pressure on the opposition on both sides of the ball.
Paviors kicked off playing up the slope and were soon under pressure from some swift handling and hard running by Mellish, good scrambling defence and strong tackling were not enough to prevent Mellish scoring the first try of the game. If Paviors were to stand any chance in this game they would have to get hold of the ball and play some phases and apply some pressure of their own.
From the kick off that’s exactly what they did with a good chase, forcing Mellish into a hurried clearance that allowed Pavs to build some momentum in the Mellish half with strong running from Tristan and Lewis being met by some ferocious tackling from Mellish. Strong rucking from Finn ensured we maintained possession and allowed Charlie W to dictate if we attacked through the forwards or moved the ball wider allowing Jack and Oscar to make good yards.
A solid platform in the scrum from Alex F at hooker and his two props Alex S and H coupled with some good carrying got Pavs good front football and kept Mellish on the retreat and didn’t allow them to get any control on the game.
This continued pressure eventually resulted in the Mellish line being breached and the scores level. Some fine attacking play led by Alfie found us once again hammering at the Mellish defence resulting in Lewis managing to find a weaker inside shoulder and break the line before sprinting over to put Pavs up by one score.
From a poor kick chase Mellish showed again how dangerous they can be in attack, as well as ferocious in defence, with some very powerful running, good scrambling cover from Evan and Toby ensured our line remained intact but the dam eventually burst just before the end of the half as Mellish managed to draw level.
Half time messages from the coaches was more of the same please but the emphasis switched slightly to committing more people at the rucks as Mellish countered very well and disrupted our ball making it more difficult then it had to be for Charlie W to get the ball away.
Good running by the forwards allowed Harry G to play on the front foot and this platform allowed Evan, Toby and Jack to continue to make metres. however some silly mistakes and very good attacking from Mellish would have Charlie T and Jenson having to make some big defensive stops as Mellish looked to punish errors and wrestle the initiative away from Paviors.
Strong tackling and good work at the ruck from Finn and Alex S repelled the Mellish attack and allowed Tristan to use his pace and gain metres, ably supported by H and Alex F who both carried well in the second half and enabled us to relieve pressure from our own line.
Solid scrum ball and some lovely hands from Alfie and Oscar nearly put Jenson away a few times down the flank but continued staunch Mellish defence held us at bay.
We continued to play in the right areas of the field and this coupled with good discipline meant we scored a further 3 try’s in the second half but a big plus point for the squad was that we managed to prevent Mellish scoring due in no small part to Charlie T and Harry G arguably putting in one of the tackles of the day on the big Mellish runner and bundling him into touch. It was this effort, mirrored by the whole side, that saw Pavs prevail in a very close, exciting game that saw us record our first W in a NLD fixture.
Lots to work on but the effort to a man cannot be faulted, we must ensure we carry this effort forward in both training and games as we enter 2024.
