Sunday 15 November 2009
Medway 69 - Gillingham Anchorians 0
Tries: Hardinges, Gowdy 2, Chalmers, Stewart 2, Brown 2, Williams 2, Thompson
Con: Gowdy 3, Wardzynski 4
Cougars Squad:
Bailey, Brown, Chalmers, Christodoulou, Cornell, Fenton, Fitzpatrick, Gowdy, Hardinges, Irons, Johnston (C), Kennedy, Lazell, Last, Marriott, McManus, Morgan, Rawlins, Reynolds, Simpson, Stewart, Syplywczac, Thompson, Wardzynski, Wellard, Whitnell and Williams.A spirited game from the Anchorians, who pressed throughout, and whose performance did not merit such a high score against them. On the other hand some excellent ball handling and powerful rucking made the Cougars virtually unstoppable as they raced to a well earned 69 point victory.
Medway's kickoff was collected well by Anchorians but stolen at the break down and then followed what was to become fairly typical of the pattern of the game. Medway pushed forward making good use of the ball, passing fluently through the backs and winning ball at the rucks and mauls. This was typified as a static maul saw Anchorians looking like they were going to escape with possession but Tom Whitnell spotted the danger and ripped effortlessly setting up the backs but unfortunately a knock on stopped the phase. Medway soon regained possession and this time worked a three man overlap but could not take advantage. Medway were winning Anchorians' scrums and rucks with Whitnell, Lewis Marriot and John Last making up a very capable front row. A few phases later and Medway were spinning the ball wide again, this time Nick Hardinges joined the line from full back and dummied a pass to the wing to break through and score. The Anchorians' kick off didn't go the distance and from the resulting scrum, Liam Fitzpatrick picked up from number 8 and made good yards. He was supported well by Ben Wellard who took over but couldn't get through. A high clearance kick from Anchorians saw Hardinges take a brilliant catch at full speed and thunder into the opposition half. The move was stopped but Medway turned over the scrum and Luke Gowdy drove home. Gowdy narrowly missed the conversion from wide as he had the first, the score now 10-0. Unfortunately, Hardinges took a knock on the knee during this play and had to be substituted. Anchorians then put Medway under some pressure with a good drive into the 22 but they gave the ball away and Medway pushed back. Again good ball down the backs with gains from the two Connors, Chalmers and Reynolds, held up on the Anchorians' try line. Anchorians were turned over again and made the mistake which was repeatedly their down fall of being sucked into the breakdowns, giving Medway overlaps, this time Gowdy touched down and successfully converted. The next try came after the ball had travelled the width of the pitch twice, finally ending with Chalmers who very unselfishly popped the ball to Reynolds to score to bring the half time score to 22-0.
The pattern repeated in the second half, Medway winning a lot of ball and spinning it out well. A few team changes were made in this development game and when Fergus Stewart joined he made his presence felt straight away. With his first touch he steam rollered through the Anchorians defence, feeding Reynolds (or was it Chalmers), who off-loaded back to Stewart as he was tackled and Stewart touched down, Gowdy converting. Charlie Wardzynski was playing his usual controlled game and found a big gap as he chipped over the Anchorians backs. Gowdy chased hard and gave the defender who collected no time to think. However, there had been some shenanigans on and off throughout the game which was now punished by the referee, seeing Jake Christodoulou and the Anchorian hooker sinbinned. Albeit a minor infringement it gave Anchorians a scrum but Medway turned over again with Wellard taking the ball right up to the try line but not able to go over. Continued pressure told, Jack Johnston was working hard leading the way from the pack with Wellard showing some fine touches and tackles. The next try was from Stewart after another scrum against the head, this time Wardzynski converted, Gowdy having gone off for a well earned rest. Tom Brown was gathering the Anchorians kicks and this time returned with menaces, a kick through was chased hard by Stewart who touched down but was just short of the line. The next try went to Brown with a successful pick and drive from the back of another turned over scrum, Wardzynski again getting the conversion, the score now 43-0. Alex Williams then added his name to the score sheet twice, the first with another ball fed through the backs, Wardzynski converting. The second from a punishing drive from Stewart who off-loaded to Williams in the tackle. During the next few plays we saw Wardzynski kicking well, Aaron Thompson chasing hard and Tom Rawlins showing character in his tackling and clearing from the rucks. Inevitably another drive saw Brown go over again with Wardzynski converting and finally after another powerful run from Stewart, Thompson going over with Gowdy now back on the field getting the last of Medway's 69 points. Head coach Mark Marriott's man of the match went to Charlie Wardzynski - well done
(Match Report by Pete Cornell)
