Sunday 25 April 2010
(Match Reports by Pat Nolan)
After a superb day out on Saturday at the Help the Heroes, St George's Day match at Twickenham, it was tired group of Cougars that arrived at Beckenham for the Kent County Sevens. Their cause not helped by injuries robbing them of being able to field two full squads, the Cougars did not flinch and arrived in their customary good cheer. On the whole it was another glorious spring day, interrupted only by a chilly breeze and a heavy downpour shortly before play was due to commence.
As this was the final competitive action of a long season, the Cougars fielded two sides, the Super Sevens and the Social Sevens. With an emphasis on having fun (sevens isn't really the Cougar's game) the Super Sevens found themselves in a group containing Ashford, Sevenoaks, Whitstable and Dover, whilst the Social Sevens were rewarded with the 'group of death' containing Blackheath, Tunbridge Wells, Bromley and Beccehamians.
Cougars Super Sevens Squad:
Christodoulou, Clarke, Fitzpatrick, Gowdy, Johnston (C), Rawlins, Reynolds, Wardzynski, and WellardCougars Social Sevens Squad:
Chalmers, Irons, Kennedy, Lazell (C), Last, Marriott, Morgan, Simpson, Syplywczac and WhitnellAshford 0 - Medway Super Sevens 14
Tries: Reynolds, Penalty Try
Cons: Gowdy, Wardzysnki
Cons: Gowdy, Wardzysnki
Coached by Graham Reynolds and led on the field by captain Jack Johnston, the Super Sevens opened with a controlled display. They moved the ball around well in attack and deployed a classic drift defence when they didn't have the ball, making them hard to break down. Two tries were carved out as they got the ball out to the wing where Connor Reynolds was to go over in the first half, converted by Gowdy. Reynolds got away again in the second half but was stopped by a desperately high tackle that put paid to the rest of his tournament. His reward, a penalty try converted by Charlie Wardzynski.
Bromley 61 - Medway Social Sevens 0
The forward dominated Social Sevens had been given a game plan by coach Mark Marriott that involved them protecting the ball and mauling and rucking for all they were worth. Unfortunately, the Socials failed to hold onto the ball enough and were taught a lesson in clinical sevens play, as Bromley ran in nine unanswered tries.
Dover 12 - Medway Super Sevens 21
Tries: Fitzpatrick, Wellard, Wardzynski
Cons: Gowdy, Wardzynskiu 2
Next up was the Super Sevens again against a very spirited Dover. Medway took the lead with a quick tap penalty move seeing Liam Fitzpatrick drive over, converted by Gowdy. But Dover had obviously been practicing sevens and hit back with two tries and a conversion of their own. Medway dug deep and responded though with tries for Ben Wellard and Wardzysnki who also kicked bother conversions.
Medway Social Sevens 0 - Tunbridge Wells 43
After their mauling (no pun intended) by Bromley captain Ben Lazell sought counsel with his coach. It was agreed that the idea was to have fun and on this basis the team wanted to throw the ball about and see what happened. With the new tactics agreed the team took to the field against a very strong Tunbridge Wells side, putting in a very spirited performance before losing the game by seven tries.
Medway Super Sevens 0 - Sevenoaks 28
Possibly due to the fact that Sevenoaks had lost to Ashford, the Super Sevens seemed to take this match for granted. The drift defence that had stood them well previouly was missing and an early Sevenoaks try put Medway firmly on the back foot. They were never to recover, conceding four tries with no response.
Blackheath 40 - Medway Social Sevens 0
By far the Social Sevens best showing with many of the watching crowd committing on the spirit shown. They spent large periods camped on Blackheath's try line but were ultimately undone by a couple of breakaway tries as Blackheath emerged the winners. Injuries sustained meant that only six players emerged still fit to play, so the Social Sevens withdrew from the competition with one fixture remaining.
Medway Super Sevens 42 - Whitstable 7
By far the best showing of the day from the Super Sevens as they laid into Whitsable. Whitsatble opened the scoring but there after there was only one team in it thereafter. A Johnston try was converted by Gowdy before a Jake Christodoulou run saw him pile over for a try converted by Wardzynski. From the resultant kick-off Gowdy took the ball on the bounce to run in his own try that he converted himself. Wardzynski then ran in a try of his own that he converted before sealing a fine display with one of his now famous dummies that allowed him to escape again for his second try of the match, which he again converted. A superb performance as the Super Sevens missed out on top spot to Sevenoaks on points difference.
Medway Super Sevens 0 - Tunbridge Juddians 49
Injuries had taken their toll on the Super Sevens as they appeared in the Cup Quarter-Final and Lazell was brought in to give the side starting numbers. However, ir proved to be a match too far for Medway as they were undone by some clever sevens play by TJs, who proved too strong as Medway succumbed to seven unanswered tries.
Despite the disappointment of a quarter-final loss to TJs this was an impressive showing from all the Medway players, both Super and Social. By reaching the quarter-final of the Cup competition the Cougars cemented their position as one of the top eight sides in the county. Tom Whitnell, who was emense for the Social team, was man of the competition and for those of you interested - Beccehamians beat Sevenoaks in the final by 42-12.
