Andover RFC - Youth Academy
News from the Under 14s
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Sunday, 11th December 2011
For their penultimate game before the Christmas break the Ken White Distribution sponsored U14s hosted Devizes in a friendly at the Goodship ground. Having put together a very good performance in their previous outing at Newbury this would be a chance to test themselves against a side who had beaten them convincingly the previous October.
Andover kicked off into the breeze and a good chase by Cameron Holland forced Devizes into touch for an Andover lineout on the visitor’s 10 metre line. An untidy lineout was just secured by Andover and Ollie Parry made a searing break up to the Devizes 22. Andover couldn’t retain the ball, however, and Devizes broke swiftly up to 5 metres from the Andover line, but were thwarted by a knock-on. A long kick from Kieran Holmes relieved the pressure and good chasing by Ben Fraser and Charlie Donnelly had Devizes on the back foot. Luke Wilkins and Nick Cannon were in quickly to secure the ball and make the initial drive, which was taken on by strong bursts from Ollie Dewell and Sam Walsh. Andover then moved it wide in the visitor’s 22, but the play was too lateral and easily dealt with by the Devizes defence. Andover spilt the ball in contact and Devizes worked it swiftly along the line to their pacey winger inside his 22. With space to move, and with the Andover defence caught very narrow, he sped along the touchline and curved around under the posts for a rather soft try which was converted to give the visitors a 7-0 lead. Not the start that Andover wanted and early signs of the danger of giving Devizes any space.
Andover were penalised twice from the restart for high tackles which enabled the visitors to ease their way to 15 metres from the Andover line. Devizes spun it along the three-quarters, but solid defence from Jamie King shut the initial move down. Luke Wilkins was in hard at the breakdown but Andover were then guilty of standing off at the next ruck. Devizes were able to break on the narrow side and go over in the corner for a second, unconverted, try to stretch their lead to 12-0.
Andover’s restart didn’t go 10 metres and Devizes opted for a scrum on halfway. From the scrum they broke left, but a good tackle by Cameron Holland stopped them short of the Andover 10 metre line. Nick Cannon was in quickly to jackal the ball and the visitors were penalised for holding on. Andover’s tap and go from the penalty was too lateral. A second penalty gave them another bite at the cherry, but again they crabbed across field and cramped themselves up before dropping the ball. However, they recovered the situation by forcing Devizes into touch for a lineout on the Andover 10 metre line. The long ball to the back was overthrown but secured by Luke Wilkins and moved on to Jamie King who made good ground before being forced into touch on the Devizes 22. Devizes took clean lineout ball which was transferred at pace to their winger. He skinned the Andover defence on the outside and ran in another long-range try under the posts which was converted to take the score to 19-0 to the visitors. Andover edging the territorial battle, but being undone by the width and pace of the Devizes counterattacks.
Strong work by Dylan Patel and Ollie Dewell secured Andover’s restart and enabled Ollie Parry to beat the initial Devizes cover, but a forward pass gave the visitors a scrum on their 10 metre line. The hefty Devizes pack provided a solid platform at the scrum but Andover’s defence proved better at the set piece and forced a dropped pass in the backs for an attacking scrum on the Devizes 10 metre line. Andover moved it wide but dropped the ball which was recovered by Nick Cannon and driven on by Kieran Holmes before he was forced into touch 15 metres out. Devizes tapped back from the lineout and the loose ball was snaffled by Luke Wilkins, but he was held up for an Andover 5 metre scrum. Andover were giving away a huge amount of weight in the forwards and Kieran Holmes did well to pick up from the back of a retreating scrum, but was again held up in the maul by the determined Devizes defence. The visitors secured their own 5 metre scrum, but Nick Cannon was through quickly to charge down the kick for another Andover scrum. Andover were hampered by their retreating scrum and were forced to pick-up at the back, but were wrapped up and driven backwards before Devizes knocked-on for an Andover scrum 20 metres out. Better stuff from Andover, but Devizes solid scrum and excellent defence not allowing them to turn pressure into points. Andover’s front five did well to secure the ball which was swiftly away by Will Scobie to Ollie Parry going blind. Charlie Donnelly took the move on with a powerful burst, but was stopped just short of the line on the halftime whistle.
Andover struggling at the scrums, but competing well at the breakdown and enjoying a good share of territory and possession. After being caught napping by the Devizes counterattacks they’d come back strongly, but were finding an excellent Devizes defence a tough nut to crack.
Nick Cannon took the deep Devizes restart and made ground to the Andover 10 metre line. Quick ball from the contact was moved by Ollie Newcombe to Ollie Parry and then Gary Walker who made a good run beyond the visitors 10 metre line. From the breakdown Andover made ground up to the Devizes 22 through Tommy Macfarlane and Gary Walker. However, a loose pass gave possession to Devizes who moved it quickly to their dangerous winger. He strode through to 15 metres from the Andover line, but a great tackle from Gary Walker, well supported by George Compton and Jamie King, saw him bundled into touch.
Andover were awarded two penalties in quick succession. The second just failed to find touch and Devizes ran it back but knocked-on for an Andover scrum 15 metres from their own line. Andover’s pack did well to secure possession, but they were forced to drive the poor quality ball. James Marlow and Ollie Dewell made the hard yards and then Tommy Macfarlane took it on. Andover recycled well, but the clearance kick was charged down and Devizes were able to secure the loose ball. The Andover defence was caught wrong footed and Devizes broke through to score a converted try under the posts to take the score to 26-0. Unfortunate for Andover and with rain making conditions increasingly difficult they were going to have to dig deep to stay in the game.
Devizes ran the restart back, but another solid tackle from Luke Wilkins forced an Andover scrum on their 10 metre line. A long kick by Gary Walker was well chased, but Devizes managed to recycle the ball. Their initial move was stopped, but the tiring Andover defence was thinly spread and Devizes broke through some weak tackling to go over wide out. An excellent conversion took the score to 33-0 in the visitors favour.
Ollie Parry’s long restart was fumbled by Devizes 20 metres out from their line for an Andover scrum. Andover were going backwards in the set piece and loose ball was snatched up by Devizes but a Gary Walker tackle forced a knock-on and another Andover scrum on halfway. Some aerial ping-pong ended with a curving run by Josh Chatee who edged around the Devizes defence before being brought down 30 metres from the Devizes line. Good pressure from Jamie King saw the visitors fumble the ball in the backs which was hacked on by Jamie who was just beaten to the touchdown when the ball bounced off the bottom of the goalpost. Devizes punted the dropout and were called back for a scrum on their 22. Their big pack shoved Andover off the ball, but their initial drive was stopped by Mackenzie Whitehead and then Ollie Parry forced the next play into touch on halfway. Devizes stole the lineout but crabbed across the pitch and James Marlow forced a knock-on. Andover lost the scrum and Devizes pressure saw them force their way deeper into Andover territory, eventually securing a 5 metre scrum. With their scrum driving Andover back it was all too easy for the Devizes number 8 to pick up and drive over from close range for a converted try to take the score to 40-0.
This time it was Andover who punted the restart and conceded a scrum on halfway. Devizes broke blind but were forced into touch by Nick Cannon. The visitors stole the lineout and, although Jared Rolfe and Luke Wilkins were in well to recover the situation, Andover were penalised. Devizes tapped and spun it wide but were well stopped by Jamie King and Charlie Donnelly. Andover were in quickly to the breakdown and the ball was fed back to Ollie Parry who put in a lovely clearance kick up to halfway. However, the final whistle went before the lineout could form and with Andover unable to breach the Devizes defence.
A fiercely contested game, played in a great spirit and much closer than the scoreline would suggest. Andover were giving away too much weight in the pack to compete effectively at the scrums, but were competitive at the breakdown and matched Devizes in terms of possession and territory. However, they were unable to pierce an outstanding Devizes defence and were sometimes too lateral without the benefit of runners coming in at pace and on the angle. Devizes were able to soak up the Andover attacks and then counterattack quickly out wide around the rather narrow Andover defence. Nonetheless, Andover stuck to it and competed right up to the final whistle.
Result: Andover 0 – Devizes 40
Andover Man of the Match: Shared by flankers Nick Cannon and Luke Wilkins with a display of aggressive defence, straight running and excellent work at the breakdown.
The Andover Squad: Nick Cannon, Josh Chatee, George Compton, Ollie Dewell, Charlie Donnelly, Ben Fraser, Cameron Holland, Kieran Holmes, Jamie King, Tommy Macfarlane, James Marlow, Ollie Newcombe, Ollie Parry, Dylan Patel, Jared Rolfe, Will Scobie, Gary Walker, Sam Walsh, Mackenzie Whitehead, Luke Wilkins.
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