2nd XV
Matches
Sat 16 Feb 2013
Basildon II
0
52
Eton Manor RFC
2nd XV
10 try demolition for Manors seconds

10 try demolition for Manors seconds

Mark Cuschieri19 Feb 2013 - 08:58
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Basildon were resoundly beaten until they waved the white flag today.

This week’s game against Basildon had a bit of personal vengeance to it. The last game against Basildon was definitely a game of two halves where Basildon played well in the first half but Manor destroyed them in the second half thus winning 41 – 0, but upon reading Basildon’s match report it was as one sided a report as you are likely to read. You would have thought that Basildon was unlucky to lose and that Manor had defended for their lives all game. Ay 41 nil the reality was of course very different.
That match report was to be our driving force behind a good performance. Today we would not give Basildon a chance to think they were “unlucky to lose”
My team was missing 5 or 6 influential players from last week but with players stepping up from the third team we didn’t look to shabby.
Basildon put us on their pitch which is about 5min walk from their club. We even had to run across a duel carriageway (which can’t be safe).
Once we got to the rugby field it looked beautiful and grassy with no puddles, but looks can be deceiving, once you stepped on it you would sink into its muddy layer. Ben Ward later described it like running in sand which I thought was a perfect description.
In the warm up we looked sharp enough and we were ready for KO.

The pack was right up for this game and showed it in the first scrum. They won the ball against the head whilst running the heavier Basildon pack backwards. This was something they would do practically all game. The backs were getting a lot of early ball but were just not clicking. The wet ball was dropped time and time again as the players struggled to come to terms with the sand like underfoot conditions. That was until the ball found its way to winger Jumbo who swept aside some 5 defenders to run in 60mtrs to score in the corner. Brad missed the conversion (5 – 0)
5mins later and the exact same scenario! The forwards win the ball against the head, it gets spun along the back line to Jumbo who beats about 7 defenders but this time he finally gets tackled 2 feet from Basildon’s try line, the ball is quickly recycled out to Sam Green who scores an easy try. Brad missed the easy Conversion (10 – 0)
The next 10mins of the game was just tackling practice for Basildon, they also seemed to be struggling with the pitch and found it hard to get the ball out of their forwards who in turn were constantly being driven back by the Manor tackling. Manor made break after break but we were rushing the pass rather than building phases and this always seem to lead to a knock on of some sort.
Our third try cam from a scrum just outside Basildon’s 22. No 8 for the day Riaan Shields picked up and went blind, he threw an outrageous dummy that Basildon fell for and he was able to run in to score virtually under the posts. Brad missed the conversion again. (15 – 0)
Our forth try came from our prop come stand in hooker Ross Reed who from a nice catch and drive peeled off the back of the maul to run his small frame 20mtrs to score in the corner. Brad missed the conversion again and was sacked as kicker. (20 – 0)
Manor were now in total control of the game and were breaking Basildon’s creaking defence at will, it was only poor or dropped passes that stopped us from scoring more.
Sam Green bagged his second and Manors 5th try of the half after he found himself on the end of another backs break where all he had to do was catch it and run it in which he expertly did. Sam missed the conversion. (25 – 0)

Half Time score was Basildon 0 – Eton Manor 25.

We knew that the game was pretty much over but it was made clear that we had standards and that we would stick to them. We decided that the game would not be played at such a frantic pace but played with phases and composure. Subs were brought on to give everyone a game and we were ready for the second half.
Within 3mins the ball was spun out to Jumbo on the wing who easily beat the last two defenders to score his second try near the posts. This time Jack missed the easy conversion. (30 – 0)
The next 5 or so minutes were all about Manor dominating every aspect of the game. Basildon finally got their hands on some clean ball and tried to attack through the centres, Cushy came in with big hit on the running fullback and that was his game over. It was at this point that the ref called me over and told me that Basildon wanted to call the game off at 30 nil as they were now down to 14 men and that we had won the league already. My reply was that we has spent an hour and a quarter getting to Basildon, I was going to be buggered if my subs were going to get only 10mins of rugby because Basildon didn’t want to play with 14 players. So to make them happy George Cast was volunteered to swap teams and play for them which he kindly agreed to. They were now back to 15 players.

Sadly in my opinion Basildon gave up from here on in. Manor went on to score a further four tries in 10mins before we called a halt to Basildon’s misery on the 60min mark.

Manors 7th try came from 17yr Old Nick who was able to speed along the wing to score in the corner. Jack missed the conversion (35 – 0)
Nicks twin brother Billy who is also 17 funnily enough was on hand to run in yet another try. Obviously Jack missed the conversion (40 – 0)
Cushy was on hand to pressure the Basildon back line into dropping the ball, he easily scooped it up and was under the posts for try number 9. Sam Green ran up to kick the bread and butter conversion and flipping missed it again. (45 – 0)
Our 10th and final try came from young Nick who bagged his second try of the afternoon to score under the posts…..Wait for it…Jack GOT THE CONVERSION!!!!!!!!! (52 -0)

At this point we were scoring every 2mins and Basildon had officially waved the white flag virtually refusing to make a tackle (bar their old school no.7). I was asked again to call the game at 52 – 0. This time I agreed as I felt we had made our point. So we ended Basildon’s misery on the 60th minute. I wonder what their match report will say this week.

It was hard to judge if we had played well or if Basildon were just awful. There is no doubt in my mind that we would have gone on to score 80 to 100 points had the game carried on.
I have never and would never request that a game ends because we are getting a drubbing. It’s just not the rugby way and Basildon has lost a bit of my respect after this game (not that they will care). We beat Upminster 75 nil on the second game of the season but they battled on for the whole 80mins regardless.

Man of the Match goes to Jumbo who was a one man pin ball literally knocking over the Basildon defenders like skittles all game, also for the second game running the Manor pack totally dominated their opposition all game giving the talented backs the perfect platform to attack from.

If you want to bring your Mrs or friends on our coach to Southend on March 9th you will need to tell me asap as there are not many empty seats left.

Match details

Match date

Sat 16 Feb 2013

Kickoff

15:00
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