The Super Seconds demolish Rochford

On a rain soaked day Eton Manor travelled to Rochford to try and make amends for our shame in cancelling our match against Westcliff the week before.
The pitch at Rochford had a lot of standing water on it as it had not stopped raining for about 2 days. But we were confident that this would actually play into our hands as the Manor pack has been on fire this season.
In reality it was the backs actually managed to score 6 of the 7 tries in a scintillating display of running rugby.

Right from the kick off the Manor pack laid down their marker by taking the ball up hard and fast with quick aggressive rucking, this gave newly promoted scrum half Tharbish plenty of time to get the slippery ball out to the backs. With the first move of the match Conor Saville cut a lovely angled run off Brad Cotton and he was straight through a hole. The Rochford fullback did well to prevent a try but his pack joined the ruck from the side and Brad slotted home the easy penalty after about 3 minutes (0 – 3)

With a complete repeat of the first few minutes, the Manor pack got the ball from the resulting kick off, boshed the ball up giving Tharbish good clean ball to work with and then Brad put Conor through another hole where he made good ground until he was tackled by the fullback, the Rochford pack gave away another penalty and Brad slotted home the easy kick, so after 5 minutes Manor led 6 nil.

The first 5 minutes had been all Eton Manor with Rochford hardly touching he ball, but now they woke up. They showed Eton Manor that they were capable of playing a hard route one game with their big props being a handful on the charge. A penalty kick to the corner gave Rochford the chance that they were waiting for. A well executed lineout gave their forwards the ball, then the route one pick and go game started, edging closer and closer with every phase until finally one of their big props came from deep and managed to travel the two foot over Manors try line. The conversion was good and now Manor trailed (7 – 6) after 10mins.

Manor stayed calm knowing that this try was against the run of play and that if we carried on the way we had started the points were bound to come.
How right we were when straight from the KO the ball was sent out to the backs where Conor was on hand to ghost through another hole in the Rochford line, this time he had Harry T on his shoulder. Harry still had work to do though and sweetly stepped inside the fullback and outpaced the covering defenders to score under the posts. Brad got the conversion (7 – 13)

Manors backline were looking very dangerous with the hard running old boy Cushy and the young pacey runners working very well together. But it must be said our job was made a lot easier by the total domination of scrums by the Manor pack. Rochford had a decent lineout and competed well out the breakdown but they had absolutely no answer to the advantage Manor had at scrum time.

Manor’s second try came after the pack stole yet another ball against the head. The ball was fed out to the back line where the forever young Cushy boshed his way through two defenders, he then gave the ball to the younger Conor who this time he backed his blistering pace and rounded the fullback to score under the posts. Brad got the conversion. (7 – 20)

There was only one team in it now and even though Rochford never shied away from the contact area they just couldn’t live with the power and pace of this Eton Manor team. The Manor forwards now started their own bit of route one rugby, but this was met with less defensive enthusiasm as when Rochford tried it. Thus the forwards charged on, looking after the ball in these slippery muddy conditions making good ground up the middle of the pitch, then like a well drilled team the situation was beautifully read by Brad Cotton who went blind, drew in the winger then put fullback Martin Bashoff in for the try. Brad missed the conversion (7 – 25)

Manor’s forth and best try came from a lovely solo effort form 17yr old Harry T who in his first year in senior rugby has surprised not only the opposition but his own team mates too. He may be small but he has very quick feet and is very elusive. Thus Harry got the ball in space on the wing, stepped his opposite number and did him on the outside, fended off another would be defender and stepped the fullback to score a fine individual try. Brad missed the conversion (7 – 30)

The final try of the half came from Brad Cotton. I honestly can’t remember how it was scored I just know it was. I was probably laying in a muddy puddle with rotund forwards laying on me when he went over. Brad missed his conversion (7 – 35)

This was the half time score and Manor was left feeling very happy with their first half performance. Cushy spoke at half time about not losing focus and building a big score and all the subs were brought on to give everyone a game.

The second half was a stop start affair with Rochford picking up a lot of injuries that needed treatment. On a normal day I would lean towards playing the referee but these injuries were obviously genuine and clear to see like cut faces and players being knocked out. We hope that they are all not too serious and are recovering well.

Eton Manor should have gone on to build a big score here but simply didn’t. As the game wore on the pitch turned into a mud bath and instead of playing a tighter game Manor decided that they could score of the first phase every time they got the ball. So the ball was thrown about as if it was a dry summers day and chance after chance went begging.

Manor’s sixth try came after Rochford gave away a penalty. Hard running Barny took a quick tap and was off. He fended and boshed his way into the Rochford 22 where he was finally felled. Here the Manor forwards showed great patients in setting up a rolling maul that ploughed its way over the Rochford try line. Up popped the grinning silver fox Richard Stock with ball in hand. Brad got the conversion (7 – 42).

The game became a bit of a stalemate now with the muddy ball being dropped constantly. Manor was guilty of trying to be too expansive with off loads and missed passes fizzing around the pitch but going to nobody in particular.
Rochford did get more ball in the second half but never looked like scoring.

Manor rounded off the game with their seventh and final try when Conor once again broke through the tiring Rochford line and stepped inside the fullback to dive under the posts. Brad got the conversion. (7 - 49).

Final score Rochford 7 Eton Manor 49

The score line looks big but in truth it should have been a lot bigger, Manor lost their way in second half and squandered a lot of try scoring opportunities.
Rochford tackled well but simply had no answer for the power of the forwards and the pace of the backs.

Man of the match was Conor Saville. He not only scored two tries but set up two and made countless breaks.

Next week we have a week off then we are at home against Thurrock RFC.