19/03/2010
AGRFU Semi-Final U12s - Quins 14 V Dubai Hurricanes 12
Fri 19 March 2010 – Match Report
A long but rewarding season saw ADHRC U12s finish a strong second in the league behind Dubai Exiles I, the remaining places were, Dubai Hurricanes 3rd and Dubai Exiles II finishing 4th. The maths from this point were simple, 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd. The only discussions left were the venues for the games. We were clear from the outset that the team that finished higher in the league had home advantage; the stage was set for a tight hard fought game at home. Consideration for the players was taken into account, due to the 1100 O’clock KO; we therefore played 3 X 15 minute periods. Both Jerry & I stressed to our players that this was what they had worked hard for all year and needed to play out of their skins as this was not going to be any easy encounter. In fact both Jerry & I had complimented the coaching staff of Dubai Hurricanes through-out the season on the visible progress, in particular their forward play.
Our game plan was straight forward, concentrating on the breakdown, penetrate around the fringes and change the point of attack to the edge of their forwards. Taking them head on would have been suicide; they are solid, strong and take some wearing down. Our forwards stuck to the task, and gave as well as we got. In the early stages they (DH) tended to be stronger at the breakdown, Line-outs and srummaging, as usual, our dogged determination, coupled with FITNESS eventually shone through. As the game progressed, we were there in greater numbers and started to win some reasonable ball. From this point onwards, it was a very competitive battle between the forwards, in all areas of the game, not one that I would say we won outright.
The backs struggled in the early part of the game to make any headway up the pitch; predominantly receiving the ball on the back foot hindered their ability to penetrate with any force. Some neat swapping of positions caught the opposition out for a period where Fraser and Billy swapped stand-off & scrum half roles, where Billy put in a few crucial kicks, both to touch and tactically up the pitch. As the game progressed and the forwards provided a slightly more stable platform for the backs (who grew in confidence) and started to apply pressure through launching the odd attack and then attacking the opposition. We still have to concentrate on the application of pressure through defence, by taking those yards and time away from the opposition and encouraging them to make mistakes that we can the capitalise on.
In summary, a performance that got better as the game progressed, at half time the scores were even seven all, the eventual winning two points came from Billy Conchie who focused and executed the two conversions well. The two tries were scored by Harry Seward, one either side of half time. In fact, in summing up the performance, we ground out a result, it wasn’t pretty but it worked. I have huge admiration for all the players, yet again we should remind ourselves that we ask a great deal of our children to run around for 45 minutes in the mid-day sun, they are one game away from being the best in the Gulf, and that is down to their hard work and dedication through-out the season, WELL-DONE. Bring on the final.
My thanks and congratulations to all Players/Parent/Coaches involved and to Paul Crook’s for an excellent display of impartial refereeing, under great pressure from both sets of parents.
Steve Henderson/Jerry Mason/Lisa Henderson
U12s Coaches & Manager
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