Our first outing to a Saints DPP festival at the Gardens. The idea from Saints is to pick up any players who slipped through the net last year. We took everyone who was available as per the new directive. Rushden & Higham approached us pre start as they were down on numbers. As we had the biggest squad & with our friendly & approachable reputation we were happy to help out a fellow club. The format was 15 minute games. Here's how it played out.
Game 1 KRFC V ON's
ON's kick off & we take the catch, through a couple of pairs of hands & try to kick up field but it's charged down & ON's score. Kettering are defending well but it's sustained attack from ON's & they run in another try. Not the best start. Kettering on the attack & pressuring well, penalty to us but nothing comes from it, end of first half.
Kettering kick off the second half nothing much between the teams now but we just can't break their line. Game ends KRFC 0 - 10 ON's
Game 2 KRFC V Olney:
Olney kick off Tom R collects & we go into our first breakdown. Lots of pressure from KRFC stopping Olney getting any rhythm. We are on the attack but we loose the ball on their 5m line. Sustained attack from KRFC , the boys throwing everything at them, crash ball from Charlie, chip over the top from Freddie. End of first half & apart from the kick off Olney never leave their half. Great pressure from the boys.
Second half, KRFC kick off, nice high ball & the boys pressure well, Olney passing down the line but it's a missed pass & Tom R exploits , picks up the ball & runs it in, great try. Olney look like their panicking under the pressure & continue to kick the ball away, unfortunate knock on from us & scrum down, Olney can't exploit it & it's game over KRFC 5 - 0 Olney
Game 3 KRFC V Towcester:
KRFC kick off, we catch & end up defending continuously. Silly mistakes in the ruck are costing us, hands in & off our feet. We are loosing territory but the boys keep defending well. More penalties & Towcester makes us pay with a try. Kettering kick off & again the boys pressure the opposition, ball through nearly everyones hands down the line & Fraser in for the try.
Second half, kick off & Towcester surely in for a try by their tall centre but a superb tackle by the boys & they loose the ball forward, scrum down. More pressure from Towcester & we can't stem the tide, try Towcester. KRFC attacking & applying good pressure now, doesn't look much between the sides now but we run out of time and that's the game KRFC 5 - 10 Towcester
Game 4 KRFC V Oundle:
Kick off & Oundle on the attack, unfortunately as per the last game it's infringements at the break down. In at the side & a penalty to Oundle. Oundle exploit the penalty & its a try from their winger. Poor tackling letting the boys down down, shirt pulling & high tackles, another penalty to Oundle. KRFC now attacking really well. Leo with a great run down the wing but he's tackled near the line, ball goes forward & it's a scrum. Oundle win the scrum & kick, Leo catches & gets it across the pitch, great support play & Oran in for the try.
Second half, 50:50 game play & nothing between the sides. KRFC on the attack, great interplay, Freddie to Sam in support & back to Freddie, inside ball to Oran who scores. More attacking play from KRFC & the boys are supporting each other well, another great bit of play & Oran in for the try, end of the game KRFC 15 - 5 Oundle
We just get time to go over to watch the end of the last Rushden & Higham game, we've got Ioan, Tom H & Fraser playing. Fraser scores 2 tries for R & H's first win of the day. I had just missed Austin's try for them earlier in the day on a previous visit.
Tries for KRFC: Tom R 1, Fraser 1 & Oran 3 ( no conversions in this festival)
Tries for Rushden & Higham: Austin 1 & Fraser 2
A good tough fixture early on in the season, the scores show that there's not too much between the teams now. ON's look a quality outfit ( they won all their games) they look like the side to beat this season. Oundle have good numbers now & are playing some great rugby. We need to tighten up & get rid of the silly mistakes. Hands in, off our feet & in at the side are silly mistakes at the break down & proved costly today. Some poor tackling technique as the day wore on as well. Things to work on there. As a whole the boys played well, they just need to prepare mentally before starting the games & to be prepared. On the plus side our handling was good, our defence was excellent, the forwards were quite dominant & the backs used some great skills. For me i see a squad with strength & depth, that can only be a good thing. We can put a side out on one pitch & succeed & lend game changing players to another team on another pitch at the same time. We are building a superb squad with a great attitude & I'm looking forward to seeing where that takes us.