Cheshunt Rugby

Saracens Herts/Middlesex Junior League By Mick Blee

Cheshunt under 15’s marvellous winning start to the season continued with a third straight win on Sunday against Hemel Hempstead at Rosedale, as they push for promotion again this season. Cheshunt started the game slowly and the game was an evenly contested battle between the forwards for the first ten minutes, before Hemel scored a converted try to lead 7-0 after some play which belied their lowly league position. Cheshunt immediately replied with a well worked set piece penalty move straight from the training ground, which allowed Gary Kemp to score in the corner.

Hemel themselves then struck again after a couple of missed tackles by Cheshunt which allowed their winger to score under the posts and stretch the lead to 14 – 5 Cheshunt were now slowly beginning to dominate the forward play and Karl Garside charged through several tackles to score in the corner and reduce the deficit to only four points. Now, with half time looming it was suddenly Cheshunt’s turn to use their pace from the backs division and lightning fast winger Peter Dodsworth ran through to score another fine solo effort under the posts which was converted by Tom McBride to give Cheshunt a well deserved lead of 17 – 14 at the break.

The Cheshunt team came out in the second half kicking downwind and playing at a much quicker pace, which pushed the opposition back into their own territory for long passages of play. The Cheshunt boys were now well in the ascendancy and after a series of penalties and some intelligent phases of forward play Dan Formoso crossed the line and the conversion by Tom McBride extended the overall lead to 10 points and secured another valuable league bonus point for Cheshunt team.

Coach Mark Standing then began to ring the changes and injected more pace into the team from the subs bench as the Hemel players began to tire and left gaps for them to exploit. This tactic worked superbly and allowed Rhys Short to score two tries in a very short space of time as the Hemel players struggled to get out of their own half. Unfortunately neither of which were converted for the extra points.

As full time approached one last effort from Hemel got them into Cheshunt’s half for a short time only for them to concede possession easily and Peter Dodsworth to again cut through a static Hemel defence and score under the posts. The conversion kick was duly scored by team Captain Tom McBride. This looked to be the last score of the game, but with only seconds remaining on the referees watch, Cheshunt again pushed forward and Connor Hughes ran through to score the team’s eighth try of the day. The responsibility for the conversion kick was handed over to Nick Riches who duly obliged with a solid strike which pushed the final score to a resounding 48 -14 win for the Cheshunt Team.

Saracens Herts/Middlesex Junior League – Division 3 By Mick Blee

Cheshunt under 15’s continued their great start to the season with a second successive home win over a big and well organised London Welsh side on Sunday. Cheshunt started the game well and after some fine play by the forwards against a strong London Welsh Pack, they managed to move the ball into the opposition half. This allowed the backs time and space to run the ball wide and Michael Steele ran in to score in the corner.

Johno, Adam and Karl

London Welsh then quickly raised their game as Cheshunt struggled with their organisation and scored two quick breakaway tries, both under the posts which were easily converted. The Cheshunt pack were continuing to push hard but with seemingly no luck in turning over the ball to regain possession and just before the break, London Welsh scored their third converted try to lead 21-5 at half time.

The Cheshunt team of coaches worked hard at half time with the team and this paid almost immediate dividends as Karl Garside ran in a well deserved try after only a few minutes after the restart, which was duly converted by Tom McBride. This sparked a remarkable comeback, and gave the team an added impetus as Adam McCarthy charged over the line to score a great try as Cheshunt upped the tempo of the game with some fierce tackling from the forwards and intelligent running and passing by the backs. For the second game running Peter Dodsworth then scored the try of the match, as he jumped to claim a penalty kick in his own half (aimed for touch by the opposition full back) before outpacing the London Welsh pack and jinking his way past four tackles to score under the posts. Which Tom McBride then converted to put Cheshunt back into the lead.

The whole Cheshunt team were now well into the ascendancy and pushing the disheartened London Welsh pack backwards at every breakdown allowing Karl Garside to score his second try of the game again easily converted by Tom McBride.

The game was still being played at a great pace and with 10 minutes remaining Coach Mark Standing introduced some fresh legs from the reserve bench to keep the London Welsh side on the back foot which was a successful tactic, and following on from another good phase of play with all the team involved, the ball was picked up by Connor Hughes on the half way line and he ran in a superb sixth try of the day for the home team. This was also converted by Tom McBride to leave the final score at 38 – 21 to Cheshunt.

This great result will cement Cheshunt’s place at the top of the Under 15’s Division 3 table and is a sign of the great strides the squad has made in the last few years meaning that they will hopefully push for promotion again this year.

By Mick Blee

The under 15’s kicked off their season in style with a massive 55-0 win over Ruislip. Cheshunt started the game at tremendous pace and following good work by the forwards to win back the ball from the kick off, flying winger Peter Dodsworth scored in the far corner in the opening minutes.

Sam Rule scoring a try

This was followed shortly afterwards by a surging run from Karl Garside across the pitch to score in the opposite corner. The Cheshunt pack dominated possession in the first half and supplied numerous chances for the backs to run at a static Ruislip defence, which resulted in a number of chances for Cheshunt to increase their lead which however were not taken. Following some great tackling in the middle of the pitch by the pack, Cheshunt were continuing to supply good ball to the backs and Peter Dodsworth scored two more tries under the posts to complete a first half hat-trick, which were both easily converted by Tom Mcbride.

At half time Cheshunt were leading 24 – 0

Following the break, Coach Mark Standing used this match to give his available players a game and all seven reserves took to the field within 5 minutes of the restart. The changes made no difference to the flow of play and Karl Garside ran in two more tries to complete his well deserved hat-trick, with both being converted. Billy Stella kicking the first conversion and Tom Mcbride the second. Cheshunt continued to press forward and following a long passage of possession Michael Steele easily scored in the corner for the home side following good work by all the backs.

The kick off by Ruislip produced the try of the game as Peter Dodsworth caught the ball deep in his own half, before embarking on mazy run through the opposition to score under the posts for his fourth try of the game. The conversion was duly scored by Dan Formoso. There was still time for Peter to score his 5th try of the match, before a last five minute rally by the Ruislip forwards had Cheshunt pinned back on their own half. The Cheshunt team then showed they can defend as well as attack and despite a number of attempts by the opposition close to the line, they held on to their well deserved clean sheet.

The U15’s kicked off the season with an away league match at Finchley where we witnessed what was probably the finest team performance to date, winning 31-3.  Early days we know, but this places us second in League 2 at the moment based on points difference with the top three teams all on equal points. We have Tring above us and Hitchin third, who we meet in our next league match in November.

Also would like to mention that I am proud to report that, following the recent trials, we have five boys in the U15 Herts County training squad.  Quite an achievement given the quality we saw, the strength of the clubs sending boys along and the odds when nearly 140 trial for an anticipated 35 man squad.

Very well done to all 5, and the squad generally.

By Gary Cansick