Maidenhead RFC Youth Tournament (Part 2)

Despite not managing a win, there were many positives to take away from the team's performances today, especially when you consider that most of this squad are fairly new to the game.
The team are strong up front; the forwards bossed the other teams in most situations, but struggled a little at the breakdown due to lack of numbers and some hesitancy in committing to the ruck.
Defence was a bit of a problem, and Rob, Pete and I agree we need to work with the boys on line speed and communication.
The lineouts looked good. Catch and drives worked well, with Simeon Francis hitting his man on the throw-in in a way he hasn't done up until now.
All the coaches were impressed with the commitment everybody showed, but some boys deserve a special mention for their efforts:

Rudi Watford and Harry Martin were great around the breakdowns; both making pick-and-drives that were aggressive and powerful, breaking tackles almost every time. Harry was very unlucky to miss out on a try by a matter of mere inches!

Toby Chappel was the standout player for the Bs at the tournament. He was committed to every breakdown and tackled extremely well. If his off-pitch attitude can be tailored to meet his on-pitch one, he will be a great asset to the club.

Two of the newer boys, Sam Harrison and Harrison Lees proved that they deserved the chance to form a centre partnership together. Neither of them missed a tackle, and their speed and intelligence mean both will grow in stature during the next weeks and months. Very impressive.

Oliver Lovegrove proved he has the heart of a lion with the tackles he made today. If there is a 'Most Improved Tackler' in either of the squads, surely he is it. Well done, Oliver, and keep it up.

All of the coaches would like to see more of the Bs at the midweek training so we can work on some of the technical and tactical stuff that the team are lacking. In particular, the team need to know all the plays that we are introducing this year.

A good squad of players that, I know, are going to grow in confidence and abiltiy through the year. Well done, lads.