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U15 Season 2011-12 Review
A combination of highs, lows and missed opportunities
This season has been a combination of many highs together with and a couple of lows. In the age group we have more than 50 players registered meaning we are able to run two separate teams at the U15 age group.
The season started strongly with the A team beating Luton in the Beds County Cup by 40-7 on 19 September – in what was an early season start for competitive fixtures.
October saw the start of the Herts & Middlesex league campaigns for both teams with the A’s beating both Saracens and Hitchin away and the B’s losing closely to Enfield Bs whilst beating Harpenden B’s resoundly at home. Old Scouts were beaten at home in the East Mids Cup last 32.
In November, the B’s had excellent results in the league, beating both Pinner & Grammarians at home and Watford away. The A’s saw off Oundle in the East Mids Cup with a 55-0 away win.
As the December weather started to take hold, the A’s beat Harpenden at home in the league and on the same day the B’s hosted Hackney Bulls. This was to be a defining match for the B’s this season; the boys played with determination against a physically strong team. With the Blues having taken the lead early on, Hackney pulled back by half time to draw 12 each. Bedford scored early in the half and seemed to have the upper hand until Hackney scored a last ditch try to level 17 all at the end of the match. A missed opportunity for league points just before Christmas.
January saw the start of some challenging weather conditions. On the first weekend, the A’s beat Ealing at home 21-17 –the opposition had been division 1 champions for the last couple of seasons so was a good high so early in the year. Two weeks later the A’s won away at Bishops Stortford and the B’s away at Kilburn Cosmos both in the league.
The freezing conditions of February had the A’s having two matches against Peterborough postponed in succession for the East Mids Cup semi final–eventually rearranged for their own benefit on 19 Feb when a below strength A team drew 19 -19 – with the away team rule in place it gave us the East Mids Cup final to look forward to.
The B’s lost 14-19 to the eventual divisional winners, Harlequins, at home at the end of Feb – Bedford was leading for most of the match just to lose out in the last play of the game as Harlequins scored late.
March proved to be the business end of the season for both teams. It started well with the B’s beating Ealing B’s 39-7 at home in the league. The A’s played Old Northamptonians in the final of the East Midlands Cup on 11 March at ON’s home ground. Bedford started the strongest, dominating the breakdown and then distributing well. Both teams were really well matched and the half time score of 12-10 in ONs favour was probably about right. ONs scored first in the second half, but Bedford rallied and scored two tries within 5 minutes to be leading the match with 6 minutes to go. However, from one final push, ONs crossed the line to run our overall winners 24-20 – the only difference being their successful try conversions. This was A definite low point of the season.
The following weekend saw league victories away for both A’s and B’s against Teddington and Twickenham respectively, leading to the most important match of the season for the A’s on 25th March in a winner takes all league deciding game at home.
Bedford started much the stronger of the two teams against Old Albanians and were leading 20-7 at half time, seemingly ready to take the divisional title. However, the second half was very different as OA’s kept coming back and they scored three unanswered tries, the final one only 5 mins from the end of the match. Lesson learnt – finish the game off when you can, or the oppositions will come back. A second low of the season for the A’s…but we were still runners up in Division 1 of the league.
With a break for Easter and the French Tour to Salles, the season finished with a couple of friendlies against Shelford, Welwyn and Darlington before the final match being the Beds County Cup final.
Biggleswade had not been in the cup final before and they certainly made an occasion of it. The final score of 3-53 was played in the best conditions and manner by all players. A great occasion for the players to remember at the end of the season.
The A’s played 15, won 12 ,drew 1, lost 2 with a points difference of +366
The B’s played 12, won 5, drew 2, lost 6 with a points difference of +43
Next season will be the opportunity to put right those things that didn’t quite go right this year – and plenty to look forward to.
A Club like Bedford often has players who progress to higher levels of the game. Within the U15 age group this year we have had more than our share of success.
We have had:
• Eight players at the Northampton Saints Elite Player Dev Group
• Five Players at the East Midlands Schools of Rugby
• Eleven players playing representative rugby for Bedfordshire
Yesterday, we were told that ten of our players have been successfully selected for the East Midlands U16 squad for next season.
The coaches must be doing something right.
Chris Shacklady - Team Manager
25 May 2012
The season started strongly with the A team beating Luton in the Beds County Cup by 40-7 on 19 September – in what was an early season start for competitive fixtures.
October saw the start of the Herts & Middlesex league campaigns for both teams with the A’s beating both Saracens and Hitchin away and the B’s losing closely to Enfield Bs whilst beating Harpenden B’s resoundly at home. Old Scouts were beaten at home in the East Mids Cup last 32.
In November, the B’s had excellent results in the league, beating both Pinner & Grammarians at home and Watford away. The A’s saw off Oundle in the East Mids Cup with a 55-0 away win.
As the December weather started to take hold, the A’s beat Harpenden at home in the league and on the same day the B’s hosted Hackney Bulls. This was to be a defining match for the B’s this season; the boys played with determination against a physically strong team. With the Blues having taken the lead early on, Hackney pulled back by half time to draw 12 each. Bedford scored early in the half and seemed to have the upper hand until Hackney scored a last ditch try to level 17 all at the end of the match. A missed opportunity for league points just before Christmas.
January saw the start of some challenging weather conditions. On the first weekend, the A’s beat Ealing at home 21-17 –the opposition had been division 1 champions for the last couple of seasons so was a good high so early in the year. Two weeks later the A’s won away at Bishops Stortford and the B’s away at Kilburn Cosmos both in the league.
The freezing conditions of February had the A’s having two matches against Peterborough postponed in succession for the East Mids Cup semi final–eventually rearranged for their own benefit on 19 Feb when a below strength A team drew 19 -19 – with the away team rule in place it gave us the East Mids Cup final to look forward to.
The B’s lost 14-19 to the eventual divisional winners, Harlequins, at home at the end of Feb – Bedford was leading for most of the match just to lose out in the last play of the game as Harlequins scored late.
March proved to be the business end of the season for both teams. It started well with the B’s beating Ealing B’s 39-7 at home in the league. The A’s played Old Northamptonians in the final of the East Midlands Cup on 11 March at ON’s home ground. Bedford started the strongest, dominating the breakdown and then distributing well. Both teams were really well matched and the half time score of 12-10 in ONs favour was probably about right. ONs scored first in the second half, but Bedford rallied and scored two tries within 5 minutes to be leading the match with 6 minutes to go. However, from one final push, ONs crossed the line to run our overall winners 24-20 – the only difference being their successful try conversions. This was A definite low point of the season.
The following weekend saw league victories away for both A’s and B’s against Teddington and Twickenham respectively, leading to the most important match of the season for the A’s on 25th March in a winner takes all league deciding game at home.
Bedford started much the stronger of the two teams against Old Albanians and were leading 20-7 at half time, seemingly ready to take the divisional title. However, the second half was very different as OA’s kept coming back and they scored three unanswered tries, the final one only 5 mins from the end of the match. Lesson learnt – finish the game off when you can, or the oppositions will come back. A second low of the season for the A’s…but we were still runners up in Division 1 of the league.
With a break for Easter and the French Tour to Salles, the season finished with a couple of friendlies against Shelford, Welwyn and Darlington before the final match being the Beds County Cup final.
Biggleswade had not been in the cup final before and they certainly made an occasion of it. The final score of 3-53 was played in the best conditions and manner by all players. A great occasion for the players to remember at the end of the season.
The A’s played 15, won 12 ,drew 1, lost 2 with a points difference of +366
The B’s played 12, won 5, drew 2, lost 6 with a points difference of +43
Next season will be the opportunity to put right those things that didn’t quite go right this year – and plenty to look forward to.
A Club like Bedford often has players who progress to higher levels of the game. Within the U15 age group this year we have had more than our share of success.
We have had:
• Eight players at the Northampton Saints Elite Player Dev Group
• Five Players at the East Midlands Schools of Rugby
• Eleven players playing representative rugby for Bedfordshire
Yesterday, we were told that ten of our players have been successfully selected for the East Midlands U16 squad for next season.
The coaches must be doing something right.
Chris Shacklady - Team Manager
25 May 2012
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