Long Eaton (U15s) 10 – 65 Matlock (U15s)

Matlock U15s travelled to Long Eaton after a two week break. The message from the coaches was not to expect an easy game, despite a good win in the home game earlier in the season, with Long Eaton showing recent improvement with some wins of their own.
Long Eaton kicked off giving Matlock immediate possession. The opening try came on four minutes from a Matlock lineout just inside the Long Eaton half, with an accurate throw in and a quick ball out to the backs, who were stopped in mid field, but the Matlock forwards speed to the break down and repeated pick and go left the Long Eaton defence always on the back foot, until the final pick saw open side flanker Ned Tatler score in the corner.

The Long Eaton restart did not go ten metres and from the ensuing scrum, Matlock’s front five stability and power, combined with the strike accuracy of hooker Tom Christian, led to channel one ball and a quick left field attacking move, with inside centre Harry Wyld running at pace onto the ball through a gap to step the full back to score under the posts, duly converted by Sam Ball.

A five minute period of changing possession ended with a short period of forwards domination for Matlock, who sucked in the Long Eaton back row defence, allowing fly half Sam Ball, from just inside his own half, to feint his way through a disorganised Long Eaton back line and run fifty metres to score under the posts, converting his own try.

A period of Long Eaton possession saw them work their way into the Matlock half and a kick over from their fly half found grass and an awkward bounce saw Matlock ship the ball into touch in the in goal area leading to a Long Eaton five metre attacking scrum. Matlock made forward substitution changes before the scrum and this allowed the big Long Eaton no.8 to pick and go from the base of the scrum and over power a now smaller blind side flanker to score their first try.

The Matlock restart saw a Long Eaton exit kick from their 22 miss touch allowing Matlock winger Danny McCrea to counter attack back into the Long Eaton half, linking up with the forwards who charged their way up field with strong carries and accurate off loads from the floor, with a final pick and go by hooker Tom Christian getting within inches of the try line, who then unselfishly placed the ball back long for scrum half Callam Massey-Campbell to pass quickly to no.8 George Bowen who drew the remaining defenders and put wing Danny McCrea in the corner.

Matlock might have felt the going was too easy for them dropping their intensity a little, which allowed Long Eaton to pull a try back before half time, from some linked play between forwards and backs out wide, which stretched the Matlock defence.

Half time score Long Eaton 10 – 24 Matlock.

The second half would see Matlock completely dominate with their higher fitness and determination allowing them to outwork their counterparts in open play. This lead to two identical second half tries for centre Harry Wyld, now at outside centre, running strong inside lines to break the first tackle and sprint clear to score under the posts. All the other second half tries came from the forwards as the Matlock pack ran riot, with two maul breakaway tries for flanker Ned Tatler, one each from turn overs for Ollie Mahoney and Tom Spivey and one quick tap and go for no.8 George Bowen with a speed of thinking and running power unstoppable from 15 metres.
The final score on the day was Long Eaton U15s 10 – 65 Matlock U15s.

Two hat tricks on the day for Harry Wyld and Ned Tatler, but man of the match went to hooker Tom Christian who despite only being on the field for two thirds of the game, showed an unselfish attitude and work rate to deliver possession for the team in his best performance of the season.