First game of the season

Tough test at Melbourne RFC

Matlock U14's travelled to Melbourne RFC for a tough first match against a very strong side that had had match experience this season.
Our debutant and captain Jack O'Toole won the toss and chose to play uphill and into the wind for the first half,
Melbourne kicked off and had us camped in our 22 for the first 15 minutes with good hands and quick movement of the ball but their superiority only resulted in one try from a quick pass out to the winger who turned on the pace and ran in a lovely try in the corner.
The try seemed to wake Matlock up as they upped the tempo, with the forwards starting to disrupt Melbourne rucks and steal the ball, some great work from Jacques Eyre, Will Bell and James Bentley allowed Henry Frost to score our first try of the season under the posts. Harry Siddall put the ball over for his first conversion of the campaign.
The Matlock forwards were really starting to show their power as they regularly turned the ball over, with Jack O'Toole running the show from the breakdown, regularly picking and going, feeding James Bentley who put in many wonderful passes out to the wingers Asa Moseley, Colin Wilson (sub) and Jack Capstick. The pressure continued and from the Melbourne 22 Matlock won a superb scrum against the head, Will Laney feeding Harry Siddall who fed Henry Frost to run in his and our second try of the day. Half Time Melbourne RFC 5 Matlock 12
The second half started very much as the first half finished with Matlock running the ball well and controlling the game until Melbourne made a couple of changes and for a while they started to force us onto the back foot, but such is the strength of the Matlock boys they chatted at a break in play and resumed their influence over the game.
As the game went on the Matlock pressure started to tell with Melbourne making more and more handling errors, a knock on led to Matlock getting a scrum 7 metres out which Jacques Eyre (8) picked up from the back of the scrum and drove over for his first and our 3rd score.
The fourth try came from a good break from Jack Crapper, quick feed from Jack Capstick to Jack O'Toole who marked his debut with a try.
Henry Frost broke through the Melbourne defence to score his third, our final try of the day.
Final score Melbourne U14's 5 Matlock U14's 27
Matlock U14's RFC 1 James Bentley, 2 Tom Williams, 3 Rowan Williams, 4 Will Bell, 5 Henry Frost, 6 Jack O'Toole, 7 Remy Maclacla, 8 Jacques Eyre, 9 will Laney, 10 Harry Siddall, 11 Jack Capstick, 12 Jack Crapper, 13 Alec Formela, 14 Asa Moseley, 15 Jack Evans, 21 Colin Wilson.
Man of the match Jack O'Toole.