Wins vs Loss - Personal Victories by All

Second game of the season for Astons under 16s and coming off the back of a victory against much bigger opposition only two weeks ago spirits were high and the lads were full of confidence. The day started with a logistical challenge… how do you get 17 15 to 16 year olds from Aston over to Old Hales with only 3 cars? The solution came from a donation made by Tony Giles, father of our number 8 Ben Giles. A huge thank you goes to Tony from the club, coaches, players and parents for a truly generous donation.

Arriving at the ground it was pretty clear that Old Halesonians had a thriving juniors section. It was amazing to see age groups all the way from minis to under 17s playing and training at their ground with a minimum of 2 coaches for every age group. Their juniors and minis section really is quite impressive and it is clear to see that they are reaping the rewards from the effort they are putting in.

On arriving to the pitch to conduct our warm up it was clear, once again, that the opposition had the size advantage with many of their players (backs) looking like modern wing forwards!. Nevertheless the Aston bunch was not phased and conducted their warm up as usual with drive and determination.

Aston lost the toss and started playing downhill receiving the kick. A well weighted kick was taken by Ben Giles who made the first run of the day. Ben was stopped in his tracks and some excellent counter rucking from Hales saw the ball turned over. The first attacking play from Hales really set out their stall and showed a level of skill far more developed than that of the teams we have played in our 2 seasons together.

Using the ball quickly and intelligently the Hales boys managed to continue their dominance for the next 60 minutes running in trys from set piece, crash and through the hands of their extremely competent backs. Aston however did not give up. The Aston boys showed real grit and doggedness fighting to score until the final whistle.

Todays match report will focus on the individual performances of all 17 of our players that worked so hard against such good opposition.

Kahn – Dogged determination in the scrum meant that this lad was never beaten. He stayed solid in the tackle and was hitting every ruck he could get to. With more ball in hand Kahn would have made a lot of yards for Aston. A good performance from our new signing.

Brandon – Exquisite tackling technique meant that this young hooker was never beaten. After working hard on his lineout ball Brandon is now easily hitting both pods consistently providing us with a platform we can make ground from. A determined player around the breakdown area Brandon disrupted plenty of ball making a nuisance of himself all day…. So much so the opposition picked him up during the game (I think they tried to carry him away!!)

Ash – A really strong performance from the young prop. Some excellent carries that we could have done more with had the support been there. A positive and calm head at the scrum and a monstrous tackler out of it. Excellent performance that would have yielded a try or two against other opposition.

Moses – Clearly the target for our opposition on game day. Moses worked hard in the scrum and around the park making use of his size and agility in the ruck. More possession would have allowed Moses to go one of his trademark runs but unfortunately it was not to be. Post match Moses enjoyed some of the home teams hospitality in the form of a plate of Fries. Wishing to start a new trend Moses decided that sugar is now an acceptable seasoning for a post game meal!!

Ben Garrison – After suffering from Injury last season this was Bens first full game back at Aston and boy did he impress!! Learning the lineout calls in the warm up Ben was instantly the go to guy when the ball was in touch. Quick thinking and a great body position allowed Ben to disrupt almost every ruck he got to. Solid tacking in the middle of the park from this young second row. Ben was given a special mention on the day for the improvement he has made. Well done Ben!
Kyle – The game started well for Kyle. The young captain really led the way showing his tackling ability and superb aerial strength in the lineout. Unfortunately when a scrum collapsed on the halfway Kyle bore the weight of 15 lads on his right shoulder. It was a suspected dislocation and Kyle was unable to continue.

Ryan – Man on the match on the day Ryan put in a second storming performance. A constant worry for the Hales 10 and tackling like a Trojan all over the park Ryan really made a nuisance of himself. Another great performance from the young openside.

Ben – Since his move to number eight Ben has been eager to carry ball. Today was his chance. Ben amassed 5 pickups from the back of the scrum only to be stopped by the hales blindside who himself had a cracking game and was our coaches opposition man of the match. Bens tackles all around the park seemed to worry the Hales 9 who was repeatedly targeted by the Aston 8.

Jack – Jack had a great start to the game providing quick ball to our 10 (whenever Hales allowed us to get it!) amid making lots of tackles around the park. Unfortunately today was not jacks day and he was subbed due to an injury to his ham string. We hope you are repaired soon following a break from training.

Keaton – Stepping into the fly half role for the second time left this young man with a huge smile. Keaton has worked hard to learn calls and the responsibility of this key position and he is now flourishing in the role. A great performance when we had ball in hand that would have turned into points against a less experienced opposition

Jervain – Following a short time out for an injury to his wrist Jervain was back on form. Plenty of tackles made as his wing seemed to be the Hales preferred route. One notable point is the improvement in Jervains ability to read the game and his vocalisation of field position. Very well played.

Karl – Karl returned to Aston this week after a few months away. Missing preseason Karl was a little nervous pre kick off but soon fell into it. Tackling like a machine Karl took the fight to the opposition. More time with ball in hand would have led to trys for the young centre. One point to note is karls positional changes. In one game he played centre, back row, full back and 9….. Versatility may be a strong point for this lad

Sam – Sams electrifying pace led to 3 line breaks. Unfortunately Hales were able to cover them all and stopped him short of the line. His tackling was superb as usual and his lines of running are improving each week. Great performance in his new role of outside centre

Tyler – This guy has really impressed. Closest to scoring a try all day after chasing down a kick and taking the bounce straight to hands. Tackle completion 100%. Communication in defence excellent and his attitude was positive and upbeat even in the face of an 80 point loss, Impressive improvements week on week from the young winger

Jake – Jake earned himself a new nickname this weekend. He is now only to be referred to as the “hot stepper”. Skipping through player after player in an attempt to get close to the opposition try line this guy really impressed both coaches and spectators. Jakes wish to wear the fullback shirt this season is well and truly granted!!

Jerome – In his first game for Aston this season Jerome really impressed. After an earlier than expected call onto the pitch Jerome was ready to inject some pace to the centres. Jerome cut 3 excellent lines leading to gains over the Hales defence. A great performance from the new signing and I have a feeling there’s a lot more to come!!

Elliot – From football to rugby… This guy has made the transition comfortably. His pace and ability to find space is exceptional from a lad of his age. Constantly looking for ways to get his hands on the ball Elliot worked hard and followed everything he has worked so hard on in training. An excellent performance from the new signing!!

All in all the Aston lads did themselves proud and worked as a unit. The never say die spirit of old eds lives on in our youngsters. Next weekend sees a break in fixtures with the lads returning to action on 11/10/2014. Please come along and lend your support to the growing under 16s section either on game day or during training.