This rugby weekend started on Friday night with the Youth Section Christmas party at the clubhouse, attended by many of the U15 team and their parents - signalling the start of Christmas for some, we expect. It was an evening of good spirited high jinks, games and challenges, where the U15s performed admirably against other age groups and the girls’ Tigers. Special recognition goes to Teddy who, excelling in both the (soft) drinking and eating challenges, represented his team commendably, securing the overall victory for the U15's. We must also note the performance of George P during the balloon game where he enjoyed sabotaging the Tigers effort even more than going for the win, thus living up to the scrum-half age-old reputation for being a pest. A big thank you to Andy Roper and the club for putting on a great evening for its community.
Actual rugby followed on Sunday morning with Enfield’s U15 facing a combined Ruislip A/B team at Donkey Lane. The match was intensely physical with Ruislip relying on strong runners to breach Enfield’s defence. However, Enfield's aggressive defensive play and the swift and accurate passing of their backs secured a 29-19 victory.
Enfield, often criticised for slow starts, began strongly and scored with their first meaningful attack within two minutes. Following an impressive run and offload from David A, Harry H squared up the defence before passing to Patrick, who then handed the ball to Ciaran to score the opening try, making it 5-0.
Ruislip got the next score on five minutes following two penalties which allowed Ruislip to move up the field and gain some territory. This allowed a base for Ruislip to tap and go and despite defending two or three further strong attacks, Ruislip powered over the line and took the lead 5-7.
After a messy period of play from both teams, Enfield won a penalty and kicked to the right-hand touch line. The ensuing line out was slick, with an accurate throw from Archie, caught by Henry. The ball was then moved swiftly from Ollie H to Harry H to create width across the pitch. The centre pairing of Josh and Donie continued the move, Donie taking a tricky catch to keep the forward momentum in the move, before Patrick ran in a try. Enfield regained the lead 10-7 after nine minutes.
For the next fifteen minutes, Enfield dominated possession but failed to capitalize. However, at twenty-four minutes, Donie intercepted a pass near Ruislip’s try line to score a straightforward try, extending the lead to 17-7.
From the restart, Ruislip had their first sustained period on territory and Enfield were struggling with the power of the pack, giving away several penalties. Enfield stood strong and a special mention goes to David J for his uncompromising aggression and speed getting forward to stop the Ruislip back rowers who were running aggressively to the try line. He was supported well by David A, Henry, Cian and Leo. Despite Enfield’ determination, the pressure told, and on 30 minutes Ruislip deservedly scored. It was 19-14 at half-time.
The second half began with Ollie S claiming the kick-off and passing to Patrick who evaded four Ruislip players to score Enfield's fourth try, a conversion by Harry H made it 24-14.
The next 20 minutes was an unforgettable period of the game. The referee was becoming more prominent in the game and with several handling errors by both sides, the call of “crouch, bind and set” was heard several times in quick succession. After Enfield was penalised for delaying a line out and then being offside, Ruislip moved deep into Enfield’s half and powered over for their third try. The conversion was missed, but with 9 minutes left on the clock, the game was in the balance with Enfield leading 24-19.
Enfield responded swiftly gaining good territory from the kick-off and, following a Ruislip penalty, Hayden executed a quick tap-and-go before offloading to Cian, who powered through the defence. Final score: 29-19.
This was a hard-fought Enfield victory; the contest between the packs was an intriguing battle throughout the match. The difference in the scoreline was down to Enfield’s ability to move the ball through the backs. There were some dazzling displays, enough to rival the vibrancy of coach Corky’s Christmas party shirt.
We extend our gratitude to the well-drilled Ruislip team for their visit to Donkey Lane. We’re also thankful to our two referees on the day; coach Alfie for stepping in for the first 10 minutes, and to the society referee, Alex, who was able to officiate the game despite an injury – we wish him a speedy recovery.
With one game remaining this calendar year, the team looks forward to their upcoming match at Upminster before Christmas really does arrive.