Saturday, 11 July Wrap-Up / Looking Ahead

We had an excellent day of rugby yesterday, excellent weather, with all four teams playing. Despite our losses, all players I polled said they had fun, which is this club's #1 goal.

For scoring stats, see the document on our match info page.

U-11s

The hosting report from Vienna was sadly the same as Fairfax on Thursday night--nothing for our players after the match. We continue to do it right, though, in the true rugby tradition.

Coach Dave Hughes reports: What a great game. We played four quarters with 12 players, so everyone got to play at least two quarters. Man of the Match was Tom for really being a great leader on the field, but everyone played great and with a lot of heart. It was a BIG field at Marshall High School, so everyone got to run a lot. A lot less magnetball than in previous games; they just continue to get better and better. Good passing, lineouts (we even won a couple from the other team), and we really are working on cutting off the angle and stopping those long runs by the opponent. Did I say everyone played really well. Claire and Fiona NEVER gave up. Andrei just keeps running and running. Both James W and James H cut the angles to stop some long runs. Then everyone else, and sorry for not mentioning everyone...what a match...and we did not lose.... 7 tries to 7 (35-35). Can't wait for practice Tuesday.

Coach Jim Woods adds: I agree 100% with Dave's analysis. The team is really starting to play together as one. Andre had four tries, and Tom had two. Tom was awarded the man of the Match for his leadership skills at scrumhalf and scoring two tries on the weak side. He went for a third but was caught. Jimmy also had a try catching the ball in a line out on the oppositions try line and falling to the ground. Classic stuff. Clare almost had a try but was tagged a yard from the try zone. The kids had a great time and are looking forward to a home match. Finally although Simon M was hurt he attended the game in uniform. He is a team player!!!!

Tackle Play

Coach Poulin comments: Our U17s are aggressive and can defend and tackle, but we are slow to reorganize the backs and return with an offensive attack. As with all the age groups, our rucks and mauls are slow in developing. Our U15s have a lot of good athletes and can run but winning a ruck and turning it into an offensive run can be worked on. Our U13s have a some basic field learning to do which is to be expected. I think at a well attended practice, we should break them apart from the 15s and 17s and just go over basics of the game. They were pretty lost on the field on Saturday. I know having them go over and practice with all the older tackle players can be a good knowledge drop for them, but as a team working together, they don't all understand what to do...

U-13s

With SYC making noises about sharing players to make a full side of 11, we had a couple of our younger U-15s sneak down to fill out our side--thanks, guys.

Overall, we put into play a lot of the basics we've been working on in practice, like posting the ball and driving over in the ruck. The problem is that we are not aware of the ball and drive completely over it, leaving the ball out and the ruck over, with the other team sweeping in to get the ball or to immediately tackle our player who has just picked up. We did well spreading out over the field and covering on defense. We were tentative and not aggressive enough in the mauls, not driving, and not getting in tight to really contest for the ball, at one point doing nothing as one of our opponents was caught with the ball facing our team. There was too much panic at the tackle, players thinking we are playing "keep away," instead of taking the tackle and going to the ground in control and with the ball to post it for our team--we ended up with sloppy passes to no one.

In the end, the SYC core of highly trained and experienced youngsters was just too much for us to handle. The final score was Fort Hunt 0, SYC 55.

The man of the match was Jack K, for his hard running and cross-field chases.

U-15s

Our U-15 strength, athleticism and speed is impressive, but we are squandering it with too many players trying to make the try-scoring run all by themselves, slashing across the field and running wide, thereby running away from both the opposition AND their teammates--we are not playing enough as a team, but are playing as highly talented individuals. This leaves us unable to pass-and-loop, to run the skips, loops, switches and multiple-phase play that we have been practicing. The one-man-running works in some instances of breakaway runs, but in general the approach will not work against a more organized and skilled opponent. Our tackling was good, with much fewer high tackles than in the past.

The match was well played by both sides, with the level of aggression and contact considerably higher than the U-13 match, with good sportsmanship throughout from both sides, with the final score giving Fort Hunt the win: Fort Hunt 45, FPYC 35, with tries from Peter F (2), Chris B (4), Colin G, Shil P and Dan M.

Man of the match was Chris B for his consistently strong defense, cross-field chasing, running in support, and consistently straight running.

U-17s

This was a highly physical match, with a number of very experienced high school players on the FPYC side. Tempers were on edge, with a couple of flares and an FPYC player being shown a yellow card late in the match in an incident in which Fort Hunt showed excellent maturity and restraint. The FPYC side was big and strong, and very well versed in playing 7s rugby. Our 7s play was far improved over last Thursday, with our players showing much better awareness, open-field tackling and coverage, and very good chases in defense and in kick situations. We were consistently running straight and into contact, with good ball retention and posting in the tackle.

But the FPYC strength and experience was too much for us to overcome, with the final score Fort Hunt 0, FPYC 45.

Man of the match was Joseph T, for outstanding open field defense coverage and open field tackling.

Hosting

There are a few outstanding match fee payments--please get with me at practice on Tuesday or Wednesday, $5 per home field player (and for those U-11s who came to the home games and had something to eat/drink).

I owe money to a number of parents for purchases; please see me at practice so I can pay you back immediately. Receipts are not needed.

As usual, our excellent parents' support provided the Saturday hosting that Fort Hunt is becoming known for. The support was outstanding, with no problems at all. Big thanks from all of the coaches to the moms and dads who made purchases and helped run our hosting--our SYC and FPYC guests were impressed, and commented a number of times on how Fort Hunt "does it right" and "in the true rugby spirit." Very well done, moms and dads.

Coming Up

Training. We will have practice on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. All players need to bring water to practice. The weather is officially summer-hot, and it's going to get hotter; we have had too many players forgetting or not bringing sufficient water to practice. A single-serving bottle of water is not enough--minimum for practice should be 24 ounces.

Matches.

I'll have detailed game day instructions out in a day or two, with directions to the fields.

Thursday, 16 July:
The U-11s will be at home on Thursday night against SYC (Springfield). This means hosting duties.
The U-13s will travel to SYC.
The U-15s will travel to SYC.
The U-17s will travel to Chantilly.

Saturday, 18 July
The U-11s will play at home v. Winchester (we traveled out to play them last summer, and lost a close one). This means hosting.
The U-13s will travel to BRYC (Braddock Road)
The U-15s will travel to BRYC.
The U-17s will travel to BRYC.

See you at practice on Tuesday evening.

Coach Dacey