Gravesend U16s 3 v 7 Deal & Betteshanger U16s

On Sunday G’s hosted Deal and Betteshanger in a hastily arranged fixture following a late cancellation by Bromley. This would be a tough test for the team as Deal currently sit on top of Division two, G’s top of Division three, so it provided a good marker as to our progression so far this season. Our unbeaten run stretched back to 24th September and the lads were not going to let that slip lightly.

Gravesend started well, a fluent back line move saw Ethan Ramsay put away down the left wing, but Deal kept a wave of attacks out. G’s continued to attack this time on the other wing, but unfortunately lost the ball in contact when the try line was a couple of metres away. Deal came back into it and some powerful running from their midfield got them up to the 5m line, but Gravesend turned the ball over. In damp and windy conditions this was not going to be the prettiest of games and by mid-way through the first half it was clear it was going to be a low scoring affair. G’s playing with a following wind and the infamous sloping Swans pitch used it to our advantage. Ben Fenton-Smith rocketing a 50-22 from deep inside our own half; but again the lineout and drive from 5m out came to nothing and despite spending most of the half camped inside the Deal half G’s went into the break 0-0.

With 27 players available for this friendly Gravesend made wholesale changes at the break, but kept their foot on the gas despite playing into the wind and up the slope. Deal failed to get any phases going but their superb defence kept the home side out as the game continued to be a scrap littered with penalties. The deadlock was finally broken ten minutes into the second half when Deal conceded a penalty on their own 22. Fenton-Smith opted to go for the posts and struck an absolute rocket into the wind from the touchline to put G’s into a well-deserved lead. Minutes later another surge from the Gravesend number 10 up the right put Gravesend 5m out, only for Deal to again turn the ball over. Deal then strung a few phases together and aided by a wind assisted 50:22 put Gravesend onto the back foot. Some resolute defence, including a huge hit from Charlie Richardson kept the east Kent side out and G’s looked as if they were heading towards keeping their unbeaten run intact. However, with 5 minutes to go Deal launched another long kick forward which bounced tantalisingly towards G’s try line and it was taken back over the line to give Deal a scrum on Gravesend’s 5m line. This time, despite G’s best-efforts Deal converted as their number 8 rumbled over under the posts to give them the lead, a simple conversion followed. Gravesend tried in vain to get something going at the death, but Deal held on to take the win their coaches admitted afterwards they barely deserved.

Considering that Deal were fielding the same side that won in the league the previous week and in our last encounter in March on the Kent coast with them G’s were put to the sword and went down 34-5, this was a measure of the progress the side is making. Next week G’s return to league action and will take a lot of positives into the encounter with Southwark Tigers. The coaches have plenty of tough selection choices to make for that game.

Starting XV
1. Steel
2. Reece
3. Morrison
4. Singh
5. Richardson
6. Luscombe
7. Stearns
8. Friend
9. Dyett (C)
10. Fenton-Smith
11. Ramsay
12. Bailey
13. Grace
14. Weston
15. Humphrey
Replacements: Ezekiel-Hart, Stonehouse, Bennett, Clack, O. Bateup, Hampson-Pugh, Stunt, Atkinson, H. Bateup, Walton, Smith, King

Scorers:
Penalty: Fenton-Smith