CCRFC
Clubhouse
E S T. 1 8 7 5
Cuppers and Lent 2014
After a disappointing fixture versus Homerton in the first round of the Cuppers’ Cup, the CCRFC squad was excited for the Shield competition knowing that the possibility of lifting silverware after three games was high.
And things started well. Despite several first term shirts falling out of the kit bag and getting incredibly dirty pre-game, the CCRFC started with an aggressive and physical mindset; several big hits from back-row flyers Will Helliwell and Sam Hair stand out. The Queens’ defence was solid though and the first half proved to be a battle of attrition.
The breakthrough came when Captain Pete Howarth broke the gain line, fended the fullback and went over the posts. From there it seemed like Queens’ were never going to come back. Great backs play from Scott. Foulks and Aylward controlled the game effectively and the CCRFC went into the break one try up.
The dominance continued in the second half as good ball-carrying and work at the breakdown by Alex Clark and his pack, and the quick ball to go with it, saw veteran Nick Codrington go over. The rout was finished by fresher wing and man of the match Ben Daley outpaced his opposite wing to go over in the corner.
A shutdown victory from the CCRFC to face Trinity in the semi-final. And they went to Trinity Old Sports Fields with another victory in mind.
Sadly, they faced the same strange problem this time around as they did last year against Trinity. What can only be described as pure dominance in ball-carrying and at the breakdown, particularly by Alex Robbins and Will Sargent, did not translate into points scored and a few cheap scores and soft tries later, the CCRFC were well on their way to losing.
A resurgence did come, especially from the freshers. Helliwell and Alex Roden combined effectively and expertly to set Roden up for a score and Sid Prabhu-Naik shows immense promise at fullback.
A loss to Trinity saw the CCRFC fall out of the Cuppers’ comp.
With only the Old Boys game left to go, could the CCRFC finish their season on a high?
Pete Howarth, Captain
CCRFC vs Sidney: 58 - 0
On a day plagued with high-octane action and drama, it was only ever inevitable that the CCRFC would prevail victorious against Sidney Sussex RFC. 11am action saw underhand tactics from the Sidney captain requesting postponement. No chance. It was written in the stars that the CCRFC would roar gloriously for the first time since our escapades overseas.
An incredible, an amazing, a stupendous twenty players arrived at King’s Road today psyched to give their bodies for the club. In contrast, Sidney could only muster ten players. Suspecting dubious intentions, the CCRFC were gracious and compassionate as the superior club and lent Sidney Mr. Bennett and Mr. Sekine. Two mighty members of the club, both of whom had a mighty match for the opposition. Despite their temporary allegiance to one of the greatest rivals, they shall be treated as heroes and warriors for years to come.
The game kicked off and victory for the CCRFC seemed inevitable; some lovely handling and running lines from flair grad 10, Alex ‘Cassie’ Goring, Alex ‘Koala’ Roden and Alex ‘Vice Captain/ Chiselled Jawline’ Aylward saw a flurry of tries within the first twenty minutes. Excellent ball retention for the mostpart from a hard-working pack of forwards saw quick ball excellently dealt with by the highlander, Mr. Scott. A mercurial performance at 9 left the masses of support aching for more and groaning at his departure from the pitch at 60 mins due to an injury.
Our front row remained dogged and stoic as ever; excellent work-rate, particularly from Alex Clark and Aidan Devane, and a real commitment to the breakdown locked up a key area of the match. Of course, Constable Sargent cannot be controlled. A particularly highlight of the game was his break to set up one of the ten tries. A pirouette and two steps, one of each foot, before a lovely pop pass put someone in under the posts. Flair was dripping in the form of the sweat of our token policeman.
Robbins, Flynn and Hair aped around the pitch. Massive credit to these guys; lots of hard yards and groundwork done. Ball-carrying particularly from Gangnam was exceptional; always eyes-up, looking to take advantage of the 2-on-1. George Francis, the keenest of keen flair grad students also made his debut. He took an exceptional try peeling off the back of a maul. Another exceptional performance.
The backline seemed to be plagued with freshers. Luckily they were accompanied by the wiley experience of Kuo, Moody and Acar. Kuo and Moody added real precision to pace alongside the aura of the near east added by the Turk. A whirling dervish of a man, he added a well-taken try. Now the freshers, Ben Daley, fresh off his going-out streak of 27 nights, a true historian, made his debut for the club and added real pace on the wing. Sid, a man of musical talent, hit the right notes at the right time and put in a fantastic performance. His defensive work was particularly impressive. Friend of Gangnam, Matt, put in a stellar performance at 13. A man with prime experience, his running lines were magnificent.
Man of the match could have gone to a number of players. The Scot had a fantastic game, Cassie took a hat-trick with his snake hips, Clark was immense throughout. But MotM goes to a man who remarked to me on the walk home, very much akin to Sam Gamgee upon leaving the Shire, “this is the furthest from Christ’s I’ve ever been”. Who is Will Helliwell? Well, you gave Sidney Hell. ‘Super keen pre-freshers no.1’ had an outstanding game at the back of the scrum. Running lovely, deep lines. A performance of massive work rate and support lines capped by three tries. Only one allowed. I’m still claiming the two assists.
58-0. A fantastic result for the CCRFC making this our third consecutive shutout. The game was crowned by a rendition of the club song led by our first years and we looking forward to a lovely evening tonight.
Pete Howarth, Captain
2013-14 MATCH REPORTS
