3 March 2002 - R.C. Frameries 23 - Barbarians RFC 10

Squad: Huw Taylor, Oli H., James Pithie, David Becknel, Langer, Loren, Phil, Jorgé, Atkins, Jo, Stern, Ingram,Derry, Donaghy,Etienne Subs: Rich Taylor, Tim Weekes, Tim Cochrane

In total contrast to last year, we arrived at Frameries (some of us later than others) to find a dry grassy pitch with blue skies overhead. Such conditions, as well as the presence of an official referee and the support of the second team who had come down early to support us, put us in a positive mood for what was to be a great performance.

The starting 15 contained no less than 10 new players from this season, which just shows the number of great new players that have joined the club during the last year. With this reshuffle of personnel and positions, we started the game in a very positive and determined fashion, against a team that has not lost a game all season. Frameries however could not play only on this reputation and quickly realised that they were in for a tough game. From the start we competed for every ball in set play and the open, and tackled anything that moved. Frameries quickly realised that they weren't going to be able to run through us, and resorted to kicking the ball. We kept the ball in hand and took it to them at every occassion, with fantastic support from everyone on the pitch. Our scrum was dominating theirs, and our lineouts were working well with Langer, David, loren and Jorgé at the back all winning clean ball. After 20 minutes and one penalty each the score stood at 3-3, but we were winning the psychological battle and the Frameries players were looking somewhat stunned, not being accustomed to being so comprehensively dominated. Our great support play and recycling kept Frameries under constant pressure and we were finally awarded with a try from Langer, from a pick up from a five metre scrum, to go in at half time with a fully deserved lead of 3 - 10.

We started the 2nd half with the same agression and attitude, and Frameries looked powerless to make any kind of impression against us. Our discipline was excellent, and we gave away very few penalties. Whenever the opposition got into our 22m, we won our own ball and got straight back into their half. The defining moment of the match occured seven minutes into the second half when the referee was injured and play came to a halt for about 10 minutes. The ref was replaced by a Frameries coach, which seemed to unsettle the balance of the game. Frameries were awarded two kickable penalties in quick sucession, one of which was converted to bring the score to 6 -10. We still maintained our discipline, but Frameries increased the pressure and finally scored from a rolling maul to go into an 11-10 lead. With one point in it we still believed the game was there for the taking, and continued to keep our shape and pressurise Frameries, but we couldn't get any more moints on the board. Frameries got down into our 22 m and again drove over from short distance to take a lead of 16-10. With 10 minutes to go, we were still within a converted try of victory, but Frameries finally wrapped up the game with a last converted try to take the final score to 23 -10.

This was a great team performance, full of commitment and belief, from a BBRFC side full of new and ambitious players. We completely dominated Frameries for 50 minutes, by a mixture of great team play, discipline and passion. Frameries will most probably be an elite division side next season, and yet everyone who played yesterday knows that BBRFC can easily compete with, and beat, such teams. We have recruited a great number of talented, young and ambitious players this season, and the only difference between ourselves and such teams as Frameries is one of commitment. Commitment to training and commitment to being available for league matches, as well as a bit more ambition, are the only things holding us back.

We should have a new coach coming down on Tuesday night, and on the back of yesterday's performance, we should be looking forward to the last two league games of the season against Racing Jet and Standard. Commitment to four more training sessions and two matches should see us end the season on a high note, with plenty to look forward to next season.

Congratulations to Loren and Jorgé on their 1st team debuts, both of whom put in great performances. Many thanks to the 2nds for their support.

Martin Donaghy (Captain)

Sunday 10 March 2002 (away) -BBRFC 1sts 40 v. Racing Jet 5

Squad: Huw, Oli "Nibbler" Hockley, James P., David Becknel, Jimmy Parker, Mark, Phil, Loren, Atkins, Jo, Loper, Stern, Derry, Etienne, Donaghy

subs: Aki, Huw Learner, Dominique, David Swift, Adam

BBRFC 1sts started the game in its habitual slow fashion, conceding an early try to the Racing Jet forwards who drove over in the corner after five minutes. The opposition had two or three strong runners in their pack, and at first we had difficulties in bringing them down. However, this was their only offensive weapon, and defensively their backs could not contain our strong running. Once this became evident, we quickly won some good ball and started running at them, and within 15 minutes Derry had scored a hat trick of tries from outside centre, and Stern had chased up a kick and stolen the ball from their full back, to give us a lead of 26 - 5 at half time. Our support play and handling continue to improve, as well as our discipline and concentration, and the number of penalties awarded against us has dropped dramatically. Our defense was excellent against an opposition who continued to drive forward whenever they got the ball and who threatened our line on two or three occassions in the first half.

We started the second half very strongly, with our number 8 Loren running in two tries from great support play following breaks from Derry and Etienne respectively. James P. and Mark went off with injuries and were replaced by Huw learner and Aki. With the score at 40 - 5, Racing Jet knew that the game was lost and decided to try to beat us up instead. Following a red card to their number 7, and a yellow card to their number 3, the referee finally abandoned the game with twenty minutes remaining of the second half, on the grounds that the match had become too dangerous to continue. The final score of 40 - 5 could have been much greater if we had had another 20 minutes to play, and several of our subs who were due to come on missed out on a game.

This was another great team performance following on from our performance against Frameries last week. Next sunday we are at home to Standard in the last league game of the season, and if continue to play as we can, we should beat them. Standard lost to Frameries yesterday by 18 -12. Lets all get down to training for two sessions this week and try to finish the season with a good win over Standard.

Congratulations to Aki and Huw Learner for their debut 1st team performances, and many thanks to all our supporters.

A special thanks to our new coach Mr. Luteru, who turned up to give us support and some words of wisdom. Lets make sure we get down to training to benefit from his coaching.

(Tries: Derry 3, Loren 2, Stern 1, Conv: Jo 5)

Martin Donaghy (Captain)

Team: Huw Taylor, Oli, James P., Jimmy Parker, David B., Mark, Loren, Jacques Samuel, Atkins, Jo, Patrick, Ingram, Derry, Reuben, Donaghy
Subs: Lange, Loper, Aki,

For the last league game of the season, BBRFC 1sts managed to field one of its strongest teams of the year. This was a must-win game, the result of which would determine whether the 1sts played in the new First Division next season and the 2nds played in the reserves or whether both teams would face relegation. Standard had lost one game all season and were fighting for a promotion spot to the elite division, so both teams had everything to play for.

Having had a decent warm up, we started the game straight from the whistle, and it quickly became evident what Standard's tactics were to be. They fed every ball to loose forwards running off the backs of the rucks and mauls, hoping to penetrate our defence through the middle, but there was no way through as our forwards tackled everything and drove them backwards. They kept coming and our forwards just kept knocking them down, not letting them make any ground or gain any momentum. This seemed to be Standard's only attacking option, and when it didn't work they had little else to offer, their backs lacking a tactical kicker or any penetrating runners. Our tactics also became apparent early on, as we realised that with some decent ball our backs could run through the Standard defence. Anytime we won decent ball, or whenever Standard kicked to us, we ran straight back at them, always making good ground and looking threatening. Standard opened the scoring with a penalty after we had been soaking up pressure on our 22 m, and then extended their lead as they went over in the corner for a converted try, to give them a 0-10 lead. Despite the 10 point defecit, we continued to play our own game, running the ball as much as we could and always making ground. An injury to James Pithie meant that we had to rearrange our front row, Oli H. going to prop and Ingram coming in to hooker. Patrick filled in at inside centre and Loper came on as winger. Immediately following this substitution, we won good scrum ball, Atkins ran a loop off Jo, the ball went through hands and Loper came in off the wing at an angle to score a very well executed try. The conversion from Jo took the score to 7 - 10 at half time.

The beginning of the second half saw us exerting constant pressure on the Standard line, keeping them pinned down in their own 22 for long periods of time and wearing them down. In a ruck about 20 metres out, David Becknel ripped the ball from the opposition and burst through the ruck, being held by the Standard defence by a hand on his scrum cap, which ripped off as he cleared the ruck and sprinted over for the try. A second conversion from Jo took us into a 14 - 10 lead, at which point we should have closed the match out. Standard had nothing to offer offensively and we kept the pressure on, just missing out on two further tries as the last pass went to ground or we failed to ground the ball over the line. Standard finally got into our half and started putting some pressure on our line, but there was no way we were going to let them get over it. They were awarded a penalty under our posts and took the 3 points. We replied almost immediately with a penalty of our own to take the score to 17 - 13. With ten minutes to go, Standard new they had to score a try to win. A dubious yellow card to Patrick reduced us to 14 men, and Standard thought they could snatch the game with a last try. For ten minutes they threw everything they had at us, but our defence was superb, no one was going to let them get through, and following another clearance to touch, the final whistle blew on a great BBRFC victory.

This was without doubt our best performance of the season, and shows what we can do when we really play. The whole team gave everything they had, and will have to play like this in every game next season when we go into the new division 1. The man of the match award went to two players: David Becknel for a superb individual try and Dave Ingram who at both centre and hooker exemplified total commitment for 80 minutes, tackling everything and knocking backwards the Standard props who were twice his own size.

Many thanks to all our supporters who turned up and to Woffy our coach for his help. Thanks also to Mr. Atkins who stayed for the match despite a very tight schedule for his flight to Hong Kong.

Martin Donaghy (Captain)

Team: Huw Taylor, Ingram, Oli H., Trimble, Parker, Branton, Jaques Samuel, Luceri, Atkins, Jo, Stern, Patrick, Reuben, Loper, Donaghy, Sub: Sherpa

Result: Ottignies 16 - 17 BBRFC

After going 6-0 down in the first ten minutes from a drop kick and a penalty, BBRFC woke up and scored three excellent tries in the space of 20 minutes from Patrick, Stern and Loper, with a conversion from Jo, to take a deserved half time lead of 6 - 17. We defended well, and two of our tries were the result of pressure on our opposition centres, who twice had the ball taken off them to let us run in two break-away tries.

The second half was a different story. With an 11 point lead we sat back and let them come at us. They made some positional changes in the backs and continued to pressurise us. Our tackling got worse and we were unable to get any phases of play together. We gave away numerous penalties and conceded ground, allowing Ottignies to get within our line. They burst over from a ruck to score one try then their full back escaped several attempted tackles to score another. With 15 minutes to go the score stood at 16 - 17 and Ottignies were dictating the game. We conceeded two fairly easily kickable penalties, both of which were missed and we managed to hang on for a barely deserved one point victory.

The return leg is on 28 April 2002 at home, so we will have to get down to training and make sure we have a strong squad out for this day.

This Saturday is the Bok and Dragon 10's tournament, so please let me know if you are available to play. If we get enough players, we could enter two sides, depending on whether other teams turn up or not, so let me know if you are interested.

Martin

Squad: Huwie, Ingram, Oli, Parker (Phil), Becknel, Jacques, Mark, Loren, Atkins, Jo, Donaghy, Patrick, Reuben, Michael Artemis (Tim Weekes), Derry
Subs: Dean, Pritch, Phil, Tim

During a very close first half, Ottignies struck first with a breakaway try. From a very good attack set up by BBRFC the ball went to ground and Ottignies were first to the breakdown to capitalise on the mistake, getting to the far openside of the pitch in greater numbers and finally going over for a converted try to take a 0-7 lead. We as usual did not start to play rugby until we were down a few points, but then came back with a very well worked try scored by Reuben, following good second phase possession and slick handling in the backs. This brought the score to 5-7. We should have been awarded another try when Stavros went over in the corner, but he was ajudged by the Ottignies linesman to have been in touch before grounding the ball. Stavros went off shortly afterwards to be replaced by Tim Weekes.

We started the second half well, Phil coming on for James Parker, using the conditions to play the game in their half. From clean lineout possession about 40 metres out, Jo threw an M1 to Reuben who got it out to Derry and Tim, and Patrick came round on the loop to go over in the corner. This was an excellent try scored from set piece play, and proved how dangerous our backs could be with some decent ball. This brought the score to 10-10. We kept the pressure on Ottignies and kicked deep into their 22m. From their lineout they fumbled the ball and Phil pounced on it over the try line to take us into a 15-10 lead. The conversion from Jo made it 17-10. At this stage we should have finished them off, but a certain amount of ill discipline in the face of very controversial refereeing decisions saw us give away a series of penalties in our own half. Although Ottignies wheeled every single scrum we had in the second half to get the put in, the referee was not to be convinced that they were doing it on purpose. Ottignies managed to kick one penalty to bring the score to 17-13, and then with 5 minutes to go they were awarded two penalties in quick succession, and whilst we were still retreating they got the ball out wide and went over in the corner for a converted try to take a 17-20 lead. With four minutes to go we still had time to steal back the victory, but weren't allowed to take a quick penalty by the reff, or get on with the game. The final whistle announced a disappointing 17-20 defeat, which meant that over the two legs we lost by two points, despite the fact that we scored 6 tries to their 4 tries over the two legs.

Thanks to everyone who came down to support and farewell to Huwie Taylor who played his last game for the club yesterday, and who will be greatly missed. Martin