After a couple of cross-squad fixtures, and a number of 20 minutes games at Reading Festival last week, the U13 Rams and Titans teams played their first full 15-a-side game. The Rams opponents, Windsor, have always provided tough opposition when the teams met as minis - so this fixture promised to be a tough introduction to the full format of the game. After three last minute sickness / injury absences the team were forced to call over 2 squad members from the Titans team playing a couple of miles away in Taplow to bolster the forwards.

Rams

The Rams were not phased by this and started the game in fantastic fashion. Similar to last weeks victory over Abbey, the Rams scored from the first phase of rugby. This was quickly followed by a second and a third in an amazing opening spell which saw the Rams 19-0 up before Windsor had any real possession. These tries came from strong rucking, excellent handling and support play, and finished off by strong running. The game settled down for a period before the Rams added a fourth through some dominant forward play. The first half ended with a Windsor try, after some indiscipline whilst defending penalties saw the team give up a lot a ground and allowed the Windsor No 8 to crash over with the last play of the half - with the half-time score 24-7.

The second half was a tighter affair, largely played in the middle of the park. Excellent rush defending from the Rams limited the ground made by Windsor, however Windsor scored the opening try of the half after a fortuitous bounce from a kick over the top allowed the Windsor wing to score under the posts. Any threat of a comeback was reduced when the team worked well to produce a quick reply try. Rams continued to press and their efforts were rewarded with another try through the forwards which built up a healthy 20 point cushion. Windsor did not give up and continued to press, allowing the Rams to show off their defensive determination, the game finished with a late Windsor surge being thwarted with the ball held-up over the line.

This was a brilliant all round performance by the team, strong rucking, excellent handling and a solid defence, and fantastic commitment and sportsmanship.

Windsor 14-34 Rams.

Titans

The Titans were up for their first full length game against an unknown opposition Phoenix (Taplow) who we have never played before. With a three late call offs in the Rams team it was decided that the Titans would have to bolster the Rams team over at Windsor with a couple of forwards. They were dually dispatched from Taplow to Windsor at the last minute.

It was decided to run the game as three twenty minute session to get all our players on the park and so we could try them in varying positions. Some of the Phoenix lads were huge, one of them the tallest I have seen so far at u13.

The Titans started very strongly with pace and I don't thing Phoenix had woken up in the first twenty minutes. We kept the ball in hand when in possession with clean quick ball from the scrum half. Really good handling along the back line was working a treat to break the opposing defensive line.

First Twenty Phoenix 0-26 Titans

Phoenix rearranged their team and after agreement by me brought on a couple of U14s to help with their defensive line.

The second twenty was a much closer affair, Phoenix had now woken up and with the added weight in the forwards were holding us up on the pitch. Phoenix forward were now starting to win possession at the break downs and scrums, and with a couple of very tall lads in the line outs I suggested we didn't really try to compete but look at attacking the back line once they had passed the ball out. Phoenix went one try up but couldn't convert. The Titans kept their head and again after quick ball from the base of the ruck this allowed the backs to break the defence to score under the post, to be converted. We would have had a second try but unfortunately in the mad rush to try and score between the post our player stepped over the dead ball line before putting it down so I had to disallow it. Good lesson learnt is to take the five points when you can.

Second Twenty Phoenix 5-7 Titans.

A few changes to our positions and we were ready to for the last twenty. Titans had now got a grip of the opposition and worked well as a team to keep the ball in hand, being much quicker to the break down and fast ball from the scrum half to the backs.

Our flankers Kier and Alex were working really hard with the tackle rate that kept the opposition going backwards. Some very strong running by or forwards also gave us ground.

Some really good handling today with most passes going to hand. We dominated the last twenty and scored a couple of well worked try's, one converted. The last try of the day was from Phoenix, when their winger ran the ball from their 22 down the blind side at rate of knots to score. Unconverted.

Third Twenty Phoenix 5-12 Titans.

Phoenix 10-45 Titans

The score line from the first twenty doesn't really reflect how close the game was. Phoenix had the players but didn't have the organisation. A great display of Rugby, every Titan pulling his weight for the team.