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Match Day
Ruth Brockett9 Nov 2024 - 07:32
1XV on the hunt for their first win of the season!
From the Touchline
It’s Shelford today. They come from the village of Great Shelford, about four miles south of Cambridge. I don’t know why the rugby club eschews the soubriquet ‘Great’, but they are certainly a formidable outfit for a club from a village of fewer than five thousand people. Shelford have been firmly established at levels four and five of the national pyramid for several seasons. Much as we do, they have a thriving youth section, which provides a steady stream of players for their four adult teams. If so inclined, you can find out more on their website, in the section ‘About Shelford Rugby Club’, which they have had the good taste to illustrate with a picture from one of their past matches against A&C. They come into today’s game in seventh place in our Regional 1 South East league, and we welcome their players, officials and supporters to Ash Grove.
Chiltern find themselves at the foot of the table. Last week was a gap in the fixture list, which was just as well after a 73-0 loss to Oundle at the end of of October. It was a chastening experience for those watching, and a bitter pill for the players to swallow, but Oundle are a very strong side and lead the competition deservedly. The previous week, the boys had come close to recording their first win of the season. They were leading North Walsham 18-10 at half time but, having lost a substantial advantage when the scrums went uncontested, they were unable to hang on and lost 23-18.
Despite these setbacks, the players and coaches remain remarkably upbeat. They understand that playing at this level is the reward for last year’s triumphs and they know that they have been competitive in most of the games they have played. Training in the last fortnight has seen something of a reset, with a commitment to a simpler game plan and the more consistent selection which that allows. The side are convinced that the elusive first win is coming and that, when it does, they will be fine. Let’s hope it starts today.
The other men’s sides continue to make progress. The 2s beat (Redingensians) Rams 3s by 29-14 last time out and lost 26-15 at Maidenhead the week before that. They are fourth in the table, being the only team to have beaten leaders Tadley. It is becoming clear that they belong in this league and may challenge to progress from it in the next few years.
The 3s continue to defeat allcomers in their irregular but well organised Friday night league. Two weeks ago, they defeated Chesham 2s in a poignant match at which both clubs commemorated Neil Aves, who had played for both and passed away tragically young last summer. Going forward, the teams will play regularly for a trophy bearing Neil’s name.
The England v Australia game is on in the clubhouse, starting seventy minutes after the 1st XV. I hope you enjoy watching the second half, warmed by the recent memory of a Chiltern win.
Huw
It’s Shelford today. They come from the village of Great Shelford, about four miles south of Cambridge. I don’t know why the rugby club eschews the soubriquet ‘Great’, but they are certainly a formidable outfit for a club from a village of fewer than five thousand people. Shelford have been firmly established at levels four and five of the national pyramid for several seasons. Much as we do, they have a thriving youth section, which provides a steady stream of players for their four adult teams. If so inclined, you can find out more on their website, in the section ‘About Shelford Rugby Club’, which they have had the good taste to illustrate with a picture from one of their past matches against A&C. They come into today’s game in seventh place in our Regional 1 South East league, and we welcome their players, officials and supporters to Ash Grove.
Chiltern find themselves at the foot of the table. Last week was a gap in the fixture list, which was just as well after a 73-0 loss to Oundle at the end of of October. It was a chastening experience for those watching, and a bitter pill for the players to swallow, but Oundle are a very strong side and lead the competition deservedly. The previous week, the boys had come close to recording their first win of the season. They were leading North Walsham 18-10 at half time but, having lost a substantial advantage when the scrums went uncontested, they were unable to hang on and lost 23-18.
Despite these setbacks, the players and coaches remain remarkably upbeat. They understand that playing at this level is the reward for last year’s triumphs and they know that they have been competitive in most of the games they have played. Training in the last fortnight has seen something of a reset, with a commitment to a simpler game plan and the more consistent selection which that allows. The side are convinced that the elusive first win is coming and that, when it does, they will be fine. Let’s hope it starts today.
The other men’s sides continue to make progress. The 2s beat (Redingensians) Rams 3s by 29-14 last time out and lost 26-15 at Maidenhead the week before that. They are fourth in the table, being the only team to have beaten leaders Tadley. It is becoming clear that they belong in this league and may challenge to progress from it in the next few years.
The 3s continue to defeat allcomers in their irregular but well organised Friday night league. Two weeks ago, they defeated Chesham 2s in a poignant match at which both clubs commemorated Neil Aves, who had played for both and passed away tragically young last summer. Going forward, the teams will play regularly for a trophy bearing Neil’s name.
The England v Australia game is on in the clubhouse, starting seventy minutes after the 1st XV. I hope you enjoy watching the second half, warmed by the recent memory of a Chiltern win.
Huw
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