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HURRICANES  - QUALIFIED FOR KENT PLATE SEMI-FINALS

HURRICANES - QUALIFIED FOR KENT PLATE SEMI-FINALS

david barlow25 Mar 2012 - 17:20
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HURRICANES - QUALIFIED FOR KENT PLATE SEMI-FINALS

What a difference 30 miles makes. I sit here in brilliant sunshine having just returned from a grey and cold Medway.

Due to playing in two festivals on the same day the Hurricanes played it tight on numbers with only 2 subs for the Kent qualifiers held at Medway RFC.

Our first match was against Dover and a brilliant first game for us. The only time Dover saw the ball was when they took a kick off. At half time we were 3-0 up, with 2 from Paddy Dudley and 1 from George Taylor. In the second half Paddy scored 2 more and James Ansell scored one. For the forwards to score 5 tries tells you a bit about the game. There was a ot of taking it into contact and winning of rucks and mauls. Full credit to Dover who kept trying but a nice confidence booster for us.
Final result – Westcombe Park beat Dover – 6-0

The second games was against Blackheath and one we knew would be tough. Our tackling wasn't as good as it should have been and we never looked like threatening them. We took a take few knocks but without making excuses they deserved to beat us.
Final result – Westcombe Park lost to Blackheath – 0-4

We came second in group and qualified for the plate quarterfinals. This was against Maidstone and played on a somewhat sloping pitch. It was a physical game but gravity was on our side and helped George Taylor as he scored 2 tries, with additional tries by Jed Wylie and Tom Lewis. In the second half Ross Pow also got in on the try scoring and further increased our lead.
Final result – Westcombe Park beat Maidstone – 5-0

The squad was Louis Hoad, Owen Humphreys, Paddy Dudley, Joe Lambourne, James Barlow, James Ansell, Jed Wylie, Ross Pow, Nick Branch, George Taylor, Ben Saward, Duncan Hunt, Ryan Thompson, and Tom Lewis.

We must give credit to the whole team. As we move up the age groups and the game evolves it become obvious that it is not just the scoring of tries but the defending and making tackles that counts. The fact that we had 2 clean sheets shows how well the boys defended and how well they made their tackles.

The next round will be the semi finals at Tonbridge Juddians on 22nd April

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