Combe,s first match was vs Old Elthamians, a side that we have always had some very close matches with.
We were all a bit nervous as this was the first competitive game of the season-had we prepared well enough?
We started on a good footing with a fairly quick try from Harry Derbyshire, all players responding well for a call to working as a team. However this soon evaporated as OE 's found their way and scored two good tries before half time.
At the restart OE 's again took off-we were left making numerous unforced errors and were consequently punished, going 4-1 down.
We managed to bring the score back to 4-3 final score with tries from both James Heffernan and Louis Parker, but evidently our boys were a bit slow to show their true potential.
Result

OE's 4 Combe 3

Gave the kids a lecture on how important handling, backward passing and keeping possession were- that will sort them out we thought!

Second game vs Sidcup
The lecture had worked!
By half time we were three nil up after some superb handling and tries from Matthew Chick,Louis and Jamie Crossley.
We just needed to tidy it up a bit and we would win.
Oh!
The second half was unfortunately riddled with forward passes from
Combe-some 6 or 7 at least, not even under particular pressure.
This meant we were constantly on the back foot and so we went down 4-3, until Matthew conjured up one of his superb tries to scrape a draw. We threw the game away unnecessarily.
Result

Combe 4 Sidcup 4

Third game vs Old Colfeians
Same advice given to the kids before the game-don't throw away your
possession!
It was beginning to sink in. Combe lost an early try and had a hard fought battle to regain it, eventually getting to half time through a Jamie try to equal things up.
The kids were beginning to get the hang of this tackling thing by now,
especially from our star tackler Henry Bonetti-the boy is unfazed by
tackling and just holds on for dear life-wow!
The match yo yoyed for a while with Combe eventually winning with tries from Henry and two from Louis. This was more like it.
Result

Combe 4 Old Colfeians 3

Game 4, final pool game vs Becchamians
Well, we had heard these guys were rather good, so we really needed to pull our socks up.
Henry got us off with a great try, swiftly followed by one from Jamie.
The quality of the passing and tackling was really going up by the minute from Combe, but could they keep the consistency for a whole match?
Two up at half time.
The second half was like an exhibition game, with 4 fantastic tries on the trot from Louis taking us to 6-0, with an unfortunate give away by us to lose a try to the opposition.
Result

Combe 6 Beccs 1

We knew we would not make it into the final as our game was just too
erratic, but would we manage to get to the plate final?
Yup, and we were meeting old rivals Sevenoaks who we had played and beaten several times before.
We knew it would be a tough game, but how tough we were only just about to find out....
The match was physically the hardest that the kids have ever been involved in, with Sevenoaks putting in brutal tackle after brutal tackle and ensuring that if we were going to run the ball wide, they would tackle us with two kids to get us into touch.
We took 11 kids with us for a 7 man match and they were all used in a very short space of time as they were getting knocked hard.
In all fairness the better side undoubtedly won-they were better prepared than we were.
Result

Combe 1 Sevenoaks 5

Overall Combe were runners up in the plate competition.

The players all played their hearts out, but exceptional mention must go to Matthew for his relentless determination, Louis for his speed and 8 tries and to Henry for being...... Henry, an avid tackler who refuses to give up.
Although the results were not all in our favour, the kids can be proud of
their abilities and will go onwards and upwards from here.
We are proud of you all.

Foxbury Team Players:

Chase Dixon
Ethan Cartlidge
Ewan Sutherland
Hannah Strover
Harry Derbyshire
James Heffernan
Jamie Crossley
Louis Parker
Matthew Chick
Toby Barenbrug
Henry Bonetti