U8s v Broad Plain

Oliver Gabriel produced a heroic man of the match display as the U8s Kingswood Knights made an emphatic start to their 2014-2015 season with victory over Broad Plain.

Last season had been a defining one for the U8's, losing only two games all year and producing some stunning rugby. Coming into the first game of this season, there were some questions over whether this was the same team as of old. With some old hands missing and a number of debutants taking their place, no-one could predict how this first match would play out.

Surely no-one expected to watch the handling masterclass put on by the boys and girls in blue and poo.

Within minutes, it was clear how Broad Plain had been coached to play: straight up the middle with hard running and short pop-passes to the nearby support runners. At first Kingswood struggled to handle the pace of the game, with Broad Plain's attacks moving faster than the defending team could handle. Time after time, Kingswood would grab tags, only to see the attacking team find gaps before the defensive line could be reset.

By midway through the match, Kingswood had picked up their game. Wise now to the away team's tactics, they began to put increasing pressure on the ball runners, not giving them time to get up to speed. Broad Plain began to make handling errors, passing the ball into empty space or knocking on. Everytime they did, the mighty K were ready to pounce.

Sam Press took advantage of a knock on to outstrip the Broad Plain players in a footrace that encompassed the length of the field. Callum Ball and Caspian Broome displayed an encouraging partnership, linking together well to each run in 3 or 4 tries.

Fraser Cox and Vinnie Bush showed that they had lost none of their quick feet over the summer, jinking and darting their way between the opposition.

Kira Brown and Carys Howell, both playing for the first time, showed that they weren't just there to make up the numbers. Carys showed a complete disregard for her own safety - throwing herself at tags, while Kira displayed great agility throughout the match. Both girls managed to score tries of their own.

Whilst all of the players played out of their skin, Oliver Gabriel was a step above. Displaying hitherto unforseen abilities, Oliver terrorised Broad Plain time and again, ghosting through the opposition as if they weren't there and racing for the try line. A worthy Man of the Match

Perhaps most impressively of all was the sheer skill on display. With hardly a single handling mistake made all match, and with some amazing passing on display, the entire team ensured that every piece of possession was rewarded with a try.

Overall, it was a great performance, and one that highlights the promise inherent in this team.