Tom Hewitt - man of the match!
The Sevenoaks Academy 2nd XV edged a fraught match against Westcliff Academy 2nd XV at home on Sunday 10th October in the autumn sunshine. Despite dominating possession and territory in the first half, and playing through a second half strewn with errors and penalties from both sides, Sevenoaks won 7-5.
Sevenoaks started positively from the kick off with great focus and determination to create opportunities for gain line success, improve ball retention and continuity in attack, which were points of improvement from the previous game against Bishop Stortford. The team’s willingness to recycle the ball quickly and maintain focus on their shape almost led to a try in the corner and were unfortunately penalised just short of the line.
Sevenoaks limited Westcliff’s territorial and possessional attacking opportunities for most of the first half with dogged and organised defending. They were also fairly well disciplined and organised in attack in the first half, with the forwards offering good carrying options to play off. This pressure finally told in the 26th minute when Andrich Skein scored from the back of a driving maul off a lineout. This no doubt brought a smile to the head of the Sevenoaks academy as the players executed the move perfectly. Juan Barnard converted a difficult kick, and added what would be the decisive two points come the end of the game. The remainder of the first half saw Sevenoaks not being able to build upon the pressure they had brought to bear upon the opposition, and when half time came, the players could not help feeling they had missed a number of try scoring opportunities.
Despite starting the second half with renewed focus to improve their accuracy in attack Sevenoaks were unable to add to the scoreboard. Both sides struggled for any meaningful continuity and fluidity in attack, and indeed both struggled with accuracy and ball retention at the lineout. The half was littered with penalties which limited scoring opportunities and prevented free flowing rugby from being played.
Westcliff were determined to equalise despite the stop/start nature of the second half and scored in the corner during the dying seconds of the game. Fortunately for Sevenoaks the conversion was missed and they edged the game by two points.
Tom Hewitt was awarded man of the match for his ball carrying in attack, and tireless work in defence!