Luka Crowcroft - Man of the Match!
Sevenoaks continued their winning run in the U18 Kent League with a powerful display against a young Bromley side at the Paddock on Sunday morning.
Oaks did the majority of the damage in a blitzkrieg of a 1st half display that saw powerful defensive sets creating multiple opportunities to counterattack. Oaks were equally clinical off set piece and in their phase attack.
Oaks scored 8 tries before half time. Centre Fin Stables opened the scoring after a wonderful crossfield kick from fly half Louis Bouverie. Elliot Wright was next to score after getting on the end of a sweeping counterattack from inside the Oaks half. Long range tries for winger Jake Tucker, centre Angus Hall, Bouverie and number 8 Frank Kitchen were complimented with a couple of vintage Oaks driven lineout tries for Dom Stangroome. Hall converted 4 from 8 and Oaks led 48-0 at half time.
Oaks emptied their bench at half-time and the replacements picked up where the starters had left off. Ben Pearl, now playing at fly half having started on the wing, made a searing break from inside the Oaks half before drawing the Bromley fullback and feeding Man of the Match Luka Crowcroft to take Oaks over 50. Such a lead would normally signal an early finish to the match, but to their credit, Bromley agreed to play on for a little while longer so that young Oaks coming off the bench got more than a couple of minutes of game time.
Unfortunately, their fighting spirit did little to change the course of events on the field as replacement winger Max Avery broke through before feeding Hall to score his 2nd before one last counterattack from deep saw Hall bag his hattrick. All 2nd half tries were converted and at 67-0, Bromley requested that the game be ended early.
Bromley will no doubt be significantly stronger next season when their core of U17s have matured physically. To their credit, they might have kept the scoreboard a little tighter by playing more conservatively, but they came to play and one has to admire their ambition.
For their part, Sevenoaks stuck to process even as the score began to mount - not always as an easy thing for a youth team to do when they are on top. Some of the rugby played was absolutely outstanding, but Oaks never allowed their basics of defence and set piece to be compromised.
They now look forward to the challenge of all challenges in their final league game on March 19th, away at National Cup semi-finalists Tonbridge Juddians. The challenge will be all the more difficult given that TJs need to win the game in order to make the finals day in April, due to a slip up in their first league game before Christmas with a depleted squad vs Old Colfeians.
It should be an absolute cracker of a game, whatever the final result. All Oaks rugby enthusiasts are encouraged to make the short journey to the Slade to support the lads!
Squad list : Jack Wilson, Elliot Wright, Oli Langley, James Kerton (C), Zach Johnson, George Burgess, Dom Stangroome, Frank Kitchen, Zach Ferguson, Louis Bouverie, Jake Tucker, Angus Hall, Fin Stables, Ben Pearl, Luka Crowcroft
Subs : Drew Mercer, Max Gilbey, Tom Hewitt, Max Avery, Isaac Canham