With many away for Half-term we were struggling for players as were many of the other teams so this festival really centred on how we would manage to contain the sprinkling of better players that turned up for the festival.

WIMBLEDON 3 GUILDFORDIANS 1
A comfortable win but governed by a our A/B player scores. Charlie scored x2 with an early injection of speed followed by a trot to the line, and Stuart caught the wingers knapping with a clean break from half-way. Unfortunately the ball never got out much to the wingers but our defence was sound; especially with Noah’s crunching tackles, Evan prowling in the second half and Henry on the ball at Prop. We finished with a trip to our winning white gate to celebrate…. like we did in the B fest!

WIMBLEDON 1 REEDS 1
Charlie scored with a round the corner try and both he and Stu should have others but found some touch lines and then last play and then another last play, and then an infringement and then Evan ran the ball into touch which was declared illegal in mini rugby and then they scored! V disappointing to draw in that way to the eventual group winners. Marcus got a bit of ball and Amery had his first run in a festival. Ollie H was looking comfortable as Prop…think we will keep him there!

WIMBLEDON 4 TEDDINGTON 4
Cracking game and it went something like this. Teddington scored first, 0-1, 1-1 Charlie waltzed over after some great team off loads starting from Seb, Stu try..but disallowed, Charlie caught on the touch line at speed and then they scored to make it 1-2 to them at half-time. Evan got us right back in it at the beginning of the second half by charging up the middle 2-2 but then they got another 3-2. Stu made it 3-3 with a run around the side then they got another 3:4 and in the last minute we got a free pass and Stu took it across the pitch and then back again to score 4:4. Still we had time to win it but Teddington chased us down. A good game to draw but we were in the Plate final as runners up to Reeds.

PLATE FINAL: WIMBLEDON 0 FARNHAM 5
The usual 50min delay at Cobham between the last game and our final was greeted with despondence by coaches and parents …need to take a lesson from us at Wimbledon on that one. Our festival finished by 1:15!

Farnham had some of their A players in the team which was clear from the outset as the big guy shrugged off some tackles and we were 0:2 down in no time despite crunching tackles from Noah, and Lucas playing at Fly half and getting some ball..at last. Owen was chasing hard and looking fitter than ever! By HT we were 0:3 down and Evan and Henry were injured and off and Stu was groogy. There were some bashed up bodies around and a few tears but with our final 9 on the pitch but we played better in the second half and in particular Seb showed off that jinking run of his from Half way only to be felled by a chasing mob just short of the line.

Player of the festival: Noah for his tackling
Most improved player: Ollie H

Lessons to remember: Support the player with the ball. Don’t enter rucks from the side (Ollie H!), Markus, Amery our wingers on the day… are forwards!

Most devastating moment: Alastair…..having scratched the car bumper hauling the ton-weight marquee out of the car and then wheeling the monster across 400meters of cark park and then 400meters of bumpy pitch, to then be told that he had forgotten to pack the weights and side wings! Will revert to our old marquee in future but if anyone wants to have a party in their garden the new one is there for the taking but WRFC accept no responsibility for ant resultant back pain.