Match report - U11s v Newark & Market Rasen (A)

On a morning that seemed to ‘treat’ the players and spectators to weather from all four seasons, the under 11 teams from three clubs – Newark, Market Rasen and Ilkeston – performed admirably in challenging conditions

The wonderful facilities of Kelham Road in Newark, which have seen massive improvements to both the changing area and clubhouse in recent years to complement their enviable playing area, played host to the three sides from each of the three counties in the NLD.

Conversations between the coaches during the week laid the foundations for a well organised and healthy environment that facilitated three competent and well coached groups of young players showcasing their talents before several well insulated parents and supporters on the touchline.

The first encounter in which the Elks were involved was against one of the two teams that Newark were able to field. In a game that was well refereed by Chris Coen from the hosts who allowed the game to flow whenever possible, both sides played some high quality, enterprising rugby. The first ten minute period very much belonged to Newark, who used a combination of direct running, effective rucking, and attacking width to get over the white wash on several occasions. As has been seen many times this season however, the young Ilkeston side hung in there. Buoyed by a couple of scores of their own which gave them a foot hold in the game towards the end of the first period, the second ten minutes saw the Derbyshire side apply pressure to the hosts through some tenacious defence, smart thinking to get the ball back, and support around the ball which led to a number of tries primarily through offloads and tackle busting runs.

The Elks then played the second of the two Newark sides which was a very different game. After a promising start that saw both teams exchange a couple of tries each, the home team took control. On numerous occasions, one or two passes out from the ruck was sufficient to get round an uncharacteristically narrow Ilkeston defence. Through high quality catch-pass skills on the run to players in space, Newark tore through the Ilkeston defence seemingly at will. One try in particular, that started with the home side in all sorts of bother, saw the ball calmly moved away from trouble to the opposite side of the pitch, before being continually shifted around the field to supporting players in space, demonstrating how devastating continuity can be by avoiding contact and keeping the ball alive beautifully, eventually leading to one of the best tries you will ever see in under 11 rugby. The frustrating thing for the Elks was their general lack of awareness; where they have been at their best this season has been through effective off the ball work, specifically scanning for information in attack and defence which has led the players towards making smart decisions with and without the ball. This morning, time and time again, the players seemed to only be interested in looking at and around the ball, meaning they had no idea what was in front of them, leading to hyper-narrow attacking and defensive positioning.

The third and game was against the other away side, Market Rasen, in a game curtailed by artic weather conditions. Although only ten minutes in length, the encounter was much more encouraging for the Elks as they were able to demonstrate improved awareness and positioning which meant their ability to attack and defend the whole of the pitch was the best that it had been all morning.

Given the air temperature and precipitation levels after the early curtailment of what proved to be the final game, the Ilkeston coaches decided to forgo the usual post game awards in favour of quickly getting into the warmth of the plush new clubhouse to enjoy a drink and nice bit of food.

The games against a Newark side, whose mini and junior teams are ALWAYS very well prepared, was as challenging as expected. There were a number of very bright spots for the Elks, but the key work-ons around off the ball awareness, decision making and positioning, coupled with the constant need to develop catch-pass and contact skills with and without the ball was again brought into sharp focus.

The team are in the middle of a very challenging period of games, against a number of the best sides in the NLD which has put the players under a lot of pressure. They continue to perform extremely well, mostly showing an encouraging ability to self-organise and solve problems without adult coach intervention. Enjoyment levels appear to be remaining where the coaches would want them, as demonstrated by strong numbers relative to squad size at training and games, and smiles on faces.

The coaches are now in the process of developing and implementing a plan to support the team’s development over the last block of the season. Thank you to the parents for your continued support in bringing the players to training and games, and for some of the wonderful off the field work especially around our upcoming tour. Special credit must go to Donna Randall without whom there would be no tour, and to Paul Gant for his shrewd financial organisation.

Next week the Elks travel to Derby for the first time since our joint training day back in September 2017. The two teams played each other at Long Eaton back in December in a thrilling game so the encounter next Sunday is one not to be missed!