Skolars Comunity Coach Matt Cuss brings you all the news from the weekend’s Juniors and Minis games and training:
This weekend, as the first team ventured out onto New River for their home debut this season, the Mini’s and juniors season is in full flow in North London.
With no home games this week, the Mini’s sections had full use of the Perth Road pitches and there was again lots of smiling and eager faces on show for both the U9’s and U11’s. As preparations build for the impending Primary RL Festivals, the training has stepped up for the Mini’s and there was some fantastic efforts on display across both the age groups.
On the Junior side of things, our U13’s made the long trip down to Maidstone, to the newly formed Invicta Panthers. Invicta will certainly be one of the stronger sides at this age group in 2014 and the number of children that they have to choose from is testament to that. However the Skolars U13’s who are improving with every training session and game showed that once again they are a dangerous opponent. With some good understanding and effort in defense they managed to restrict the Panthers for long periods of the game, and crossed for some superb tries of their own also. New players from Skolars partner school Keble Prep bolstered the ranks and showed some experience which they have obviously picked up from their sessions with the Skolars Community Department. The 13’s tried hard but unfortunately the game just escaped them in the final quarter as they went down 30-20. However this was another improved performance from the 13’s, and further emphasised the fact that they will be there or there abouts at the end of the season.
Skolars U17’s were further North than their younger counterparts as they travelled across to Colchester to face a tough Eastern Rhinos side. The U17’s welcomed back a few players from last season, who now their union commitments have finished will hopefully be pulling on the red, green and black each week. A very physical first half tested the referee’s patience at times, and the scores were tight with Skolars turning around the half at 20-16 up. Coach and First Team player Dion Chapman gave a good half-time team talk, focusing Skolars efforts on winning the ruck and supporting the ball carrier and the boys stuck to this game plan in the second half. As the game began to get away from Eastern Rhinos, tempers flared and Skolars powerful second rower Omar Benahrou saw red as he attempted to sort out a disagreement in his own way. However even with 12 men, Skolars stuck to the game plan well and crossed for 7 unanswered tries in the second half, to run away with the game and register an emphatic 52-16 win. Every Skolars player showed some great defensive efforts, particularly in the 2nd half, but star of the show was fullback Jerome Yates who crossed for an incredible 6 tries.
Next week both U13’s and U17’s have been given byes in the preliminary rounds of the London Challenge Cup, so it’s only our U15’s in action as they travel to new boys Hayes and Ealing Vikings.
As always there will be training on Perth Road at 10am for all Mini’s and the U13’s, new and returning players all welcome.
