The Last Post

Here is the last post of the season  covEering the stats and highs and lows.  Players wanting to train during the summner months can join the 1st team training sessions.

Stats
19 games 11 wins
2 festivals 1 win
452 points for 419 against
2 players Tom and Ollie played in all games
67 trys
33 conversions
16 penalties
1 drop goal

Highs
Monmouth festival winners
The  turnaround in performance for the county cup
County cup semi finals
12 man performance at Monmouth

Lows
Mid season attendance
long term injurys to Luke and James


Quote of the season

If I had a yellow card you would be getting one. Hucclecotte referee to Louie during the game

Presentation Evening

Berry Hill u16's rounded off their successful season with a well  attended presentation evening at the clubhouse.  The  team thanked  sponsors Dr Fox Tyres , Advanced Drylining and Julian  Evans  as well as kitchen helpers before turning to  the 3 main awards.

Players Player

Nominated  Tom Burford, Conor Evans .

Winner Tom Burford

Most Improved Player

Nominated  Tom Burford, Will Jones, Bill Roberts.

Winner Will Jones

Coaches Player

Nominated Louie Vaughan, Olllie Morgan, Craig Harris

Winner  Craig Harris

Abergavenny Festival

The plan was  to chill out on the Friday play the rugby on Saturday and then party on  Saturday evening but that plan lasted  about 5 minutes  with  the players arriving in fancy dress or lack of fancy dress in some cases  ( details can be found on face book). The quick  journey  down to Usk proved  to be exhausting for  some as they  rested and  watched the parents put the  tents up. It was then to the marquee where   the arm wrestling competition was a little disorganized  and no clear  winner was identified.  By Saturday morning   the impact of the new plan was clear with several players already unable to play. Hill  put in a few  under par performances but they did manage to raise their game for the last match to  score a draw with Buith Wells. With the rugby now over  it was back to the tents for a barbeque,  the  anticipation of Dawson’s cuisine  made a few people very thirsty  and  for some reason  in quenching  this thirst they became  tired and when to bed  early. For the others we traveled over to the marquee to watch the band and then back to  tents to sit around the fire and  talk rubbish ( mainly Julian). After a quick breakfast on Sunday morning we broke camp and returned to the club for what was an enjoyable weekend.

Berry Hill 34 North Dorset 29

Berry Hill hosted touring side North Dorset for their final full game of the season. Hill started well and quickly applied the pressure allowing Matty Office to open up the scoring with a blind side move. North Dorset then hit back to level the score before the omnipresent Harry Brown scored the first of his brace of tries to see the home team finish a scrappy half on a hard surface 15- 5 ahead. With Tom Burford and Kyle Bundy substituted due to injuries Hill turned to their U15’s that had performed well in the last match against Longlevens for the second half. North Dorset who now had the topography of the pitch in their favour started to settle into the game and found themselves ahead for a few minutes with 2 tries and a conversion before Scott Brown touched down to restore the status quo. Probably the pick of the tries came from Cobi Robinson who collected the ball in his own half and beating 4 players down the wing dabbed it down between the posts. The visitors were not about to capitulate however and came back again with a try before Nathan Tucker scored what was to be the winning try. It was left for  North Dorset to score the final try of the game in what was a mixed end of season performance by Hill. Louie Vaughan who was already celebrating his birthday picked up Hill’s man of the match. Hill now have 2 weeks to prepare for the Abergavenny festival.

Conor Evans, Ollie Morgan, Will Jones, Ashley Macey, Will Tyler, Tom Burford, Matty Office, Louie Vaughan, Craig Harris, Harry Brown, Sam Hughes, Billy Roberts, Kyle Bundy, Ricky Davies, Stan Hodder, Nathan Tucker, Scott Brown, Cobi Robinson, Matt Crocker

Longlevens 5 Berry Hill 65

Berry Hill travelled to Gloucester to play a spirited Longlevens side for the first time this season. Missing a few players Hill had recruited from the U15’s to make up their squad but Longlevens were also struggling for players so it was decided to play 12 a side . Berry soon took the game to the home team with Harry Brown touching down and with usual fly half Ryan Dawson out due to a shoulder injury it was left to hooker Ashley Macey to slot the difficult conversion against the wind. The lead was increased with winger Kyle Bundy making a great run to score the first of his three tries of the game. Hill were now dominating but as they moved the across the line an interception and a run for three quarters of the pitch saw Longlevens pull 5 points back. This however was their only score in the game as Hill started to run in a series of tries from Will Jones , Craig Harris and Billy Roberts to put them 36 -5 up at the break. On the restart Hill continued to expose Longleven’s defence with 2 tries from prop Conor Evans who was playing out on the wing and a second try from Craig Harris. The final try and his second in the match came from Billy Roberts who caught the ball from the kick off and weaved his way all the way up the pitch to touch down between the posts. The game now won the referee blew the whistle with ten minutes left to play but respect has to go to Longlevens who battled to the end.

Team

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ricky Davies, Nathan Tucker, Matthew Crocker, Scott Brown.

                                   

The 3 wise mens or 3  monkeys you decide

                                 

Berry Hill16 Cheltenham 27

Berry Hill left it too late in their semi final county cup match against last years finalists Cheltenham. Trailing 24 -6 after the first half due to missed tackles and seeing themselves 3 tries down ,Hill finally sprang into action for the final 35 minutes. Virtually camping in Cheltenham’s 22 metre line for most of the second half Hill broke through with Cobi Robinson touching down in the corner. On the restart Hill again pressurized with a wave of pick and go drives they pushed the ball deep into the visitors half and were awarded a second try with Harry Brown powering over through a strong defensive line of Cheltenham forwards. All this forward pressure however had eaten away the game time and it was Cheltenham who for the last play of the match slotted a penalty between the posts to seal the victory. Hill Can take away a lot from their second half performance and can work on improving some areas of their game ready for the Abergavenny tournament.

Team

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Callum Wyman, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins, Ricky Davies.


Cheltenham report

Thornbury 20 Berry Hill 22

Berry Hill booked a place in the county cup semi finals with their quarter final win over Thornbury. Hill playing up the slope soon took the game to Thornbury with the forwards working as a solid pack ,they moved the ball up the field with the series of rucks and were mistakenly awarded a try when the referee mistook the 5 metre line for the try line. With the error spotted Hill failed to capitalize on the scrum but continued to dominate and had the majority of the possession. They were undone however by missed tackles as the quick Thornbury backs broke through and scored twice to put them 12 point ahead. Hill undaunted stuck at their game plan and narrowed the margin with Harry Brown touching down and Ryan Dawson converting to finish the 1st half 12 -7 down. Now with the slope in their favour Hill pushed the ball deep into Thornbury territory but a penalty against the run of play saw them fall further behind. Still not deterred Hill restored the margin with a penalty and pressurised again with Kyle Bundy who has a habit of scoring in important games touching down after a great off load from Sam Hughes. Ryan Dawson then stepped up to slot home the conversion and put Hill ahead in the game for the first time. Hill looked to have the momentum but a long kick by Thornbury to clear their lines saw the ball bounce towards the attacking players and they quickly seized on it to score again. As the clock ebbed way it looked as if Hill had left it too late but a strong run from Harry Brown resulted in Callum Wyman with the clear run to the line and restore the lead. With conversion being missed there were only 2 points to separate the teams and Hill knew they had to keep their discipline and not concede a penalty. This they did and progress to the next stage was secured.

Team

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Callum Wyman, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris, Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins.

The  winning try



The final Whistle

Berry Hill 19 Cirencester 7

'Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful' Zig Ziglar.

For the last game in the County Cup pool stages Hill decided to keep the same team line up that worked well for them when they were struggling for players in their previous game against Monmouth. Cirencester have always proved strong opposition and Berry knew they had to start well to gain the upper hand. Working to their game plan they soon put the visitors under pressure and forced the ball deep into Cirencenter's territory. Hill moved the ball quickly and a strong run from Tom Burford saw them rewarded with an opening try. Although Hill continued to dominate they could be justified for feeling aggrieved when Cirencester where awarded a penalty and while they drinking water believing the game had been halted Cirencester ran up the pitch and scored under the posts. This fired Hill up and they quickly restored the margin with some great link up play between Harry Brown and Matty Office to see Ollie Morgan touch down. It was then Matty Office who then went over himself early in the second half to increase the lead and give Hill some breathing space. Hill continued to dominate but errors when rucking allowed Cirencester a share of the ball but they failed to capitalise on the possession and the scores remained static until the final whistle.

Berry now progress to the Cup Knockout Stages with their next game against Thornbury. Man of the match was awarded to prop Will Jones and Sam Hughes was also recognised for an outstanding performance.
Team
Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins.

Berry Hill 20 Monmouth 14

With only 12 showing up for duty and the body language of the players as they warmed up anyone would have been forgiven for thinking this was not going to be a good day for Hill. But looks can be deceiving though with the cards stacked against them Hill dug deep and turned in their best performance of the season. Captain Conor Evans playing for the first time at second row led the front 5 in a series of pick a go drives to pressure Monmouth deep in their Half. The execution was this time controlled with Hill securing the ball every time and Harry Brown taking on the scum half position like a duck to water orchestrating the backs and the forwards as they moved the ball quickly eventually finding No 8 William Tyler who went over for the 1st Try. With the amount of energy being spent there was a fear that with such a small squad the team would tire but not today as Hill again pressurized to score again with full back Craig Harris touching down in the corner. If Hill did have a weakness then they lacked some pace in certain areas, this allowed Monmouth to break the line and sprint half of the pitch to score. After the break it was Harris again who found himself clear for the line and with chasing Monmouth players he had just enough speed to put the ball down between the posts. Monmouth then raised their game and came back with a try to keep the pressure on but Hill were not going to let this game slip through their fingers and held their discipline and defensive lines. As the clock ebbed away the time to the final whistle Hill again used their forwards to move the ball up the field putting Monmouth under pressure and forcing them to make mistakes . It was then left to Ryan Dawson who was showing signs of regaining his form to slot home a penalty and seal the win. A great performance from which their confidence should grow.




Team

Kyle Bundy, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Ashley Macey.

Old Richians 20 Berry Hill 0

With 8  players still out  with injury  and sickness Hill were forced to borrow a player from Old Richians to complete their team. Another weekend of  rain and  wind  played it’s part on the match  with Old Richians  winning the toss and electing to place against the elements. As the game started to settle Hill  had an opportunity to take the  lead with a well positioned penalty  but the ball  sailed wide of post. Although the referee  did his best to keep the game  flowing  Knock-ons were the order of the day as muddy wet ball slipped from hands. Richians were the stronger up front with some well executed rucking  allowing them retain  the ball  better  finally resulting in a try in the corner. A penalty  as the last play for the first half saw them 8 points ahead.  Now  with  the slope and the elements  in their favour Richians  poured on the pressure  and Hill had to  defend strongly but missed tackles saw them over the line 2 more times.  For  the last 15 minutes Hill finally  woke up and put the home team under pressure but their efforts were halted several times as they rushed and were turned over. Although a disappointing score line Hill  now expecting the return of a large part of their squad should start to build in confidence ready for their next match.

Team

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Ben Robbins.

Berry Hill 3 Abergavenny 17

With the wind blowing a gale and driving rain Berry Hill had to battle the elements in their home game against Abergavenny. With a squad of only 15 due to injury and sickness Hill started with the wind behind them and down the slope of the pitch. They needed to get points on the board but the game took time to settle down and this put them under pressure, there were chances but at the half time whistle Hill were only 3 points ahead due to a penalty from Ryan Dawson. Shortly after the break Hill were reduced to 14 after prop Will Jones came off with an injured ankle. Sportingly Abergavenny reduced their squad but with no substitutes the scrums went uncontested. The try deadlock was finally broken when the visitors moved the ball wide and touched down in the corner. Hill then spent a long period defending in their 22 and they did have a couple more chances but the momentum was now against them resulting in a second try from a long kick which bounced over the try line with Abergavenny winning the race for the touchdown. The final try came with both team now fielding 13 players due to another Hill injury just before the end of the game with the forwards keeping the ball secure and taking it through several phases to push over. A good physical game but Hill will need to put some things right before the return match in 3 weeks time.


Team

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Callum Wyman, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris, Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Ashley Macey, Ricky Davies,.

Breakfast revisited

With a lot of games being cancelled due to the weather Berry Hill U16's and U15's found themselves with a  gap in their playing schedule and so took the opportunity  to  improve their fitness. Two ex paratroopers from  Famously Fit hosted a military style training regime at Lakers road, involving circuits with  a variety  of 30 second exercises and a team exercise to carry a  40kg rucksack  on a cross country run. An  extra  bonus was that a few players got to taste  their breakfast for a second time and as a thank you  for hosting the event  the Junior section will be  organizing a disco to raise funds for Help the Heroes.

Berry Hill 0 Matson 29

Berry Hill hosted Matson in the second game of their county cup pool stages. With Matson fielding a full squad it was always going to be a tough fixtures but Hill started well and put the visitors under pressure. They had the chance to take the lead with a well positioned penalty but the kick missed the mark causing Hill to become unsettled and rush at their game plan. Errors started to creep into their play and Matson seized quickly on these opportunities to put themselves 2 tries ahead. The home team did have a few chances but last minute mistakes prevented them from scoring. Matson now playing with confidence scored once more in the last minute before the break after some great defending from Hill in their 22 to see them go in 19 points ahead.


A strong team talk at half time saw Hill start will more determination resulting in a long period with no change to the score line. Matson didn’t however go over 2 more times the last one in the last play before the final whistle. Hill can take a lot from the game but need to improve in certain areas when faced with strong opposition in high pressure matches.

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Callum Wyman, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins

Berry Hill 58 Painswick 5

Kyle  Bundy  was  the player in form  as  he  scored 4 tries in their 9 try victory over Painswick. This was the first time the 2 teams had met for several years and Painswick  arrived at Lakers road with  only  14 players so it was always going to  be tough for the visitors.  Hill dropped their  numbers to  level the teams  resulting in  some players  having to move from their usual positions and deviate from their  playing style. From the  kick off Hill took the game  to Painswick  and  soon opened up the scoring with a penalty from Ryan Dawson which allowed them to settle down and start to move the ball around between the backs.  Ben Robbins was the first  to touch down before Cobi Robinson , Willian Tyler and Kyle Bundy added to the tally to see Hill  go into the break  34 -0 ahead. The  pick of the tries  in the first half was Cobi Robinson’s  recovery from an ill judged cross field kick from Craig Harris and   Louie Vaughan taking the usual  decision to pass  the ball  to put  Kyle over the line. Painswick’s team talk at half time  must have had a positive  effect as although both teams had now been reduced to 13 a side due to a Painswick injury  the visitors  started to pressure Hill with some good forward play resulting in a well deserved try.  Hill then responded  with Kyle adding 3 more tries and Craig Harris also putting his name on the score sheet. A good win for Hill  but they need  to improve  in some areas of  play when the meet stronger opposition.

Team

Kyle Bundy, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins

Berry Hill 39 Lydney 15

After a long layoff due to the weather and Christmas Berry Hill were finally back in action in their opening county cup match against local rivals Lydney. Hill soon applied the pressure and had the majority of the possession but their lack of recent game time showed as they made poor decisions limiting their ability to score. Scrum half Will Lewis however opened things up with a great charge down and quick thinking saw him pounce on the loose ball to touch down. Although not in full stride Hill continued to dominate with 2 more well worked tries moving the ball across the backs allowing Cobi Robinson and Billy Roberts to add to their overall season try tallies before going into the break 22- 8 ahead. The second half continued in much the same vain but with Lydney opting to go uncontested in the scrum some of Hill’s forward strength was reduced but they still managed to run in several more tries form Callum Wyman, Will Tyler and Cobi Robinson bagging his second of the match. Although not up to full speed Hill are now starting to regain some of the form that they had at the start of the season.

Kyle Bundy, William Lewis, Callum Wyman, Matthew Office, Conor Evans, Louie Vaughan, William Tyler, Ryan Dawson, Will Jones, Oliver Morgan , Harry Brown, Craig Harris , Cobi Robinson , Billy Roberts , Tom Burford, Sam Hughes, Ashley Macey, Ben Robbins.