Weston-Super-Mare 0 – 52 Marlborough
Before the official start of the league season on Saturday, September 2, Marlborough headed to Weston-Super-Mare RFC last Saturday (August 19) for their second and last preseason match. Again, there was a fair mix of players, but the team performed admirably.
Adam Copnell made his Marlborough debut in the front row, and he did so with a performance to be proud of. Enhancing the front row’s strength and depth for Marlborough. It goes without saying that the other front-row players were equally as good.
Marlborough’s second row was made up of the 18-year-old Arthur Allen, who filled in for the injured Jamie Pittams and had a solid game with the assistance of his partner Adam Neal, who never appears to have a bad game.
The back row trio of Charlie Ladds, the Captain, James Marshall, and returning Siaosi Feaomefiui (Toti) were all on fine form. The coaches, for the second successive week, were purring over the performance of Charlie in particular.
Will Grant, the scrum half, made excellent out-of-hand and conversion kicks. James Farrell, who was playing at 10, steered the team brilliantly. Sam Walker, a recent acquisition, took James’ position when he had to leave the pitch to receive treatment for a head wound, and the squad continued playing without missing a beat. Sam deserves a lot of respect for this because he has just recently joined the club and only taken part in two training sessions with the boys. At inside centre, Viliame Waqanidrola (Qila) was as reliable as ever in both offence and defence.
Then there’s Joe Pittams, the outside centre, who was outstanding all afternoon in both offence and defence. He appears to be improving in this position and enjoys deluding the opposition into thinking he is the easier option to run at when compared to some of his more robust team members!
The back three—wingers Ale Fifita and Oscar Astbury both played well. Ale, the youngster, is progressing well, and Oscar, the new signing, is demonstrating that he will be an exceptionally valuable addition to the Marlborough family. Full Back Dylan Davies also played well despite not being in his normal position. Dylan has worked hard on his game over the last two seasons, always attending training sessions and trying to progress, and he is an excellent role model for our younger players, demonstrating that dedication and hard work do pay off.
Bradley Whatley impressed again from the bench and had the opportunity to spend some game time with his father, Adam. Kieran Brown and Maikolo Manu both saw significant playing time and performed impressively.
The primary negative was too many yellow cards for the new tackle rules; the boys need to get lower, which will be worked on again in training. Marlborough must instil this in their subconscious until it becomes second nature, but they will not be the only team that will need to do so.
Marlborough’s lineouts need to be sharpened up, as several were a little messy, and the team will be punished for these mistakes in future league games. Overall, the guys had a favourable experience. There are lots of positives and some places for improvement, but a score of 0–52 for Marlborough is not bad. The home team is an experienced level 5 team (albeit they may not have had all their 1st XV players available). This result has boosted the players’ and coaches’ confidence for the forthcoming season. The Marlborough faithful are eagerly waiting for the season to start; they can’t wait to see the Marlborough lads play and get to know the squad.
Conserving The Parade Cinema – letter from Tony Millett
