Emphatic win for Port at home

Sometimes, ... it just clicks.

The hours of practice on the training fields, the repetitive drills, players bonding and working as a team understanding where the next player is going to be and what he is going to do. Its what makes teams great, its what builds team spirit and ends in a great performance on matchday.
Today was one of those days. From the first kick off, the lads hit the field running, quick to the breakdown to retain the ball and pass out to the backs to work some magic, slick passing through the backs to the winger who went over in the corner…all within 2 minutes of the first kick off.

The lads ball handling and skills was very slick, moving the ball around the pitch with comfort and style, and showing some real skill, vision and finesse in attack. A pure joy to watch from a really talented group of tight-knit players. If there were any negatives it was that we can at times be slow to put in the shove at the ruck and on a few occasions lost the possession by not doing so. That said some good turnover ball was also won and the gain was capitalised into points on the scoreboard.

Many will have opinions, but I’m not sure I have seen the lads play this well as a cohesive attacking unit in two seasons. Today it really clicked for the team, the rolling subs coming on and rising to the challenge well. Rochdale had some big units running round the field today, but that didn’t stop the tackles coming in hard and regularly. It didn’t stop and they were relentless in attack making excellent use of the boot with good spacial awareness and some sniping kicks through the defence to go over for the try

A truly superb team performance from every team member today and they should be justifiably proud of their effort and the 70-20 final score.

In the recent ITV documentary ‘Grandslammers’ (if you have not watched it, get your player and watch it together it’s a MUST SEE!), seven of Englands 2003 World Cup winners go into a prison and teach a team of prisoners to play rugby, men who have never played the game, let alone had the camaraderie, loyalty and bonding of a ‘team’. But it was not just about teaching rugby, its what the game brings - Team spirit, respect, discipline and how it is instilled in players. The impact off the field for the prisoners was immense, emotional. Jason Robinson, the speedy England winger from 2003 spoke about how he had done the same drills for years and years until it became second nature, and then continued the same drills continually. This is what the coaches do and a massive shout out to all of them for doing it so well, with such a positive impact, both on the field and off.

Well done to all the team, the coaches and of course Ref Gareth.
And also thank you to all the parents for supporting these young lad’s, taking them to training and games week in, week out.
It matters.