Fixture - Sunday 2nd March: Ipswich (A)

U12s are playing away at Ipswich next Sunday. Directions on the Ipswich website Please be at the ground for 10am.

Please note there is a new fixture for Sunday 9th - at home to West Norfolk.

Adrian needs details of the shirts required for next season by March 5th at the latest. Could you please email the size that you estimate you will need to gareth@charollais.co.uk or select the size by using the voting buttons on the right.

Thanks to Sue Bristow and Penny Moffat for the photos of last Sunday's match against Saffron Walden.

Gareth

Match Results v Saffron Walden 24.2.08

Match 1: Newmarket 7 - 7 Saffron Walden

Match 2: Newmarket 0 - 0 Saffron Walden

The game was entirely dominated by the evenly-matched forwards on each side. Newmarket shaded the first and last quarters, with the honours going to Saffron Walden in the middle periods.

From the first kick off it looked as though Saffron Walden would struggle to contain the Newmarket forwards as they twice moved driving mauls virtually the full length of the pitch to within a few metres of the try line. Daniel Downing, in particular, regularly managed to get across the gain line with support from Oliver Sanusi-Bartlett and Nathan Buckle, but all the forwards could take credit for allowing Ethan Brown to touch down for a converted try. At the lineouts Daniel Bristow caught reliably to put Newmarket on the front foot. However, despite this early dominance there were to be no further scores.

After the turn around Saffron Walden took advantage of Newmarket’s failures in securing ball at their own scrums and lineouts. Their forwards ensured that the game was played in the opposition half and after stealing the ball again from a Newmarket lineout they drove over in the corner to score with the last action of the first match.

On the resumption for match two, the pattern was similar, with Saffron Walden dominating both possession and territory. However, they were unable to make a serious threat on the Newmarket line, largely because of some terrific defensive tackling around the fringes, especially by Buckle, Aiden Cooper, Josh Quinn and Ben Jeacock.

Again, the change of ends brought a change of fortune with Newmarket once more in the ascendancy and camped in the opposition’s half. But with opportunities to spread the ball wide not taken, even when they did cross the line from the inevitable forward drive, a further score was not to be had.

With the ball tied up in rucks and mauls for extended periods of the games, the backs on both sides had few opportunities to show what they could do, though their defensive work was solid throughout. Newmarket’s scrum-half, Lewis Heap, was particularly quick to close down any threats and was deservedly named Newmarket’s Man of the Match.

Fixture v Saffron Walden (H): Sunday 24th Feb

The home match against Saffron Walden is confirmed for Sunday. Please be at the ground at 10am.

Adie is arranging for new match shirts to be available for next season. Could you please come on Sunday with an idea of the shirt size you will need.

See you Sunday

Stowmarket 0 - 35 Newmarket

Newmarket completed the away leg of a season’s double over Stowmarket with a totally dominant performance. In contrast to recent matches Newmarket were quick off the blocks and from Stowmarket’s drop out the forwards gathered the ball and kept it alive through a series of mauls to get within 5 metres of the try line. From the subsequent lineout Daniel Bristow stole the ball and crashed over for the first score.

The next move of the match was almost a repeat performance, though this time the backs were involved before Ethan Brown picked up from the back of a ruck to double the score after only four minutes.

Now brimming with confidence, Newmarket gathered from the re-start and some slick offloading, combined with further steals at the lineouts, moved them to within a few metres of the try line. This time it was Daniel Downing who was able to drive over from the maul.

The Stowmarket kick off went into touch 5 metres from the Newmarket line, but this was the closest they were to get. Nathan Buckle picked up the ball and shrugged off tacklers to run three quarters the length of the pitch. The Newmarket forwards drove Stowmarket off their own ball at the scrum and Ethan Brown touched down for his second try of the match.

In the second half Newmarket continued to dominate both territory and possession, with the backs increasingly getting into the act. However, despite rarely crossing the half-way line, Stowmarket mounted a determined defence and made good use of long kicks to relieve the pressure on their line.

Newmarket crossed the try line several times only for the ball to be held up. It looked as if they would have to settle for a scoreless half until a switch from full-back to second row gave Joe Stafford the chance to pick up from the scrum. His touchdown from short-range with the last play of the match, together with five conversions from Oliver Green, meant that Newmarket ran out 35 – 0 winners against Stowmarket for the second time this season.

Sunday 17th February: Stowmarket (A)

The team is away to Stowmarket next Sunday (unless there is a last minute change).

Directions to the ground on Stowmarket's website.

Training as usual this Tuesday at 6.45pm.

Thanks to everyone who helped in the kitchen on Sunday. It was a sterling effort given the number of teams and visitors around. In future I'd suggest that we consider having a rota arranged in advance so that it doesn't fall on the same people each time.

Newmarket Rearguard Action

In the event only Shelford brought an U12 team for the fixture on Sunday.

Newmarket had mixed fortunes in the two matches but can be very proud of a fighting rearguard performance in defence, once they had shaken off the shock of the first half try count against them.

Newmarket U12 0 – Shelford U12 24

Newmarket made a very slow start to the first match. The combination of an experimental line up and some strong running from the Shelford backs meant they quickly found themselves two tries down and pinned in their own half. With Newmarket unable to get any kind of ball it was no surprise when Shelford ran in their third and fourth tries to take a 24 point lead on the stroke of half-time.

To Newmarket’s credit they didn’t let their heads drop and with a more familiar line up in the second half they defied the odds to prevent any further scores by Shelford.

Newmarket U12 0 – Shelford U12 7

In the second match Newmarket continued the terrific defensive performance with which they had ended the first. Despite being camped near the Newmarket 5 metre line for much of the match, it wasn’t until three quarters of the way through that Shelford managed to touch down for the only try of the game.

Though the Newmarket pack regularly drove Shelford off the ball at the scrum, the team struggled to retain possession and had few chances to post a score of their own. Their best opportunity came after Joe Stafford picked up the ball on his own try line and brushed aside tackle after tackle until finally pulled down only 10 metres or so from the Shelford line.

Sunday 10th February: Shelford + West Norfolk (H)

Match at home next Sunday.

It is the U12s turn for kitchen duty. At least 3 volunteers needed, please.

Also, the club is in need of a new fixture secretary. Anyone interested? Post now filled.

Match results: Sunday 3rd February

Match 1: Bury St Edmunds A 28 - 0 Newmarket

Newmarket played against a much larger squad and despite the opposition’s greater strength in depth put up a magnificent performance. Bury got off to a strong start, but Daniel Downing one of many a great tackles to stop Bury from scoring. Thomas Locke set up a good counter attack after making a good catch and held the ball, gaining a number of metres which ended a series of runs from the Bury attack. The forwards matched Bury for their commitment. Ethan Brown, Nathan Buckle and Ben Jeacock constantly made a good runs with the ball, making hard earnt meters yards before being tackled to the ground by the terrific Bury defence.

Despite Henry Smith’s excellent tackling, at every opportunity Bury's back line made the difference by running the ball down the line to make the breaks, eventually winning the game by 28 points to nil.

Match 2: Bury St Edmunds B 5 - 7 Newmarket

Bury got off to another great start in game two, by scoring a try from a scrum within the first two minutes of the game. Newmarket gathered their thoughts and held Bury in their half for most of the game, due to man of the match, Downing's support play that progressively making Newmarket ground. Brown created Newmarket a great try by pushing forward through Bury's defence,and with another strong conversion by Oliver Green, they came away winning the second match by Seven points to five