Week 18

Haha! 3011

(feel like a Exeter supporter after playing Gloucester) 

 

Lots of compliments from away supporters about the welcome at Coventry. Altogether good news.

IF we can stay 2nd, be a good season.

A real shame that I went online, the only printed paper fawning over a football club promoted from tier 7 to 6. Our local radio 📻 just as bad.

I hope with the RFU master plan they will improve relationships with local media. I just see this new dawn as another damp squid.

A tighter game than the final scoreline suggested with Caldy fielding 5 backs 21 or under and a few others who had stepped up from the Caldy second xv. Donny had the edge just. However, but for a somewhat controversial late 14 point swing Caldy could have fairly picked up a losing bonus point. A Caldy breakaway with the line at their mercy was hauled back by a strange interpretation by the assistant referee who in my view wrongly and belatedly signalled for a knock on earlier in the play by the Ravers. Galvanized by the let off Donny scored in the corner to bring up their 5th score but I heard that Donny's own players were somewhat sheepish about the award of the try and acknowledged it hadn't been grounded.

However such are the vicissitudes present in any game it didn't detract from a highly enjoyable and close fought game by two entertaining sides. Hats off to the young players Charlie Hyde, Jacob Mitchell and Dylan Carroll who really stepped up against a top team in Donny.

Caldy made a few too many errors to have won the game but there is no doubt in my mind the Ravers are getting closer to reaching the necessary standard without yet quite translating their improvement into league points.

Although not a point about Championship rugby I am going to also congratulate Caldy's 2nd xv for winning the Halbro League's Primo Drinks Cup with a 27-24 win against Sedgley Park who were heavily reinforced with seven 1st team players including the giant Tom Ailes and Nat 1's top try scorer winger Rhys Henderson. Shorn of some of their best players who were playing against Donny the Caldy 2nd team were real underdogs against a very strong Sedgley xv but somehow against the odds the Caldy youngsters racked up their 125th consecutive win......just extraordinary !! 

Hats off to the inspirational coaching team of Andrew Soutar and Christian Jones who have guided and led this home grown squad to this extraordinary achievement.

It sounds like Caldy weren't far off getting a bonus point or two. It's always impressive when 2nd team players step up against full time professionals. Was this due to injuries to first team players?

The record you highlight reminds me of Chinnor Wildboys (3rd XV) who went on a similarly long run of wins, incredible. They then moved up through the Counties Leagues to start facing 1 XVs, which brought them to the right level of opposition. 

Have Caldy 2nd XV considered that option (if available) to provide the next challenge? Perhaps even the Regional Leagues (L6, 5) although I'm not sure 2nd XVs are permitted in these?