U13 v St Martins Edge Grove 34 St Martins 9
A late afternoon match against St Martins and the boys started the game quickly. We controlled the game from the start and broke quickly past the defence of St Martins. Once we had lost possession we were quick to get the ball back. With every attack we came close to scoring making it an exciting game to watch. We were more physical, quicker and organised in our play and the boys played well as a team.
U13A v Orley Farm Edge Grove 13 Orley Farm 4
The team were confident heading into the match and had several tactical ploys which they used to good effect throughout the game which we have focused on in training sessions. Orley Farm came straight out of the blocks and stunned us with a run straight through the centre of our defence running the length of the field to score. We responded well with several tries to Nathan and Monty and also Henry leading from the front as captain. The boys worked well in defence, especially Nathan who put the fear of death into the opposition with some bone jolting hits which meant that Orley Farm rushed their passes and threw the ball away at times in anticipation of our strong tackling. Ediz, Liam and Henry were secure in their technique and made the opposition think twice about running at them. Max was strong in attack and made a great run for a try in the first half. We were solid as a defensive unit apart from a couple of occasions where we didn't commit to going low and taking the ball runners legs from him. Charlie controlled the base of the scrum / ruck well and presented great passes to our ball runners. Roman made a lovely mini-break and Henry went on several mesmerising runs in the match. Monty used his pace to great effect running around their defence on several occasions.
We will be focusing on moving the ball along the backline in our training this week along with tackling practice and also changing the angles of our runs. Well done boys, a great match and an excellent result.
U12A v Orley Farm Edge Grove 11 Orley Farm 9
An excellent start to the season with a win over Orley Farm eleven tries to nine. Edge Grove started strong with three tries in the first third from Niccolo and Lir, allowing Orley Farm to only score one try. Edge Grove played well as a team however struggled to get the ball to the win and constantly took it up the middle. Excellent work from Ollie C and Ollie G enable Edge Grove to gain back possession from Orley Farm on a number of occasions through counter rucking. In the second third Orley Farm started to link some passess together and were able to score two tries. This was matched by Edge Grove who through Niky and Lir scored a further three tries. The final third saw Orley Farm come into their own with scoring six tries, Edge Grove struggled to make their takes and get organised and it became a close battle. Tries from Niccolo, Ollie C, Ollie G and Nathan ensured that Orley Farm were not going to walk away with a win.
U11 Mr McManus
We decided to play this match as more of a training game as it was Orley Farm’s first match. We started strongly and scored three very quickly with the boys showing great improvement on last week’s training game. We were more committed in the tackle and showed a greater awareness of getting the ball away from the contact area quickly. We scored a number of good tries and put Orley Farm under pressure with how quickly we were getting to the breakdown, resulting in us having more possession and scoring more tries than the opposition. Hopefully we can build on this for the remaining fixtures.
U11 Mr Wallis v Orley Farm
This was another useful practice match for the pupils as they start to show confidence in their return to Rugby after the disruption of the last 2 years. Edge Grove showed great tactical awareness and teamwork to hit Orley Farm hard when defending, often forcing Orley Farm into unforced errors. When we had possession Edge Grove made sure to move the ball into space, or run at the opposition hard to attempt to break through or show great skill with an offload to a supporting player. It was great to see some of the pupils demonstrating leadership skills by keeping us in formation in attack and defence. We look forward to our fixture next week and hope to keep showing all of these qualities in our practices prior to the fixture. U11 Mr McDonough
The boys played really well, scoring a number of tries and also tackling extremely well. It was a great team performance and really useful to have a proper practice match before we play some of the bigger rugby schools. If the boys continue to show the same determined approach it will be a very successful season.
U10 v Orley Farm
This was a great opportunity for the teams to travel to their first away game of the rugby season and they played superbly, putting into practice much of what they have been learning in training. The teams showed a developing awareness of passing the ball away from contact to create space, but also showed that they were not afraid to take the ball into contact either. There was some excellent tackling on show and some fantastic solo runs to score epic tries. A really good start to the season!
U9 Rugby
A wonderful exhibition of great rugby skills and sportsmanship by both teams. Edge Grove got off to a flying start with some determined passes and drives. Our determination to win was clearly demonstrated with swift and smooth plays from tackles to exploit gaps in the defensive line of our opposition. Without doubt this driven attitude will lead to another exciting encounter next week. Well done boys!
U8 Mr Wagstaff v Heath Mount Edge Grove 7 Heath Mount 4
The boys first rugby match for the school and a tough opposition in a well organised Heath Mount side. The first quarter of the game both teams had come close but neither could find their way over the try line. We then began to run with the ball at pace going forwards and passing the ball quickly allowing us to break the defensive line. Our defence was becoming more organised with most of the play in the Heath Mount half. Our support to the ball carrier allowed us to offload the ball straight after a touch and we continued to attack with purpose. Heath Mount came back in the final quarter with some quick tries but our boys held out until the final whistle. A great team performance. Well done boys!
U8 Mr Wallis v Heath Mount Edge Grove 10 Heath Mount 3
We travelled to Heath Mount with great enthusiasm to have our first Rugby fixtures this year, and the first ever for many of the pupils. It was a very cold day but we remained positive and made sure to defend together as a team and pass the ball into space to make sure that we were constantly moving. This kept the boys warm but also showed them the benefits of stretching the opposition. When Heath Mount had the ball we defended as a group to put pressure on them, often leading to a mistake which gave us possession of the ball. When we had the ball we attacked the spaces and supported each other well to keep constant pressure. The boys did fantastic to keep the intensity until the final whistle and get that well deserved warm bus home! We look forward to keeping these positives for the next fixtures.
Senior (non-match Rugby) Badminton/Table Tennis v Haileybury
A team of 12 entertained Haileybury to an enjoyable afternoon of indoor sport. The badminton (singles and doubles) finished all square and the table-tennis resulted in a 31-14 victory for Edge Grove with some excellent performances, particularly from those who don’t play both sports regularly.
U11A v Beechwood Park Beechwood Park 12 Edge Grove 4 A tough first match for the U11A team against Beechwood Park, with the girls adjusting to the new game of Bee Netball. The girls showed flexibility when rotating positions, transitioning effectively from attack to defence! The first three quarters were extremely tight between the two teams with the ball moving continuously from end to end. There was some brilliant movement down the court and into the attacking circle, with a special mention to Alex D for some great shooting. Unfortunately, in the last quarter, Edge Grove struggled to keep up with the pace of Beechwood Park’s attacking play. Well done to all the girls for great determination and enthusiasm towards their first game!
U11B v Beechwood Park Beechwood Park 9 Edge Grove 3 The girls really enjoyed their first game of Bee Netball against Beechwood Park. The girls were extremely flexible when rotating positions and it was great to see such enthusiasm and positivity on the court. Edge Grove moved the ball confidently around the court and scored some excellent goals. The girls remained positive despite Beechwood’s lead, well done to everyone!
U10A v Beechwood Park Edge Grove 4 Beechwood Park 15 An impressive first match for the girls, not reflected in the score. There was excellent movement around the court and passing amongst the players. The girls enjoyed rotating positions and having a go at defending and attacking. Excellent intercepting by Zuriela and strong marking by Sofia and Phoebe ensured we had several opportunities to score but we were unable to convert all attempts into points. The girls should come away feeling positive after their first game of the season and with a keen focus on practising their shooting in lessons.
U10B v Beechwood Park Edge Grove 9 Beechwood Park 3 A fantastic first competitive game of Bee netball for the girls. They played well as a team and adjusted quickly and efficiently to their new positions after the rotations. We saw some strong shooting, particularly from Amelie, and effective defending, which was reflected in the scoreline. With fewer players on the team in this new style of netball the girls worked hard covering the court and enjoyed being able to play in both attack and defence.
U10C v Beechwood Park Edge Grove 2 Beechwood Park 1 The girls came out fighting and demonstrated impressive energy and enthusiasm from start to finish. They thoroughly enjoyed their first competitive game of Bee netball and relished the opportunity of playing various positions with little time off court! There was excellent movement around the court and passing amongst the players. Holly worked hard at moving into space and Emily scored the two goals ensuring our win against a strong Beechwood team.
U10D v Beechwood Park Edge Grove 0 Beechwood Park 2 The girls enjoyed their first game of Bee Netball and quickly got to grips with changing positions and who they were marking. Despite a tough opposition the girls worked hard to try and keep possession of the ball and make sensible passes to each other. They did not get much opportunity to score but realised they need to take every opportunity when it comes. Something we will work on over the coming weeks. The girls smiled throughout the game and are very much looking forward to their next match against Heath Mount.