Amberley 27 June.

Well after a game where we couldn't do a lot right we played a game where everything we touched turned to gold. Our tackling still wasn't great apart from Travis. The big plus from this game was the fact we had players organising. The talk off the ball was positive and we controlled the ball when we took it into contact. It was a great game and by half time we had already scored 13 tries. the Amberley defence improved in the second half and our scoring rate slowed a bit. Or was it the fact we had to run up hill, anyway we focussed more on passing the ball and this lead to one of out best tries of the season. John-Luke talked well and help organise us.

Ben showed us again he is really working hard on his rugby delivering the ball well from the base of the scrum and running well. Travis is becoming a real work horse, a bit of a Brad Thorn. Jacks's tackling is better every game and his work in rucks and mauls takes a step forward every week.

Jig's attacked the ball on the ground a great deal more than last week and when given a chance he showed us how well he can run.
Between them James and Callum had a bit of a try-fest with Callum getting 8 and James 5. Both boys are running well. We will be working on getting the pass and giving the pass to players in space this week cos when we do we can use our speed out wide.

Blake came close with some great support running and continues to show us his skills as he gets more involved.
We ripped the ball well and Sam showed his strength in this area. Some technical issues in the tackle for him have caused a wee bit of a concern but we will work on this area.

Bailey's speed hasn't been utilised this season just yet. He is at his best when he is running as a support player to the other team members as his pace is fantastic. Check out the photo above!!
Jayden has been thrown in the deep end by coming into the team halfway through the season but he is picking up the game one skill at a time.
Logan is working back to the form he showed in the Kaiapoi game when he tackled everything standing. His support play around the rucks and mauls is improving and when he runs he has a great turn of speed.

Lets hope we can maintain the momentum heading into the next game.
Thanks to Kathryn again for some great photos and Sue Kirwan, or someone Sue knows, who provided some footage as well.Thanks to all our supporters especially the ones who dont eat the special slice made for me!!!!!! Oh and Ned!!

Ohoka

The score board should have simply read Bugger!
We arrived at Mandeville but didn't come to play. It was not our best performance of the season and even though we tried really hard we just couldn't get a lot to work. The high light of the game would have to have been our last try.
Ben broke down the right hand touch line to pass back in field for John Luke to score. It was great to watch as it was a great example of what we can do when we support the ball carrier.
WE did learn today that if we don't make the first up tackles then we will struggle, especially against a side with pace.

Saracens Blue. 11/6/11

Today i reckon, we score our best team try of the season. It was in the second half and the ball went from Ben to John- Luke to Baily to Callum who scored!( or something like that)
It really makes you smile when this comes together.

Anyway, Sam had a great game and I hope this is just the start as he started to use his size and speed to do some damage. Check out the photo!!!

I was impressed with the driving of Travis and Logan. These boys bound and drove a number of times and it looked great. Travis continues to be one of the best tacklers in our side and his commitment is great!

Bailey showed his pace this week and his backing up was excellent. Ben scored a good supporting try and is working hard on his defence.

Our Player of the Day was Sam and most improved was Travis. Jiggy tackled and ran well and earned the best tackler award.
Tries to Callum 3
Sam 1
Ben 1
James 1

The story continues.....

Okay so this is a bit out of sync but who cares. We have a list below of the games and the tries and we hope, well we are pretty sure we have got it pretty much right.

We have added a tackling prize to encourage the team to get stuck in as we all seem to love running with the ball but we are a bit gun shy in contact.THanks to Warwick and Sue Kirwan who have organised this prize.

I have added so great photos from Kathryn who is becoming a bit of a legend with the Box Brownie.

May 14th Glenmark/Cheviot HOME
Ashley 15 Glen/Chev 65
tries
Jack
Logan
Callum
Most Improved Logan
Player Of the Day Travis
Tackler Jack

May 21st Oxford Black Home
Ashley 20 Oxford 45
Tries
Baily 1
Cullum 3

Most Improved Sam
POD James
Tackler Blake

28th May Oxford Red at Oxford
Ashley 20 Ox red 30
Tries
Cullum 2
James 2

Welcome to 2011

With the Ashley Website starting I thought this wouldn't be needed in 2011, I was wrong. I may try to link it with the Ashley Website but I reckon we will just stay here.
The season got off to a great start with the squad pretty much the same as last year, Callum coming in for Luke Gill.
Callum has added a great deal to the team with a good knowledge of the game, great elusive skills and speed!!!!!
All the boys have grown a great deal from last year with a greater level of running and definitely tackling. We saw the running ability when they blew Saracens Red of the park by 80 points. We area a team of runners but we still need to work on our contact areas.

Game 1 Hawarden United away game
Ashley 60 United 35
Baily 2
Callum 8
Logan 1
Jayden 1

Game 2 Kaiapoi away game
Ashley 25 Kaiapoi 25
Callum 4
James1

Game 3 Oxford red Home game
Ashley 25 Oxford 30
Callum 4
Ben 1

Game 4 Saracens Red
Ashley 80 Saracens 0
Baily 2
Callum 5
Travis 1
John Luke 1
Jayden 1
James 3
Sam 3

We have since played Glenmark-Cheviot, Oxford Black and Oxford Red(ish) again.
The last Game against Oxford Red(ish) was a loss but what a turn around for the boys in the tackle area. We counter rucked our butts off and produced one of our finer efforts. I believe we can only go forward from here.

Both these photos show how we attacked the ruck ball. With the Oxford player on our side of the ruck after Callum and then James has tackled them and got to their feet to drive over the ball. Great listening guys!!!!

All our team are starting to run straighter lines with the ball, all we got to do now is look to off load the ball to a player in space, before we get tackled.

Ohoka

Yesterday we played an extremely physical game at Mandeville.
It was actually a great chance to reflect on a season where all the players have made great strides forward. Logan and Travis picked up our team awards but they could have gone to any number of players on the field. There are times I think some of us forget that these boys are just 7 and 8 years of age. We watch the big boys on TV and start to compare. I doubt some of the current All Blacks showed as much potential at the same age.
In fact some never played rugby!
Well I am happy to say all the boys have improved over this year. Maybe they have not made the advancements we experts from the couch think they should have but all have learned a lot more about the game of rugby.
Bailey, Ben and Blake continue to show us how fast they are in the open. These boys have the ability to finish off movements once we start to pass the ball into the space a bit better. Logan and Jayden are developing their all round game. In the past few weeks they have both increased their tackle count and both are getting their hands on the ball more. Jayden's near miss yesterday showed us again the pace he possesses.
James and Sam ran strongly and tackled well. They have a developed a good partnership this year and work well as a unit. Both boys have the ability to bust tackles. John Luke again tackled and ran strongly he is another player who has enjoyed the shift to contact and he is always willing to put his body on the line to make the opposition stop him as he goes forward on attack and defence.
With only one game to go it is a bit of a shame as the boys are just starting to hit their straps.
Oh well we will look forward to the Amberley games next week.

Ashley Blue

With another a game out of the way and the result being a fantastic effort from both teams it was really tough to write this. It seemed right from the start the tension in the air was coming from the sideline. Why is it that?
Why is it that no matter how hard the children try there are people who want to make it ugly for everyone concerned. Well anyway amongst the tension there was rugby played and Jayden had his best game of the season. He tackled and ran harder than ever before and deserved our player of the Day award! John Luke tackled and made sure that people knew he was on the field every time he ran. Sam and James were carrying the ball well and Luke and Logan worked well to get the ball up off the deck. Blake's speed and his eye for a gap gets better every game and Jack increased his number of tackles again this game. Ben,Travis, Bailey all ran with pace and were great at supporting the ball carrier throughout the game.
I would like to thank all our supporters who kept their cool, unlike the ref, who, if wearing rubber gloves, may have shoved the whistle somewhere dark!
Pete , you were awesome having to put up with a Saracens style approach wish I was as cool as you.
Thanks Peta and Alicia for the chips they were awesome, especially the extra packet we found after every kid had left the table.
Ohoka this weekend up there. Lets have a smashfest with our running and our tackling.
Bring it on.