Sat 2 Mar 2024
Maldon welcomed top of the table Wanstead to Drapers Farm on a Spring day that had at least 3 seasons on display before kick off. Thankfully the weather steadied, the rain stayed away & the breeze did not give too much of an advantage. Pre-match water clearing made the pitch playable, although quite soft.
Wanstead were unbeaten this season & have scored at least 50 points against each of their last 3 opponents. Some changes to the starting line up & some positional changes had taken place & coach Mark was confident that these changes would help our chances. Before a VPs crowd, with the 2s playing Wanstead 2s on the next pitch, Maldon were definitely keen for a good performance.
The game started positively, with Maldon producing quick ball &, in spite of the wet condition, good handling by all. Maldon crossed the gain line with every carry & were in command at rucks by securing the ball more speedily than in previous games. Maldon also kicked well, with Brad White & Dan Allen finding space & chasing as a team. The pressure began to tell on Wanstead, who defended with some determination, but found Maldon hard to stop. Ben Marshall made a fantastic, dominant carry towards the try line, but was stopped just short. Quick ruck ball saw a pass fly across a few Maldon players, before captain Chadwick picked up the loose ball to cross over the try line, converting his own try for a 7-0 lead. It was clear Wanstead were surprised by the incredibly positive Maldon start, something they themselves would have shown against most teams this season. Maldon took heart from this good start & soon were on the attack again, being awarded a penalty on the 22m line. Chadwick kicked this, 10-0. At this point Maldon had grown in confidence, forwards were all looking for the ball & charging straight into the heart of the Wanstead defence. Every Maldon player on the pitch was tackling bravely and didn’t take a backwards step. Around the fringes, Callum Melville & Chris Hadfield were chopping down any Wanstead player who came towards them. Dimitri Scofoles ran hard, gaining yards each time. Importantly, the line-out was functioning much better than in previous games, vice-captain George-Alden Smith finding his man with increasing accuracy.
Maldon continued with the pressure & the territory. Scrum-half Olly Anthony showed quick thinking to carry down the short side from the back of a scrum. A few phases later Brad White carried the ball into contact, got his arms free and provided a great offload to Chadwick who ran in from 15 metres for his second try. A conversion from the touch line followed, 17-0. Wanstead were shell-shocked, but, as befits a team at the top of the league table, they responded well. They used the driving maul to good effect & made good territorial gain. But, after this one success, Maldon stopped all future mauls from making ground. Tempers flared a little for both teams, as Maldon protected their line & Jim Roblin, having another excellent match, & the Wanstead captain introduced themselves to each other and consequently were both sent to the sin-bin. Despite superb defence by Dan Smith, on his first 1st team appearance this season, Wanstead made their way down the pitch. Following a line-out, Wanstead moved the ball wide, allowing their winger to cross in the corner, 17-5.
Half-time was called & Maldon knew that the job was only half completed.
Wanstead started the second half as Maldon had started the first half. They had the ball, kicked well & gained territory.. But, Maldon kept Wanstead out.
Maldon, again, defended well & got as far as the half-way line, but a ball flew out of the ruck and was picked up by Wanstead, moved quickly to their winger, who scored under the posts, 17-12. Then, disaster struck. Wanstead kicked again &, on the muddy pitch, a wicked bounce & then a skid on the wet surface, saw Wanstead pick up the ball & score a simple try, converted, for a 17-19 lead.
Maldon knew that they had to improve & Zak Knight made some powerful carries, proving difficult to stop. Sam Johnson defended courageously, preventing Wanstead from gaining too much territory. Maldon had more territory & were awarded a penalty, but the attempt at goal missed & the chance to retake the lead had gone. As the game continued towards the final quarter Wanstead were keen to maintain their lead & Maldon desperate for a chance to get back in front. Chris Mooney came into the back row & Andy Weller into the front row & both joined in with the defensive effort immediately. Maldon were awarded another penalty, 40m out & Chadwick opted to kick for goal again. As he ran up to kick, the Wanstead prop charged, which meant that the kick was retaken, 10m closer to the posts. Chadwick made no mistake on his second attempt & Maldon took the lead, 20-19, with about 10 minutes to go. Olly Lyons came on in the centre & carried the ball ferociously, with Wanstead showing they didn’t fancy tackling the ball carrying centre. Wanstead threw everything at Maldon, in an attempt to maintain their unbeaten record. Maldon, again, showed huge commitment in defence, personified by George Alden-Smith, who had tackled & carried non-stop for the whole game. Maldon not only defended well, but actually had some ball & took the game to Wanstead. The game finished with an outstanding dominant scrum which saw Wanstead go back at a rate of knots & the ball kicked off the pitch. Maldon were ecstatic with their victory & were rightly very proud at beating Wanstead, who are 8 points clear at the top of the table & will be champions of this division. The Wanstead skipper was gracious in defeat, complementing Maldon on their victory. The crowd were treated to a superb game of rugby from 2 fully committed teams.
With 3 league games left, Maldon will need to repeat this effort to finish the season off with more victories.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Max Knight for his carrying and defensive work & Chris Roper for his outstanding scrummaging.
