Sat 12 Apr 2025
Maldon were drawn away against Campion in the Papa John's Cup, having finished one point ahead of them in the league.
With a much changed team, Maldon could count on a number of regulars, some youngsters & some helpers.
Changing into kit & walking out onto the rock-hard pitch made the players very warm, as the large group of Maldon supported sported t-shirts & shorts, with a drink or two to cool down.
Campion kicked off, playing with the wind & down the slope. Dylan Bunting caught the kick off & ran hard at Campion. Bodies scattered & Dylan found himself in open space, running at full pace towards the full-back 40m ahead. Having shown power & pace to smash through 8 large forwards, Dylan decided that he would not physically challenge a small, lonely full-back, but try to kick the ball past him & beat him for pace. The rest of Maldon caught up with play, turned the ball over & fed it out for Lewis Nichols to beat a few defenders to score under the post, converted by Joshua Chadwick, 0-7, the perfect start, after less than 2 minutes.
The next 25 minutes were not great for Maldon, as Campion came back from their poor start. They were clinical in their play on most occasions, showing a strong scrum & powerful running. Apart from one try saving tackle, dislodging the ball as the Campion player crossed the line, Maldon were outplayed. Campion scored 4 tries without reply, using the breeze & slope well. Maldon eventually managed to fight their way back into the game. Some pride & determination became evident, as tackles were broken & territory was gained. After playing through a number of phases,slick hands from Max Cowell allowed Dylan Bunting to cross for a well-deserved score, 26-12.
If Maldon could hold on until half-time, the second half would see the slope & breeze in Maldon’s favour. However, Campion had other ideas & scored again for a half-time score of 31-12.
Some substitutions were made at half-time & some additional substitutes turned up to lend a hand. The second half did not start well, as Campion ran through to score within a couple of minutes to extend their lead, 36-12.
Maldon started to use the breeze well, kicking when needed & the slope made attacking an easier option. First Lewis Nichols powered over the line, closely followed by Joshua Chadwick, both tries converted, 36-26, Maldon were right back in the game. But, Campion were not finished & showed good handling & support to score again, 41-26.
Next , Maldon surged back again. Some great interplay, with support from many players & fancy offloads put the ball into Jim Roblin’s hands & he crossed for a converted try, 41-33. Maldon‘s confidence grew again & more great support running gave Ben Cooper the chance to score a try, Chadwick kicking his fifth conversion, 41-40, only one point behind. Maldon threatened to keep the momentum going & take the lead.
Once more, however, Campion showed their desire to win & scored a try in the last couple of minutes to make the final score 46-40.
Maldon lost a close game, but there were some great moments & showed that there are a number of young players who will, no doubt, be the core of the first team in the future.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Lewis Nichols, adding to his impressive try tally for the season!
