End of Season report: Report by Lorraine Balcombe
P W D L
14 7 0 7
After a previous season dogged with injuries the U16s worked tirelessly throughout the summer holidays on fitness training in preparation for the 2013/14 season.
Our first match on 22nd Sept was a friendly at home to our local rivals Ashford. Tensions are always high when playing this team, and despite a feisty start we conceded 24-0 which wasn’t the best start that we had worked for.
The following week 29th Sept we again played our other local rivals Dover, away. Having narrowly beaten them the previous season we knew we were in for a tight rematch. The fact that one of our players had just signed for Dover added to the challenge. Despite the Stones attempts to beat them Dover won 31-7. Stones heads were dropping!!
13th Oct saw us away to Whitstable in our first Kent Cup 1 match. The previous season we were quite equally matched with Whitstable so we knew a win was within our grasp if only Stones could keep their morale up. The weather conditions for this match were extremely wet, with Whitstable using it to their advantage in the first half to secure their win before the weather took a turn for the worst. Again Stones lost 37-7.
20th Oct we played a friendly away to Thanet. After taking a brief lead in the first half, Stones hopes for a win were taken away with yet another thrashing victory by Thanet. It was during this game we lost one of players Declan Gordon with a dislocated knee, who would now be out for the rest of the season. By now we were approaching Half Term and a few players were starting to miss training due to our losing streak and low morale. Plus the cancellation of the Tunbridge Wells friendly on 27th Oct due to them not having a full team didn’t help the Stones gain back their momentum.
After the Half Term break Stones played Maidstone away in a friendly on 3rd Nov. Although Stones showed greater promise, securing their best score to date of the season; Maidstone still beat us 32-22. This followed the following week, 10th Nov yet another loss in a Kent Cup 2 away match to Old Colfeians to what felt like the final nail in Stones coffin with regards to their morale and losing streak.
It was after this match that the coaches took the decision to pull out of the Kent Cup/Plate rounds as Stones’ were facing yet another unmatched thrashing from the opposing teams in their draw. It was for the team’s mental well-being that this decision was made. We were starting to lose players who didn’t want to play for the losing team, and over the coming few weeks leading up to Christmas we saw a mid-season shakeout!
The 17th Nov saw us play Whitstable at home in the first round of the East Kent Cup. Having lost to them just a month earlier by quite a beating Stones were more determined not to repeat their fate. It was a tightly matched game throughout with either side the rightful victor right through to the final whistle. Fortunately for Stones today was the day for them to clock up their first win of the season 10-7, putting them through to the semi-finals.
By dropping out of the Cup/Plate it now gave to team a chance to train more without the pressure of matches for a few weeks. The team weren’t bonding or communicating; and working together on the pitch was just a joke; these were dire times for the lads. With Christmas fast approaching a “paint-Balling” day was arranged for a bit of fun and team building; but before we had the chance to do that we had what we can now officially say the was the turnaround match of the Stones season!
Sunday 15th Dec. Home in the East Kent Cup Semi-Final to Ashford. From the off the tension on the pitch was electrifying. Stones knew Ashford could play dirty and were well prepped to stand up to them on the pitch. In what was a tightly run match Stones took the lead 12-5 in the dying minutes of the game. Ashford were on the ropes, and aggression was fast building. Stones were triumphant, and were a real credit to the FRFC with their sportsmanship on and off the pitch in what was a highly strung game. Stone were now through to the East Kent Cup Final!!!
With the wet weather experienced over the winter several matches had to be cancelled and some rearranged due to flooded pitches. The coaches carefully selection matched teams to help build up our teams confidence. Our first match in the New Year was a friendly on the 6th Jan at home to Hastings & Bexhill. In what was a closely run match Stones ended up winning 14-10, and now had clocked up a third win on the trot.
19th Jan saw a newly confident Stones side beat the Old Gravesendian’s in a home, friendly 48-0 after the match was stopped early due to the extreme wet weather conditions. Stones were on a roll! At least having a great win helped Stones gain momentum in building their belief as they were going to need; as after that match they didn’t have any matches for the whole month of February due to the weather. Even our rearranged matches had to be cancelled.
2nd March was the Quarter final of the Kent Bowl competition away to NAG/Vigo. Again, Stones had a close match but eventually went on to win 14-10 after a nail-biting final 10 minutes. The Semi-Final was now in our grasp; belief was gaining momentum and a second Final could be in sight!
Due to the weather the Cup matches had to be re-organised in quite quick succession. 12th March was the semi-final in the Kent Bowl at Home to Aylesford B. Stones were now starting to ooze belief, and commanded the pitch throughout the match taking them through to their second Cup final to the season beating Aylesford B 46-12.
Sunday 30th March, East Kent Cup Final day held at Ashford RFC against Medway. Stones started the match telling themselves that they would lose as Medway had two England youth players, and were a much stronger side. The first half reflected that and Stones found themselves 24-0. After a rousing half time pep talk by captain Harry Hollis Stones came back fighting. They quickly scored two trys with one converted to take the score to 24-12 to Medway. Medway were on the ropes, and their team started to fall apart as Stones strengthened. Another 5 mins of match time and Stones would have won, but fortunately for Medway the final whistle blew. Folkestone were East Kent Cup Runners-up 2013/14. Their first ever cup success, and now the Kent Bowl was in their sight.

Sunday 27th April, after what seemed a long wait Stones finally got to play Maidstone at Ashford RFC in the Kent Bowl Competition Final; the last, long awaited match of the season. The Stones side was unrecognisable to the Stones side that lost back in November to Maidstone 32-22. Within the first 10 minutes Stones found themselves 14-0 up, but that was when they became a little complacent. Maidstone applied more pressure and soon Stones were just 14-12 up at half time. Stones then came back fighting. No win has ever come easy for us, but the team’s determination and spirit shone through, and not a dry eye amongst their supporters was seen as the final whistle blew. Stone won 24-12. Kent Bowl Winners 2013/14.
To summarise in what has been a rollercoaster of a season. This season has seen the U16s grow from boys to young men as they now approach the senior section of the FRFC. We had a shakeout stage which sieved out the dedicated players from the part timers who played for a laugh. The match against Ashford in the East Kent Cup semi-final in December was the best ever team building event they could ever had wished for both on and off the pitch; as tensions ran very high. They looked out for each other, and supported, and played as a well drilled team.

End of Year Presentations
Clubman of the Year - Douglas Wood
Newcomer - Harry Smith
Most Improved - Josh Holt
Players player - Harry Hollis
Coaches players – Cameron Seagrove

TRY SCORERS: Harry Smith (13), Jack Lord (4), Richard Button (4), Cameron Sanders (3), Jay Robus (2), Douglas Wood (2), Dylan Himbury (1), Charles Watson (1), Charlie Green (1), Liam Balcombe (1), Oscar Peters (1), Harry Cox (1), James Porter (1), Sid Gurung (1), George Way (1).

CONVERSIONS: Douglas Wood (12), Ben Procter (5), Harry Smith (3)
Team Appearances:
Sam Baker (14), Liam Balcombe (14), Harry Clarke (3), Alvin Coleman (12), Ethan Cox (5), Jack Edwards (8), James Evans (13), Declan Gordon( 4), Charlie Green(3), Sid Gurung (14), Jack Hill (14), Dylan Himbury (14), Harry Hollis (14), Josh Holt (14), Jack Lord (14), Matthew McMahon (10), Oscar Peters (10), James Porter (6), Ben Procter (12), Cameron Sanders (9), Cameron Seagrove (12), Shaun Smith (5), Charles Watson (14), George Way (10), Douglas Wood (14), Richard Button (8), Jay Robus (8) and Harry Smith (8).
() = Approx number of games played