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Sun 26 Aug 2012
3rd XV
10:00
Various clubs
Spitfire 2012
Phil Cooper27 Aug 2012 - 18:22
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Ashford victorious beating the University Vandals, Medway take the Plate beating the legendary Blue Nuns. A great day of rugby and socialising.
A perfect Summer day (at last) and some excellent rugby players provided much entertainment for all the supporters visiting Folkestone, some for the first time! They’ll be back for more next year I’m sure because everybody had a great day.
Pre-tournament favourites Medway, arrived with a young squad because their 1st XV had Kent Cup commitments but it was very good of them not to withdraw and their youngsters drew much admiration as they played some great rugby full of flair. But it was the Folkestone youngsters that really drew my eye. Coach, Darren Molloy felt it was the right time to give his young bucks a real insight to senior rugby. This year Folkestone are entering a Development Squad into the senior leagues. The squad is a combination of the club’s 17 and 18 year olds and the players of the Folkestone Rugby Academy. Effectively they will be Folkestone’s 3rd XV and they will be well worth watching in the upcoming season as they play the game with pace and flair. They were helped out by a few seniors on the day, Keith Howland, Mike Gardner, Pete White, Adam Tolman and Seyhan Fell. “Trolley” Howland blotted his copybook with a yellow card but none of us, including Trolley knew why.
New to the tournament this year were Old Rutlishians from Surrey, the legendary Blue Nun Brigade made up of players from Folkestone and Somerset and anybody who happened to be in Harveys the previous night and finally Rob Hill’s Big er, Test er, Ikles (sic) who camped at the club overnight on Saturday and Sunday but still played some great rugby even if they didn’t win a match. But they did make many new friends and that sentiment has always been the priority of participating in the Spitfire Tournament.
The Stones youngsters were against the wise but old heads of the Blue Nuns. I felt the old boys might have too much experience and weight for the youngsters but they couldn’t get close enough as the lads pressed the flair and pace buttons to win 49-0 in just 24 minutes.
With the home support excited with their new team they then took on Old Rutlishians who arrived with a huge squad and had showed their abilities in beating Whitstable in their first match. The Ruts went into a first minute lead and for a moment the home squad thought that they might be in trouble but for the remaining 23 minute the youngsters battered the Ruts defence which was impressive but couldn’t prevent the 2 tries which win the match for the Stones youngsters.
The final group match was against Whitstable who always put out an aggressive unit. Folkestone started slowly but they got into their stride winning 33-0. So 3 victories, scoring 92 points and conceding just 5 points saw them into the Cup semi final,
In the other group match Ashford quickly became the team most likely to…..But they could only draw with the Medway youngsters who put in a great performance rapidly becoming the favourites of the home club supporters who enjoyed their attitude to the game. The University Vandals which is made up of former Folkestone juniors now spending their parents’money at university, were also looking good. In their previous Spitfire appearnces they had always played well but never had any luck at all. Would the good Lady smile on them today? Let’s wait and see.
It became a 3 team shoot out as the 4th team in the group, who we will now call Rob Hills’Tests played some great especially up front where Rob, himself, and his chum Darren Lehmann didn’t take any steps backwards. But the previous night of socialising and camping at the club was clearly taking it’s toll. Had they cut back on the socialising and slept in a hotel they would have been contenders. They didn’t and weren’t but they added much to the enjoyment of the day. The home spectators roared them on just wanting them to score a well deserved try but they found themselves in the Plate semi final when they finished 4th in their group.
In that semi final The Tests finally scored 2 tries but they were up against the Blue Nuns and the crowd was rewarded with an exciting match which saw some fantastic rugby and much insanity with the Nuns finally winning 19-10. In the other Plate semi final the Medway youngsters used their pace to ease past Whitstable.
And so after a long day of great rugby in the sun we arrived at the 2 finals. First up in the Plate final Medway beat the Blue Nuns who are an invitational team put together for tournament rugby. They, and their sponsors collect money for various charities and they are a very entertaining team with many characters like Paul Williamson, Joe Wilson and the old Psycho himelf, Folkestone legend, Steve Woolford who roars them on from the touchlines. The nuns are sponsored by Realia Marketing. The Medway club deserve a huge pat on the back as other clubs who could not field a full 1st XV withdrew from the tournament just days before the event forcing the home club to re-organise the competition almost at the last minute whereas Medway simply brought along their Development Squad.
Folkestone were up against their older brothers, the University Vandals, the cup semi final so it was a Folkestone derby with each team desperate to earn bragging rights in what was a tough and exciting match. Going into the second half the scores were level and with just minutes to go Folkestone thought they had scored the winner only for the ref to chalk it off as he could not be sure it was a score. And that’s all he could do. Seconds later the Vandals took the lead with a great move and that was that. So finally Lady Luck had smiled on them. Would they get some more in the final which would be between them and Ashford who were in a confident mood as they beat the Old Rutlishians in the other semi final?
The Folkestone youngsters had played great rugby all day and were sorely disappointed not to make the final but the home support was greatly impressed by them. Starring for them were Tom Snare, Tom Carvill, Lewis Howland, Joe Johnsonl (flare and pace obviously run in the family as Joe is the 3rd Johnson to be a Stone starman, Damian Dickson and Gibraltarian, Aidan Beasley who will surely be claiming a 1st XV place.
In the final the spectator’s favourites were the students but Ashford were too strong for them and became the fully deserved winners of the Spitfire Cup. Once again,Lady Luck had left the students to their fate. But without doubt Ashford were the best team in the tournament and they grew and grew in confidence playing excellent rugby.
After the tournament Ms Tracey Chaplin from tournament sponsors, Shepherd Neame presented the trophies after a ‘short’ speech from John Kidson who is the father of the tournament.
After that the socialising began in earnest as local band, Seven Day Wonder performed a great live set. More Spitfire rugby next season? Most definitely.
Pre-tournament favourites Medway, arrived with a young squad because their 1st XV had Kent Cup commitments but it was very good of them not to withdraw and their youngsters drew much admiration as they played some great rugby full of flair. But it was the Folkestone youngsters that really drew my eye. Coach, Darren Molloy felt it was the right time to give his young bucks a real insight to senior rugby. This year Folkestone are entering a Development Squad into the senior leagues. The squad is a combination of the club’s 17 and 18 year olds and the players of the Folkestone Rugby Academy. Effectively they will be Folkestone’s 3rd XV and they will be well worth watching in the upcoming season as they play the game with pace and flair. They were helped out by a few seniors on the day, Keith Howland, Mike Gardner, Pete White, Adam Tolman and Seyhan Fell. “Trolley” Howland blotted his copybook with a yellow card but none of us, including Trolley knew why.
New to the tournament this year were Old Rutlishians from Surrey, the legendary Blue Nun Brigade made up of players from Folkestone and Somerset and anybody who happened to be in Harveys the previous night and finally Rob Hill’s Big er, Test er, Ikles (sic) who camped at the club overnight on Saturday and Sunday but still played some great rugby even if they didn’t win a match. But they did make many new friends and that sentiment has always been the priority of participating in the Spitfire Tournament.
The Stones youngsters were against the wise but old heads of the Blue Nuns. I felt the old boys might have too much experience and weight for the youngsters but they couldn’t get close enough as the lads pressed the flair and pace buttons to win 49-0 in just 24 minutes.
With the home support excited with their new team they then took on Old Rutlishians who arrived with a huge squad and had showed their abilities in beating Whitstable in their first match. The Ruts went into a first minute lead and for a moment the home squad thought that they might be in trouble but for the remaining 23 minute the youngsters battered the Ruts defence which was impressive but couldn’t prevent the 2 tries which win the match for the Stones youngsters.
The final group match was against Whitstable who always put out an aggressive unit. Folkestone started slowly but they got into their stride winning 33-0. So 3 victories, scoring 92 points and conceding just 5 points saw them into the Cup semi final,
In the other group match Ashford quickly became the team most likely to…..But they could only draw with the Medway youngsters who put in a great performance rapidly becoming the favourites of the home club supporters who enjoyed their attitude to the game. The University Vandals which is made up of former Folkestone juniors now spending their parents’money at university, were also looking good. In their previous Spitfire appearnces they had always played well but never had any luck at all. Would the good Lady smile on them today? Let’s wait and see.
It became a 3 team shoot out as the 4th team in the group, who we will now call Rob Hills’Tests played some great especially up front where Rob, himself, and his chum Darren Lehmann didn’t take any steps backwards. But the previous night of socialising and camping at the club was clearly taking it’s toll. Had they cut back on the socialising and slept in a hotel they would have been contenders. They didn’t and weren’t but they added much to the enjoyment of the day. The home spectators roared them on just wanting them to score a well deserved try but they found themselves in the Plate semi final when they finished 4th in their group.
In that semi final The Tests finally scored 2 tries but they were up against the Blue Nuns and the crowd was rewarded with an exciting match which saw some fantastic rugby and much insanity with the Nuns finally winning 19-10. In the other Plate semi final the Medway youngsters used their pace to ease past Whitstable.
And so after a long day of great rugby in the sun we arrived at the 2 finals. First up in the Plate final Medway beat the Blue Nuns who are an invitational team put together for tournament rugby. They, and their sponsors collect money for various charities and they are a very entertaining team with many characters like Paul Williamson, Joe Wilson and the old Psycho himelf, Folkestone legend, Steve Woolford who roars them on from the touchlines. The nuns are sponsored by Realia Marketing. The Medway club deserve a huge pat on the back as other clubs who could not field a full 1st XV withdrew from the tournament just days before the event forcing the home club to re-organise the competition almost at the last minute whereas Medway simply brought along their Development Squad.
Folkestone were up against their older brothers, the University Vandals, the cup semi final so it was a Folkestone derby with each team desperate to earn bragging rights in what was a tough and exciting match. Going into the second half the scores were level and with just minutes to go Folkestone thought they had scored the winner only for the ref to chalk it off as he could not be sure it was a score. And that’s all he could do. Seconds later the Vandals took the lead with a great move and that was that. So finally Lady Luck had smiled on them. Would they get some more in the final which would be between them and Ashford who were in a confident mood as they beat the Old Rutlishians in the other semi final?
The Folkestone youngsters had played great rugby all day and were sorely disappointed not to make the final but the home support was greatly impressed by them. Starring for them were Tom Snare, Tom Carvill, Lewis Howland, Joe Johnsonl (flare and pace obviously run in the family as Joe is the 3rd Johnson to be a Stone starman, Damian Dickson and Gibraltarian, Aidan Beasley who will surely be claiming a 1st XV place.
In the final the spectator’s favourites were the students but Ashford were too strong for them and became the fully deserved winners of the Spitfire Cup. Once again,Lady Luck had left the students to their fate. But without doubt Ashford were the best team in the tournament and they grew and grew in confidence playing excellent rugby.
After the tournament Ms Tracey Chaplin from tournament sponsors, Shepherd Neame presented the trophies after a ‘short’ speech from John Kidson who is the father of the tournament.
After that the socialising began in earnest as local band, Seven Day Wonder performed a great live set. More Spitfire rugby next season? Most definitely.
Further reading