Folkestone Under 11s win East Kent Festival

In driving rain a squad comprising a core of experienced players, supplemented with some eager newcomers, travelled to Sheppey RFC for the East Kent Festival and had the audacity to win it!

Keen to get off to a good start in their opening pool game against Sittingbourne Folkestone drove at them from the start and it was one of the newcomers who so nearly opened his account, Rory MacArthur getting held up on the Sittingbourne line. Folkestone did get their rewards though when Dylan Barnes playing in the unfamiliar position of fullback gathered a scrambled clearance kick on the right of field and with some typically adept jinking across the 22 ran it back to score in the left corner. That was entertaining, but sublime was still to come when in the second half Barnes repeated the feat, this time taking the more direct route, admittedly from inside his own half, leaving a trail of attempted tacklers in his wake. Dylan the finisher, but it would be amiss not to mention the contributions made by several of his team-mates, notably James Hughes having a fine game at stand-off and cleverly stripping a ball he had no right to from a Sittingbourne forward twice his size on the second-half restart. Indeed it was an audacious show ‘n’ go from James which nearly got him over the line but which ultimately led to Dylan’s second try from the attempted clearance. The forwards too were playing their part, on a day not conducive to champagne rugby the importance wasn’t on throwing wild passes but rather on doing the basics well, and time & time again they did just that, stopping the opposition on the gain line before they got going. Credit must go to Tom Whelan, Harry Stone and Will Rayner for their prominence in the loose and together with Ollie Turner and Shayne Stickells they set a platform at the scrum and lineout to allow their backs to play off.

Having safely negotiated their opener Folkestone then met a spirited Ash side who put up more resistance than the 4 tries to 0 score line might suggest. Two contenders for star-of-the-show here; Johnnie Hobbs’ with a hat trick of tries from 2nd row on any other day would have been a standout but Callan Little chipped in with a lovely finish to a well-worked try and was unlucky not to bag a second but for a forward pass in the lead-up. It wouldn’t be long in coming though…

Two down and next up was Whitstable in what turned out to be a scrappy affair, the showers returning and against a decent side that had beaten Ashford in their opener. Stones won plenty of ball and Aurelien Austin playing in the centre probed left, right, and left again in an effort to set loose Sam Lewis and Josh Powell outside him but despite his best efforts the Whitstable backs to their credit seemed alert to the danger and gave him no space to work in. In the end a workmanlike performance by Folkestone was settled by tries from Hobbs scrambling over from close range in the first half and another rapier-like run from Barnes in the second, enough to ensure the Stones marched on unbeaten to their final pool match against Ashford.

By now the lads had spent several hours in soaking wet kit and whether the cold was taking effect or nerves were entering the affray at the prospect of beating Ashford, the silky skills of the opener were not so evident. Tournament rugby in the rain does sap the strength, but Folkestone were making good use of their squad and Lewis Dorell and Connor Page were able to add fresh legs, and tackles, with Dorrell making a fine ‘hit’ to snuff out an Ashford attack. The tie was settled by scores either side of halftime from scrum-half William Mead. With his confidence high having already scored he backed himself a second time and with a three player overlap he sneaked over – I wouldn’t have wanted to hear the coaches if he hadn’t made it!

And so to the final and Johnnie Hobbs got his customary try early on to settle the nerves. Five for the day and this could have been the best of the bunch, a bullocking charge with tacklers hanging off him culminating in him flopping over the line. Not to be outdone Dylan Barnes gathered in his own half and sprinted to within a metre of the try line where only a textbook tackle stopped him, but Callan Little following up found just enough space to bag his second of the day. The crowning finale on a fine day all round was surely Ciaran Hughes, who having put in a power of unglamorous work in the pack all day, popped up on the blindside of a ruck two metres out and burst over for the final try.

A good all-round effort in the rain and evidence of a strong bond within the group, with Toby, Harry and Owen turning up to add their support to the boys in the squad today.
Under 11s Squad:-WILLIAM RAYNER; OLIVER TURNER; SHAYNE STICKELLS; HARRY STONE; JONNIE HOBBS; THOMAS WHELAN; CIARAN HUGHES; WILLIAM MEAD; JAMES HUGHES; SAM LEWIS; JOSHUA POWELL; LEWIS DORELL; CONNOR PAGE; RORY MACARTHUR; CALLAN LITTLE; DYLAN BARNES; AURELIEN AUSTIN