Another great festival, this time in support of a very worthy cause in the Christy Jordan memorial fund. The day began with a well-observed minute’s applause alongside the parents of Christy Jordan and a reminder that the aim of the day was simply for the players to enjoy themselves.
Edenbridge had a tough group in pool C with Sevenoaks 1 and Tonbridge 1 both of whom draw from a very rich pool/large army of players. But in all four of their games Edenbridge showed determination and above all else a willingness to grow.

Match 1 was a try-less defeat and coming off the pitch there were some bruised spirits, the post-match team talk took place in the hail and the rain which did nothing to improve the situation, it was all looking rather grim, but a short break and a chance to refresh, the team were soon showing smiles and camaraderie again.

Match 2 was similarly tough against Tunbridge Wells but a significant improvement in the movement of the ball led to the first try for Edenbridge and with spirits lifted we began to show a greater level of competition in the rucks and the tackle which meant a closer result and big step in improvement.

On to Match 3 against a team we hadn’t faced before, Edenbridge were now starting to demonstrate some of their rugby, the rucks were now being fiercely contested Ollie in particular discovering how useful his strength could be, players were finding their confidence and the defensive line was much harder to breach, tackle after tackle from both Sams, Max and Thomas making a real difference. Going forward, we now looked organised with debutant Mila, now distributing the ball with speed and accuracy, enabling the team to find more space on the generous sized pitch. Brodie now showing his ability to cover the yards with the ball in hand, getting a deserved try for his efforts. Final result 3-3.

The final match and an opportunity to go home with a win under their belts the team were bouncing from the coaches’ pre-match talk which sent them into a first half blitz with 3 tries before half time. The standout try from Alistair who ran the length of the pitch showing a clean pair of heels to the opposition to score in the corner. The second half saw a fight back and the opposition show some (Scot-style) resolve as they clawed back the tries. A resilient Edenbridge still had rugby left in them, a good move out to the wing with quick hands and good passing put Becky free on the wing and towards the try line, stopped only by a fantastic last ditch tackle, but her team mates were right behind her to maintain possession and keep the advantage on the wing with the defence out of position, quick thinking and hands from Sam put the ball to Daniel who smashed over with typical bravery and commitment. Final score 4-3. A well-deserved win and a fitting reward for captain Max who lead his team throughout with a never say die commitment.
Well played Edenbridge.

JC