For this fixture, postponed due to snow from last year, we faced a Chinnor team that had recently tied up the Oxfordshire League 1 title. It was probable that Chinnor had taken this opportunity to give game time to some of their newer or less experienced players. Nevertheless when the opening quarter saw our visitors score a couple of fairly quick triesto make the score 14-0, things looked ominous for Abingdon.

One of the most pleasing developments this year has been the way we now preserve team morale in situations like this, and even when another score made it 21- 0 there was no sign of heads dropping. Eventually, Abingdon managed to reorganize themsellves defensively to neutralise the Chinnor threat from 12 and 13, and apply pressure of their own on their opponents goal line. Shortly before half time Connor managed to finish off a good backs move with a score under the posts which James converted, and Abingdon withstood the ensuing Chinnor response to end the half trailing by 21-7.

Ther second half saw some excellent attacking play from both teams and some excellent defending, including a couple of try saving tackles from Chris, who was making his rugby debut. Abingdon had really moved the momentum in their favour, and the pressure resulted in scores from Dale and then Mikey. James converted the first to bring the defecit to only two points 21-19. A famous upset looked on the cards until Chinnor managed to stretch the Abingdon wide defense to breaking point, scoring a try in the corner. A conversion would have put the game beyond Abingdon, but this was missed, and the final period sasw Abingdon press for the score that would have given them the draw it could be argued was deserved. Unfortunately for us, a combination of resoulute Chinnor defense and some of the white line fever which we need to work hard on avoiding, meant that the final score after a thouroughly entertaining and exciting game to watch wads Abingdon 19, Chinnor 26. Congratulations to all involved in a great display of rugby.

After a couple of disappointing performances, losing 29-7 to Bicester at home (with Sam B scoring our try and James converting) and then capitulating away at Witney (31-0), it was encouraging to see Abingdon get back to the standard of rugby we know we are capable of displaying.

This was our first ever visit to Bletchley; quite a long trip, but the area offers parents a range of attractions besides the rugby. Spectators were rewarded by a well  balanced and confident performance by Abingdon, who showed enterprise in attack from the start of the match, keeping ball in hand wherever possible, and but for some minor errors we would have been well ahead by halftime. As it was tries by Rob, cutting a good line from centre  and Dale escaping to the corner, with a conversion by James made the score 12-0 at the break. The first half was not one way traffic though, and it tok some good tackling, defensive organization and a lot of determination to keep the hosts from scoring.

In the second half Abingdon gradually tightened their grip on the game with Ben outstanding at number 8. Another try was scored by Stefan after good pressure on the Bletchley backs in their own 22. Throughout the match Abingdon picked up penalties at a steady rate, but in general managed to adjust their play to the referees (entirely justifiable) requirements. Near the end of the match we lost a player to a yellow card for a high tackle, but the remaining 14 were able to close out the game, the forwards' power and ball control leading to Sam J-S scoring a final try to make the closing score Bletchley 0, Abingdon 22.

For the first weekend of half term Abingdon managed to field an almost full squad with only three absentees. The Harlequins squad on the other hand has been affected by a number of injuries this year, and they needed to borrow Elias, who sportingly agreed to even the numbers up. From the first moments Abingdon were in the ascendance, Jack taking the kick off and the backs attacking wide first left and then right, only a dropped pass and a good Harlequins tackle keeping the ball out. Abingdon were no to be denied; an direct attack through the forwards, with some excellent support and off-loading, culminating with Mitch being on hand to touchdown. James converted. The first half continued with Abingdon playing some excellent rugby, alternating attack between forceful forward runs and good speed out wide. Tries by James and Jack were richly deserved and James slotted another conversion. On the occasions that Harlequins did attack, Abingdon showed enough defensive organization and composure to play themselves out of trouble. 19-0 was a useful half time lead.

The second half showed a slightly more competitive Harlequins able to score a couple of tries, one of which they managed to convert. But there was no stopping the Abingdon attacks, with all fifteen on the field  playing their part in an excellent team performance. Tries by Rob, Aaron and Jack  and a conversion and a penalty by James  made the final score 39 – 12. After the match it emerged that Connor had lost a contact lens right at the beginning, but you wouldn’t have noticed, his assured performance at full back, catching almost every high ball and returning it with interest, summing up an excellent Abingdon performance.

Another hastily arranged friendly match saw us travelling to Bicester to face a B team. Abingdon performed very well in the first half, with tries from Sam B, JackT and Rob, two of which James managed to convert, leading to a halftime score of Bicseter 3 : Abingdon 19. Following some changes at halftime, the story was slightly differnet in the second half with some poor Abingdon tackkling allowing Biceseter back into the game, and indeed into the lead, with another penalty and two converted tries making it 21-19. The last word however belonged to Abingdon, with James slotting a last minute penalty to leave us winners by the closest of margins, a welcome change after a season that has included several  narrow defeats. 

Our return league fixture against Banbury was every bit as close as the score suggests. We played on the only dry part of our pitches, but the weather was good and the match was open and exciting, the low score reflecting excellent defence from both teams rather than any deficiencies in attack or any problems with the conditions.

Abingdon attacked strongly from the kick off and Banbury spent most of the opening minutes defending close to their line. The presssure was rewarded as James kicked  a penalty from  about 25 m out in front of the posts. First score to Abingdon 3-0. Unfortunately for Abingdon, Banbury reacted strongly and some direct running by their heavier players led to a try, 5-3 to Banbury. There was a danger of poor tackling form Abingdon allowing Banbury to get a stranglehold on the game, but to their credit, the players competed well and were again rewarded when James slotted a second kickabkle penalty to restore a precarious 6-5 lead. Unfortunately this was not to last long, as again some direct running combined with poor tackling led to another Banbury try, making the half time score Abingdon 6 Banbury10. The second half opened with Banbury increasing their lead with another try, and at 15-6 the game looked out of Abingdon's reach. There was a real possibility of heads dropping. Happily this never happened, and as the half wore on Banbury began to soak up more and more pressure, including a couple of penalties in kickable positions that Abingdon decided to kick to the corner in the quest for a try which unfortunately never came. Towards the end of the half a Banbury player was yellow carded and this led to a period of intense Abingdon pressure with a series of 5m scrums and line outs being staunchly repulsed by good Banbury defending. The final whistle brought relief for Banbury and disappointment, tinged with pride in an excellent performance, for Abingdon. Final score 15-6. 

The match was appreciated by a sizeable group of spectators, thanks to all of you for your support, it is great for the boys to play within such a good atmosphere.

The total score shows another narrow defeat for Abingdon, but it's worth having a closer look at this game of three halves. Playing the fixture, added at the last minute as a friendly  to help Henley prepare for their upcopming league fixture and to give us some mopre game time, as a series of three 20 minute periods was fine in theory, allowing for more coaching involvement and more variation in players and positions. In practice, the combination of the strong wind and a sloping pitch made each period entirely different.

The first 20 minuites kicked off with Abingdon making a brief foray into the Henley half before we lost possession following a knock on. From the ensuing scrum the Henley team rolled Abingdon back, and the rest of the period was spent in sometimes dogged defence. It proving almost impossible to move the ball back up to the Henley half of the field against the wind. Desspite Abingdon's best efforts the tackles were on occasions lacking, and three tries were conceded, one of which was converted, making the partial score 0-17.

The following 20 minutes were an entirely different story as good Abingdon pressure srtraight  from the kick off caused Henley to cough up possession and it was our turn to make use of the conditions and pressure the Henley line. Quickly the tries came, Sebastian scoring in the corner after the ball was well moved through the backs, James unfortunately unable to convert. Almost immediately we scored again with Sam J ploughing over after one of his many runs from behind a ruck (most of which led to gains in territory). James kicked the conversion this time, and he did so again following our third try, scored by Stefan after great pressure on an attempted Henley clearance kick.

So, after two periods the total score was 19-17 to Abingdon. Unfortunately, it was again our turn to take the unfavored end of the field and the next 20 minutes were filled with the expected wave after wave of Henley attacks. This time, however the Abingdon defense was much sterner and the two tries Heley did score were far more contested than those of the first period. Neither was converted. During this period Abingdon began attracting a series of penalties for offences around the breakdown, and about five minutes before the end a yellow card was shown, with another Abingdon player being sent to the sin bin minutes later for a similar reason. It is tribute to the resolution and teamwork we have developed, that Henley were unable to add to their score, despite their advantage in numbers.  Abingdon were at last able to relieve the pressure, and the match finished with play in the Henley half of the field.

Congratulations to all the players for a hard fought competitve performance. I think the dedication shown in training is having its results, and although the final score was against us on this occasion, we showed abundant promise that better things lie ahead. On the plus side too, most of the tactical experiments worked well, and players asked to play in unaccustomed positions gave a good account of themselves. The fixture alway had to feeling of a spot check on our development, both in individual skills and in team play, and I think we emerged with excellent results.  

Our first home league game was against Witney and Abingdon for once started strongly. A good line out take and an excellent driving maul led to some good pressure on the Witney line for the first few minutes. Unfortunately we didn't take our chances, and Witney clawed themselves back into the game, working the ball gradually back into Abingdon territory and eventually scoring a try thanks to some strong running in the centre. This proved to be the pattern for the match, with Abingdon wasting several chances to reduce the deficit and Witney countering strongly and at times more effectively. That said, the sides were evenly balanced, and there was no further score before half time, leaving it 0-7.

At the beginning of the second half Witney were awarded a penalty just within the Abingdon 22, the closeness of the game was reflected in their decision to kick for goal (earlier Abingdon had run a penalty from an almost identical position) and establish a 2-score lead. Half way through the seond half Abingdon at last managed to again generate some good driving play in the forwards which culminated in Sam B touching down for a good try. James converted and we were back in striking range at 7-10. Unfortunately we were unable to maintain this improvement, and some minutes later Witney ran a try in in the far corner, which they were unable to convert but which gave them enough breathing space to be able to fend off all Abingdon's efforts to get back in the game. The final whistle came all to soon, leaving the final score Abingdon 7 Witney15.

A hard result to swallow, since our general level of play deserved much more, but we have plenty to build on for the rest of the season.

The return match between Abingdon and Aldermaston was always going to be more competitive than the first fixture this season. Particularly in the forwards the Berkshire side gave a much better account of themselves this time,  pressuring Abingdon right from the kick off. In the backs, however, it was a different story, with Aldermaston playing several forwards out of position, and Abingdon, despite a couple of key absences of our own, able to draw on the strength in depth we are beginning to build up in our squad and preserve the balance of the team.

So, it wasn’t long before Aaron opened the scoring with a try that was too far in the corner for James to convert.  The pattern repeated itself at intervals during the first half, as Abingdon used their backs to good effect, with Rob, James and Sebastien all getting on the score sheet. The only slight criticism would be that quite a few chances went begging when Abingdon  players were unable to exploit the gaps and overlaps offered by the Aldermaston defence.  Half time score: Abingdon 20, Aldermaston 0.

Abingdon were able to make changes at half time, and this combined with some better ball retention from Aldermaston gave the start of the second half a slightly more competitive feel. Abingdon still looked dangerous with the ball in the backs and Stefan scored a try in the corner which James was able to convert from the touchline. Aldermaston never gave up though, and a good direct run from their number 15 (possibly their best player on the day) exposed some under-par Abingdon tackling and led to them finally  getting on the scoreboard with a well-deserved try.  Abingdon reacted well, tightening up the defence, and a little later our forwards’ efforts were rewarded as Mikey scored a try that James converted with another good kick from out wide. It was only left for Aaron to finish what he had started, running in the final try to make the final score Abingdon 39, Aldermarston 5.

(Thanks to Andy, for some photos of the match you can see here)

Our first league fixture was at Banbury. After the customary freezing wind, trek to the pitch, and wait for the referee, we at last kicked off our season's league campaign (severely curtailed by both Oxford and Chipping Norton pulling out of the league, leaving just three teams in it - today's two and Witney).  Unfortunately Abingdon were slow to start and we were put under a lot of pressure by the Banbury team who made good use of their weight advantage in the forwards to force over a couple of early tries. This combined with some poor decision making from Abingdon, dampened the enthusiasm generated by the first outing in our new strip. Indeed the outlook seemed bleak as we were unable to compete in the breakdown area, and only some brave last ditch tackling and a couple of handling errors by Banbury prevented the match becoming a rout. 

Gradually as the half progressed, however, Abingdon came back into it, and despite conceding a third try, the first half finished with Rob touching down to score after a period of good Abingdon pressure. Half time score: Banbury 15, Abingdon 5.

Playing into the wind in the second half, Abingdon's enthusiasm could easily have been punctured by another Banbury try (this time from a back move) which was converted, but the team showed their mettle by clawing themselves back into it. Some brave performances (particularly from man-of-the-match Sam J-S) illustrated how much personal skills have improved, and towards the end of the match Abingdon at last showed what we are capable of, competing more evenly at the breakdown and winning ball from Banbury's line out to exert considerable pressure.

The match finished with Mikey forcing the ball down just over the line after another line out turn-over and drive, to score a deserved try that left the Abingdon players with the broader smiles at the final whistle.

Final result, then, Banbury 22, Abingdon 10. Not the best start to our league campaign, but enough bright points to be able to believe that better days aren't too far ahead.

Our first fixture against Devizes was played in fine dry weather and was an exciting game to watch or take part in.

Straight from the kick off the home side attacked, and before Devizes had managed to quite run the stiffness of the journey from their legs, Abingdon were ahead. James made a good run, as space opened up to the right of the forwards, touched down and then converted his own score: Abingdon 7, Devizes 0.

The first half continued with some excellent attacking play and very solid defence from Abingdon, and mid way through the half the score was increased as Sam B crashed over, James again converting. The rest of the first half was more competitive, as Devizes began to put together some good passages of play. But strong defence from Abingsdon, combined with some good attacking moves when possession was retained, kept the visitors at bay.

Halftime score: Abingdon 14, Devizes 0.

After several changes at half time, Abingdon lined up to receive the kick off. Almost immediately some slick passing in the backs combined with an excellent choice of running lines, led to Aaron outsprinting the Devizes cover defence to score. James continued his flawless kicking to convert, and Abingdon looked confortable.

To Devizes' credit they responded to this set back very positively and put considerable pressure on the Abingdon defence. This led to errors, which culminated in a yellow card for the Abingdon number 8 for the last of a series of hands-in offences. Devizes took advantage of this temporary reduction in numbers to score a try, which they were unable to convert. 

The final quarter of the match continued with attractive attacking play and resolute defence from both teams, but there were no further scores. The final score in a very entertaining match which was thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators, was Abingdon 21, Devizes 5.

Match played Sunday October 17th.

Phil reports: The boys carried on the form from last week and played really well. Tries were well shared between forwards and backs, and the fact that Aldermaston failed to score was very positive for us. Toby adds: the one-on-one rucking after the tackle was particularly good as was the support play. There was some sensible kicking on free kicks - deep behind their defence into open space for chasers. All in all, a good performance.

Scorers: Tries; Pablo (3), Dale (2), Ryan (2), Aaron, Sam J, James, Jack, Connor, Sam B, Stefan; Conversions James (11)

Abingdon U16s second fixture of the year was at Maidenhead. We played in the B tournament and had three matches.

First up we faced a Hampshire Barbarians side featuring players from Havant and Winchester. A very competitive and entertaining game, with some excellent rucking and counter-rucking from the Hampshire team and some outstanding defence from Abingdon, was decided by a single try. Aaron picked up the ball in open play on our own 10m line and made an arcing run which culminated in a sprint along the touch line to outstrip the Hampshire defence and score in the corner. Final score: Hampshire Barbarians 0 Abingdon 5

After an interlude watching Maidenhead defeat the Hampshire Babas in the next match, we faced Bracknell. Unfortunately we were unable to compete with some good running from Bracknells outside backs and allowed them to score 3 tries. We did manage to get on the score-sheet too, however, Connor finishing off in the corner, after a strong run from Will and good recycling of posession close to the line. Final score:  Bracknell 15, Abingdon 5

After a short break for water (and to catch our breath) we were on again, facing the hosts, who needed to beat us by more than two scores to take the trophy. After absorbing an initial charge from Maidenhead without conceding, we took the game to our opponents and managed to exert considerable pressure, indeed the ball rarely left the Maidenhead half. After two or three near-misses, our pressure finally paid off and Pablo touched down under the posts. Final Score: Maidenhead 0 Abingdon 5

Bracknell and Maidenhead had drawn in the first match of the day, so this left it all to play for in the final fixture between Bracknell and Hampshire  Barbarians. A draw or a Hampshire victory would leave Abingdon as tournament winners. The match swung one way and another as the Abingsdon players watched from the stands, Bracknell showed the power wide which had served them well in previous fixtures, but Hampshire defended resoulutely and showed good attacking play themselves, twice coming from behind to draw level, before a score in the last movement of the match gave victory and the tournament title to Bracknell. Final Score: Hampshire Barbarians 10 Bracknell 15

It was an excellent morning's rugby with all the matches closely fought, and where Abingdon's excellent team spirit was evident throughout. The silverware was collected by captain Sam, and will soon be in the club trophy cabinet. Congratulations to all involved! 

For our first fixture of the season we travelled the short distance to Wallingford, to face the champions of last years U15A league. The match was set up as three periods of 20 minutes, Wallingfrod won the toss and decided to make full use of the wind. For much of the first 20 minutes determined defence from Abingdon kept out the larger Wallingford players, but this could not go on for ever and a score was converted to give Wallingford a 7-0 lead. Nevertheless Abingdon heads did not drop and we fought back, running the ball effectively into the wind, and we finished the period pressuring their line, at which they gave away a series of penaties. With cooler heads we should have come away with points, but we ewre unable to convert and the first period ended 7-0.

The second 20 minutes (our turn to take advantage of the wind) was unfortunately curtailed by an injury to Rob which  meant calling an ambulance onto the field. Before then we had taken the opportunity to make several substitutions, including giving Aaron his first game with us, and Will his first game of rugby. Some defensive disorganization led to another two Wallingford scores, which they were unable to convert kicking into the wind.

Due to the injury, the last 20 minutes were played an a neighbouring pitch. We didn't start well, having lost much of our concentration during the extended break, and Wallingford added two or three tries. But we again finished strongly, putting the home side under a lot of pressure at the end. Unfortunately we did not manage to convert this into the points we richly deserved.

All in all, a very encouraging display against a stronger team, from the division above us. Not a poor performance in the squad, and an outstanding display of defensive strength and running with ball in hand from man-of-the-match Sebastian, should be seen as very positive signs as we move ahead to more meaningful games.