U18 Tour

Effingham and Leatherhead Under 18 rugby team return unbeaten from tour to Barcelona
 
ELFRC U18 boys continued their tradition of touring European cities over the last few years. Following trips to Dublin, Venice, Cardiff, and Prague this time it was off to Barcelona  - home of Gaudi’s architecture, Barcelona FC, and a rich Catalan culture. The trip was an unmitigated success, with thanks to organisers Chris Bowman & Robin Townsend; the long serving and excellent ref & coaches, respectively Steve Smith, Paul Lazarevic and Mark Woods.
 
Barcelona is a wonderful city with plenty to eat, drink, see and do. The boys did their best to try most of it! And over a 4 day tour played two excellent matches, with a highly competitive Go-Karting afternoon sandwiched in between. The rugby opponents were: Parets-la-Ville senior team - a first experience of senior rugby for many of the ELRFC boys – and Barcelona FC U18.

October 29, 2009: Parets Senior Team Barcelona 14 - 38 Effingham U18
A late alteration to the tour schedule, Parets kindly stepped in at short notice. Under the flood lights, kick-off was delayed until 9pm as Parets players had first to draw the white lines of the pitch! This was a true grass roots experience, a reminder of the graft, passion, and optimism that gets a rugby club up and running.
 
What Parets lacked in technique and experience of rugby, they made up for in hearty attitude and bodyweight – with an advantage of perhaps a stone a man. So the ELRFC forwards had their work cut out in scrum and ruck, and set a strategy to win and spin ball fast and wide at every opportunity. With plenty of space and pace the three quarters expected to make it count.
 
And so it turned out, in the first half, with tries for Rawson [2], Hughes-Hallett, and Van Oortmerssen all coming through spreading the ball wide once the forwards had earned it. Parets stole a try under the posts at the end of the half by bursting through close to the scrum, a tactic that suited their weight advantage;  and which they stuck to after the interval. Let it be known that Steve Smith – a welcome member of the tour party (not only because he speaks good Spanish) - kindly took the whistle and reffed the match, despite considerable pain in his Achilles and in his ear holes from ungrateful supporters on the touchline. A ref’s lot never changes...thank you Steve for showing us how.
 
Early in the second half Parets managed to keep the ball tight for several phases and after several drives another try came. At 14-26 and with Parets gaining a bit of momentum, it was game on. Effingham’s forwards, however, proved their worth and their fitness. Withstanding Parets “battering ram” approach manfully, Effingham managed to steal possession after an extended maul. The ball was smuggled to speedy lock Bowman who cantered half the pitch to score under the posts, and eliminate any doubt on the result. Manning [S] converted his fourth in five attempts. Thereafter, despite much forward endeavour neither side could gain a consistent upper hand until, with the hosts tiring, Effingham once again whipped the ball into the hands of the backs, and Crabb touched down for the final score. A great team effort: forwards shouldered the hard work, and the backs rewarded that effort with well-taken tries.
Whilst coming off second best on the pitch, Parets hospitality afterwards was first rate:  BBQ, drinks, singing and drinking games. Parets Spanish/Catalan rugby songs resounded like flamenco guitar; in response to which Effingham sung loud and long, and there was  a memorable table-top performance by Tubb. Many thanks to Parets for stepping up at short notice, playing a great match, and demonstrating what grass roots rugby is all about.
Final Score: Parets Senior Team Barcelona 14 - 38 Effingham U18

October 31, 2009: RFC Barcelona U18  7 – 36  Effingham U18
A guided tour visit to the Nou Camp - Barcelona FC’s soccer cathedral – revealed that in fact Barcelona runs a wide ranging sports academy, including Catalan’s best teams for handball, basketball, and rugby football too. So from the grass roots experience to Parets two days earlier, Effingham found themselves warming up on the immaculate synthetic grass and superb playing conditions provided by Barcelona U18.

Those two days had included some enthusiastic “site-seeing”, leaving the boys a little jaded and needing to sweat out a few cobwebs before the match. This was achieved through a stiff pre-match work out under a hot Mediterranean sun. Meanwhile Barcelona’s warm-up showed them to be a well drilled side. It remained only for the sun to go down and the local ref to start the match 5pm kick-off.

Any remaining doziness was soon eliminated in early forward exchanges as Barcelona showed strength, pace and good technique in their pack. Pushing Effingham scrum back, Barcelona were able to give their backs a chance to show their skills too. Their inside centre had an excellent boot and pinned Effingham back.  Whilst Effingham scored the first try, through a neat handling movement ending with Chapman touching down, Barcelona looked threatening and levelled the scored when their inside centre bowled over for a try under the posts. With the conversion the hosts were 7-5 ahead.
But then the tide began to turn, Effingham’s forwards gained more than a fair share of possession, Barcelona kicked away too much ball, and whether fielding the opponents high ball or fed by the pack, Effingham’s three-quarters used it well. Demonstrating expansive intent, deft handling skills, and excellent pace Effingham ran in two more tries: a straightforward one for H-H, and an excellent touch-down in the corner for Holmes (unfortunately breaking his wrist in the process). At half time Effingham led 17-7.
Right from the restart Effingham showed positive intent, taking the ball at kick-off and feeding to Mackay for one of several impressive drives. The second half saw Effingham gradually turn the screw, by retaining the majority of possession, driving hard up the middle of the park, and spreading the ball wide for the backs...and support. After a move of several phases taking the ball right and then left, flanker Forrester-Walker finished off with a try in the corner. And the kick off was almost a carbon copy of the previous: clean catch, pop-up to Mackay running onto it at pace and making good ground.
The game remained open, with both sides full of attacking intent; only Effingham were just that bit tighter in defence, and fleeter of foot with the ball. Van Oortmerssen, after one of his typical darting runs, extended Effingham’s lead with a try which Manning converted. To put the final nail in the result, Woods ran in a barrelling try from 30 yards out – demonstrating that props certainly can sprint – which Manning duly converted to close the scoring at 36-7.
Hospitality afterwards was in the bar, food and drink. As ever, good relations were developed despite the language barrier; and Crabb ably translated captain Lazarevic’s thank you speech to the hosts. We are hopeful that FC Barcelona will return the favour with a tour to Effingham in the not too distant.
Final Score:  Barcelona U18  7 – 36  Effingham U18

With two well contested victories to embellish an excellent tour itinerary, the boys are in fine fettle for the coming league fixtures.