Festival 4 match report (Exiles 1st June)

celebration after 3 from 3!

So we finally got around to jotting down the match reports from last Saturday. Apparently people read them, who knew? :-)

First up was Exiles. We've beaten them twice this season and we could tell that they wanted revenge at their home festival. They have some big players, a couple of which are lightening quick, so we asked the team to focus on line speed to make tackling easier. As in previous encounters, it was a brutal match but we conceded just the one try.

Next up was Sharks. Everyone got plenty of match time for this one. They have come a long way in the past year, especially their rucking, but we tucked even harder and scored three tries from powerful counter tucking alone. I posted a link on FB a few weeks ago about how the Fiji sevens ruck...please try to show your kids, it's such a powerful weapon! https://www.facebook.com/worldrugby7s/videos/vb.337817801045/867148520298126/?type=2&theater

The last game was against Uppsala, a very well coached team that had strengthened their passing game since we last met them. Strong tackling (my personal fav was a great tap tackle) kept their try count to a minimum, while we enjoyed success through fast running and strong driving.

The coaches reflected on similar themes after the matches: the team's ability to find another gear in the second half, the amazing team spirit and the never-say-die attitude. However, we did not pass as much as we have in previous festivals and relied on individual running too much. It's something we will discuss in training. More often than not, it's much better (and easier) to send the ball out wide to space from a ruck than attempting a solo pick-and-run, especially as the kids get older and sizes/skills/tactics start to even out.

Thanks everyone for a great afterparty, especially Roger and family for hosting...much of the team spirit stems from get togethers like that.

/The coaches