On the road again...

So, I'm trying something new today...blogging on the bus! We're heading to Westcliff near Southend (or Saaaaafffend) in the glorious Saturday sun. Apologies in advance for any autocorrect mistakes!

The Game against Bracknell really took its toll on the squad. We were stunned by how rubbish we were. We didn't tackle, we didn't look after the ball, we were soft at the break down, all in all a bad day at the office. The only real positive was that we couldn't get any worse!

We worked hard in the week, determined to put in a big performance at home against London Irish. And we followed the script perfectly.

The first 20 minutes were perhaps the best we have ever played. We dominated in the forwards and looked sharp and dangerous in the backs. Papa Bear Lamden looked in imperious form and broke the line almost every time. The Mataei Express was in merciless mood as he Lomu-ed everyone in his path.

We took a 17-0 lead and looked untouchable. But Irish were not in mood to be steamrolled. They fought back, lead by influential Number 8 Sam McKinney. We stalled and seemed surprised they weren't lying down. We held onto a 17-14 lead at the half but the tide had turned.

The second half was a battle. Irish had the initiative and extended their lead. We battled to get back into the Game and pressured their line constantly but couldn't find the breakthrough.

The final score was a disappointing 27-20. It was a much better performance though and we registered a losing bonus point to keep us in touch with Civil Service.

Today we're away to Westcliff who have been enjoying something of a resurgence. We beat them comfortably at home but we're expecting a big test today.

We're all looking forward to a big bus trip home as well. 2 1/2 hours, a skinful of beer and Village People theme dress. Let's get the win and get the party started!

Fantastic season in danger of derailing

So....it's been a while (awkward tension). 


I apologise for not being more active but I have been distracted by a fairly major factor - all will be revealed in due course!


But what has happened in the meantime? Well, our glorious and magnificent season is in grave danger of becoming a train-wreck. A terrible string of results and uncharacteristically lackluster performances have lead to a debilitating tumble down the league table. And it all started with an away trip to the Herts/Essex border...


We approached the Bishops Stortford game with genuine optimism. Despite an embarrassing loss to Civil Service, we were convinced we could repeat our momentous away win to our Herts rivals. But things, inevitably, didn't go according to plan. For 20 minutes, we were in the game but then the tide turned...and apparently we forgot how to tackle.


Stortford deserved to win the game as we weren't at the races. But we weren't really allowed to be at the races. A truly baffling and inept refereeing performance meant we could not get a sniff at the breakdown area. As the defending team, we weren't allowed to even think about competing for the ball. If we did, instant yellow card. 


Frustration soon boiled over and we lost our cool. 45-10 the final score with three yellow cards and a red. This was a serious dent to our season but, more importantly, to our confidence and belief. 


And then the snow came. Our home fixture against Tonbridge was postponed due to the weather so we had two weeks of stewing and gym circuit training instead. When the ground finally thawed, we hosted Maximuscle's Staines.

The Rangers prepare for a scrum against Staines

We knew from previous games against the Middlesex side that they always push us to the limit. We were not expecting an easy game as their league position would naturally suggest. And we were not disappointed. They brought a fiery physicality and a desperate determination to push out of the bottom three. 


Despite going behind early, we managed to dominate large parts of the match. We were behind at half time but the tricky conditions meant we were still in with a shout. A tense but thrilling game was settled by a moment of genius from Scott Browne. A pin-perfect chip to the corner straight into the gleeful hands of Titch Roberts followed up by a crucial touchline conversion gave us the lead. The forwards kept Staines pinned down in Tring Corner until the final whistle blew. A tense 13-11 win to restore faith.


Just a week later, however, and we were faced with a problem. The home fixture against Tonbridge had been rearranged on a week that had been marked as free. This meant many people had already made plans and were unavailable so we were forced to field an under strength side. 


Now, to many this may seem like an arbitrary point - if there's a game you play as simple as that. But behind any amateur, semi or even full professional Rugby player is a long suffering partner. If plans have been made, it is very difficult/unfair to cancel them at the last minute - or risk spending the rest of the month sleeping in the dog house, which is no way to prepare for a game! I wasn't able to play in this game, but a 44-17 loss was all anyone needed to know. 


We had previously targeted the away fixture to Bracknell as a must/should win game. A match to rebuild our confidence and push on to triumphant unbeaten run to the end of the season. But last weekend was probably our lowest point. We totally capitulated. Our defence was weak. We coughed up the ball time and time again due to stupid and reckless offloads. And we were duly punished. 


We were taught a valuable lesson in Berkshire. For much of the game we dominated and played some excellent phases. The scrum was solid and our lineout was excellent. But we weren't nearly clinical enough. Like birds following a trawler (ooh I've gone all Cantona!), Bracknell lived off our scraps and made us pay.To be honest, we looked rusty and bereft of ideas under pressure. We were too flat and predictable in attack and too high and noncommittal in defence. 


A final score of 38-3 against a team we were expecting to beat shows we are a team at crisis point. It is easy to look for excuses - bad refs, illness, injuries and absentees - but we have to take ownership of these results and learn from the mistakes. We need to lick our wounds and regain some belief and confidence.


London Irish Amateur will be visiting Cow Lane this weekend and we know we are due a big performance. Or else face our season coming totally off the tracks. 


One final point, lamp-post impressionist David Shotton has decided to leave the club and start a new adventure in Australia. You never know, it might improve his chat! Good luck, mate. 

Tring snatch 3rd despite rollercoaster November

November has proved to be something of a rollercoaster ride, a mix of rest weeks and indifferent performances. But we always knew it would be tough playing two unknown sides and we have come through to December with five points and climbed a place to third in the league.

After a week's break, the first game of the November was a disappointing away loss to London Irish Amateurs. Too many costly errors meant we wasted an excellent opportunity, especially playing at such a fantastic ground.

We were immediately struck by the Sunbury-on-Thames ground. The bowling green first team pitch was a true site to behold, basking the warm Autumnal glow. 

And we didn’t let the occasion get to us. We started the game very strongly. Our lineout and driving maul continued to be a particularly potent weapon, forcing an early penalty and a 3-0 lead. Our defence was robust and further pressure on their line forced a charged down kick and Papa Bear Lamden strolled over for the score. 8-0 and cruising.

We continued to dominate the early stages, the Mataei Express and Sam Clapham both coming close to scores in the respective corners but didn't make the most of our dominance.

…and then the wheels came off. Dramatically.

We had a mad 20 minutes, conceding 21 unanswered points. I was mortified to see my ambitious offload drop straight into the hands of their Blind-side Flanker. He gratefully scampered away with the Fly-half eventually touching down under the posts. Another weak missed tackle meant I needed a stern word with myself!

In the second half, we hardened our resolve and kept the ball tight. Our ball retention was impressive and our scrums were growing in stature. We looked dangerous when we pushed the ball wide and pulled scores back through Tommy Newton and Claps. 

But Irish were more streetwise around the breakdown, making the most of some fairly naive refereeing. Despite a further score from William Mataei after some patient build up play, the first half mistakes eventually proved too much of a mountain to climb.

Newest recruit Marlen Walker (left) packs down against Westcliff

Last weekend saw league newcomers Westcliff visit Fortress Cow Lane. We knew very little about the Essex side other than they had struggled in the league so far. However, we have learnt the hard way that there are no easy games in National 3 so preparations were as tough as ever.


The visiting side started well, pressuring us into needless penalties. The impressive boot of Fullback McKeith notched the first points of the game. 


However, our new gameplan and phase-play soon paid dividends. Patient build up play lead to Cap'n Morgan slithering over in the corner for the first try. And further scores from William Mataei and Chennells advanced our lead as Westcliff's struggled to contain our rampant backline. A slightly scrappy first half ended 19-6 in our favour.


The second half didn't go totally according to plan. Westcliff came out battling and kept possession well. They had a strong and hard hitting forward pack running off the Scrum -half. Our defence was impressively resolute and we forced several errors and turnovers but we simply couldn't capitalise on them. We couldn't keep the ball for any length of time.


The visitors tried to claw their way back into the game via the boot of McKeith and a try from hard-working Prop Binnerman but the game was never really in doubt. Papa Bear Lamden continued his rich vein of form with a score and there was even time for Wasps A's newest recruit David Shotton to touch down from a driven lineout. 


It had been a tough game and we hadn't been at our best by any means. But the 31-14 final result meant another five point home win. With other results in the league going our way, the win also meant we snatched third place from Dorking. 


We're officially in nosebleed territory!

Refreshed and ready for action

It seems like only last week we were sprinting up hills in the barmy summer evenings. The relentless bleep test, like a metronome of misery, is still an all too fresh memory. And yet we find ourselves nine games into the season already…and worryingly I still haven’t scored!

With no game scheduled last week, we enjoyed some well-earned rest and re-cooperation time. It has been a tough and physically demanding start to the league so we appreciated the chance to shake off any knocks and niggles.

But any hopes of an easy week’s training were soon dashed. Brutal sprinting and fitness sessions meant no laurels were rested upon. Although, a team building curry at local Mela restaurant made it all worthwhile. The main lesson of the evening - Papa Bear Lamden can put away a lot of curry!

Papa Bear doing what he does best

The team has been sharp and focused this week. Everyone had a real spring in their step after the weekend off and were ready and raring to go. The team runs were clinical, slick and glistened with well-worked polish.

This week we play London Irish Amateur, who were promoted last year. They have enjoyed a strong start to the season and have established themselves in this league already.

There’s no doubting that it will be a difficult away trip. But we won’t make the same mistakes as we did against Tonbridge. We won’t be intimidated by the occasion, the venue or who the programme says is playing. We will concentrate on our new gameplan and show why we are fourth in the league.

These are exciting times for the Rangers!