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. 

The Death of Running Rugby

"Silence the pianos and with muffled drum 
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come

...For running Rugby is dead" - W. H. Auden (paraphrased!)

Gone are those Halcyon days of solid pitches, Indian Summer temperatures and glorious running Rugby. Alas, the weather has changed. The rains have come, the mud has returned, and the ball has disappeared up jumpers.

This has been the mildest Winter since records began. No country-crippling snow drifts. No monsoon-style flooding. In fact, playing conditions have been excellent so far. However, the mere suggestion of moisture in the air or stick under foot has prompted the return of boring, 'pick-and-go', one out runner Rugby. We saw it at Ampthill, we were surprised to see it from Canterbury and we saw it from Civil Service last weekend.


In fairness, the conditions did dictate the game. It was a cold and blustery day at Cow Lane with the wind gusting straight down the pitch towards the infamous Tring Corner. We had beaten Civil comfortably at their place but we expected something of a battle. The Chiswick-based club were snapping at our heels in the league and had notched up some notable results.


We fought into the wind in the first half. Despite Scott Browne's banana trickshot, kicking from hand was largely out of the question. The aim of the game was to keep the ball and we did that extremely well. Yes, we did have to pick-and-go a lot but we also moved the ball were possible, causing some problems out wide as well as in the tight.


Civil's attack revolved heavily around their pack and their strong running Inside Centre Mitchell. But once, we covered these two areas, there was not much threat elsewhere. A dominant Front Row put us under pressure at scrum time but our lineouts were seamlessly effective. We won all our ball and constantly pressured theirs.


In a tense, physical first half, we had played some our most controlled and dominant rugby of the season. We couldn't convert pressure into points but we remained calm and composed. We were happy with the 3-3 half time scoreline because we had the wind and the slope still to come.


However, Civil hadn't read the script! Rather naively, we took our foot off the gas. Our defence worked hard around the breakdown but we simply couldn't get the ball. Civil picked and picked and picked, edging ever closer up the field. Our defence around the breakdown was solid but the one time Civil took it wide we went to sleep, and Outside Centre Wells sauntered over the line.


We tried desperately to get back in the game but Civil just wouldn't cough up the ball. We shot ourselves in the foot with some poor decisions when we finally did get possession. The one time we got it right lead to a score. A smartly executed move in the backs bamboozled the visitor's and Chennells crashed over in the corner.


But that was as good as we got. The final score was 10-8 to Civil. 


We were hugely disappointed. It was a dull, boring game which very rarely left the dark confines of the breakdown. We targeted this as a convincing Home win but our second half performance showed a worrying naivety and over-confidence. That's not taking anything away from Civil Service. They certainly deserved the win for a fantastically disciplined second half performance.

Liam touches down for the last minute score against Stortford earlier this season

That puts more pressure on this weekend. Away at Bishop Stortford. The Hertfordshire derby comes round again. We know they are on an impressive run, unbeaten in 11 games, including a comfortable win away at Tonbridge. No mean feat.


But there will be no naivety or over confidence this week. Training has been tough. A steely determination has returned to the squad. This isn't just another derby. If we win this, it will put us back in contention for a top four finish.


We're ready for war.

New Year, new resolve

The New Year has started well for Tring. Strong and determined performances against league leaders Canterbury and another local derby against Luton have reinvigorated the team's confidence as we head into the second half of the season.


7 January was meant to be a day of firsts. The first league outing of the New Year. The first real exhibition of the fancy new electronic scoreboard. The first trip to Fortress Cow Lane for Canterbury. And the first loss of the season for the visitors...pity it didn't all go according to plan.


The two losses before Christmas had dented our Top Four ambitions. But we knew we had the talent and ability to cause Canterbury problems. We were missing some key figures through injury and illness but so were the visitors.


There was another first for us on the day - an Italian referee. A few eyebrows raised when he came in to check our studs - his jeans so tight you could tell his religion.


A bumper crowd packed The Step End and we did not disappoint. We started well, showing no fear or ounce of respect to the visitors. We matched they powerful pack with aggressive and relentless defence. Canterbury had to settle for an early penalty after wave-on-wave of fruitless attacks. 


In a bizarre turn straight from a Year 6 school match, the visitors gathered under their posts as we lined up a penalty. But Capt'n Morgan hadn't signalled for the posts, giving new recruit Scotty 'Too Hotty' Browne a free run to the line and the lead. 


Canterbury were not at their best, playing a tight, pick-and-go style rather than their usual free-flowing game. However, our discipline let us down. We gifted them points and field position and were punished accordingly. The score at half time was 23-7.

William Mateai makes a break against Canterbury

The second half was a different game once we understood more about the ref's style. Another impressive solo try and a penalty from Scotty Too Hotty put us within touching distance at 17-23 and we were firmly in the driving seat. 


We pushed hard in their 22 and were pressing for the score to take the lead. But unfortunately our well of good fortune had dried up. A hair's breadth from glory and ever-present Canterbury Number 8 Baars took a gamble and went for the interception. As he touched down to score at the other end, we could start to feel the game slip away.


Despite a late try by Marlen Walker, a further Baars try had put the game out of reach. It had been an excellent performance but we felt we deserved at least something from the game. No losing bonus point meant it was a lot of effort for no reward. 


The game against Luton was a very different beast. We approached the match with cautious optimism. Yes we had lost three on the bounce but the Canterbury game had restoked our fire. The only danger was letting the previous games' good work go to waste. It would need to be another big performance - nothing taken for granted.


And it appears nerves got the better of us initially. A mix up from the restart gifted them the possession. With our heads still spinning, the home side crashed over in the corner from a driven lineout. 


This was the wake up call we needed and our defensive wall rebuilt itself. Sure enough, once we rediscovered our basic phase play, Tommy Newton pulled the scores level. But our scrums were still an issue.


With a make-shift Second Row of Slates and Hixy, we lacked weight and struggled all day at scrum time. Our lighter pack proved more mobile and we were able to keep hold of possession but something wasn't quite clicking. Our execution was not of its usual standard and it wasn't until the end of the half when the pressure finally told. 


A scrum against the head was quickly spun wide and the Mateai Express crashed over in the corner. Our defensive strength also forced a score, Scotty Too Hotty scored from his own charge down to extend the lead to 18-5 at half time. 


Predictably, Luton stepped up their work rate in the second half. They held onto the ball for long periods of time but our defence held true - Papa Bear Lamden and JP in the Centres proved particularly miserly. The home side did pull one score back but their ill discipline cost them. 


Two yellow cards meant we were always in control. We left it late to secure the bonus point. I picked blind from a scrum in their 22 and just as the Scrum Half was about to bundle me into touch, a deft backhand flick gave Rob Baldwin a clear line...it definitely wasn't a flukey, desperate,last ditch effort!


The win has set up an interesting few weeks. This is shaping up to be an exciting season which will hopefully come down to the wire. We are still very much in the hunt for that Top Four finish and Civil Service will be the first major test of our new resolve.

Disappointing December sparks fresh hopes for New Year

As an eventful 2011 drew to a close, Tring were given tough lessons in reality at the hands of Dorking and Ampthill. Two disappointing losses took the sheen off our impressive start to the season and meant we slumped to 6th from our nose-bleed high 3rd league position. 


Dorking at home was always going to be a tough ask. They came to Cow lane sparking with confidence after putting Tonbridge Juddians to the sword the week before. However, we had trained well and felt we could get a result. We have always enjoyed games against the Surrey club and believed the Home advantage would play into our hands.


Hearts were in mouths straight from the whistle. A fumbled kick off landed straight into the visitors hands who quickly moved it wide but were miraculously held up over the line by Josh Smith and Papa Bear Lambden. We were able to clear our lines and gain our composure.


And sure enough, our self-belief was rewarded soon after. A well worked move and patient build up play lead to an easy run in for Papa, strolling over the line following some effective phase play from the forwards. 


Dorking hit back and dominated much of the first half. Our defence was too eager and pressed too hard in the wrong areas. We lost our shape on a couple of occasions and were punished by an intelligent running backline. Full-back Ryan Jeffrey crossed the line twice from similar moves, making the most of our defensive naivety. 


The Game see-sawed back in our favour and two penalties from Liam Chennells clawed us back to 11-15. However, we couldn't keep control. In all too familiar circumstances, their backs capitalised on defensive lapses, this time Wing Hunt extended the lead to 11-20.

Chennells touches down against Dorking

Just when all looked dead, the Game swung back to us and we pushed hard for another last minute result. A try and conversion from Chennells certainly had the alarm bells ringing at 18-20. But it proved to be one Houdini act too many as Dorking calmly slotted a penalty to secure the win. 18-23 the final score and a losing bonus point to console ourselves with.


The following week's debacle at Ampthill was the opposite end of the Rugby spectrum. We were not expecting a free flowing spectacle of running Rugby. In fact, the few games we have played against them have been bad tempered wars of attrition and the 17 December was no exception.


There is never a good time to play Ampthill - there are a brutish team of Lord of the Rings extras. But you definitely don't want to take on the Bedfordshire side on their own turf with an Arctic wind howling and the pitch rather fittingly resembling the Somme. The Rugby Gods were not shining down on us.


The game was savage and brutal as we predicted and we were under the cosh from the start. The home side took advantage of the slope to pound wave after wave of heavy running forwards, like heavy artillery. Our scrum twisted and buckled but our defence in the loose was resolute. And with mutant Second-row Lewis inevitably in the sin bin, we pulled the score level at 6-6. 


Unfortunately, despite some excellent opportunities, we failed to capitalise on the man advantage. Our driving line outs were hugely effective and our backs were far superior but we couldn't turn possession into points. And, sure enough, Ampthill's own solid set piece provided the platform for Back-row Burke to cross on the stroke of half time.

The second half was a depressing affair. Our relentless defence had taken its toll and we couldn't muster the clinical edge to best utilise the slope. As we pushed the Game, we made crucial errors and gifted the home side a number of tries in the dieing moments. The final score, a spirit-crushing 33-6.

I have never felt so battered after a Game and I was still feeling the effects a full week after. It was a very disappointing way to finish an otherwise excellent year and we have had the whole Christmas break to sweat and stew about it. 

Our fancy new scoreboard!

We have always done well in the second half of the season and have put together strong end-of-season runs. The boys are definitely looking forward to getting stuck into 2012...although it would be nice if the weather calmed down a little!

Santa has been to Cow Lane as well. A shiny new digital scoreboard will be officially unveiled on Saturday against league leaders Canterbury...hopefully it will make for good reading!

Smash and Grab Tring hold on to Third….just!

'Any win away from home is a good one' - Tom Newton

The Tring Rangers broke their Kent ‘hoodoo’ at the weekend, with a hard-fought 16-14 win against Gravesend. Our previous two trips to the Garden of England had proved fruitless but a last gasp try from David Shotton secured a nail biting four-point win.

Gravesend surprised us last year. Our over confidence was soundly punished by a physical and direct side, 35-21. And we weren’t the only ones to suffer this fate. The Kent side finished an impressive 6th in their first season in National 3 South East. Despite their patchy form this season, we were braced for another tough physical battle.

We didn’t start the game with the bang needed…I say ‘we’ but a criminally poor missed tackle from yours truly put us under pressure from the outset. We regained our composure though and even turned defence into attack – Sam Clapham scampering in the corner from his own charge down.

The first-half was blighted by errors with neither team managing to control the ball with any real purpose. Despite making early inroads, we tightened up our defence where it mattered and the home side could not convert their pressure.

On the few times we were able to string phases together, we looked dangerous. Patient build up play, following our new game plan, led to a penalty in front of the posts, gratefully slotted by Chennells. 8-0 but far from comfortable.

Gravesend stoked up the heat in the engine room and their powerful forward pack started to dominate. They were disruptive at the breakdown and solid in the set piece. Prop Forsyth scrambled over following a muscular driven lineout.

We threatened with the ball in hand but did not take the chances we were given. Our defence was not at its fearsome best and we occasionally found ourselves out of position. Poor communication gave pacey Full-back Hall an opportunity to jink through a gap, which he finished with aplomb. 14-11 to Gravesend at the end of the half.

The second half was much more encouraging. We dominated possession and started to keep the ball for long periods of time. The scrum was creaking but our defence found it’s brutal backbone and our lineouts started to click as well.

Gravesend Scrum-half, John  Clement, is a friend from Uni

However, several well worked moves were bombed and the time kept ticking. Then, with just a couple of minutes on the clock, slick hands from the Mateai Express and Tommy Newton put Shotton over the line for the winning score.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage Tring performance. But Gravesend is a tough fixture for anyone, especially away from home. And the four points maintained our third place in the league.

Indeed, the table makes for interesting reading this year. Just four points separates third and seventh, making the margin for error even tighter. One mistake and we could slip four places. Rugby shouldn’t be about watching the table but it’s hard not to when it’s this exciting!

This weekend Dorking travel to Fortress Cow Lane. It will be one of the biggest games in our history. If we win, we send out a statement of intent to the league, proving our top billing. Lose and it makes travelling away to Ampthill next week an even tougher ask.

Dorking are an excellent side with some top class players. They are also a good bunch off the pitch as well, which is becoming something of a rarity these days! Last weekend, they recovered from their minor blip with an eyebrow-raising 29-8 win over Tonbridge Juddians. We know where their strengths are and we have prepared well.

Personally, I am looking forward to testing myself against their excellent back row. I have played Sevens with Open-side Harry and we know all about their monster No 8 and strong Blind-side.

Dorking at Cow Lane is a fixture to set the hearts a-flutter. It should be a real hum-dinger on Saturday!

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!