Gravesend 7 vs TWRUFC Colts 5

9th Feb 2025, KO 11:30

Gravesend - Away

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Match Report

Thanet Colts vs Gravesend Colts

A chilly wet winter day saw Thanet Colts travel to Gravesend, playing on the first-team pitch, which offered a flat and decent surface in front of a good home crowd. Thanet were looking to bounce back, after a disappointing result last week. The match however started tentatively for Thanet, with Gravesend showing strong rucking and jackling skills frustrating the Thanet attack. Unfortunately, Thanet's penalty count again quickly spiraled like last week, with too many mistakes and a lack of communication between players. Their discipline was letting them down, as they repeatedly conceded penalties, failing to give the required 10-meter distance, which gave Gravesend an upper hand, without them having to play any better rugby.

Things took a turn for the worse when Will Gedge was yellow carded for accumulating too many penalties, leaving Thanet down to 14 men. Despite this, Thanet's backs began to show some good cohesion, with some nice passes beginning to develop promising moves. However, their discipline continued to be an issue, with more silly penalties allowing Gravesend to regain momentum. Soft tackling on a tap penalty led to a try for Gravesend under the posts (7-0).

The try seemed to spark Thanet into action, as players like Harrison Taylor, Carl Gordan-Durrant, and the Finleys began carrying the ball well. Ollie Davies, who had been solid in defense, made a lovely pass to James Murdock, who controlled the game well from fly-half. A smooth pass from Murdock, through Tom Gough on the loop put Jem Harris free, cutting through the middle in a try reminiscent of the Daley England try from the day before. Unfortunately, the conversion was missed (7-5).

The Thanet supporters expected this would open the flood gates but this was the final score of the match. Although Thanet showed some good moves and gained ground, they couldn't capitalize on their chances to score more points. There were missed opportunities that, in hindsight, could have turned the game around. The result was a frustrating one for Thanet, who should/could have secured a win in this friendly game away. Noah Bull sustained a broken nose and we wish him a speedy recovery.

Man of the Match was Zac Oliver Hendy, who stood out with an exceptional tackle count and powerful driving runs through the center. His efforts were crucial in keeping Thanet competitive throughout the match.