Medway Rugby | Kent Sports News

Following useful warm up friendlies at Gravesend and Dover over the past two weeks Medway travelled to Thanet on Saturday for Round 1 of the Kent Cup and their first competitive game of the new season.

Thanet gained promotion last year by winning London South East 3 league and enjoying a successful season, so the locals knew they faced a stiff test against young and confident opposition.

Medway’s squad has a number of changes since last season and some of the new faces were on show on Saturday. Prop Alex O’Leary, utility player Ben Dance, fly half Dan Harvey and centre Rueben Meares all made pleasing contributions to a good overall team performance from forwards and backs alike.

Medway ran out comfortable winners dominating possession and territory for large parts of this game. That said, Thanet were a constant threat on the break showing great speed and precision scoring three tries in response to the six touch downs from Medway.

The score line could have been different had it not been for Thanet’s excellent scrambled defence. On at least four occasions Medway broke free and looked odds on to score, only to be thwarted inches short of the line by great try saving tackles.

Medway’s tries came at regular intervals from Jason kay, James Dance (2), Tom Beaumont, Alex O’Leary and a fine solo effort by Charlie Wardzynski. Dan Harvey’s kicking was excellent as he successfully converted seven out of eight of his shots on goal.

Although Medway’s performance was generally good, there remains lots of work to do over the coming weeks to be ready for the league campaign which commences on the 13^th September with an away game at Tunbridge Wells.

Medway team;

Brice, Sandison, O’Leary, Easton, Johnson, B Dance, Beaumont, Flanagan, J Dance, Harvey, Garofalo Liua’ana, Meares, Kay, Wardzynski.

A very young Medway team narrowly lost out to Westcombe Park in the Kent Cup Plate Final played at Footscray RFC on Sunday.

In a highly entertaining game for the crowd assembled for “finals day”, Medway held the advantage in the forwards particularly at scrum time, whereas Westcombe’s backs had the upper hand and were a constant threat all afternoon.

Medway led for most of the first half scoring three tries but were unable to pull away from their opponents. Every time the locals scored, Westcombe hit back with a score of their own. Medway’s points came from a penalty try, an excellent team try finished off by Tom Beaumont and a scrum push over, scored by Eanna Flanagan. Charlie Wardzynski kicked two conversions – half time score 19 – 12 to Medway.

Westcombe scored two decisive tries in the opening eight minutes of the second half to take the lead and from then onwards Medway fought bravely to stay in the game but were unable to get back on terms and were limited to solitary penalty try when the Medway pack drove the opposition back over their try line. Westcombe added a further try and penalty to their earlier second half scores.

Young Charlie Wardzynski played well at fly half, controlling the game well with excellent line kicks. The forwards were good all afternoon and it was excellent to see both Lyam and Ben Johnson back in the first team fold after missing most of the season through injury.

This game ends the 2013/14 season and the club dinner awards evening takes place on 9^th May 2014.

Medway team;

Brice, Humphrey, Lyam Johnson, Easton, Weobley, Huntley, Beaumont, Flanagan, Hill, Wardzynski, Chalmers Liua’ana, Burns, Catlin, Ben Dance, Ben Johnson, Morant, Simpson, Kay.

In glorious sunny conditions Medway took on newly crowned league champions Charlton Park in front of a large crowd in South London.

Although nothing was at stake, both sides played with passion and pride and entertained with an open running game played at high tempo. In the end, Charlton demonstrated why they are worthy league winners, as they had a little more pace and power in key areas than the local lads who finished third in the competitive league.

Medway trailed 22 – 3 after 35 minutes and then played very well particularly in the third quarter of the game to reduce the arrears to 22 – 18. However, spurred on by the visitor’s come back, Charlton then finished the game much the stronger of the two teams extending their lead to 44 – 25 at the final whistle.

Medway lost influential loose head prop Ross Cooley to injury after only six minutes of the game and then to compound their problems, fly half Ollie Best had to be replaced after 24 minutes. Although conceding an early converted try and penalty to go 10 – nil down, Medway did well for most of the first half to contain the Charlton threat who had the slight advantage of the elements. Charlie Wardzynski opened their account with a well struck penalty after 29 minutes but they conceded two tries in quick succession on 35 minutes and things suddenly began to look ominous with the score line at 22 – 3. A good lineout catch and drive on the stroke of half time, finished off by Lyam Johnson gave the visitors hope and reduced the deficit to 22 – 8 at the interval.

Good early pressure in the second half was rewarded with a converted try for James Dance quickly followed by another penalty from Charlie Wardzynski. At 22 – 18 it was “game on“, but Charlton responded very well. On 20 minutes, a flowing sweeping move stretched Medway from one side of the pitch and then back to the other, eventually Medway’s resistance ran out as their elusive winger slipped through the middle of some tired looking visitors, 29 – 18.

In a frenetic final five minutes of the match, Charlton scored two further converted tries and Medway replied with a consolidation score themselves from Billy Humphrey and converted by Charlie.

Overall a spirited team performance in defeat and possibly the score line was a little harsh on the visitors. Especially good was Owain Fussell’s tackling in the centre, and a good all round performance from scrum half James Dance.

Next and last game of the season is the Kent Plate final against Westcombe Park on the 27^th April to be played at Foot’s Cray.

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