Another win for Pinner RFC Under 13s

December 17, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner RFC U13’s versus Saracens RFC Sunday 16th December

Saracens are the league above Pinner in the Middlesex and Herts 5, and a much bigger side in size and numbers. After some mixed training the game kicked off at 11.00 o’clock. Pinner kicked off to Saracens and after several phases of play, Pinner forwards got the ball back with stand in scrum half Louis George passing the ball down the line to Ryan Healy. He then passed to Kai Gordon, who ran through the line of play with a strong run up to the 22 yard line, before getting court by the Saracens full-back. He had time to off load to Louis George in support to run in his first competitive try right under the post. The try was converted by Sam Marchant. Pinner were off to a good start 7-0 and after ten minutes Kai Gordon ran a good solo try from within Pinners half, to close the second half out.

The second half started with Saracens kicking to Pinner, which was caught by Charlie Gascoine, who ran straight through up the middle of the pitch, with some strong support from the forwards pack Edward McCool, Taylor Goodman, Arthur Garvey and Mac Souster with the ball then being passed down the line for Kai Gordon to score his second try. Saracen fought back with a good run of play with several phases and many passes from one side of the pitch to the other, where they scored their first and only try of the day. The game finished after a third try from Kai Gordon. Pinner continued their winning streak, the final score 29 – 5.

This is the fifth fixture in a row where Pinner U13s have been victorious, recent league fixtures have seen them convincingly beating Bedford 43-7. Placing Pinner top of the Herts/Middlesex Junior League Division 6 with 136 points for and only 17 points against.

The next League fixture is Hertford RFC third in the league, away Sunday 13th January 2013

Pinner prove too good for local rivals

December 17, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner and Grammarians vs. Ickenham

On Saturday 15th of December, Pinner and Grammarians hosted local rivals Ickenham for what was anticipated a hotly contested battle. Conditions were tumultuous, but reasonable enough given the time of year.

Both sides were clearly up for the fight ahead of them, and straight from the kick off the forwards got to flex their muscles after a knock-on from Ickenham. The visitors won the scrum against the head and began gaining territory with a couple of well placed kicks. After taking a line-out in the Pinner 22, they made their assertions clear with a rumbling maul crawling toward the line. Unable to hold back the tide, Pinner conceded a try in the first 5 minutes. The conversion was successful. At the restart, Pinner seemed unfazed and won the ball back at the breakdown. They began to work their way toward the line themselves and were awarded a penalty 30 metres out on the right hand side. Mark Razzell attempted with a kick at goal, but sailed just wide, much to the frustration of Pinner. Ickenham then reattempted the plan which worked well previously, and after a well placed kick from the fly half, Pinner once again found themselves defending a line-out in their 22. Ickenham took their own ball, then set the maul. After a few minutes of slowly gaining ground, they crashed over the line on the far right, making it 12-0 at 20 minutes. The conversion was unsuccessful.

Pinner, now in need of an answer, tried a different approach. It was clear that Ickenham had the upper hand in the clinical practice of the forwards, so began to spread it wide, keep the ball alive and keep the defence working. After 5 minutes of bursting runs, Pinner finally found their mark. Centre Pat Fraser cut a straight line at the 12 channel and broke 3 tackles before crossing the line right under the posts. Razzell happily converted narrowing the gap.

The first half was now winding down, but both teams were still fighting tooth and nail over inches. Again, Ickenham fly-half made good use of the wind and pinned Pinner in their own half. The forwards once again played it their way, rolling round the back of mauls to slowly edge toward the line. Pinner eventually slipped on the defence, and Ickenham found a way through. The conversion was unsuccessful, making the half time score 17-7.

The half time team talk must have worked well for Pinner, because as they set out in the second half, they were a completely different team. The forwards upped their work rate and turned over a significant number of breakdowns. Utilising the space, Pinner began to use the width and found themselves gaining ground. Slowly, they went up the field with darting runs and well-timed passing, until they were camped in the visitors 22. Demonstrating his strength, Andrew Alexander took the ball himself and bashed through the defensive line, leaving defenders sprawling and himself crashing over the line. Razzell converted bringing Pinner within 3 points, and then found the mark again with a penalty shortly after, levelling the score. Pinner again went straight on the attack, after some more fine forward work winning them possession. Spinning the ball wide, they were causing real problems for the defence and Ickenham were struggling with their discipline, after they conceded a number of penalties. Pinner, utilising their forward momentum, kept running straight at the line and gaining ground. After some time, the defence finally faltered after a quick-tap penalty, and Pat Fraser again found himself at the try line. The conversion was successful and Pinner had regained the deficit.

Things continued in much the same way for the next 10 minutes, and Ickenham seemed to have little in the way of answers. After a visitor knock on just outside their own 22, Pinner delivered another blow. Scrum half Chris Jepsen took the ball quickly from the back and darted past the flankers. The covering defence, unable to get across in time, allowed Jepsen to draw the sole defender and give the ball to acting captain Razzell, attacking on the blind. After a footrace, the fullback crossed the line in the far right. The score was now 29-17 and Pinner looked to be running away with it.

Ickenham weren’t done yet, though, and after 5 minutes of solid attacking, found their chance. Pinner had been executing a rush defence, and had been doing so well, but after a missed tackle, Ickenham fullback found his way through. Despite an attempt to bring him in to touch by the covering defence, he just managed to get the ball down in the far left corner.

Pinner came back with tooth and claw, further employing their attacking form that had served them well thus far. Ickenham continued to frustrate themselves by giving away a number of penalties, and man of the match Jepsen capitalised fully. Taking a quick tap penalty, Jepsen ran through the retreating Ickenham players who had failed to get back in time. Being the quickest man on the field, they were unable to get back to stop him and he easily touched down under the posts, much to the jubilation of Pinner. Razzell easily converted and set the final score at 36-24.

It was a great game and a hard-fought win for Pinner, who now rest for Christmas before continuing the campaign in the New Year.

Saturday, 15 December 2012
Chess Valley 8 – 38 Saracens Amateurs
Old Grammarians 5 – 46 Kilburn Cosmos
Pinner & Grammarians 36 – 24 Ickenham
Quintin 74 – 10 Old Isleworthians
Uxbridge 17 – 27 Hillingdon Abbots
Herts/Middlesex 2
Team P W D L F A Diff B Pts Pts Adjust
Kilburn Cosmos 10 9 1 0 402 116 286 7 45 0
Royston 10 9 0 1 497 74 423 8 39 -5
Quintin 10 7 1 2 341 132 209 8 38 0
Hillingdon Abbots 10 7 1 2 396 243 153 6 36 0
Saracens Amateurs 10 5 0 5 296 227 69 5 25 0
Uxbridge 10 4 1 5 224 240 -16 3 21 0
Ickenham 10 4 0 6 147 297 -150 3 20 0
Chess Valley 10 4 0 6 150 294 -144 2 19 0
Pinner & Grammarians 10 3 0 7 181 366 -185 4 16 0
Old Isleworthians 10 1 0 9 141 442 -301 5 9 0
Old Grammarians 10 0 0 10 80 424 -344 1 -4 -5

Pelicans give a spirited display.

November 19, 2012 by paul  
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With no 1st XV league fixture due to international matches at Twickenham Pinner’s Pelican XV took on Hampstead 4th’s at Hatch End on Saturday. Hampstead are a strong club running six men’s and two ladies XV’s. It was immediately obvious that the visitors were used to playing together and soon ran in their first try. However the Pelicans were not going to be overrun and strong tackling soon prevented Hampstead from further flowing moves. The pack was proving equal to the task and line-outs were shared.  No. 8 Tim O’Connor was prominent with several breaks from the back of the scrum.  As half-time approached Hampstead were awarded a penalty on half-way and set up an attack.  Seeing the pelicans defence advancing the centre chipped over for their right winger to score in the corner making the score 10 – 0 to the visitors at the interval.

Pinner started the second half with real purpose and launched several penetrating attacks into the Hampstead half. With 15 minutes gone Pelicans won a scrum against the head on the Hampstead 10m line.  Scrum-half Chris Jepson got the ball quickly to fly-half Chris Hall who made a break through the middle.  Dangerous centre Richard Southam took the ball on but was led up on the line. The referee awarded a penalty for going over the ruck and Hampstead cleared their lines.  Mid-way through the half Hampstead won a line-out, the ball was got to their fly-half who made a decisive break before passing to the elusive right-winger who scored under the posts. The try was converted to bring the score to 17 – 0.  From the kick-off Hampstead knocked on.  Pelicans won the resulting scrum and no. 8 and ‘man of the match’ Tim O’Connor picked up and made a powerful drive. Although stopped he regained his momentum to take the ball further into the Hampstead 22.  Scrum-half Jepson got the ball to the backs and with a smooth passing movement it reached Clyde Gordon on the left wing who touched down in the corner.  Although fly-half Chris Hall’s strategic kicking had been a feature of the game he could not add the two points.  With the game nearing its end Jepson was given a yellow card for an alleged high tackle. This gave space for one final Hampstead attack which resulted in their fourth try to bring the final score to 22 – 5 to the visitors. Everyone retired to the clubhouse to watch the England v Australia match.

Before the match players and spectators had observed a minutes silence in memory of Stewart Brown who had sadly died at an early age on the previous Saturday.  Stewart, a former player and Bar Secretary, was the son of Bob Brown who played for the club in the 1950’s and 60’s and his young daughters played mini-rugby in recent years.  The funeral will be at St Anselm’s Church Hatch End on Tuesday 20th November.

Saracens Tickets – An easier way to order tickets!

October 26, 2012 by paul  
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Saracens have introduced a new and easier way for you to order tickets but still benefiting Pinner Rugby Club via the Cashback scheme!

A number of people have asked over the last couple of weeks if we are still selling Saracens Tickets this season. The answer is YES, however Saracens have changed their administration system which does make my life easier. For all games at Vicarage Road and the new stadium at Allianz Park Saracens are offering Pinner Rugby Club “Cashback “ £5 for every Adult and £2 for every Under 16’s Ticket purchased.

Please note the cash back offer is not available for the Saracens v Northampton Saints fixture at Stadium MK on 30th December 2012.

To purchase tickets you must enter the Saracens website using the designated link:

www.saracens.com/pinnerandgrammariansrfc

Users will need to register /create an account if you have not purchased from Saracens before., for each subsequent purchases you will simply follow the clubs URL and login again. Users must then follow on screen instructions and to book their tickets. Please note that your Tickets will be sent via post to you direct.

If you want to sit in the same area as your friends be sure to specify the stand and block you are looking to go for as this process will let the individual choose any seat(s) within the stadium.

I would encourage everyone to use the link every time you purchase a ticket to benefit from the club CashBack scheme. Cashback is a great way for Pinner Rugby Club to make money towards purchasing new equipment and other projects to benefit our children

A convincing win…..at last!

October 26, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner  RFC match report for Sat 20th October 2012

Pinner recorded their first league win if the season when fellow strugglers Old Grammarians from Tottenham were the visitors to Shaftesbury Playing Fields. P&G’s signified their intent from the off with a series of attacks and play was mainly in the O G’s territory. Early chances of scores went begging with missed penalties. With frustration at not getting points from their efforts they allowed Grammarians to get more into the game.  With twenty odd minutes gone Pinner won a line-out just inside the OG’s half.  The ball was fed to captain Aaron Nicholas who found support from flanker Goodwin who drove for the line. Prop Neill {bullet] King was on hand to force the first score.  Mark Razzell, back in his usual role of full-back, took over the kicking duties and promptly added the extra points. The next try was not long on coming when scrum-half Lane cut through the Grammarians defence to leave flanker Goodwin to power the last 15m to score on the left. The conversion was unsuccessful. P&G’s were now playing with confidence and three more chances of scores before half-time narrowly failed. Firstly OG’s were adjudged to have obstructed on the half-way line. The penalty was kicked into the corner.  Pinner gathered and drove forwards only to be held up on the line. P&G’s then won the resulting scrum against the head but the pass went forward.  Grammarians counter attacked and put a kick deep into the home 22 where full-back Razzell made an excellent ‘mark’ under pressure. Instead of kicking for touch he led a counter attack. Forty yards were made by Nicholas and winger Jepson seemed certain to score but lost control of the ball as he dived over the line.  However P&G’s went into half-time with a 12 – -0 lead.

Within a minute of the restart OG’s were penalised for not retiring 10 m. Pinner, sensing the defence was not organised moved the ball swiftly for centre Southam to score.  Razzell added the 2 points. One more try would give P&G’s a much needed bonus point win and they continued with the attacks.  OG’s were forced to kick out but failed to find touch.  The ball was gathered by full-back Razzell who again counter attacked. The ball was moved out to the left where lock Dave Logan completed the last 20 m to score in the left corner. OG’s had little to offer other than to kick up-field which led to more counters by the home side. The next scoring chance petered out when an attack from their own 22 saw P&G’s interchanging the ball freely only there to be adjudged a forward pass deep in the OG’s half. After 15 minutes the next score did come, again Goodwin, who sensing the lack of  organisation in the visitor’s defence, made a solo run from the 22 to score under the posts, Razzell adding the 2 points. With half an hour of this half over the referee, who up till then had had a good game seem to lose the plot.  Having legitimately moved a penalty 10m forward when a Pinner player disagreed with a decision he moved it a further 10m because of further back-chat. At the next play just inside the Pinner 22 and near the touch-line he mysteriously awarded a penalty try when Pinner replacement Burns had too much to say for which he received a yellow card and 10 minutes ‘rest’.  The game now became scrappy with penalties coming thick and fast. With the end in sight scrumhalf Lane took a quick tap-penalty on the OG’s 22 and ran more or less unopposed to score under the posts.  ,Man of the match, Razzell again added the conversion to make the final score 38 – 7 to Pinner and with their six tries a much needed 5 league point win.

Saturday, 20 October 2012
Chess Valley 6 – 40 Royston
Ickenham 27 – 12 Old Isleworthians
Kilburn Cosmos 46 – 10 Saracens Amateurs
Pinner & Grammarians 38 – 7 Old Grammarians
Uxbridge 16 – 44 Quintin
Herts/Middlesex 2
Team P W D L F A Diff B Pts Pts Adjust
Kilburn Cosmos 4 4 0 0 126 69 57 2 18 0
Quintin 5 3 1 1 146 82 64 3 17 0
Royston 5 4 0 1 223 56 167 4 15 -5
Chess Valley 5 3 0 2 80 84 -4 1 14 0
Uxbridge 5 3 0 2 128 100 28 1 13 0
Hillingdon Abbots 4 2 1 1 119 132 -13 2 12 0
Saracens Amateurs 4 2 0 2 135 83 52 2 10 0
Ickenham 4 2 0 2 44 102 -58 1 10 0
Pinner & Grammarians 5 1 0 4 85 197 -112 2 6 0
Old Isleworthians 4 0 0 4 53 149 -96 2 2 0
Old Grammarians 5 0 0 5 51 136 -85 1 -4 -5

Deryck Westwood Day Saturday 13th October

October 2, 2012 by paul  
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On Saturday October 13th the Club will celebrate Deryck Westwood Day “ with a Pelicans game in memory of our former vice-president who played for the club in 1936 and spent many an afternoon watching the team and dishing out Kit kats.

In his will Dereyck left a bequest for the Club to purchase a barrel of beer so that all who knew him or who have ever been involved with Pinner could mark his birthday with a pint. – All are welcome 1.00 pm till late.

If you want to play in the Pelicans/VETS contact Les Chaffe on 0759 6464321

Pinner U13s take the sting out of Wasps RFC

September 30, 2012 by paul  
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This Sunday saw the impressive Pinner Under 13s squad participate in their first venture in to the Herts/Middlesesex Division 6 League. Their hosts for this fixture was Wasps RFC. Continuing on from last weeks friendly match Pinner once again put an  a scoring fest, putting 50 on the score board, the final score being 55-10. There will be a match report shortly, but in the meantime enjoy the images from the game courtesy of one of the squad (currently sidelined with a foot injury) J Talbot

Here it is, just hot off the press

Report written by Dan Nottingham, edited and added to by Jacob Talbot

In the hospitality of wasps, and with the sun shining, Pinner get pumped and ready for their first league game.

Wasps get the call and start the game by dominating the play in the first 5 minutes, Pinner get a break through and thanks to the skills of Ben Stone who collects the wasps kick up-field and charges forward, with a confident wasps team rucking over strongly Pinner lose ball and Wasps attack the Pinner try line. With a well-built defence Pinner hold then back causing Wasps to lose possession, Pinner sees a chance and attack, powerful running and great passing Give Pinner a lot of ground but with a forward pass Wasps gain a scrum, the ball comes out and Pinner get control but give away a penalty. wasps play a tap and go manoeuvre, yet again creating more ground for them. With Excellent tackling by Fullback and captain Kai Gordon Pinner regain control of the ball and attack at furious pace. Unluckily the Pinner passing is yet again scruffy thus meaning Wasps again attack, however Pinner soak up the pressure and regain control winning a scrum. The Ball comes out and Pinner Scrum half Freddie Hart chooses to tap and go.

After many hard rucks Pinner regain the ball and a fantastic sprint from Kai Gordon results in an excellent roar of the crowd and try under the posts. Freddie Hart kicks and converts the try, Pinner go 7-0 up.

Wasps start again and the ball is taken by Ryan Healy who runs into trouble, scrum to Wasps. After a great pass out to Ben Stone from the scrum, he breaks away practically playing football half the length of pitch causing a solo try. Freddie Hart misses conversion – Pinner 12-0.

Wasps start and Pinner regain the ball and attack with Ryan Healy, Sam Marchant and Dylan Kelly resulting in a high tackle by wasps creating a penalty for Pinner. Scrum Half kicks long for a line out which Pinner then go and win allowing them to start attacking. This attempt lands in a line out to Wasps which they win putting Pinner under pressure until Flanker Joseph Burling tackles. Scrum for Wasps, super driving by Pinner who seemed to have the stronger pack but Wasps come out with the ball and pass it down the line. Pinner win back the ball and powerful running by Ryan Healy results in another try. Freddie misses kick 17-0 Pinner.

Wasps start and Dylan Kelly collects the kicked ball passing to Ryan Healy, going on to Luke Barrowman with good running and a great bit of play from Taylor Goodman but Pinner lose ball. Wasps attack, they lose the ball and quick rucking by Pinner, Kai Gordon comes out with the ball and there’s no stopping him today he’s all legs and speed .He scores another solo try running half the pitch and putting the ball down under the posts setting Freddie up with a sitter and he doesn’t miss it – 24-0 Pinner.

Wasps start and win a scrum, Pinner win back possession and a good lay off from George Tillet to Ryan results in Ryan’s second try and more excellent kicking by Freddie and its Pinner 31-0.

Wasps kick short and Pinner take a scrum, Pinner come out from the scrum strongly getting the ball out to the wings, Findlay Schofield has a break but Wasps regain the ball and kick out for a line out. Pinner win the Lineout and attack Wasps try line with Ben Stone and Mark Souster, Mark muscles through swatting Wasps as he goes and puts down for a try. Freddie misses conversion –  36-0 Pinner.

Half time.

Pinner start, good kick by Freddie and Pinner collect. The Ball goes into a driving maul and Pinner keeps possession. Kai’s one-two With Ewan Laidlaw sets him up for another try: his third of the game. Freddie scores kick 43-0 Pinner.

Wasps restart and excellent tackling by Ryan, Louis George and Owen Rees means the Ball goes out for a Wasps line out. Pinner win line out but lose ball back to Wasps. A much more even second half as Pinner start to switch off letting Wasps attack more frequently, Wasps win a scrum and come out with the ball as a rare mistake by Pinner allows Wasps to score a try but the conversion is too much for them and their kicker misses – 43-5.

Pinner start and win a scrum and attack, unfortunately losing the ball and yet again letting in another scrum to Wasps but Pinner aren’t giving up that easily and win the ball back and go. On the front line driving the ball to the try line and resulting in Joseph Burling getting over for the try. Freddie misses kick 48-5 Pinner.

Wasps restart the game and kick straight to Kai, big mistake, he catches the ball and runs, he smashes the wasps defence and scores his fourth try of the game right under the posts again. Freddie reliable as ever converts his kick and its 55-5 Pinner.

Pinner start with some good attacking play even though their fatigue leads to another try for Wasps but once again the kick proves too much for the kicker and he misses – 55-10.

Pinner restart and Wasps gather strongly and are attacking again, time for a comeback maybe? No, brilliant defending by Pinner who hold on for an excellent victory in their first league game of the season ,swatting aside the Wasps and looking like and performing like a strong and organized team.

Try scorers were- Kai Gordon 4, Ryan Healy 2, Ben Stone 1, Joseph Burling 1, Mark Souster  1.
Kicker and scrum half – Freddie Hart, converted 5 tries.

End score Pinner- 55 Wasps- 10

POS P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A DIFF BP PTS
1 Pinner and Grammarians 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 55 10 1 0 0 55 10 45 1 5
2 Hackney Bulls 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 45 0 1 0 0 45 0 45 1 5
3 London Welsh B 1 1 0 0 19 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 19 10 9 0 4
4 Finchley B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Hertford B 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 19 0 0 1 10 19 -9 0 0
6 Wasps B 1 0 0 1 10 55 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 55 -45 0 0
7 Bedford B 1 0 0 1 0 45 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 45 -45 0 0

Pinner Colts sip from the cup of victory

September 30, 2012 by paul  
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This Sunday saw the Pinner Under 18s Colts venture into the cup. This was the first round and they hosted Hitchin RFC. They won the game comfortably 21-7 to progress into the nest round. The match report is currently being written and when received it will of course be placed here, please be patient! In the meantime, here are some of the images from the match….. enjoy

Pinner U13s off to a great start, putting 50 points on the board

September 23, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner 50 – Old Albanians 0

Pinner under 13s got their new season underway in great style at a wet Shaftsbury Playing Fields on Sunday. Pinner scored 50 points without reply in a game played almost entirely in their opponent’s  half .
Pinner looked organised and more akin to a team playing a mid season game than a season’s opener. The Pinner forwards provided a strong platform to allow the backs to throw the ball out wide with increasing regularity .
Kai Gordon was the pick of the backs running straight and crossing the gain line whenever he had ball in hand.
Joseph Burling constantly disrupted the opposition possession winning ball that he wasn’t entitled to and setting Pinner on their way again.
Old Albanians dug in and stuck to their task well but the Red and Blue stripes were everywhere working particularly hard around the breakdown which will have pleased their coach Steve George immensely as he paced the touchline with a widening smile.
Pinner scored 8 tries in total on the day, with 2 each from Kai Gordon and Ben Stone and Mark Souster, Sam Marchant, Ryan Healy all got one each and  Freddy Hart scored the last of the 8 tries  and with the conversion he took his personal tally to 15 points on the day Pinner will face tougher games than this in the season ahead but will do so with much optimism after this performance.

Next weekend the U13s venture into the Middlesex/Herts Div 6 League with their first game – an away fixture versus Wasps B 11am KO. Judging by this match, it’s going to one to watch.

Is it all about the numbers?

September 22, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner seniors played there first home league fixture on Saturday versus Chess Valley RFC. The match report will as per usual follow on shortly. In the meantime here’s the image factor!

Pinner squander opportunities.

P&G’s, playing their first home league match of the season took an early lead when full-back Mark Razzell landed a 40m penalty after visitors Chess Valley were adjudged guilty of handling the ball in a ruck. With twelve minutes gone he put the home side further ahead with another penalty, this time for off-side.  Both teams were attempting to play open running rugby on a very hard pitch shorn of grass. This enthusiasm led to numerous mistakes. Pinner took advantage of the new ‘rolling subs’ regulation to temporarily replace injured players. On the half hour it was P&G’s turn to give away a penalty for going over the top at the ruck. Chess Valley narrowed the score to 6 – 3. The referee then had to receive treatment for a pulled muscle but managed to continue. Pinner now seemed to be taking control of the game with a series of promising attacks.  Centre Alex Goring was prominent in many but either a forward pass of a knock-on denied then a score. With half-time approaching Pinner lost control of the ball in the Chess Valley 22 which was gathered by the visitors centre who out-paced the chasing defence to score under the posts. The conversion was successful but luckily for the home side a penalty right on half-time failed. However, Chess Valley, against the run of play, let 10 – 6 at half time.

It was the visitor’s turn to score fist in the second half with a penalty for handling in the ruck. Another penalty hit the post but Pinner failed to gather the rebound. Strong tackling kept out the resulting Chess Valley attack and P&G’s worked their way into the opponent’s half. Full back Razzell fielding a kick-out inside his own half fed speedy left winger Chris Jepson who having chipped over the defence was taken out and injured by a late tackle that went unpunished so another opportunity was denied. Pinner continued to attack and a very powerful run by centre Goring saw the ball moved out wide via Razzell who found skipper Aaron Nicholas on hand to score.  Razzell converted to level the scores at 13 -1 3.  A further Pinner attack looked promising only to be knocked on with the try-line beckoning. Into the final quarter the Chess Valley scrum-half miss-queued a cross field kick but the bounce favoured the visitors who scored in the right corner. With the final whistle due Another speculative kick up-field saw the P&G defence flat-footed allowing the visitors to touch down for their third try and deny Pinner a bonus point.

Lack of preparation show in first match for P&G’s

September 17, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner & Grammarians Press report for Sat 15th Sept 2012

Pinner, under new captain Aaron Nicholas, for the going difficult in their first league match of the season at Hillingdon Abbots, formerly Old Abbotstonians. With Abbots kicking off P&G’s failed to field the ball cleanly handing over early possession. The home side made the most of this mistake to move the ball around scoring their first try within a couple of minutes of the start to give them an early lead of 7 – 0. From the restart P&G’s mounted a sustained attack and were awarded a penalty on the Abbots 5 m line. Quickly taken by scrum half Chris Hall he found lock Alex Gorling in support who powered over for a try. Full back Mark Razzel levelled the score. The early season rustiness was showing in both sides but after 10 minutes Abbots broke out from their own half to score their second try but the conversion was missed. It was now obvious that this was going to be a high scoring match as defences, with players getting used to match play, were not too secure. Further pressure by the home side saw their forwards power over for their third try, again the conversion was missed but the home side were ahead 17 – 7. With a quarter of the match gone Abbots knocked-on on their own 22. P&G’s won the scrum with Hall feeding new fly-half Ray Conboy who dummy a couple of defenders to score under the posts. Razzel again added two points. Captain Aaron Nicholas was taken out in the air attempting to catch a kick up-field let the home side in for their fourth and bonus point try. P&G’s again struck back. Scrum Half Chris Hall, on half-way, chipped over the home defence, Alex Gorling out-paced the over to score his second try. In the final ten minutes of the first half Abbots added two more tries making the half-time score 34 -19 to the home side.

The second half started as the first with Abbots scoring within a couple of minutes of the kick-off when a long kick to the corner was gathered by the home winger who appeared to score. This was confirmed by the home touch-judge much to the dissatisfaction of the visitors. Defence now were better organised with players getting used to the pace of the game and no further scored came until mid-way through the half. End to end play resulted in a line-out on the P&G 5m line which was lost by the visitors allowing Abbot to power over for their eight try. Pinner continued to fight back but without replacements for benefit from the new ‘rolling subs’ law they were unable to catch up until with only a couple of minutes left centre John Kirby took a pass in his own 22 a ran some 80 m evading several tackle to score under the posts to gain P&G’s a bonus point. Razzel added two points to bring the final score to 44 – 26 to Hillingdon Abbots.

On Sunday the newly formed Colts XV had a harder match but, after leading for most of the game came from behind to clinch their second victory of the season with a 22 -17 win over Henley.

Next Saturday P&G’s have their first home league game at Shaftesbury Playing Fields Hatch End against Chess Valley KO 3 pm.

Pinner U18s Colts continue their winning ways

September 16, 2012 by paul  
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A depleted squad took on Henley this Sunday in another friendly fixture. As is the custom, the match report will follow, but in the meantime here are some images from the game, enjoy.

Colts U18s Triumphant Debut 36-8

September 9, 2012 by paul  
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On a hot sunny September afternoon, the new U18s Colts squad represented Pinner RFC for the first time, judging by what was seen and commented from the touchline this is going to be a very exciting season. A full match report will follow shortly, but in the mean time here’s some images from the friendly match against High Wycombe

Training:

Wednesday 6.30pm

We are always on the look out for new players, interested? Why not come down and give us a try

Next Match: Sunday 16th September home 1.30 KO

A Great two days of Saracens Rugby Camp hosted by Pinner RFC

August 10, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner Rugby Club hosted their fourth Saracens Rugby Camp this week, giving young players  an opportunity to train with the 2010-2011 Aviva Premiership Champions.
Saracens held a Two Day Skills Clinic at Pinner RFC. The camp, designed in consultation with the Saracens academy, is for young aspiring rugby players and will provide the perfect balance of fun, intensity, excitement and education, using modern training techniques, player focused sessions and development through game play.

With the excitement of the London 2012 Olympics coming to a close, it was great to see some rugby during the summer holidays.

Greeted by a mini heat wave and the customary hospitality that Pinner RRC offer the two day rugby clinic proved to be a roaring success. Players from assorted clubs from Middlesex, Hertfordshire and even as far away as Singapore all joined in the fun and developed new skills and techniques.

On the first day, the players rotated around the Saracens coaches;

developing skills in a number of areas including;

Individual skills & techniques, Positive Continuity, Contact avoidance, Offloading, Speed, Agility and Quickness, Tackling / Tagging Techniques and  Ball Presentation

The second day provided extensions of the skills previously undertaken:

Unit Skills, Breakdown Management (Rucking, Leaching, and Ball presentation progressions),Tag rugby transferable skills, Game awareness and the philosophy of contact rugby, Ground and pass vs ground and place, Evasion, Footwork, Reactions and SAQ, Ball Presentation, Offloading concepts and techniques

The two days was a huge hit with the young players, coaches and parents alike, the most popular aspects being the food (provided by Pinner RFC Mini Chairman), the ’swan dives’ over the tube tackle bags and meeting new friends, of course not necessarily in that order.

Pinner RFC will no doubt be hosting another rugby camp during the autumn half term hopefully we will see some of you again.

Don’t forget we have our club Open Day on Saturday 18th August from 12pm – a great day of fun, meeting old and new friends, ‘Pinner Olympics’, bouncy castles, BBQ, Karaoke, Cross bar challenge – see you there.

Pinner RFC Hosting Saracens RFC Summer Rugby Camps

July 17, 2012 by paul  
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Saracens Rugby Camp – Pinner RFC Thursday 9th August & Friday 10th August

Pinner RFC are teaming up again with Saracens this Summer to give you an opportunity to train with the 2010-2011 Aviva Premiership Champions.
Saracens will be holding a Two Day Skills Clinic at Pinner RFC and we encourage all Mini and Junior players to develop their rugby by attending this course. The camp, designed in consultation with the Saracens academy, is for young aspiring rugby players and will provide the perfect balance of fun, intensity, excitement and education, using modern training techniques, player focused sessions and development through game play.

A very competitive pricing structure is in place this season with a 10% online discount also available. It is recommended you book early to avoid disappointed.

Period: Summer Holidays 2012
Date: Thu 9th Aug 12 – Fri 10th Aug 12
Time: 09:30 – 15:15
Number of Days: 2
Ages: 6-16 years as at 01/09/2011
Hot Lunch:        Yes
Cost: £50.00

To book your place or for further information, including course content and structure for and of the above courses please visit www.rugbycamps.com/saracens or call the Saracens community team on 01707 285 026.

Slough 7s Aarons first trophy or how was that possible!

July 17, 2012 by paul  
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This might be remembered as ‘how did we get our hands on a trophy!’

This was to be the magnificent return of Pinner to the Slough Festival, having been invited for the past two years and Aarons first time out as captain. However, whether due to inclement weather; boy did it chuck it down, the time of year, family (girlfriend) commitments or just apathy, a full squad as promised whittled down to a mere eight players, a shadow of what was expected to turn up and enjoy, what is, always a fun day of rugby, socialising and drinking (more on that as the report progresses!)

The theme of the day, was fancy dress – nothing changes, from the original ’super pinner heroes’ of yesteryear to the modern thinking ‘Go Pink’, all participated to differing degrees of Primark!

In the tournament booklet Pinner were described as:

Pinner RFC sevens side is a mixture of any one from the club who feels fit enough to play at the time of each tournament. This means that players of all abilities are included in the team… big burly front rowers to the nippy wingers. Which is why at times we can show brilliance on the pitch and sometimes a bit like headless chicken like. 7s are becoming ever more popular with the club as regularly Pinner are entering two sides in each tournament…… well reading between the lines; who turns up plays, we still play 15 aside rugby, average age has got to be over 30oh and of course we must look ridiculous at all times especially if we have a tipple or two or three!

The pool in which Pinner landed itself into was a mixed bag:

The Met Police, Ernst & Young, Friends of Kenya and Woking College Old Boys

Now to be frank, Met Police were after a fight from the whistle, Ernst & Young fit, young as the name implies, quick and keen with a dashing rugby kit, Friends of Kenya; really? all were related Usain Bolt- watching them pass was basically a blur. Woking College Old Boys; how old, younger than our youngest player and not particularly good really.

Ok a quick rundown of the matches:

1st Game – couple of lagers down –  Met Police, started fairly well with Aaron scoring a try and converting it, Met then went on to score 2 tries and converted them both. Ollie then with a breakaway run scored a try for Pinner, which unfortunately was not converted. Met then goes onto score three more tries, converting all three. At this point, fatigue had already reared its ugly head, but the boys kept on trying especially in the breakdowns, winning most rucks and mauls as the game continued. And would you believe it, a Met Police player getting a yellow card, well that was a surprise! Especially in the opening exchanges of the first half one of the opposition ‘dared’ Razzell to ‘have a go’ at him, Mark, in his usual well mannered way laughed it off and smiled at him.

2nd Game: More lagers, and an incredible down pour leaving everyone soaked to the skin. Friends of Kenya, basically no match against the ultra fit and fast group of athletes (not Pinner in this case!). Pinner scored one try and I think, can’t quite recall FoK scored at least 4. Game played in very good spirit, especially as Laney had turned up in flip flops (no understanding of wet weather despite being from the land of permanent rainfall – Wales, for those who do not know) with the half time drink – Jagermeister, duly drank by the team

3rd Game: Ernst & Young – by this time Pinner were down to 7 players, no subs available, the rain had effected the reporters writing implements, paper was soggy, pen was flooded and the game went as expected, Pinner, despite some valiant work, especially in close contact situations were out run by the opposition and to top it all, our passing was fairly comical

4th Game: oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, this wasn’t going to be our finest hour, with Reza not sure which end of his body was leak first, suffering with food poisoning (I leave that to deduce what the outcome might be), luckily he found a wheelie bin pitch side and proceeded to fill it. Warren, in the warm up – yes they did warm up, dislocated two fingers and with no tape about bound them with a pink hair band – this later came back on him, as during the game they were ‘knocked out’ again, whilst asking Fred and Dave to pull them and put them right, a very young opposition player watched on, turning extremely pale asked Does it hurt? Gee join the dots. For the first time in what appeared to be an eternity, Pinner actually played really well, and if honest, had a couple of subs available would have won comfortably, however this was not the case, another loss.

By the magic of tournament rugby the next part was very weird.  Pinner, at this stage had played 4 lost 4, beer time was called, Pimms, Cider and an assortment of other beverages. The team relaxed and got themselves ready for the evening entertainment.

The tournament organisers had other plans, was it favouritism, was it spite or was it purely a mix up? Pinner had got a by to the final , oh dear.

The final: Pinner v Quintin

Pinner, have in the past played Quintin in the Middx/Herts league and have always performed well against them.

Fuelled on a mixture of drinks, lack of match fitness, being knackered, having no subs available,  playing 15s rugby instead of the rehearsed 7s game……. well you can probably guess, they lost, having the half time cider didn’t help.

Strangely, Pinner came back with a trophy, this, hopefully will be the first of many for Aaron.

Post match: further drinking, banter and socialising with opponents, what could be better… next year no drinking, we either go to win or go for a laugh, the feeling I got was that was the last time Pinner would embarrass themselves on a pitch at this tournament, roll on next year hic

Pinner Olympics – Club Open Day Saturday 18th August 2012

July 17, 2012 by paul  
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Saturday 18th August

Pinner Rugby Open Day

Hello to all members old and new of Pinner Rugby Club!

The 1st social event of the new season is upon us and I want to make it a whole club affair. By getting everyone together I hope to get us all excited for the season ahead and for us all to start becoming closer rather than a seniors section and minis section etc etc….. Absolutely anyone is welcome; grab all your mates family friends and anyone who might want to join a new club or even want to start playing rugby whether they are 5 or 55! lets get the beers flowing and the laughs rolling as we will have:

1) Pinner Olympics – £10 entry Per person this gets you a free beer and the trophy if you win! Grab your best/worst fancy dress outfit and come and compete in the annual games which include dizzee rascal (everyone’s fave) to the ultimate dance off!

2) Middlesex rugby bus - https://www.middlesexrugby.com/Community/MiddlesexBus/

3) karaoke- good singers bad singers and drunk singers all welcome!

4) The usual BBQ bouncy castle and fun and games for the youngsters.

5) Cross-bar challenge

Lets all do our best to get everyone down and get the season off to a good start.

Mini & Youth Sections End of Season Awards: Saturday 5th May

April 30, 2012 by paul  
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The End of Season Awards Presentations on Saturday 5th May, saw the end to a very successful season for the Mini Section, at Pinner Rugby Club, with each section winning a variety of tournaments and accolades.

The afternoon started with selection of fun activities for both parents and players: ‘moon ball rugby’ being a new edition to the activities, by Under 13s coach Chris Roycroft-Davies, which proved to be a great success with all ages scrambling for the large, white aerobics ball and eventually managing to get hold of it. The now, traditional game of ‘Dizzy Rascal’ (named before the rap singer) was enjoyed by all those who took part, who wouldn’t? Getting dizzy, trying to run straight and then drinking a mixture of soft drinks whilst being cheered on by team mates – great fun! Even Mini Chairman Spud (AKA Paul Talbot) was seen spinning around the pole and with some degree of control drink his drink without spilling it! With the bouncy castle in full use during the afternoon, hungry players and parents had their appetites nullified with burgers from the BBQ, brilliantly manned by Minty and Dev – Pinner RFCs answer to Ant & Dec of the catering world!

As the FA Cup reached half time in the clubhouse, the presentations started. It was the first time that the many new parents and kids – who have joined our club this season – had attended an End of Season awards. There were many positive comments for the vast variety of medals, cups and trophies laid out on display. These were both as club age group awards and cups won during the season.

The presentation was opened by Jo Talbot, Mini Section Administrator and Secretary, who welcomed both players and parents, thanking them all for their attendance, giving apologies for absence and highlighting some of the forthcoming events – Ickenham Gala Day, Saracens Summer Rugby Camp 9th & 10th August (Pinner RFC are hosting) and the Pinner Show.

Mini Section Chairman, Paul Talbot, then gave his introduction speech. He thanked everyone for their support throughout the year and their commitment in expanding the playing numbers; this year has seen the Mini Section increase in membership by over 50 players. He also thanked the club committee for their continued support, outlining future developments for the club, as well as thanking all the parents for their support, week in, week out helping the club to run so smoothly.

This year has been a very successful year for all age groups and even though some players have had to play up a year. Paul commended all players for their determination and more importantly their enthusiasm for playing rugby, the trophies on show proved this:

Under 7/8s – Egham Tag Festival Champions

Under 9/10s – Egham under 10s Festival Champions,

Middlesex under 10s Runners up

Under 11s – Middlesex under 11s Joint Winners,

Slough Under 11s Festival Winners

Under 12s –

Slough Under 12s Festival Joint Winner,

Middlesex under 12s Runners up

Presentation of Awards:

Under 6s

Players Player: James Evans

Most Improved: Leo Daines

Coaches Player:  Josh Luiz

Under 7s

Players Player: Thomas Hill

Most Improved: James Dawson

Coaches Player: Vivek Ambasna

Under 8s

Players Player: Jonathon Nye

Most Improved: Asher Woldman

Coaches Player: Jan Maguire

Under 9s

Players Player: Luke Selby

Most Improved: Jack Grey

Coaches Player: Maxwell Fullerton

Under 10s

Players Player: Mani Lee

Most Improved: Jameel Seidel

Coaches Player: Calum St John

Under 11s

Players Player: Josh Maloney

Most Improved: Joseph Edgar

Coaches Player: Joseph Holden

Under 12s

Players Player: Kai Gordon

Most Improved: Marc Souster

Coaches Player: Freddy Hart

Chairman’s Award:

Nominees – Leo Daines, Conner Walker, Jude Jackson, Reece Connolly, Calum St John, Cameron Fox, Findlay Schofield

Awarded to

Reece Connolly

Pinner Mini Section Tournament Champions great stuff!

April 23, 2012 by paul  
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Pinner Mini Section Celebrate as Tournament Champions

April 23, 2012 by paul  
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