Fixture

It was Saints of the Peter's variety that came out on top in this one sided affair on a sunny day at the Glebelands. Saint Julian's welcomed their opponents following a string of good performances in recent weeks, and the hope was that this level of performance would continue against another tough opponent from the Blues region. Sadly, this was not the case.

The Saint Julian's performance was well below the usual standards, and they were second best in most facets of play. Retaining possession has been a theme in every performance this season with the team being able to go through multiple phases and put pressure on their opponents. However it was not the case in this game. The team only managed to go through more than two phases on one occasion, and were turned over at will by a Saint Peter's pack who were hungrier for the ball.

This meant that the Newport team were unable to create any pressure and were denied field position, and the number of turnovers that St Peters were gifted allowed them possession which they duly converted in points, running in six tries in all.

Perhaps the one positive that  the coaches took away from the game was the defensive structure. The drift defence, which has been drilled hard in training in recent weeks, is starting to take hold and players who train regularly are starting to show an understanding of it and utilise it in the game. This meant that their opponents struggled to get around the outside of the defensive line and were forced to cut back inside. This in itself is a positive. The next step will be to ensure that tackles are made when teams cut back in against a drift defence. Something that the coaches will work on in training over the coming weeks.

The Saints did put points on the board. Iwan Pitman, who carried well on the day, got over the line from the base of a ruck and the second try was scored by a St Peters player who switched to Saint Julians to maintain the game at fifteen players per side. The individual's try was perhaps the try of the game as he stepped most of his team mates on his way to the line.

Onwards and upwards for the Saint Julian's team as they prepare to travel to Whiteheads for what will be their 8th game of the season.

Full Time Score

St Julians U13s 12 - 36 St Peters U13s

Try Scorers

Piman, St Peter's Player