Cam Conquer the Conditions and Claim another Max

So this Saturday we saw the start of the reverse fixtures with the arrival of The Maidens to Watchetts as the only team to have beaten the black and ambers in the first half of the season on probably the hottest day we had ever experienced.
Cam looked quite a different team from their game at Welsh with both Big Dom and Voighty missing from the teamsheet, Dom as he was needed at his wedding while Sam took a few nasty bangs last week, together with Smarty and Bowers with skipper Birdy and our returnee Shed aka Ed Grosvenor in the row while Razor stood in at 10 with backs coach Laids bravely donning the 12 shirt, (perhaps we should dual register Max?).
In the event the pitch was probably the biggest factor in all of this and all credit to those Cam folk who worked so hard in the morning to get the pitch playable and also to the visitors and the official for allowing the game to go ahead.
In the event we saw another dominant forward performance laying the foundations for the bonus point win which, however, would have been far less stressful if the black and ambers had managed the official better – seems to be a recurring theme?? - it is quite clear that in most cases absolute dominance at scrum time usually means that some levelling up is inevitable in other areas so we must learn to handle it better.
So with a soggy pitch and a brisk breeze blowing almost across the pitch hookers and kickers both knew that they were in for a tough day at the office but with Cam getting proceedings underway playing towards the clubhouse we saw Fireman George run back the visitors defensive kick and when Connor received the ball on about halfway the centre showed his pace and strength by cutting through the opposition to dot down under the posts for an outstanding score.
Already it was clear that the level of mistakes would be much higher than normal due to the conditions but on 8 mins Connor was almost through again only for the final pass to go astray.
The visitors were clearly being kept in the game with the serious penalty count being incurred by the black and ambers and from their 22 they advanced to the Cam red zone courtesy of 2 pens and when the entire side joined the lineout drive it proved to be too much for Cam to handle and so on 17 mins it became a 2 point game.
At this stage every scrum became a nightmare for the visitors and when Max made a dart for the line he was held up and eventually the visitors dropped out from the goal line.
Eventually, with about 5 mins to go to the break Cam put some daylight between themselves and thee Maids when a great lineout in the visitors 22 saw Macca feed Connor again and the powerful centre burst through the paper thin defence to claim his second of the game under the posts and with Razor adding the extras they retreated to the changing room with a 14-5 scoreline.

The second period poorly for the black and ambers with our seemingly Fireman unlucky to get a 10 min break and the visitors adding 3 points to their tally with a simple kick in front of the posts. The next 15 mins or so saw the Cam pack absolutely dominant at scrum time but Cam managing to lose good attacking positions through their transgressions but following an impressive drive by Brizzle the forwards eventually managed to drive over a set piece from at least 15m with Hughsey claiming the score making it 21-8 as we entered the final quarter.
Again the restart was handled well by Cam with Brizzle charging into the visitors half before chipping ahead to the #15 who was clearly struggling with an injury and from his knock on in his 22 another series of scrum pens saw a yellow for Maidenhead and eventually the bonus point try when Max finally decided to play the ball wide and Alex Young crossed in the corner for a well deserved try plus 5 points which at least allowed Voighty and Clarkey to relax a tad.
The remaining 15 minutes saw both sides struggling as the conditions took their toll but with no apparent injury issues the coaching team will be very happy with the 5 points and with the Tunbridge v Havant game postponed this leaves the black and ambers leading the Seasiders by 9 points with Havant now needing to play through Jan and Feb without a break – very similar to our experience last year.

As I say most weeks, again the foundations for the result lay in the hands of the pack, with the front row of our Ozzie Mole, Spencer (who's perfomances amaze me every week for one so young) and Bazza absolutely awesome – just imagine how the opposition felt when they saw Tony and Smurf coming on later in the second half as replacements!!
Also a special mention for Birdy and the returning Shed who were brilliant replacements in the row while the backrow of BLS, Hughsey and Macca were outstanding in conditions which they quite favour I suggest.

It wasn't really a game for the backs with a slippery ball, treacherous conditions underfoot and a horrible crosswind but they all managed to contribute with Connor showcasing his fabulous qualities and Brizzle, not to be outdone, making telling breaks with his pacey and very physical running and with Alex back from uni on the other wing showing what a quality player he is becoming I am just looking forward to warmer days and firmer tracks!! And this is not to forget Max, another youngster, who is learning and growing each week at #9 which is such a key role, while Razer just quietly gets on with the job whether at 10 or 12 and our Fireman, who does nothing quietly, looks so comfortable at #15 and not forgetting possibly the most loyal guy in the squad Woody who, like Razer, will play wherever he is required and just gets the job done.

So overall another excellent result to claim all 5 points in such poor conditions and hopefully, having enjoyed the festivities tonight, they will look forward to next week when we are at Bracknell for what, without doubt, will be a very fiesty afternoon.

And Finally – well the C&Ws, after a run of disastrous Prem results, travelled to Georgia in the Parker Pen cup and came away with a narrow win – obviously the question being asked at Castle Grim is has Skivs anything left in his playbook?

Pick courtesy of Dinger shows the awesome 8 who set the foundations for the win