Match Report: Cinderford U18s 24 – 5 Coney Hill U18s
After a tough lesson the previous week against Chosen Hill — where a narrow 12–10 half-time deficit turned into a 47–10 defeat — Cinderford’s U18s were determined to bounce back at home in their first encounter with Coney Hill.
And bounce back they did.
In classic Cinderford RFC fashion, the weather did its best to make things interesting — relentless sideways rain and a howling wind meant conditions were far from ideal for running rugby. Still, both sides gave it a real go, showing plenty of determination and skill despite what felt like monsoon conditions on the new 3G pitch.
The opening 20 minutes were a tight and physical affair, both forward packs cancelling each other out while earning plenty of scrum practice thanks to a slippery ball. The deadlock was finally broken by the home side after a sweeping move from deep inside their own 22. Centre Trathen burst through a gap, showed a clean pair of heels, and finished superbly under pressure. Heal added the extras to make it 7–0.
Coney Hill responded well and enjoyed their best spell of the first half, capitalising on some loose Cinderford defending to cross in the corner (7–5). The rest of the half was an arm-wrestle in the mud, with neither side able to add to their tally before the break.
The second half brought even heavier rain — a real test for the drainage on the new surface — but Cinderford came out firing. With the wind at their backs, they pinned Coney Hill in their own half and extended their lead through a rare but well-taken try from inside centre Emsley, who sliced through the defence, stepped the full-back, and raced clear for his annual score in the corner (12–5).
The home side’s dominance continued, but handling errors and stubborn defence kept the scoreboard quiet until number 8 Weaver capitalised on a strong scrum to power over for Cinderford’s third (17–5). There was still time for one final moment of brilliance — Heal collecting a clearance kick deep in his own half, beating the chasers, and gliding down the touchline to score in the corner, sealing a 24–5 victory.
Despite the dreadful weather, both teams played their part in an entertaining and hard-fought contest that kept the hardy, rain-soaked supporters thoroughly engaged.
Next up for the Colts: a two-week break before travelling to face unbeaten Bredon Star — a real test and a chance to build on this strong home performance.