We are very proud of the players today. It was a massive step up, playing against a very strong team away from home. The first game was a bit scruffy, but we did well to contain Datchworth’s runners and made some great breaks when we had the ball. Shai and Max were very strong in the carries and gave us the go-forward we needed to get on the front foot during our attacks. A few times, we got too close to the touchline, which cost us, and the penalties for a high tackle and offside didn’t help either.

In the second game, it felt like we had our heads on a bit better. Pouncing on loose balls from Reuben and Max gave us the edge, with Shai again making some storming runs.
*Team Player of the Week* goes to Max, who helped ensure we stayed competitive and showed great selflessness by offloading to teammates when he could probably have broken through himself.

*Try of the Week* goes to Marco, for snaking through the defence at high speed and scoring a beauty.

*Defensive Player of the Week* could easily have gone to Reuben for a brilliant try-saving tackle at the end, but Sulita and William worked tirelessly throughout the whole game. This week, the honours go to *William*.

A special mention to Jack for understanding the referee’s decisions and helping the team adapt — the best captaincy we’ve seen this season!

*Player of the Week*: Shai, who carried like a trooper and made some excellent tackles.

Match Report by Coach JR