On Sunday the Dorkfordley U12 Girls (a Dorking/Guildford/Camberley cluster) travelled to Sunbury to play Round 2 of the Waterfall Cup against the London Irish/Reeds/Weybridge Vandals cluster, known as the Diamonds.
The opposition were great hosts but unfortunately couldn't lay on better weather. It was frosty and damp with a bracing, bitter wind that was unappreciated by players and parents alike!
The Diamonds fielded a very strong and well-structured team who clearly had plenty of match experience. They played a savvy game, reacting quickly to opportunities and using their kicking skills to get us on the back foot.
The Dorkfordley Girls were not prepared to be walked over, however. Much to the coaches' delight, they utilised the defensive skills worked on in the week, got stuck into the physical contact and made the Diamonds work hard for all their tries. They also showed considerable skill in attack, creating some great phases of play that saw them work their way steadily up the pitch to score two lovely team tries.
The 8 v 2 scoreline did not reflect the huge defensive effort put in by the Dorkfordley squad, nor did it show the considerable progress made. The cluster is new and many of the girls only started playing last summer. They have improved immensely and are learning rapidly, much to the delight of the coaches.
With both teams having good numbers, we ran an U11 development game alongside to give some of the younger, less confident players match experience. The Dorkfordley girls put on a great show, scored some fine tries and came off the pitch buzzing.
