On a perfect day for cricket we found ourselves finally putting a line under a very long season. Derby`s A team were in the only group to contain five teams, the others had four, which meant an extra game in extremely hot and testing conditions.

Without being presumptuous or disrespectful it appeared that the harder of the four pool games would be the first and last and so it proved. Both games could have gone either way but it was Derby`s greater determination in defence and their better use of the ball in space that saw them through to the semi-finals.

Against a big, strong Chesterfield outfit in the semi-final and the evenly matched Ilkeston side in the final, we really saw Derby`s dogged determination and team spirit shine through. It has been a feature of our 15 a-side game this season that the boys soak up everything thrown at them and then take what try scoring opportunities are created. In this 7 a-side version of the game these qualities appeared to stand out even more so with fewer players on the pitch and the subsequent additional space.

Forwards Danny Lawson, Myles Costello, Tom Doyle and Jim Brentnall did exactly what was asked of them ; cover the whole pitch in defence, provide quick ball at the breakdowns and support the ball carrier. It was this support that resulted in these boys picking up six tries between them.

In the backs David Eades and George Tresidder continually, and seamlessly, swapped between scrum-half and wing to great effect. Tresidder`s pace resulted in an incredible twelve tries! Tom Kent and George Castledine were the perfect midfield ; strong in defence and with clever distribution of the ball. For me though it was the defensive effort that sealed this victory with some heroic tackling in particular from Kent and Tresidder.

Mention must also be made of replacements Joe Wright and Alex Ham who didn`t see much game time but took this on the chin, continued to support the team and, along with B team skipper, Alistair Woolf, provided a constant supply of much needed water.

It was a huge effort and a deserved win. Well done boys - be proud of your NLD Champions status.

Pool B results :-

Derby A 19 Newark 12
Derby A 31 Mansfield B 0
Derby A 36 Bakewell 0
Derby A 17 Kesteven 10

Semi-Final

Derby A 12 Chesterfield 5

Final

Derby A 17 Ilkeston 0

A team :-
James Brentnall, Tom Doyle, Danny Lawson, Myles Costello, George Tresidder, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Alex Ham.

Derby`s B team were always going to be up against it from the start as they were pitched against the A teams of three other clubs, hosts Paviors, Matlock and Ilkeston. In the first two games they gave a really good account of themselves by tackling everything they could get their hands on and also taking the scoring chances that came their way. In their third game they met the eventual finalists Ilkeston. They had a very handy looking team and proved too strong for this brave Derby B team in what turned out to a rather one-sided affair. Well done boys - it was an excellent showing in very difficult circumstances.

Pool D results :-

Derby B 07 Paviors 19
Derby B 14 Matlock 19
Derby B 07 Ilkeston 31

B team :-
Kaan Dalkic, Jack Waggatt, Joe Dawes, Charlie Menzies, Alex Tomlinson, Alistair Woolf, Harry Young, Alex Law, Alex Barbour, Chris Burns.

Report by David Gower for Sky Sports Cricket

Derby`s U13 Tigers met up at 10am on a fine, sunny Sunday morning before boarding the coach for the short trip to Market Rasen through the beautiful countryside of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. Having watched these boys playing in recent weeks I could well understand the quiet air of confidence as they looked forward to defending their NLD crown against Nottinghamshire club Paviors.

With plenty of time before kick-off there was time for a quick sandwich or banana, washed down with plenty of fluids. After a leisurely change into their playing kit they embarked on a steady, well-structured warm-up before the referee appeared to check their studs and oversee the toss-up.

Game on at last. Paviors kicked off and immediately put Derby under pressure inside their own half. Derby put themselves under additional pressure by twice not clearing their lines and giving Paviors the opportunity to run the ball back at them. One such run was greeted by half-hearted tackling and it resulted in a try in the corner. 0-5 after three minutes was not the start everyone had hoped for but at least it might serve as a kick up the backside for sluggish Derby! The response was immediate with Derby virtually spending the rest of the first-half inside the Pavior`s half of the pitch. The ball was being quickly moved one way and then the next and in the process stretching the Pavior`s defence out of shape. One such phase ended with George Tresidder and Luke Bland making ground up the right wing. Tom Kent was on hand to rip the ball from the opposing defender to set up his forwards for two short “pick and goes”, the second of which resulted in a try for Nick Wesson. George Castledine slotted home the difficult conversion from out wide – Derby were up and running and most definitely back in the game. Two further tries were scored in relatively quick succession with the first almost a repeat of the opening score. Superb handling by the threequarters saw the ball moved out left and then back right. Excellent recycling by the forwards created a third phase that gave Castledine an easy run-in under the posts. The second came from the re-start. Danny Lawson took a clean catch and set off with Jamie Twigge in support. A quick popped pass and Twigge was off, striding up the left-hand wing. With his forwards again producing quick second-phase ball Derby`s backs swiftly moved the ball wide for Castledine to ease his way through the ragged defence. After adding the third conversion Derby ended the half with a 21-5 lead.

view more photos in the e4creative U13s NLD Final photo gallery

Derby were made aware in no uncertain terms that Paviors were going to come back at them in the second-half with all guns blazing – and so it proved. As we have seen in previous games this season Derby are more than capable of keeping cool heads in these circumstances and for ten minutes they defended heroically, soaking up everything that Paviors through at them. The boys in red and green came from all angles – up the middle, trying to get out wide and running all their penalties.

Against the run of play Derby broke out thanks to Danny Lawson and again it was Tom Kent who wrestled the ball back. Quick recycling saw Luke Bland in space and on the halfway line. After outpacing two defenders he touched down under the posts for a well-deserved try. Having seen all their efforts result in points for the opposition it would have been understandable if Paviors had given up at this point but to their great credit they came out fighting yet again which in fact they did right upto the final whistle.

The last ten minutes of the match saw the scoring completed by the awarding of two penalty tries – one to each team. Given more likely than not due offences committed due to intense pressure on both try lines in the search for points.

With the whistle going to signal the end, Derby were NLD champions for the third year in a row – a magnificent achievement that they should be justly proud of. Thank-you to Paviors for being part of a super game played in true sporting fashion. Thanks must also be given to the NLD organisers and their army of helpers and officials – these events don`t just happen!

Well done boys and well done to their coaches. After nearly “blowing it” at the semi-final stage, credit should be given where its due – they must be doing something right!

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Harvey Baines, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Tom Doyle, Luke McNeilly, Danny Lawson, Declan McManus, Myles Costello, Nick Rigg, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Luke Bland, George Tresidder, Archie Lynn, Tom Mellor.

Match Report by Martin Johnson – England Manager

Derby Tigers 43 - 07 Cirencester

Derby`s U13`s Tigers warmly welcomed the tourists of Cirencester on their last stop of Derbyshire`s rugby hotspots. Having been based in Ashbourne they had tasted success the previous day whilst visiting Melbourne and were obviously looking to finish of their trip in style by the look of the wigs they were wearing!

This was to be the Tigers final run-out prior to next weeks NLD Final and we were looking for a positive performance in both attack and defence – we were not to be disappointed.

From the kick-off Derby attacked with confidence. Jamie Twigge made ground along the left wing before the ball was swiftly recycled and moved across the backs to the right wing. Luke Bland and George Tresidder combined before the ball came back for Danny Lawson to pick up and drive over from short range.

Within minutes a second try. David Eades made an outside break to gain ground but was caught by the Cirencester full-back. The offload from the ground found Tresidder in support with an easy run to the line.

Derby`s forward were dominating their opponents and Derby`s midfield defence was snuffing out the few opportunities that the visitors were given. In fact they were turning defence into attack. Firstly Tom Kent stole the ball in the tackle inside the Cirencester half and set off for the tryline only to be hauled down by a flying winger with 1m to go. The chance was not lost however as the cavalry soon arrived to secure the ball for Nick Wesson to crash over.

The second time saw Kent combine with George Castledine in a flat defensive line with the centre being popped through the gap. Once again their forwards were in close support – this time Will Skeates picking up at the back of the ruck to force his way over from close range. Castledine slotted over the second of two first-half conversions to leave Derby in a commanding position 24-0 ahead.

This was an ideal opportunity to try some different combinations ahead of next Sunday and the changes made were virtually seemless. Luke McNeilly replaced Jim Brentnall at hooker, Declan McManus came on in the 2nd row and the back row was re-jigged to include Myles Costello at no.7. Nick Rigg replaced Costello at scrum-half, Joe Wright and Tom Mellor came on for wingers Luke Bland and Archie Lynn, whilst Kent and Castledine swapped at 10 and 13 and Eades and Tresidder swapped over at 12 and 15.

If anything the effort was increased in both defence and attack. Cirencester perhaps knew they were beaten but to their credit they kept their heads up and continued to attack Derby from wherever possible in search of a try. Derby were determined to keep a clean sheet and this was never more evident than in two cracking try-saving tackles. The visitors no.5 picked up and set off at pace down the blind-side. This had caught Derby napping but just as a try seemed certain in the corner George Tresidder came from nowhere to cut the attacker down just short of the line. Not to be outdone Tom Kent then put in a bone-shaker of a tackle on the dangerous looking no.8 in front of his posts when a try looked the likely outcome.

In attack Derby were now cutting loose. With some very slick handling in the backs there were chances for all. Kent, Eades and Wright all looked threatening but it was David Eades who opened the second-half scoring after a lovely pass gave him the space to outstrip the defence. Within a few minutes Eades had bagged his second. Collecting a clearance kick just inside the Cirencester half he set off along the left wing before chipping ahead over the winger. The ball bounced up into his hands to allow an easy run to the line.

Derby`s pack were now on the rampage with Skeates, Wesson, Twigge and Harvey Baines leading the way. Lawson, MacManus and Tom Doyle were invariably first to the breakdown and this led to plenty of ball. The forwards once again headed off towards the Cirencester tryline in search of further points. In a flurry of bodies, and after a try was signalled by the referee, Myles Costello emerged with the ball to claim the try. Castledine put over a super kick from wide out on the left for his fourth conversion.

Cirencester did in fact breach the Derby defences before this final try when their captain and no.8 scored a well-deserved consolation try to cap an impressive personal performance.

It had been a superb display from Derby and a very creditable one from Cirencester – the scoreline doesn`t quite do them justice. It became apparent afterwards that there may have been mitigating circumstances. Firstly they weren`t quite at full strength as tourists but probably the boys finding, and then drinking, the coaches/parents beer stash the night before hadn`t helped!!

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Harvey Baines, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Tom Doyle, Luke McNeilly, Danny Lawson, Declan McManus, Myles Costello, Nick Rigg, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Luke Bland, George Tresidder, Archie Lynn, Tom Mellor.

Match Report by Desperate Dan for The Dandy

Derby Stags 53 - 26 Ashfield

For the last match of the seasons the Tigers entertained Ashfield and put on an excellent display of ambitious running rugby to round of the season with a fine win and a five match unbeaten run.

With 23 players available it was agreed to play three 20 minute sessions and as Ashfield were two players short the Stags subs took time playing for the opposition. (Thanks for this lads – not the most fun but everyone benefited from your willingness to do this.)

Derby looked strong and purposeful from the kick off, placing Ashfield under considerable pressure, tackling hard and hitting the rucks and mauls with real determination. The first try was soon coming with Joe Giles broke blind and fed full back Chris Burns who was stopped with a high tackle. A quick tap penalty and Charlie Menzies crashed over.

This spurred Ashfield into action and Derby was forced to work hard in defence and grind their way up the pitch. But they soon turned defence into attack with a clinical try. A good drive by Tom Antrobus and a sniping run by Burns created space and Harry Young put a pinpoint kick behind the defence allowing Wilf Shorrock to sweep up the ball and score between the posts. Young added the conversion.

With their kicking game working well, the Stags starved their opponents of territorial advantage and scored a third try when, spotting a gap in defence, Alistair Wolff took a quick tap penalty and bludgeoned his way over the line.

Just before the end of the session, Shorrock added his second score following some excellent handling by Young and Tom Meakin in the centres. Young added the conversion.

In the second session, the Stags continued in similar vein and extended their lead when, after some rapid recycling Kaan Dalkic set off on one of his trademark runs to score from30m with Young adding the extra two points.
With confidence flowing through the side, the Stags looked to run at every opportunity including Reece Harrison and Charlie Menzies inter-passing like backs as they made 25m down the 5m channel.

Ashfield had to resort to trying clearance kicks but Chris Burns just took these as an invitation to run straight back at them and from one excellent kick return he set up Wilf Shorrock to speed over for his third try of the game. And another try was added when Jack Waggatt took a quick tap penalty and forced his way over.

But Ashfield refused to give up and were rewarded with an excellent try when their number 8 picked up from a 5m scrum and crashed over.

The final session started rather like a game of ping pong with 3 tries in as many minutes. First Ashfield worked a good try but this was rapidly cancelled out by a solo effort for Charlie Menzies. Not to be outdone, Dalkic, now playing for Ashfield, smashed his way through the Derby defence.

After this bout of excitement the game calmed down but there was still time for Menzies to work his way over from a 5m scrum, casually converted with a drop kick by Joe Giles and for Ashfield to score a final try of their own.

Overall an excellent last game of the season played in the right spirit. Our thanks to Ashfield for making such a good game of it and fighting right to the end.

Stags Squad: Reece Harrison, Rhys Falconbridge, Donald Inns, Tom Antrobus, Kaan Dalkic, Matt Drayton, Jack Waggatt, Charlie Menzies, Alistair Wolff, Joe Giles, Jack Drayton, Harry Young, Tom Meakin, Wilf Shorrock, Chris Burns, Alex Ham, Miles Newham, John Brunt, Joe Dawes, Ben Wilford, Matt Rowley, Jake Biggs, Max Cook

Match Report by Dennis the Menace for The Beano

End of term report

Wow!!!!! What a season! The Stags have developed beyond recognition over the course of the season and have become a force to be reckoned with. They have always had exceptional team spirit, a huge work rate and determination by the bucketful but have now added steel and a bit of flair to their game.

Whatever team was put out the outcome was the same with huge pride in the shirt and a desire to do the best they can.

As expected with a second team there have been a considerable number of changes in personal and positions but there have never been any cliques. They have coped with the changes and got on with it.

All over the pitch there have been improvements – individually, in the units and as a team. The results speak for themselves. The Stags never played another second team but also never got thumped, claiming numerous notable scalps along the way. They were desperately unlucky not to get through to the semi-finals of the NLD Shield despite having the highest points scored and lowest points conceded in their group.

Everyone who played for the Stags can take real pride in their achievements this year. Well done, one and all.

It has been a pleasure to work with this squad this season and we look forward to building on the successes next year.

The coaches

Derby`s U13`s Stags have had a good run of late with two good performances on their recent tour of North Wales and an “away” win against Melton Mowbray last week. Would it continue against the Lions of Leicester? Off we went down the M1 to find out.

With Lions kicking off it soon became apparent that they had got off to a flying start whilst Derby would be slower out of the blocks. It was no surprise then that the home team scored an early try to capitalise on their initial territorial dominance and levels of possession. They had two dangerous looking players at outside centre and left wing and it was these two who combined well together for that first try with the no.11 going over in the left-hand corner. 0-5.

This did seem to spur Derby into action and with an increased defensive effort the Lions were kept at bay. There were some committed tackles being made, in particular from Harry Young, Jack Waggatt, Dominic Murray and Wilf Shorrock. Unfortunately their efforts in attack were being let down by some poor handling which halted several promising looking phases of play.

Awarded a penalty on halfway Derby elected to run. The Lions had not retreated the full 10m thus giving Derby a second penalty further into the home teams half. With a quick tap and go Charlie Menzies set off like a rocket, crashing through several Lions defenders before touching down under the posts. With David Eades converting Derby ended the half in the lead at 7-5.

With Derby now in the driving seat and a number of changes made the second half kicked off with the Stags in charge and that is how it continued right up until the final minute of the game. With the forwards dominant there was a steady supply of ball. Joe Wright benefited from this possession with a number of telling runs up the left hand wing culminating in an excellent solo try in the corner.

Declan McManus was also having a field day popping up from the back of the scrum on numerous occasions to make good ground. Two of these runs going very close to creating tries for Myles Costello and Kaan Dalkic. Finally his tenacity paid off after charging up the blind-side and off-loading to the supporting Costello who went over for the try. From the ensuing re-start Derby quickly cleared their lines and from the following line-out the pressure they exerted on the home defence resulted in the forwards driving over - Jack Waggatt emerging with the ball to claim the score.

In the dying moments of the match the Lions 13, who had been kept out of the game until this point, broke free from within his own 22 to run the full length of the field along the left-hand touchline to score a superb try. With the conversion missed the whistle went and Derby were the winners. It had been a great game of rugby played in sporting fashion. Well done to Derby and thank-you to our hosts Leicester Lions.

Squad: Jake Biggs, Matt Rowley, Rhys Falconbridge, Adrian Hex, Donald Inns, Joe Donahue, Charlie Menzies, Kaan Dalkic, George Castledine, Declan McManus, Myles Costello, Jack Waggatt, Alistair Woolf, Chris Burns, David Eades, Harry Young, Wilf Shorrock, Dominic Murray, Jack Drayton, Matt Drayton, Joe Wright, Alex Ham.

Kettering 17 - 19 Derby Tigers - Match Report

Derby`s U13`s Tigers picked up an away game at Kettering in the hope that some tougher opposition would be good for their preparations ahead of the NLD final. On the back of two excellent performances on their recent tour of North Wales confidence was high and rightly so. 

Everyone woke on Sunday to be greeted by a blanket of snow but fortunately Kettering`s ground appeared unaffected. As a convoy of Derby vehicles made its way down the M1 a number of them had been held up by a nasty looking accident. This meant arriving in dribs and drabs, and that our warm-up would be cut short to meet the 11am kick-off – not ideal preparations. 

This was reflected in the first 10/15 minutes by Derby`s sluggish start – an opening quarter in which they conceded two tries. The first was scored from close range after Kettering had worked their way towards the Derby try line. The second was a strange one. With the forwards at stalemate, again near the Derby line, the referee was about to blow his whistle when the ball just popped up into the air from nowhere and into the eager grasp of a Kettering player who went over unopposed. With the conversion successful Derby found themselves behind by 12 points in as many minutes. 

We know that there is a great team spirit that exists within this squad and I was fairly confident that they would bounce back, and slowly but surely Derby got themselves back into the game. It wasn`t going to be easy though as this Kettering outfit were probably shading it in the forwards with some smart work in the rucks and at the breakdowns. 

Thanks to three try-saving tackles by George Tresidder, Derby`s defence was sound and now their backs were beginning to get on top. Quick ball was swiftly moved across the backs to Luke Bland who made a lot of ground before linking up with Tresidder who ran in unopposed. 5-12. After a sustained period of pressure in the home team`s half, Tom Kent kicked long into space along the right wing. Again it was Tresidder and Bland who combined with the big winger getting the score this time. With George Castledine`s conversion successful Derby were level at 12-12. With less than two minutes on the clock Derby then contrived to undo their hard work with a “Keystone Cops” routine! The Kettering re-start was knocked-on and with the referee playing advantage one Derby player dived and missed and another kicked and missed! The ball was then eagerly scooped up by the home team for an easy try. Half time 12-17. 

The half time talk was very upbeat. The lads were clearly aware that their renewed efforts had paid off but that they would also have to step up that effort in the second half if they were to win the game. 

Kettering must have had a very similar chat at half time because they came out and threw everything at Derby in a 15 minute spell that any lesser team would have crumpled under. Derby`s defensive effort was huge and they gradually soaked up all the pressure and moved themselves down into the Kettering half where they started to take control. A risky pass in the home 22, combined with pressure from the Derby midfield, resulted in Tom Kent kicking the loose ball on towards the try line. Another kick and he dived with the Kettering fullback for the touchdown. Derby, certain they had scored, were disappointed to see the referee had not given the score! This seemed to strengthen their resolve and two minutes later George Castledine, in what appeared to be a pre-planned move, kicked to the corner for Archie Lynn to touch down. 17-17. Castledine struck the conversion beautifully to bisect the posts and seal a most well deserved victory. 

Derby`s forwards had battled hard against an excellent Kettering pack but the difference today was Derby`s backs who were just too clever for their opposite numbers. Nick Rigg looked to be settling in at scrum-half whilst Derby`s usual no.9, Myles Costello, had a very busy game at wing-forward. Also worth noting was Tom Antrobus who came on at half time and gave a good account of himself on his Tigers debut. Luke Bland`s contributions increased as did his confidence and Archie Lynn had a good second half after having missed a lot of the season through injury. Well done boys! 

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Harvey Baines, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Myles Costello, Tom Doyle, Luke McNeilly, Tom Antrobus, Nick Rigg, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Luke Bland, George Tresidder, Archie Lynn, Tom Mellor. 

Match Report by Guinness Weekly

Derby Stags 22 - 10 Melton Mowbray

Following on from two excellent performances on tour the Stags faced the return fixture against Melton Mowbray in confident mood. In the first game of the season the fixture between these two had been a close encounter and a good crowd made the short journey to the Rolls Royce playing field expecting more of the same.

Playing down a slight slope Derby kicked off and soon laid siege to the Melton line, recycling well and looking to get the ball wide. From a scrum close to the line, Kaan Dalkic picked up and crashed over to continue his impressive scoring run. The conversion by Harry Young missed narrowly.

From the restart Derby went straight back and soon added a second score. The ball was moved down the backs and Jack Drayton showed great strength to stand up in the tackle and off load to the looping Joe Giles who scored in the corner. The conversion was missed.

The third try was a repeat of the first except this time the scorer was Declan Macmanus who was playing with some real fire and passion and setting a good example to the rest of the pack.

For the rest of the half, Derby continued to dominate territorially but were unable to add to the score. The forwards won a steady stream of possession with Charlie Menzies, Reece Harrison and debutant Adrian Hex making real inroads into a dogged Melton defence while the backs looked to create openings with Tom Meakin making several promising breaks.

The kicking game was particularly encouraging. Alistair Wolff, Harry Young and Joe Giles all put good kicks into space and some determining chasing resulted in some large gains.

In the second half it was Melton’s turn to dominant territorially. Their forwards upped their game and started to get the quick ball their backs needed and despite some determined defence with Jack Waggatt to the fore, they were rewarded with two well worked tries, both of which went unconverted. During this stage the Stags learned two valuable lessons – you can’t play without the ball and kicks have to find touch to allow you to reorganise and relieve the pressure.

In the last 10 minutes Derby started to control the ball with Macmanus and Rhys Falconbridge making good ground and setting the ball well. Wolff got his backs moving again and eventually the game was made safe when Wilf Shorrock out paced the defence to continue his run of scoring in every game he has played for the club and touch down near the posts allowing Joe Giles a straightforward conversion to make the final score 22-10.

This was a good Stags performance, building on the lessons learned in a recent run of difficult fixtures. Our thanks to Melton Mowbray for an excellent match played in the right spirit and for coping with the change in arrangements.

Team: Adrian Hex, Rhys Falconbridge, Reece Harrison, Joe Dawes, Joe Donahue, Kaan Dalkic, Charlie Menzies, Declan Macmanus, Alistair Wolff, Joe Giles, Dominic Murray, Tom Meakin, Jacob Thomas, Jack Drayton, Harry Young, Max Cook, Jack Waggatt, Matt Drayton, Wilf Shorrock

Match Report by Henry Royce for Flight International magazine

Derby Tigers 00 - 24 Lutterworth - Match Report

Derby`s U13`s Tigers entertained Leicestershire team Lutterworth in the unfamiliar surroundings of nearby Derby University.

I don`t like the term “one-man team” - it is disrespectful to the opposition and it sounds like you are making excuses for a defeat but in the case of Lutterworth I`m going to make an exception. They have a very talented player at outside-centre - searing pace, quick wits and vision. Twice we played them last season and twice the same player won the game for them. Take him out of the equation and these two teams would be evenly matched with much closer results.

To try and counter him Derby`s midfield employed an “outside - in” defence. That involves trying to force their midfield back inside rather than letting them use the space out wide. This actually proved most effective in nullifying the obvious threat. David Eades tackling cut down several attacks and George Castledine twice narrowly missed out on an interception try after our defensive tactics had caused indecision in the visitors midfield.

Once Derby`s scrum had settled into its best combination there was quite a lot of possession and with the rucking greatly improved from last week, their half-backs, Costello and Kent, had more time and space to get their three-quarters moving. Although there were long periods spent inside the Lutterworth half of the pitch Derby couldn`t quite find that elusive opening and actually ended up 0 - 5 down courtesy of the visitors “danger-man” - what a surprise! From a poor clearance he gathered the ball and weaved his way through the broken field to touch down - it wasn`t poor tackling but exceptionally elusive running!

The second-half was very much a 50/50 affair if we don`t count “you know who”! In the forwards both James Brentnall and Tom Doyle were ever willing to take the ball into the heart of the opposition’s defence and in defence Jamie Twigge was everywhere tackling everything he could find. Unfortunately the downside was two more tries for our friend in the centre. One after a collecting another poor kick and the other after skillfully scooping up a loose ball. For both tries he out-stripped the covering defence with lightning speed. Lutterworth`s other try was scored after Derby had seemingly rescued a dangerous situation on their own try-line. Having secured turn-over ball they attempted to run the ball out only to change their mind instantly and feed the ball back to the waiting kicker who got man and ball. A try was awarded although Lutterworth`s open-side had clearly knocked-on in the process!

Not a lot left to say really. Well done Derby - a much improved performance after last weeks defeat and who knows what the result might have been if it hadn`t been for that one player…………….

A special thank-you to our water suppliers. The coaches found it cool, crisp and refreshing but as usual the boys stuck with their own drinks!

Team: Reece Harrison, James Brentnall, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, Daniel Lawson, Donald Inns, Luke McNeilly, Jamie Twigge, Declan McManus, Will Skeates, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Nick Rigg, Archie Lynn, Marcus Axelson, Tom Mellor.

Match Report by The Waterboys
 

Ilkeston 17 - 21 Derby Stags - Match Report

The Stags made the short journey to the Stute for the re-arranged fixture with Ilkeston, the previous match having fallen foul of the weather. As with the recent match at Mellish, the Stags travelled en masse and two matches were arranged with the strongest possible teams playing first followed by more of a development game.

The Stags started the game at breakneck speed, hitting the rucks hard and securing some good, quick ball and knocking their opponents off their stride. With Joe Dawes showing an increased hunger in the lineout the Stags set about dominating territory and after a spell of pressure were rewarded with an early try from Kaan Dalkic who drove over from close range with Harry Young adding the conversion.

From the restart, Ilkeston came back strongly and the Stags were forced to display their defensive credentials both close to the breakdown and out wide but Ilkeston eventually carved out an opening and finished clinically to reduce the deficit to 5-7.

The Stags then mounted another concerted barrage on the Ilkeston line and after good work by Wilf Shorrock, Alex Tomlinson and Luke Bland, fly half Joe Giles glided through the defence and was held up just short but Joe Dawes was on hand to crash over with Young again adding the extra points.

Derby were forced into a change when Tomlinson who had been making a major contribution on the blindside had to be replaced with Max Cook joining the pack and Kaan Dalkic moving into the back row.

Ilkeston again came back hard and following some uncharacteristic handling errors by the visitors were able to capitalise and score an excellent try in the corner which was converted to make the half time score 12-14.

Taking advantage of a stiffening breeze, the Stags look to play the game deep in the Ilkeston half and it was from a well-angled kick by Harry Young that the next try came, Kaan Dalkic and Joe Dawes chasing down the kick and forcing a turnover which allowed Alistair to release his backs and let Wilf Shorrock outsprint the defence to score. Yet again Young was successful with the conversion.

The Stags continued to threaten and were unlucky when livewire flanker Jack Waggatt was held up over the line and from a five metre scrum, Wolff and Waggatt put huge pressure on the home scrum half and almost forced a score just failing to get to the loose ball first.

In the last few minutes Ilkeston exerted pressure on their own and despite some hard work in defence, the Stags were unable to keep them out. The missed conversion made the final score 17-21.

Ilkeston Development 15 -10 Derby Development

Both sides made wholesale positional and personnel changes for the second match and the enthusiastic crowd were treated to another exciting, whole-hearted encounter.

Straight from the kick-off Derby laid siege on the Ilkeston line, turning over ball and allowing Chris Burns to get his pack moving forward. Eventually Ilkeston were able to kick clear but full back Dominic Murray audaciously threw a dummy to beat the chasing players before setting off on a powerful run. Chris Burns carried the attack forward before recycling well. The ball was moved to Tom Meakin who bulldozed through several tackles to score from 15m and record his first try for the club. Captain Joe Giles went close with the conversion.

As in the first game Ilkeston came back powerfully and the Stags worked hard in defence to preserve their lead but conceded a try when a kick was partially charged down and run back for the score.

The Derby pack was winning a steady supply of good ball and hooker Rhys Falconbridge took four scrums against the head in succession to allow pressure to be built and this eventually paid off when following some good work in the loose by Charlie Menzies the ball was worked to Dalkic who drove over in the corner supported by Waggatt.

Just before half time it took a try saving tackle from Alex ‘Sweeney Todd’ Barbour to preserve the lead.

In the second half the Stags continued to look to move the ball wide with Burns putting some real pace on the ball to give the backs more time and Meakin made several more of his trade mark runs but Ilkeston broke out twice to score two more tries, the last with the final play of the match.

Derby Squad Joe Donahue, Rhys Falconbridge, Alex Szrejder, Joe Dawes, Kaan Dalkic, Alex Tomlinson, Jack Waggatt, Charlie Menzies, Alistair Wolff, Joe Giles, Luke Bland, Harry Young, Wilf Shorrock, Jacob Thomas, Alex Ham, Max Cook, Jake Biggs, Ben Wilford, Chris Burns, Tom Meakin, Matthew Drayton, Jack Drayton, Alex Barbour, Dominic Murray, Daniel Rowe

Match Report by Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb for The Trumpton Times

Derby Tigers 00 - 40 Sandbach - Match Report

Strong scrummage, slick line-out, excellent rucking, busy half-backs, big, fast centres, big, strong forwards, aggressive defence, sharp attack, clever kicking.

That was Sandbach and I`m afraid that Derby lost out in all departments but with improved scrummaging, better rucking and more committed tackling they could have made a better game of it. To be fair, Derby`s selection had to be re-arranged at the last minute with David Eades and Nick Wesson pulling out due to illness and injury. Combine that with the difficult conditions and the quality of the opposition then it was never going to be Derby's day. That said they may have been extremely disappointed at the final whistle but to their credit their heads didn't once go down and they competed right to the end. Well done Sandbach. I believe that they are the best team that this group of boys have ever played so far in their five years of Mini and Junior rugby. Pick yourselves up Derby. You need to lose occasionally to realise where the areas are that require working on. Team: Reece Harrison, James Brentnall, Luke McNeilly, Harvey Baines, Will Skeates, Tom Doyle, Daniel Lawson, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Declan McManus, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, Marcus Axelson, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Nick Rigg, Archie Lynn, Tom Mellor, Alex Barbour.

view more photos in the match photo gallery

Match Report by The Samaritans

Derby Stags v Mellish Match Reports

Friday 9.00pm Stags confirmed training at home
Saturday 10.15am away fixture offered at Mellish
Sunday 10.00am 21 players descend on the Mellish ground to be greeted by bone dry pitches, a howling gale blowing straight down the pitch and a committed and enthusiastic opposition.
The result? An excellent morning’s rugby all round, which made the logistic nightmare of mustering and redirecting the troops well worthwhile.


Match 1: Mellish 22 - 12 Derby

The first game saw the two strongest teams play each other and Derby played with the wind behind them in the first half. Mellish soon set out their stall, looking to make ground through their large and well-drilled back and keep the ball tight. But the Derby pack refused to take a step back and soon turned the ball over. Fly-half Joe Giles chipped ahead and good following up by Wilf Shorrock was rewarded by a try on his debut, converted by Harry Young.

Mellish’s superior organisation meant Derby were forced to defend for long periods but when they had the ball they looked to inject some pace and play an expansive game with Harry Young using the wind to good effect to gain ground with some accurate tactical kicking. But eventually Mellish made their pressure pay with a well-worked try.

But the Stags came back well and following some good driving play by Jack Waggatt and George Groom, the ball was fed to Kaan Dalkic who stormed over from 60m to make the score 5-12.

In the second half, playing with the wind gave Mellish the big advantage and despite some committed defence with Alex Ham, John Brunt and Dominic Murray regularly making some big hits, the home side went over for three tries, adding one conversion to run out winners by 22-12.

This was a good Stags performance against a Mellish side who had only lost to Paviors, the Tigers opponents in the NLD Cup final, by a single try and who had recently beating Melbourne by 20 points.

Match 2: Mellish 17 – 24 Derby

In the second match, all the players who did not play in the first were drafted into the side giving all the squad that travelled an extended run in the side. For the Stags this meant a number of positional changes and three more debutants, while Jack Waggatt was given the responsibility of pack leader for the first time and could be heard urging his forwards on all around the pitch.

Once again Derby had the advantage of playing with the wind in the first half and again Harry Young, now installed at full back, made full use of the elements with some excellent kicking which allowed his forwards to put real pressure on the home side. With Alistair Wolff making some good decisions, the Stags spent most of the half camped in their opponent’s territory and built up a commanding half time lead of 24-0.

Kaan Dalkic was the star of the show with a hat-trick of tries, two of which involved 40m runs to the line. Young was unlucky not to score a try to go with his two conversions, but Charlie Menzies drove over from a 5m scrum for the fourth try.

But with the wind freshening the big question was ‘would the lead be enough?’, and within 5 minutes of the second half, Mellish had clawed two tries back plus a conversion and the large crowd were treated to a nerve jangling finish.

It was time for the experienced players (a strange way to describe 12 and 13 year olds!) such as Wolff, Giles and Groom to tighten the game up and reduce the chances the home side had to counter attack but another home try made the score 17-24 with two minutes to go.

But the Derby defence held firm to record an excellent win.

This was a great workout for the Stags and our thanks to all at Mellish for allowing all the players some game time. The team spirit, work rate and effort were first class and the key combinations were showing signs of developing some real understanding – all of which points to an exciting last few weeks of the season with some players knocking hard at the door of the Tigers.

Stags Squad: Donald Inns, John Brunt, Rhys Falconbridge, Kaan Dalkic, Joe Dawes, Charlie Menzies, Jack Waggatt, George Groom, Alistair Wolff, Joe Giles Dominic Murray, Harry Young, Wilf Shorrock, Jacob Thomas, Alex Ham, Joe Donahue, Jack Drayton, Matthew Drayton, Tom Meakin, Darren Roe, Ben Wilford.

Match Report By 2nd Lieutenant Harry Wales for the Soldier magazine (report submitted while on active service in a West End Nightclub)

Pitted against unfamiliar opposition, a strong Tigers squad was selected to make the journey to take on their Nuneaton counterparts. The result, on a dry, blustery day was an exciting game with the result in doubt right up until the last kick of the game.

The Tigers preparations were disrupted when influential fly half Tom Kent has to withdraw having picked up an injury before the warm-up, necessitating a reshuffle in the backs. However the game also saw the welcome return on Archie Lynn after a long spell out with injury.

Electing to play with the breeze in the first half, Derby sought to play a territorial game with David Eades and George Castledine putting in some excellent kicks to pin the home side back. A well-functioning scrum and lineout ensured a steady flow of possession allowing the backs to sound out their opponents with Marcus Axelson in particular looking threatening.

Derby took a deserved lead when Danny Lawson intercepted an ambitious floated pass and charged over from 40m with Castledine adding the conversion to make the score 0-7.

Nuneaton came back in determined fashion and repeatedly tested the Derby defence. Archie Lynn showed he hadn’t forgotten how to deal with the high ball while Tom Doyle made two opponents wish they had tried to attack open rather than going blind as he put in two huge tackles that made the recent earthquake seem insignificant.

Just before half time Castledine extended the lead when he went over in the corner supported by Nick Rigg after excellent work once again by Lawson. The conversion was missed to leave the score 0-12.

In the second half, Nuneaton came back hard in an attempt to reduce the deficit and after a concerted period of pressured, helped by a number of clearance kicks that failed to find touch, they drove over and added the kick to bring the score back to 7-12.

Derby knew they had a game on their hands and were finding it difficult to cope with Nuneaton’s well-organised and powerful rolling maul. Their response was to look to keep the ball alive and move it wide and it took a high tackle to stop David Eades when a try looked on following a slick move in the backs.

Not to be outdone, the forwards also set about the opposition with Will Skeates and Harvey Baines making big inroads into the home defence.

With less than five minutes on the clock Derby were awarded a penalty close to the Nuneaton line and first Skeates and then Nick Wesson were held up close to the line. However rather than then moving the ball wide where a huge overlap lay in wait the decision was to keep the ball close and eventually Nuneaton managed to turn the ball over and start a remorseless drive up the pitch.

Despite committed defence, the home side once again got their rolling maul working to score near the corner to tie the score. With the last kick of the match they could win the game. The kick was struck well but hit the post before rebounding clear.

All in all a draw was a fair result for two hard-working and well-matched sides. Some real positives for the Tigers and some areas where more work is needed as the squad starts to look towards the NLD final.

Derby Squad: Archie Lynn, Joe Wright, Marcus Axelson, David Eades, Nick Rigg, George Castledine, Myles Costello, Nick Wesson, James Brentnall, Reece Harrison, Will Skeates, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, Danny Lawson, Jamie Twigg, Tom Mellor, Tom Kent, Luke McNeilly, Declan Macmanus, Alex Tomlinson.

Match Report by Shreck and Donkey

Derby`s U13`s Tigers welcomed Rugby Lions from Warwickshire on a beautiful, sunny February morning – perfect for rugby. Lions, Tigers, big game? It certainly turned out that way.

It had been decided to play three 20 minute sessions which led to some confusion as to the actual result but ultimately everyone was a winner as it was such a great game of rugby.

Session 1

The tempo from the kick-off was fast and furious and it didn`t let up. Derby very quickly found themselves on the visitors try-line but to everyone's surprise Rugby`s left wing left everyone in his wake as he ran the length of the field to score. Inside 5 minutes he had scored again after pouncing on a loose ball on Derby`s 22m line.

The heads could have gone down at that point but to their credit Derby rallied and fought their way back into the game with some superb forward play resulting in Harvey Baines going over for a try. Derby 7 Rugby 12.

Session 2

The second session was an even better effort by both teams in both defence and attack. Again Rugby scored an early try and again it was their elusive left wing who scorched his way along the pitch for his hat-trick. The remainder of the session was spent in Rugby`s half of the field as Derby launched attack after attack without being able to breach the visitors excellent defence. Derby 7 Rugby 19.

Session 3

Both teams made several changes for this final session of the match but they did not deter from the quality of the play. An early penalty on half-way saw the ball moved swiftly out to Luke Bland on the right wing. The big winger evaded two tackles before being held up short of the line. The chance was not lost however as the ball was quickly recycled for Will Skeates to pick up and crash over.

Rugby responded immediately and looked like scoring another break-away try but were halted in their tracks by a superb tap-tackle from Tom Kent. Here defence was quickly turned into attack. The turnover ball was moved on by Danny Lawson and Will Skeates who in turn passed onto Joe Wright. The winger then rounded his man to score behind the posts.The chance to take the lead was missed as was the conversion but George Castledine soon made amends when he popped over a penalty from in front of the posts.

From the re-start Myles Costello collected the kick and ran straight at the heart of the visitors defence setting off an impressive passage of play that ended with Danny Lawson bagging the try for the final points of the day. Derby 25 Rugby 19.

A super game played at a great pace and in good sporting fashion. Everyone should be pleased with a good mornings work – players, coaches and watching parents alike.

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Jamie Twigge, Luke McNeilly, Tom Doyle, Daniel Lawson, Harvey Baines, Alex Tomlinson, Declan McManus, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, Marcus Axelson, George Castledine, Luke Bland, Joseph Wright, Tom Mellor, Nick Rigg.

Match Report by J. Beadle for Game for a Laugh

Derby Tigers 22 - 17 Kesteven (NLD Semi Finals)

Derby`s U13`s Tigers travelled to Sleaford on a cold and windy Sunday morning for this fixture against Kesteven in the semi-final of the NLD Cup.

Was this the result that nearly got away? Four tries up with the game seemingly in the bag! What went wrong? Complacency? Poor conditions? Opponents that just wouldn`t give in? There is also a rumour circulating that “the coaches nearly blew it”! In truth it was probably a combination of all those elements.

Inside 10 minutes Derby were 10-0 up with two direct, identical tries. The ball had been sprayed both left and right to the wings before being recycled and used again. The forwards had found themselves in possession near to the Kesteven try-line and several attempts at pick and drive resulted in tries for Tom Doyle and Nick Wesson.

It had been a good first-half of rugby; excellent forward play providing plenty of ball for the backs. Kesteven were still very much in the game however with several dangerous looking runners but Derby had defended resolutely.

The second-half started out with more of the same. The ball was still being moved out wide but also up the middle too by Daniel Lawson, Will Skeates and Tom Doyle. The third try wasn`t long in coming. Tom Kent broke the defensive line and off-loaded to George Castledine who in turn passed onto Joe Giles. The winger stepped inside before passing out to the looping Castledine who went over for the score. He also converted the try to put Derby 17 points clear.

Within minutes a fourth try. David Eades picked up a loose ball and cleared into the Kesteven corner. Jamie Twigge took the line-out ball and burst through on a 15m run. Will Skeates picked up at the back of the following ruck and crashed over from short range. 22-0.

It was at this point that things appeared to start going wrong. From a scrum on Derby`s 22m line the Kesteven no.8 picked up and went blind, completely wrong footing the Derby defence, to score in the corner. This seemed to boost Kesteven`s confidence and they upped their workrate and kept coming at Derby.

In the next 10 minutes they collected two more tries. Their centre scored after bursting through the defence on the halfway line and then from a tapped penalty they forced their way over in the left-hand corner to bring up 17 unanswered points in as many minutes.

Derby rallied as the realisation of the situation dawned on them and they managed to close out the match by spending the last few minutes camped on the Kesteven try-line. It really had been too close for comfort and should serve as a wake-up call for both the players and the coaches.

Congratulations Derby – bad luck Kesteven. For Derby there will be plenty of hard work before they meet up with their old friends Paviors in the Final on the 27th. April.

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Jamie Twigge, Joe Dawes, Tom Doyle, Daniel Lawson, Harvey Baines, George Groom, Alex Tomlinson, Jack Waggatt, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Tom Mellor, Nick Rigg, Alex Barbour.

Match Report by Zippy for The Rainbow News

Derby Stags 09 - 38 Nottingham

With the Tigers otherwise occupied with the NLD Cup semi-finals, a large Stags squad welcomed our rivals from just up the A52 for a development session with the aims of giving as many players as possible some game time and trying out a number of different competitions.

Prior agreement in the spirit of the game ensured that both sides withdrew key players to maximise the benefit to the less experienced individuals in both squads.

In blustery conditions both sides looked to move the ball as much as possible and laid on an exciting morning for the band of hardy spectators.

Both sides proceeded to deliver some quick ball which allowed the backs to get hands on the ball early. This was particularly important for Derby as they were fielding a new half back combination with Chris Burns playing his first game at scrum half with Alistair Wolff moving to fly half, a position he last occupied in the under 9s!

The new half backs soon got into the groove allowing Luke Bland, Alex Law, Alex ham and Jacob Thomas the chance to run at the opposition but the Nottingham defence was committed and well-organised and Derby were unable to break through.

Whenever Nottingham got clean possession their backs looked dangerous and the Derby defence was tested on numerous occasions with Declan Macmanus, John Brunt and Reece Harrison all making important tackles.

Eventually Nottingham’s greater experience and organisation allowed them to create two openings in quick succession to take a 10-0 lead.

In the second session both teams made wholesale changes but Derby started brightly with Burns sniping round the fringes and Kaan Dalkic beginning to make an impression. However indecision in defence at a penalty allowing the Nottingham centre to saunter under the posts without a hand being laid on him for a soft try, with then conversion a formality.

This spurred Derby into action and following a good restart and a turnover at the lineout, the Derby pack drove at the heart of the Nottingham defence and eventually it was Dalkic who smashed his way over to make the score 19-5.

Derby, driven on by Macmanus and Wolff continued to put pressure on the Nottingham line but simple mistakes, largely due to the conditions allowed Nottingham to clear their lines and break out of defence before working their way up the pitch to score again.

The start of the final session saw Derby lay siege on the Nottingham line and they were rewarded with two quick tries by Kaan Dalkic. The first followed two tap penalties by Luke Bland who created mayhem in the Nottingham defence before offloading. The second came when Dalkic picked up from a scrum in the Derby 22 and set off on a marauding run up the touchline leaving defenders in his wake before side-stepping the full back and ambling over between the posts. Both tries were converted by Wolff.

Derby now had their tails up with Burns keeping the Nottingham back row busy but Nottingham refused to give up and came back to score two more converted tries to make the final score 38-19.

All in all an excellent morning’s rugby, played in good spirit and allowing both coaching teams to assess the depth of their respective squads. Lots of good points for the Stags to build on plus several areas where core skills need to improve.

Stags squad Reece Harrison, Rhys Falconbridge, Donald Inns, Max Cook, Joe Donahue, Kaan Dalkic, John Brunt, Declan Macmanus, Alistair Wolff, Chris Burns, Dominic Murray, Marcus Axelson, Luke Bland, Jacob Thomas, Alex Ham, Matthew Rowley, Alex Szrejder, Jack Drayton, Alex Law, Jake Biggs, Miles Newman and Robert Law.

Match Report by Slowhand and The Ox

With the Tigers training for their forthcoming NLD semi-final, the Stags made the journey across the City to play a re-arranged fixture against Melbourne.

Game 1: Melbourne 07 - 00 Derby Stags

In near perfect conditions, Derby kicked off into a stiff breeze which killed any ideas of a kicking game and ensured the ball was moved through the hands. The stags started strongly with Kaan Dalkic, Marcus Axelson and Luke Bland soon running at the heart of the Melbourne defence. With Alistair Wolff moving the ball well, and with our guest fly-half Hermann Maier (aka George Tresidder) controlling affairs the stags enjoyed a good period of possession and although camped in the Melbourne half were unable to get points on the board.

Slowly the home club came back into the game and the Stags were forced to show they could defend with Matthew Drayton and man mountain Dominic Murray both making important tackles before Alex Ham fielded a kick ahead in front of his own posts and set off on an electrifying run which ended when he was tackled on the opposition 22.

The Stags were made to suffer as a result of poor support and rather sluggish rucking which allowed Melbourne to snuff out several attacks and prevent Derby getting through the phases.

Playing with the wind in the second half the Stags again had the lion’s share of possession and Melbourne showed considerable resilience in defence before breaking out to score between the posts for the only try of the game.

Game 2: Melbourne Devs 10 - 00 Derby Stags

In the second game the opportunity was taken to give all the fringe players some game time and another tight contest followed.

Derby again started well with Alistair Wolff marshalling a new look pack and looking to bring his backs into the game, but some indiscipline allowed Melbourne to force them back and it took a titanic effort to keep the home team out with Charlie Menzies and John Brunt working hard in the back row.

Just before half time Melbourne made their pressure count with a well worked try following some powerful running by the pack.

In the second half, Melbourne made the game safe with another try, this time under the posts.

Derby refused to give up and looked to get the try their efforts deserved. Marcus Axelson, Luke Bland and Alex Ham all made good ground but as in the first game the support was neither quick enough nor aggressive enough.

Overall Melbourne earned the win but on another day and with a bit of luck the Stags could have got the score their hard work and determined running deserved. Plenty to build on starting with Nottingham next week

Our thanks to Melbourne for an excellent morning’s rugby and we look forward to hopefully returning the fixture later in the season

Stags squad Reece Harrison, Rhys Falconbridge, Donald Inns, Max Cook, Joe Donahue, Kaan Dalkic, John Brunt, Charlie Menzies, Alistair Wolff, Hermann Maier, Dominic Murray, Marcus Axelson, Luke Bland, Matthew Drayton, Alex Ham, Matthew Rowley, Alex Szrejder, Jack Drayton and Robert Law.

Match report by Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones for Total Guitar Magazine

Derby`s U13`s Tigers ventured across the border into Leicestershire for this “Big Game” match-up. Would the Lions be the pride of their club or would the Tigers earn their stripes?

In wet, muddy and extremely windy conditions the Lions kicked off and the Tigers never looked back. Within the first five minutes only desperate cover defence prevented four Derby tries. Nick Rigg and Joe Wright both had runs down their wings and Myles Costello twice threatened with dangerous looking blind-side efforts.

Two clean takes in two consecutive line-outs by Joe Dawes ended in two tries. The first score was by George Tresidder after quick hands across the backs put him into space with 50m to go to the try-line. The second was touched down after Tom Kent had caught the defence flat-footed with two dummy switched passes with both centres before putting Nick Rigg away up his wing.

When David Eades scooped up a poor pass that had gone to ground the entire home team were caught wrong-footed as he scooted round the blind-side to touch down under the posts. Derby were well on top now with Will Skeates, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle and George Groom carrying the ball up the centre of the field during five phases of recycled, rucked ball. Eventually the defence was overstretched and George Castledine exploited a gap to canter over for a try. Tresidder completed the first-half scoring after Tom Doyle had again broken the gain line before off-loading to his supporting players. Castledine popped over his third conversion to give Derby a 31-0 half-time lead.

Although changes were made at half-time and during both halves the transitions were seamless and the quality of the play sustained. Within minutes of the second-half starting David Eades twice came within a whisker of an interception try and we didn`t wait long for the next score. George Tresidder caught a Lions clearance kick, collected his own “up and under” in the middle of a crowd of bodies and appeared on the other side to run down the touchline to complete his hat-trick.

Derby were now at this point attacking from all over the pitch and in various ways. Fly-half Tom Kent twice put kicks into the corners which almost resulted in tries, Marcus Axelson was making ground up the middle and Harvey Baines, Daniel Lawson and Nick Wesson were picking up, driving through and gaining ground. Also in the thick of the action was Luke McNeilly who twice collected the ball from Lions re-starts before setting off on lengthy runs that created excellent attacking positions.

Jim Brentnall was throwing well in testing conditions and Skeates, Dawes and Baines were making clean catches in the line-out. Derby`s scrum was dominant, taking a number of balls against the head. This forward dominance provided Derby`s backs with a constant supply of ball that they were always willing to utilise.

Four tries were scored in quick succession to complete the rout. Marcus Axelson crashed through some tired defenders and Harvey Baines finished off a move involving fellow forwards Donald Inns and George Groom. Either side of Baines` try Nick Wesson scored two short-range efforts to finish off a good all-round performance. In the second-half Kent had collected two conversions and Eades one with Castledine putting over the final kick from wide out.

Although Derby`s defence hadn`t been troubled too much when the Lions did have an attacking opportunity it was soon snuffed out with Jack Waggat and Daniel Lawson in particular putting in some excellent tackles.

The Tigers roar on!

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, Jack Waggatt, Daniel Lawson, George Groom, Joe Dawes, Donald Inns, Luke McNeilly, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Nick Rigg, George Tresidder, Marcus Axelson, Tom Mellor.

Match Report by Johnny Morris for Animal Magic

Derby Stags travelled to the south of Leicester to play a tough encounter with a strong side from Oadby Wyggs. The game was dominated by forward play, where Oadby probably had the upper hand.

Derby were forced into defence early on playing into the breeze, resisting strong play from their opposition. Good defence kept the score tied for quite a long period before Oadby crossed the line to score an unconverted try. Derby came back strongly starting to win more ball and used this effectively when Luke Bland raced over from the half-way line to score between the posts, George Castledine converted to give Derby the lead. Oadby again came back strongly and on the stroke of half-time crossed the Derby line but the defence did not give up and forced the ball to be lost forward in goal. Half-time score 5 - 7.

The second-half was much the same as the first, Oadby the stronger in attack being met by a determined Derby defence and Derby using the wind more to clear their lines. Derby managed to keep their lead with tries from Will Skeates and Luke Bland (again) with George Castledine converting one of them. Oadby scored 2 more tries of their own during the second half but failed to convert either. As time ran out Oadby once again crossed the line, but their player lost control of the ball just before the line and fell on the loose ball with an outstretched arm – no try!

The game was won with a determined defence with the boot of George Castledine being the difference between a win and a draw.

Squad: Alex Barbour, Jacob Thomas, George Castledine, Alex Ham, Chris Burns, Joe Giles, Alistair Wolff, Reece Harrison, John Brunt, Will Skeates, Declan McManus, Alex Tomlinson, Jamie Twigg, Luke Bland, Joe Donohue, Max Cook, Alex Law, Charlie Menzies, Dominic Murray, Alex Szrejder.

Match Report by Tom Kevinlinson

Derby`s U13`s Tigers travelled east along the A52 for this fixture with Nottingham at their new home, the old Boots Ground, in West Bridgford. The weather across the whole of the country was pretty wet and cold but as the kick-off approached the sun came out and warmed things up just leaving a very stiff breeze for the kickers to contend with. 

With the initial rounds of the NLD Cup and Shield out of the way this game provided an ideal opportunity to give some of the Stags players well-earned game time with the Tigers – coming in today were Reece Harrison, Nick Wesson, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigge, Marcus Axelson and Harry Young. 

Although the final scoreline might suggest a one-side procession of tries for Derby it was far from it. Nottingham were obviously a distant second in this particular two-horse race but they never let up trying to attack or compete at the set-piece and breakdown. Full credit must be given to them for their committed performance. 

Within the first 5 minutes both Derby`s wingers, Joe Wright and Tom Mellor, had skinned their opposite numbers to touch down under the posts. A typical George Tresidder solo effort was then sandwiched between two Tom Doyle tries, the first from the Nottingham 22 and the second from halfway! To finish the half Tresidder bagged his second courtesy of a lovely break and perfectly timed pass from his fly-half. 

The second half produced a further five tries. Superb handling by the backs put Harry Young in at the corner, Harvey Baines picked up a score after Daniel Lawson and Jamie Twigge had broken away from a line-out and after several phases of recycled ball, well-timed passing put George Tresidder in for his hat-trick. It was at this point that Nottingham went all out for a try and although they had Derby pinned in and around their 22 for a while the defence was strong and the storm weathered. The scoring was finished off by Marcus Axelson, with a lovely outside break, and Daniel Lawson who broke away from a maul and ran in from 30m. 

In extremely testing conditions George Castledine and David Eades managed to convert a very credible 7 out of the 11 tries. 

Running through the try scorers however, does not tell the full story. There had been a huge forward effort in winning good ball from both the usual suspects and the new boys. Coupled with that there was some incisive and intelligent back play from the half-backs and midfield which all pieced together to create the scoring opportunities. A great all-round team performance! 

Team: Reece Harrison, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Daniel Lawson, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Nick Rigg, George Tresidder, Marcus Axelson, Tom Mellor, Harry Young. 

Match Report by Guy of Gisbourne – Sherwood Forest Times

Bakewell 12 - 26 Derby Tigers (NLD Qualifier)

Derby`s U13`s Tigers travelled north on a cold but dry morning for this fixture with Bakewell in the third round of NLD Cup matches.  

Sunday morning and here we are at Bakewell, no changing rooms, mid-day kick-off and a much changed side due to late illness and injuries.   

In the backs Joe Wright has moved into full back and David Eades stepped in at scrum-half.  The forwards themselves had shuffled to introduce Charles Menzies and Joe Donohue to each other at second-row, Harvey Baines slid back to No.8 and the fearsome ferrets that are Alex Tomlinson and Luke McNeilly were propping either side of Jim Brentnall.  

Bakewell kicked off and Derby received a ball that was quickly moved through several pairs of hands across the backs to edge over the halfway line. The forwards soon settled into their roles by tidying up well in the loose.   

With only 2 minutes gone, the ball was intercepted by George Castledine just outside the 22. He stepped outside his tackler, sliced 5m towards the posts, straightened and opened his long stride toward the corner, stripping the Bakewell backs of any chance to tackle, a superb try.  Just what was needed, any nerves or insecurity about the changes had been blown away. With the conversion slotted, despite the swirling wind, that was Derby’s only score of the first half.    

Bakewell came back strongly, using the breeze and their stronger physical presence to grind away at the “black and amber”, with the game rolling around between the two 22m lines as Derby struggled to familiarise themselves with the strange line up. This period was pierced by a well-worked Bakewell try in which their wing forwards, hunting as a pair, committed a Derby tackler and allowed the ball to be moved through two further passes and over the line.  The conversion was well struck but bounced off the crossbar back into the field of play.  

Bakewell`s spirits and blood was up, again they came at Derby strongly forcing their way onto the Derby try line with both sets of forwards ripping, twisting and grinding manfully.  Derby held the bigger Bakewell unit up over the line with committed defending. 

Bakewell`s second try was a result of a well gathered Derby clearance kick. With the conversion added the result stood at 12-7 to Bakewell. The remainder of the half became a war of attrition with the Derby forwards now finding their feet and starting to match their slightly bigger counterparts. The backs were also running at the Bakewell defence looking for openings. 

Half-time came quickly with neither side having taken or surrendered any further points, but both well aware that this was a close encounter that could still go either way.  

Derby freshened the front row by bringing in their only substitute, Donald Inns, to prop, resting Luke McNeilly who had worked hard under the effects of a cold. David Eades moved back to his more accustomed centre position with George Castledine stepping in to scrum-half in an attempt to increase the physical presence around the loose. 

The change had immediate effect; from kick-off the Derby pack won the ball in a ruck allowing Castledines to pick up and dart down the blind-side, leaving the covering wing and flanker to simultaneously grasp air as he ran through. Less than a minute into the half and the conversion took Derby`s, and Castledine`s, points tally at 14. 

It was a further 15 minutes before there was any additional score. During this time the Derby backs played some lovely progressive rugby with Tom Kent, Tom Mellor, George Castledine and Dominic Murray, moving the ball first to the right and then to the left. Joe Donohue, Harvey Baines, Charlie Menzies, Jim Brentnall and Alex Tomlinson were doing the dirty work by winning the ball on the floor.   

The next score was of the highest quality and from a player who had covered every inch of the pitch - Daniel Lawson. The build up to the score was a team effort, probing and prodding their way to fifteen yards from the opposition line. Lawson then found himself in the right position to take the ball and burst forward. A two-man tackle stopped him and forced him to ground, or so it seemed, but one more twist and he was away to take himself the remaining three yards over the line. A well-deserved try! 

Jim Brentnall brought relief to the Derby faces as he crashed over for the final score. Despite the enforced changes the lads had shown great strength of character to produce a well-earned victory in difficult circumstances. Well done and thank-you from both the coaches and the watching parents. 

Team: Luke McNeilly, James Brentnall, Alex Tomlinson, Joe Donohue, Charles Menzies, Tom Doyle, Daniel Lawson, Harvey Baines, David Eades, Tom Kent, George Castledine, Tom Mellor, Dominic Murray, Alex Barbour, Joseph Wright, Donald Inns.

Match Report by Dylan Thomas, Tricky Vicky C and The Invisible Man

Derby Stags 05 - 10 Mansfield (NLD Qualifier)

The final qualifier for the NLD shield was a must win game for both teams.  The Stags were missing several key players while Mansfield were a much improved side having put some early setbacks behind them and put together a good string of results.  So a close match was in prospect and that’s exactly what followed. 

Straight from the kick-off the Derby pack set about dominating their bigger opponents competing well in the lineout, setting up some good driving positions and taking scrums against the head. 

For 10 minutes they were camped on the Mansfield 22 but were repelled by some determined and committed defence.  Good tactical kicking by Alistair Wolff meant the pressure was kept on and both John Brunt and Kaan Dalkic were unlucky to be held up over the line while Chris Burns thought he had scored in the corner, only to be called back for a knock-on. 

And they were to pay for the missed chances as, on their first foray into Derby territory, some hesitancy in defence allowed Mansfield to score between the posts and convert to give a lead of 7-0, totally against the run of play. 

But showing real character Derby went straight back down the other end and scored a try through Kaan Dalkic following some good play by Nick Wesson and Jamie Twigg.  Harry Young put the conversion just wide of the post to make the half time score 5-7 with all to play for. 

The second half saw Mansfield have the better of both territory and possession and it was Derby’s turn to show they could defend with some outstanding cover tackling and aggressive mauling forcing several turnovers with Reece Harrison and Declan Macmanus leading by example. 

When Derby secured possession and were able to put some phases together they looked capable of getting the crucial score with Jacob Thomas having several opportunities to run at the defence but Mansfield were determined not to concede again. 

Mansfield came back strongly and when they won a penalty in front of the posts decided to kick the points having been able to breech the resolute Derby defence.  The Stags mounted one final bombardment of the Mansfield line but the final whistle came too soon. 

At the whistle the Stags, modest in victory and magnanimous in defeat as ever, had for the second time this season to endure the spectacle of their opponents celebrating like they had won the rugby world cup, the National Lottery and Strictly Come Dancing all on the same day.  What it must mean to beat the Derby Stags! 

The Stags must now wait to see if they have qualified for the semi-finals, but we can all look forward to February 17th when the Tigers will go hunting up the A38 for their encounter with this much improved Mansfield side. 

Team: Reece Harrison, John Brunt, Nick Wesson, Max Cook, Kaan Dalkic, Declan Macmanus, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigg, Alistair Wolff, Joe Giles, Jacob Thomas, Harry Young, Alex Ham, Joseph Booth, Chris Booth

Replacements: Rhys Falconbridge, Alex Szrejder, Matthew Rowley, Matthew Drayton.

A big thank you to the replacements who turned up and supported the team but didn’t get much of a game.

Match Report by Paul Ackford for the Daily Telegraph

Throughout the season most games are classed as friendlies. This just means that the game isn’t part of a competition and as such only has bragging rights at stake. This match really was a friendly. The whole purpose of the morning’s rugby was agreed to be a chance to let the squad members of both clubs get some game time.  

With this as a theme the match was preceded by 2 minutes silence at 11 o’clock, as it was Remembrance Sunday. Across all the pitches at Paviors you could have heard a pin drop. All the boys present showed upmost respect, well done. 

Now to the game. The format was agreed to be 3 sessions of 20 minutes. This gave the 22 Stags players the chance for 40 minutes rugby each and the coaches the chance to experiment with a few different combinations. 

Derby started with the lads who haven’t played as much rugby as some others. They were keen and soon were challenging to win the ball. In this first session Paviors looked the more dangerous of the 2 sides and had the majority of the possession. The Derby defence was tested for large parts of the period and looked to be holding out for a draw only to concede a penalty close to their own line right at the end. Quick reactions from the Paviors side caught the Stags watching them rather than reacting and they conceded a try.

The score at the end of the first session was Paviors 05 - 00 Derby Stags

The second session saw 7 changes in the Stags side and a few positional changes as well. The side seemed to gel better and in this session the Stags were on top for most of the time. Through good phases of play involving both the forwards and the backs the Stags ran in 3 tries, one from Marcus Axelson and a pair from Luke Bland, without reply to leave the score at the end of the second session Paviors 05 - 15 Derby Stags. 

The third and final session saw both sides making further changes. Paviors looked the stronger side in this period, but the Stags defence was equal to the attack, just. At the end of the period the ball crossed the Stags try line on at least 2 occasions only to be held up to prevent the try being scored. The boys were determined to hold out and looked relieved when the final whistle came. 

Although the score was 5-15, the fairer comment is that the match was a draw. Each side won a period and one was drawn. The real winners were the boys who had a chance to play rugby for the fun of it. Thanks Paviors for this fixture, it really was a friendly. 

Stags squad: Alex Ham, Alex Law, Alex Szrejder, Alex Tomlinson, Alistair Wolff, Chris Burns, Declan McManus, Dominic Murray, Harry Young, Jacob Thomas, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigg, Joe Giles, John Brunt, Kaan Dalkic, Luke Bland, Marcus Axelson, Matt Rowley, Max Cook, Miles Newham, Reece Harrison, Rhys Falconbridge 

Match Report by Robin Hood for the Sherwood Forest Gazette

Lincoln 00 - 52 Derby Tigers (NLD Cup Fixture)

Derby`s U13`s Tigers travelled east on a beautiful sunny morning for this fixture with Lincoln in the second round of NLD Cup matches.  

Lincoln kicked-off and initially enjoyed a good amount of possession and territory but Derby always looked confident and safe whilst defending in their own half of the pitch. Having been involved in clearing up and kicking to touch in the early exchanges it was Joe Wright who opened the scoring after a “four on two” was eagerly exploited by Derby`s backs. This opening try was soon followed by Daniel Lawson and George Castledine combining in midfield to put George Tresidder away up the left wing for a second score. 

Despite the good start Lincoln continued to secure quite a bit of ball but Derby`s defence just wouldn`t allow them any time and space, and any threat of an attack was soon snuffed out. 

Derby`s third try had the Lincoln defenders all over the place. Quick ball from a scrum was given to the backs. Tom Kent pulled two dummy switched passes with both his centres and then popped a flat pass out to George Tresidder to burst through at pace – no second invitation needed! 

After Lincoln had kicked deep into Derby`s half, Joe Wright mopped up again. The ball was swiftly moved away to Tresidder who raced off up the pitch and round two defenders to complete an excellent first-half hat-trick. George Castledine converted three of the four tries to give Derby an impressive 26-0 lead at half-time. 

As soon as the second-half started Derby were again on the attack. The ball was ripped from a maul by Daniel Lawson and quickly moved on through several pairs of hands into the Lincoln 22 with George Castledine making ground before being tackled. He popped the ball up off the ground to Tresidder who quickly passed inside to the supporting Tom Kent who dummied, jinked and handed-off his way to the try-line. Superb inter-passing and support work! 

At this point Derby brought on their replacements who slotted seamlessly into the team. Flowing movement of the ball continued bringing an opportunity for Castledine who was tackled on the try-line with the ball being dislodged. Straight back they came with a fourth try for Tresidder after a perfectly timed pass from Alex Barbour. 

The tries had all come from the backs at this point but the forwards finished off the game starting with a score from short range for Will Skeates. David Eades then produced the second of two long, raking kicks deep into the Lincoln half. Alex Barbour chased hard and forced the defender into touch. From this position Myles Costello chipped over into the in-goal area forcing the Lincoln player to concede a 5m scrum. It was all Derby now with the forwards on top. Following a rampaging run from Harvey Baines, Joe Dawes was denied a try 1m short of the line but with an almost repeat passage of play it was Dawes who completed the scoring after bursting through two tackles to touch down to cheers all round. Castledine converted yet again for a contribution of 12 points from the boot. 

This had been a superb team performance. Exciting backplay built on a solid platform provided by the forwards. James Brentnall, Luke McNeilly, Tom Doyle and George Groom worked tirelessly in the loose, Daniel Lawson, Tom Doyle and Alex Tomlinson are beginning to work really well in the back-row and there were the usual big runs from Will Skeates and Harvey Baines.  

Myles Costello`s improved passing is giving Derby`s backs the time and space to attack and score from almost anywhere but on top of all that there is a real team spirit and willingness to work for each other. Coaches and watching parents were delighted with this showing – well done boys! 

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Luke McNeilly, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, George Groom, Daniel Lawson, Alex Tomlinson, Joe Dawes, Joe Donahue, Donald Inns, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Tom Mellor, George Tresidder, Dominic Murray, Alex Barbour. 

Match Report by Brian Ashton

Scunthorpe 00 - 39 Derby Stags (NLD Shield Fixture)

Derby travelled nice and early on a misty, cold Sunday to Scunthorpe. The sun soon burnt off the mist to be a bright clear morning ideal for running rugby. 

The Scunthorpe starting line-up looked organised and had a physical presence about them that soon delivered plenty of possession for their backs to run at Derby. The first 10 minutes were played in the Derby 22 metres with some desperate defending keeping the Scunthorpe players from crossing the try line. The game looked at this point to be an uphill battle, not helped by the slight slope on the pitch which Scunthorpe had chosen to play with in the first half.  

It took nearly a quarter of an hour for Derby to get out of their own half, but the forwards were beginning to gel as a squad and began to win more possession. It was as a result of good forward play that the scoring was opened after 18 minutes when Nick Wesson picked up from the base of a ruck, which was about the fourth or fifth phase of play that Derby had driven forwards. The defence had eventually been sucked into the breakdown area and the Scunthorpe players failed to re-organise to stop a determined drive for the line. The conversion was missed but Derby visibly breathed a sigh of relief, 0-5. 

It only took a few more minutes for Derby to score again when scrum half Marcus Axelson crossed to double the lead. 

On the stroke of half time came an excellent try from Luke Bland. The Derby forwards set up secure ball near the half way line and the backs lined up left. The ball was moved right to where the big Derby number 8 had been calling for the pass. With the defence out of position he outpaced all would be tacklers to score under the posts. This time the extra points were added by Jack Waggatt to give Derby the half time lead 0 -17. 

The second half started in very much the same way as the first half had finished. The forwards were increasing their domination of the Scunthorpe pack and the backs getting more comfortable with their possession.  The next score came very soon after the break to give Derby a 0-22 lead. This time it was Kaan Dalkic who scored after peeling off the side of a maul and beating the defence for pace. 

This score signalled the time for change. Derby made all their substitutions with Reece Harrison, Kaan Dalkic and Alex Law making way for Rhys Falconbridge, Max Cook and Matt Drayton respectively. Credit goes to the team as making changes made no effect to the pattern of play. This was confirmed a few minutes later when Jamie Twigg added the fifth Derby try of the game. 

Shortly after, an indiscretion by one of the front row gave him the opportunity to spectate the game for 10 minutes. The next scrum saw Jack Waggatt being replaced by Reece Harrison to enable competitive scrumaging to continue and the Derby 7 man scrum continued to dominate the 8 man Scunthorpe pack. While being a man down Derby really dug in and scored 2 more tries through Declan McManus and Reece Harrison, one of which Harry Young converted.  

In the last few minutes Scunthorpe really came at Derby to get a score of their own, but the Derby defence once again held firm. With the final whistle the score stood at Scunthorpe 0 – Derby 39. WHAT A RESULT! The team played fantastically with several players out of their normal positions, a debutant for the team and playing 10 minutes a man down. 

Squad: Chris Burns, Alex Law, Alex Ham, Harry Young, Jacob Thomas, Joe Giles, Marcus Axelson, Luke Bland, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigg, Declan McManus, Kaan Dalkic, Nick Wesson, John Brunt, Reece Harrison, Max Cook, Rhys Falconbridge, Matt Drayton. 

Match report by Dylan for the Magic Roundabout Rag

Sandbach 24 - 12 Derby Tigers 

The U13`s Tigers made the foray into Cheshire for their first away game of the season, missing a couple of first choice regulars but determined to give a good account against what was expected to be stiff opposition. 

Sandbach has a justified reputation for developing strong junior sides intent on playing an expansive game and this year’s U13`s are from the same mould – big, strong, well-drilled and, as Northern Lexus winners, clearly successful. 

The games took place on an excellent new pitch, which demonstrates the club’s commitment to junior rugby.  Rumour has it the development included a new entrance to the Mersey tunnel - part of a recruitment campaign perhaps. 

As both teams had 20+ players it was agreed to play three 20 min. sessions. 

Session 1: Sandbach 12 - 00 Derby 

Derby’s current fault of being slow out of the blocks was evident once again and they weren’t helped when the back line had to be re-arranged following an injury to George Tresidder. Sandbach were soon exerting considerable pressure on the Derby line and took the lead when a clearing kick was closed down by the very fast backs, who made Brian Habana look like a slouch, too get up very quickly (too quickly according to some knowledgeable spectators).  The kick was run back and a try conceded between the posts. 

This stirred Derby into life and they started to dominate territory with Tom Kent making some good breaks and Jack Waggatt and Jamie Twigg working hard in the back row.  Unfortunately they could not break down a resolute defence and Sandback broke away to score a second try, this time unconverted. 

Session 2: Sandbach 07 - 07 Derby 

In the second game Derby started to exert some real pressure on their opponents and with Joe Dawes winning a shed-load of line out ball Derby were able to mount some sustained attacks with Luke McNeilly in rampant form.  However, Sandbach took the lead with a converted try following a passage play where the Derby defence stopped for a whistle which never came! 

Derby drew level when after being held up close to the Sandbach line the ball was turned over, but the clearing kick fell to David Eades who showed considerable strength and determination to force himself over between the sticks, making the conversion a formality for George Castledine. 

They nearly snatched the lead following a scything break by Tom Kent who was held up just short. 

Session 3: Sandbach 05 - 05 Derby 

In the last third, Derby again had the best of the territory and possession but failed to make inroads into the defence and ended up conceding a try.  However the forwards really took the game to their opponents before releasing the backs who started to get over the gain line with more purpose with George Tresidder often leading the way. 

The deserved try came when after a series of probing breaks the overlap was created on the blind side and when Joseph Booth was held up just short, Harvey Baines was on hand to thunder over. 

Overall, a good hard test, which on another day could have resulted in a Derby win.  The application and discipline was first rate and the foundations are set for the rest of the season.  The depth in the squad is increasing all the time and it will take opposition of the quality of Sandbach to test the resolve and ability in this team.  We look forward to the re-match at Haslams.

Squad: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Nick Wesson, Tom Doyle, Harvey Baines, Alex Tomlinson, Jack Waggatt, Jamie Twigg, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, Nick Rigg, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, George Tresidder, Tom Mellor, Luke McNeilly, Joe Dawes, Dominic Murray, Joseph Booth.

Match Report by Kofi Annan for Diplomacy Weekly

Coalville 27 - 00 Derby Stags

Derby`s Stags travelled across the Leicestershire border to play Coalville`s “A” team. Having put up a very encouraging performance against Nottingham recently, the Stags should have been quietly confident today. 

I think it would be pretty fair to put the levels of territory and possession at more or less 50/50 yet the half-time score told a completely different story. 

Derby`s forwards had been competitive at the scrums and line-outs, ensuring a fair amount of ball, but unfortunately this possession wasn`t always used to its best advantage. They were not quite as effective at the breakdown, often being pushed back at the rucks by their bigger opponents, but with better technique this shouldn`t have been such a problem. 

Occasional poor handling and holding onto the ball for too long resulted in a lot of turnover ball. On three such occasions the home team pounced and quickly turned defence into attack to score breakaway tries. Their other try of the half was a well-worked push-over effort in the corner. 

A 22 point deficit at half-time wasn`t really a true reflection of the game and there had been a number of ground making runs from Chris Burns and Harry Young up the right wing and Jacob Thomas down the left. 

A number of injuries resulted in a lot of reshuffling of the team during the half-time break but heads did not go down and the second-half saw a concerted effort to get back into the game from Derby. 

With Harry Young at fly-half, any half-decent ball was run back at Coalville with Marcus Axelson, now at centre, leading the charge. Derby were also solid in defence now with Axelson, Joe Giles, Alistair Woolf and Chris Burns putting in some excellent tackles. 

However, those slight errors were still being made and in trying to run out of their own 22 the ball was spilt and quickly kicked on by Coalville to score yet another breakaway try. 

Further injuries and reshuffling appeared to somehow galvanise the team and they now enjoyed their best period. Super, quick passing by Matt Drayton and Marcus Axelson put Jacob Thomas away on what looked like a try scoring run only for Derby`s winger to be felled by a high tackle. Axelson was also brought down by a high tackle from the same player which resulted in Coalville`s centre being sent off and Derby`s centre being helped off! 

In the final few minutes Derby threw everything at Coalville and twice a try was on the cards but an obvious overlap was ignored. A consolation try would have been just reward for a huge effort in very trying circumstances. 

The final score gives a rather distorted view. With a few less basic errors and some clearer thinking about options the result would have been much closer. With such good team spirit this team will surely bounce back and to do well in their next game against Ashby. 

Team: Reece Harrison, Matt Rowley, Rhys Falconbridge, Joe Donahue, Kaan Dalkic, John Brunt, Marcus Axelson, Declan McManus, Donald Inns, Alex Szrejder, Alistair Woolf, Archie Lynn, Joe Giles, Alex Ham, Chris Burns, Jacob Thomas, Harry Young, Myles Newham, Matt Drayton. 

Match Report by The Silver Surfer

Derby`s U13`s Tigers travelled west along the A50 for this fixture with Stoke. Having played their hosts in the group games of last years Derby Festival they knew exactly what to expect - a difficult challenge! 

Playing on Stoke`s huge 1^st. team pitch I really had it in mind that the open spaces would be right up our street but after the first 15 minutes was spent almost entirely in the Derby half I was beginning to question my judgement! 

Derby`s notoriously slow-starting forwards were being dominated by Stoke`s large pack. This was giving the home team plenty of possession and plenty of attacking opportunites. If Derby`s backline defence hadn`t been switched on then a big points difference could easily have been run up. 

Sensing that they perhaps had to provide some kind of spark Derby`s backs decided to attack from deep. From a line-out on their own 22 quick ball was given by the half-backs and across the centres to George Tresidder who took advantage of the space to run fully 60m. On being caught by Stoke`s full-back he offloaded to a supporting Nick Rigg who gratefully accepted the chance to open the scoring. With the wide conversion missed Derby found themselves 5 - 0 in front completely against the run of play! 

From the restart Stoke went straight at Derby with a series of phased rucks, eventually forcing themselves over under the posts to leave the half-time score at 7 - 5 to the home team but at least it seemed that the Derby forwards had decided to join the game! 

Having been left in no uncertain terms what was expected of them in the second-half, Derby`s forwards began to take the game to Stoke to great effect. A constant supply of good, quick ball was being supplied to the backs who just couldn`t wait to run at their opponents and utilise the space on offer. 

Some lovely passing movements and individual option taking saw plenty of ground gained by the backs with Nick Rigg, Archie Lynn and Tom Mellor going close to scoring that important second try that would perhaps open the floodgates. 

It was the forwards however who produced that second score. A Stoke kick was returned and chased up hard by Derby. Harvey Baines stole the ball in the maul and Will Skeates peeled off to crash over from 10m.  

From their own 22 George Tresidder and Tom Kent combined well in midfield to set Nick Rigg off on a lengthy run. Under pressure Stoke kicked the ball out on the full and from the ensuing line-out it was Kent and Tressider again who put George Castledine through for a 30m run to the line. 

At this point it was all Derby and they weren`t going to let up. More quick hands in the midfield saw their fly-half loop his centres to put Archie Lynn in for his first try for his new club. From the restart Derby set off with authority from their own 22. After Tom Mellor had been halted at the end of a 50m run, Tom Kent was on hand to take the inside pass and run in from 20m. What a try! 

To cap it all off, and not to be left out of the fun, Derby`s forwards got in on the act again by giving Will Skeates an opportunity to score. It was, however, from the half-way line and it is testament to his speed and fitness that he made it under the posts. With three conversions from Castledine and one from Kent, Derby were eventual winners by a clear 31 points. 

After the slow start my predictions had been correct. There had been some encouraging performances from new forwards Nick Wesson and Jamie Twigge amongst big efforts from Baines, Skeates, Jim Brentnall and Luke McNeilly. Joe Dawes again did well in the line-out and Tom Doyle, George Groom and Alex Tomlinson got better and better on the back-row as the game went on. Myles Costello`s passing game continues to improve which gives Derby`s backs the time to play some intelligent “heads-up” rugby and with finishers from 10 to 15 there will always be plenty of tries when given good ball.  

A superb performance - well done everyone!  

Team: Will Skeates, James Brentnall, Luke McNeilly, Harvey Baines, Tom Doyle, George Groom, Jamie Twigge, Alex Tomlinson, Joe Dawes, Nick Wesson, Myles Costello, Tom Kent, David Eades, George Castledine, Joseph Wright, Nick Rigg, George Tresidder, Archie Lynn, Tom Mellor. 

Match Report by David Cameron`s Spin Doctor

Derby Stags 21 - 24 Nottingham

Derby Stags started their campaign in the NLD shield with a home match against Nottingham. The Stags started brightly putting the Nottingham forwards under pressure in the scrum. The Derby front row of Nick Wesson, John Brunt and Reece Harrison had a size and strength a