On Sunday 8 February 26, the Kent County U16 Girls team made the long journey to Trojans RFC in Eastleigh for the second of their four inter-county playing opportunities this season.
The day started very early for most of the players, parents and coaches with a 2 – 3hr drive to make the 11:30am meet, the first games kicking off at 1pm. The format of the day was to play two 40 min, 15-sided, fully contested games swapping opposition after each game. The emphasis for the day was to put into practice what they had learnt over the last 8 training sessions, focusing on ‘Ball Always Moving’, ‘Back In Game’ and ‘Win The Ball Back’
50 Girls were available to attend, these were split into two mixed ability teams, Kent Blue, and Kent Red.
Kent Blue – Coach: Jeff Anderson
Match 1: Hampshire Blues vs Kent Blues
Hampshire came out strongly in the opening fixture, enjoying long periods of territorial possession and putting Kent under sustained pressure. Despite this, the Blues produced several impressive passages of play, particularly through quick offloading and strong support lines that repeatedly tested the Hampshire defence.
Defensively, Kent showed real intent. A combination of determined tackling and consistent line speed forced Hampshire into several handling errors, keeping the contest tight throughout. However, Hampshire were ultimately able to capitalise on their field position advantage, edging the game in the final play.
Match 2: Hampshire Reds vs Kent Blues
The second match saw Kent Blues respond superbly, and the squad took the field with renewed energy and purpose.
Facing what appeared to be a more structured and organised Hampshire side, the Blues lifted their performance across the board. Their attacking play became more fluid, defensive efforts more connected, and the collective work rate across the pitch set the tone. Kent’s increased pressure and commitment paid off, allowing them to build momentum and ultimately secure a well-earned victory try in the dying moments of the game.
Across both matches, the Kent Blues demonstrated character, adaptability, and a strong sense of togetherness. The second-match win was a testament to their resilience and ability to respond positively to setbacks. The weekend provided valuable learning moments and plenty of positives as the group continues to build towards their next challenge
Kent Red – Coach: Steven Powell
Hampshire Reds vs Kent Reds
The team started well, dominating the first twenty minutes with continued pressure on Hampshire’s solid defence. Several individual attacks at the try line eventually resulted in a good team try with the wing getting over for the first try of the day.
Following on from the kick off, a great defensive scrum turned the ball over, allowing Kent to make their way up the pitch with solid pod work and an effective pick and carry. The pressure led to a penalty and the kick put us into the 22. Following the lineout win and continued pressure from the forwards Kent maintained a position in the Hampshire 22 but could not break the solid defence. After solid defence turned the ball over in the Hampshire 22, a breakdown in communication saw the Hampshire backs run the length of the field to score under the posts.
From the kick off Kent were soon back into the Hampshire 22, where successive pod work sucked in the defence and gave Kent a 3 player overlap in the back to take a score. Hampshire turned over the ball from the kick off and from the scrum ran in a try past a confused Kent defence. Despite a last-ditch effort to get over the try line by Kent the score went in Hampshire’s favour.
Hampshire Blues vs Kent Reds
Hampshire kicked off, and utilising the pods and the overlaps it creates, Kent was soon in the Hampshire 22 with an attacking centre field scrum. Several attempts were made to breach the defence but Hampshire held fast and eventually turned the ball over, maintaining possession and running the ball up to the halfway line. A solid defence turned the ball over and forced the penalty. Soon Kent was back into the 22.
A well worked backs move from the scrum put pressure on the Kent try line, the ball changed hands 3 or 4, maybe 5 times. Eventually a soft attacking line from Kent got turned over and Hampshire monopolised to get the try. From the kick-off Hampshire attacked and soon Kent was defending their 22, the stop start nature of the game saw possession and direction of play change continuously, Eventually Hampshire put together a well worked backs move from the scrum that put the winger over in the corner.
From the kick off Kent attacked hard but couldn’t see or use their overlaps despite some great work to get into the Hampshire 22. Hampshire defended well forcing Kent back up the pitch. A fatigued Kent defence again turned the ball over at the halfway but lost possession by way of a knock on and ultimately a penalty put Kent back into the 22 and defending their try line. Hampshire maintained the pressure, but the Kent defence held strong to win the penalty and relieve the pressure on the try line. An unlucky penalty soon put the pressure back into the Kent 22 and Hampshire retained possession and gained a penalty to take 3 points and the game.
In Summary: All the girls that wore the Kent shirt this weekend should be proud of their achievements. Although we lost 3 of the 4 games, it must be recognised that all the final scores were close, with our girls fighting to the very end of each game. There is still much to work on before we face Hertfordshire in March, but the coaches believe that the squad is progressing in the right direction. This weekend the girls have shown that with determination, teamwork and belief in each other, anything is possible, and that no matter how the game seems to be going, we can always fight back and change the script. It’s never over until the ref blows the final whistle. We would also like to say thank you to Hampshire for finding such amazing pitches to play on despite the dreadful weather.
