Luxembourg 95 - Charleroi 0

Weather: 9°. Cloudy. No rain
Pitch: Soft
Kickoff: 13:30
Spectators: 43
Ref: M. Moody (*****)

Luxembourg:

As one can guess from the score, this was very much a one way game. With Charleroi presenting 13 players - some of them U15 - they were courageous but couldn't never challenge Luxembourg.
Any hopes the visitors had were quickly dissipated when, right in the first minute, Martin Pacaud intercepted a ball in his 22 and went all the way to the try line. From here, with Benji Simpson
enjoying plenty of freedom and Christopher Rossa finding boulevards on the wing, first half can be described by the 8 tries Luxembourg scored. Christopher scored an amazing 5 tries.
Pierre Ducreuzet and Benji with one try and 6 conversions settled the score 52-0 at half time.
Second half wasn't much different. Matthew Hopwood, Robert Irons, Gauthier Lachaise twice, Mario Bus twice and Benji with one try and 4 conversions took the final score to 95-0.
Although the rugby played sometimes lacked structure and there were a few concentration mistakes, which is normal under the circumstances,
Luxembourg boys played a serious game, respecting the opposition and the spectators. 

Man of the Match: Benji Simpson

U17 Belgium Cadets Division 2 / Luxembourg - Charleroi

This Saturday, October 16, we will receive Charleroi at Cessange for Day 5 of the Belgium Cadets Division 2

LUXEMBOURG - CHARLEROI

Kick-off: 13:30

Stadium: Cessange

The players in the list below are selected for the game and must be at Cessange at 12:00.
Belgium Federation rules require each player must have an ID (ID Card, passport …) please, don’t forget it.
All other players are invited to come and support your team.

BARRAGAN Jaime
BOONE Yannick

BUS Mario
CHRISTENSEN Jesper
DENNIS William
DUCREUZET Pierre
HOPWOOD Matthew
IGNACIO Mark
IRONS Robert
JOLLIFFE Seiji
LACHAISE Gauthier
LAVIS Louis
LOWTHER Lucas
OLSEN Christian
PACAUD Martin
PENN George
RAMOS Pedro
RIZZI Micky
ROSSA Christopher
SALA Peter
SIMPSON Benji
VERCRUYSSE Julian

Standby: DOOLEY James, LAMBERT Oliver, VANDAMME Thomas

Laakdal 5 - Luxembourg 45

Weather: 18°. Sunny.
Pitch: Very good
Kickoff: 13:30
Spectators: 36
Ref: M. Burlet (*****)

Luxembourg:

With both teams unbeaten after 3 games, Luxembourg U17 went to Laakdal to play the game at the top of the League, knowing this would be one of the toughest games of the season.
First half proved they were right. A good start from Laakdal and some puzzling decisions from the referee put an enormous pressure in Luxembourg defence and the boys conceded the first points of the season after only two minutes.
Putting aside any fears this early try could imply for the result of the game, the team reacted with personality and maturity. Avoiding the indiscipline in the breakdown showed in the last games,
the team kept its organisation and came back to the score very quickly. On the 6th minute, the backs made a good breakthrough on the right which unfortunately ended with a knock on.
Starting to show their dominance in the scrums, the boys recovered the ball and ran it all the way to the left where Christopher had the space and the speed to reach the try line in the middle of the posts. Benji converted to put the score at 7-5.
Till half time Luxembourg stayed dominant in possession and territory - with an enormous superiority in the scrums and line outs - but couldn’t manage to score again.
Sometimes because they were facing a good defence, others because the decisive passes were missing. Half time arrived with the score still at 7-5.
If there were doubts about the winner of this game they were quickly dissipated. Correcting the mistakes in terms of efficiency and taking advantage of the temporary numeric inferiority and fatigue of the opposition,
the story of second half is almost the story of the 6 very good tries. 
Right in the second minute, another well played scrum in the middle of the pitch, set Benji - who saw the hole in defence - into space and when defence came passed the ball to Matthew to score.
5 minutes later, Pedro took a ball from a scrum at 5m, was stopped near the line and from the quick ruck the ball went to Benji to score. Another 5 minutes and the boys scored again.
They got the ball from a Laakdal line out at 10m, went for a maul and Lucas just had to fall in the line.
On the 15th minute, the backs got a ball in their 40m and after two perfect passes, Christopher had space on the left to score his second try of the day.
On the 56th minute, another good play ended in a try. Robert received an opposition kick in our half and countered attack on the right. When Martin was stopped in a desperate defensive action,
a good support allowed a quick ruck and the ball went to Benji to score his second in the game.
Just before the final whistle the boys still had time to score the 7^th try. Pedro took a quick penalty, gained 15m and passed to Martin to score in the empty space. Benji converted 4 of the tries settling the final score 45-5 for Luxembourg.
A very good display from the boys against a good team. Patience and discipline settled the basis for magnificient tries and a very good result. Well done.

Man of the Match: Pedro

U17 Belgium Cadets Division 2 - Laakdal-Luxembourg

This Saturday, September 25, we are going to Laakdal to play Day 4 of Belgium Cadets Division2.
 
LAAKDAL-LUXEMBOURG 

Kick-off: 13:30

Stadium: De Vloed, 11
                2430 Laakdal

Departure : 9:30

Arrival :      18:30

The players in the list below are selected for the game and must be at Glacis at 9:15.

Don’t forget the club polo and tracksuit.
Bring also some food and water (bananas, cereal bars, biscuits …) and an ID card.
As we have some doubts about last minute injuries and season colds are coming, we're calling 24 players, knowing two may have to make the sacrifice of travelling and not playing.
Please - and this is important - if you're not available on Saturday or we don't want to take the risk of travelling and not playing, let me know as soon as possible.
Any other player whom wants to come is very much welcomed. This time we have space in the bus. Bring you're rugby gear. Just in case.
 

BARRAGAN Jaime
BEIER Stanley
BOONE Xavier
BOONE Yannick
BUS Mario
CHRISTENSEN Jesper
DENNIS William
DUCREUZET Pierre
HOPWOOD Matthew
IRONS Robert
JOLLIFFE Seiji

LACHAISE Gauthier
LAVIS Louis
LOWTHER Lucas
OLSEN Christian
PACAUD Martin
PENN George
RAMOS Pedro
RIZZI Micky
ROSSA Christopher
SALA Peter
SCHWENGLER David
SIMPSON Benji
VERCRUYSSE Julian

Liege 0 - Luxembourg 33

Weather: 12°. Cloudy. No rain

Pitch: Soft

Kickoff: 13:30

Spectators: 17

Ref: M. Di Ciccio (*****)

Luxembourg:

With five changes in the starting team and a few last minute absences, Luxembourg couldn’t produce the same quality rugby we’ve seen in the last games. Not the fault of the players brought in, tough. They met the expectations, showed the team doesn’t have only 15 players and fully deserved the opportunity, but the lack of routines and pace was too obvious.

Both teams didn’t play well, with lots of interruptions due to handling errors or penalties. However, Luxembourg was always the best team on the pitch with glimpses of brilliance.

The game started well for Luxembourg. On the 5th minute, the forwards took the ball to the far right of the pitch. From there the ball ran all the back line and Christopher had just to run and score. Impressive. Four minutes later, Christopher scored his second with another nice move in the backs. Benji converted both to set the score 14-0. After these early and easy tries the game went into a festival of handling errors, consecutive turnovers and penalties and we were even lucky  when an handling error a couple of meters from the score line, prevented Liege from scoring just before the referee whistled half time.

Thanks to a better organization and attitude in second half, Luxembourg spent almost all the 30 minutes in the opposition half. However, there was always a handling error or a positional mistake to stop the decisive pass. Eventually, taking advantage of the opposition collapse, Luxembourg scored 3 tries in the last 10 minutes. On the 49th minute, Stanley caught a ball in the air at half way and went thru the defense almost without challenge. 2 minutes later, the forwards worked hard in the ruck to give Christophe his first hat-trick. On the 55th minute the game ended as it started with another magnificent try. The forwards took the ball to the far left, recycled it to the backs and this time Matthew had space in the middle to score. Benji converted two the set the final score at 0-33.  

This elaborated but well deserved victory puts Luxembourg at the top of the table. 

Man of the Match: Christopher