November 25, 2009
Anyone watching the news will have seen the flood pictures from Cumbria.
As in 2005 the flood defences were breached and the Club House is full of water. Heavy rain is still expected over the next few days so a full assessment of what has been lost and what we can salvage will not be possible till next week.
Link on Front Page of Web Site for 2009 Flood Photos
Committee are meeting on Monday to start to put together plans.
Whilst this is another blow for the Club we are only too aware that we are lucky compared with people who have lost their homes.
We would particularly send our heart felt sympathy to the family of PC Bill Barker from Workington who’s tragic death puts everything into proper perspective.
Under 16
County League Result.
Keswick 21 points – Cockermouth 5.
Other Junior Rugby.
Torrential rain on Saturday afternoon and evening flooded portions of the pitches at both Egremont, where Keswick minis were due to visit, and Carlisle, the destination of Keswick Under-14s. Consequently both fixtures were cancelled on Saturday evening. The postponements were disappointing albeit necessary.
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Cumbria/North Lancs. League
Aldwinians vs Keswick.
Aldwinians’ pitch was unfit due to rain and Keswick’s latest league match could not take place. The procedures recommended to cater for this eventuality, introduced to ensure that the match still takes place at an alternative venue on the designated day, were not implemented with the necessary alacrity and Keswick players and supporters had to make do with watching international rugby on the television.
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Cumbria/North Lancashire League
KESWICK 43 points – BURNLEY 3.
Keswick began this match poorly and soon things got worse. During the least efficient half of rugby ever produced by the current Keswick side there was an alarming degeneration of basic systems, no continuity, no co-ordination or communication and a collective slide to grand scale inaccuracy.
With so little entertainment on offer it was tempting where the buck stops to spend time on a list of reasons and excuses. Was Keswick’s condition attributable to the growing effects of the current unavailability of floodlit training facilities, or the absence of key players, or their willing absorption into Burnley’s functional but not unintelligible trap?. It didn’t help that the kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes but this was a convenient rather than plausible defence. One supporter suggested that Keswick might be hanging back for bets.
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Northern Tri-Counties League.
Ryton 33 points – Keswick 24.
This good, hard and close game stopped short of being a wholly satisfactory experience because of the absence of contested scrums. This restriction, imposed because of Ryton’s claim to have insufficient prop forwards, denied Keswick a huge slice of attacking and defensive capability and gave Ryton the chance to demonstrate clearly rehearsed moves off the back of set scrums protected against disruption. Keswick were made aware of the situation at kick off time, had not planned for the eventuality, and suffered accordingly.
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November 21, 2009
Cumbrian /North Lancashire League
HEATON MOOR 34 points – KESWICK 15.
Heaton Moor are not the best side Keswick have played this season but they are not far from it and certainly, on the evidence of this match, have the best back division. Keswick were exposed when the Heaton backs had the ball and if Keswick’s reaction to the less obvious cues that the ball was going to be moved wide was not instant then Heaton achieved damaging penetrations. Their method was simple but effective and occurred when their gifted stand off decided the time was right. Instant assessments of Keswick’s defensive deployment was boosted by a repertoire of short and long passes and developed by a supporting cast of wide receivers, fast on their feet and fully acquainted with the abundant possibilities. Heaton Moor scored 5 tries and it was, in many ways, a significant achievement that their tally was restricted to this.
Keswick appeared to have coped with the first minute loss, due to a leg injury, of prop forward Graeme Marshall. Greater pain was to follow and was mostly inflicted during a mad 15 minute spell in the middle first half. Heaton added 3 tries and two conversions to an existing lead of 7 points to 5. Unlike Jamie McKenzie’s blockbusting try in in reply to Heaton Moor’s opening score, Keswick were given no such opportunity to recover between concessions; while Heaton calculated effortless moves Keswick struggled to get their passing game together and playmakers John Hine and Brian Storey were consistently well marked. Keswick relied on scraps from hard won turnovers and only made progress through isolated breaks by scrum half Matty Roper, McKenzie, number 8 Aaron Thompson and flanker Dave Ray. Heaton recognised fully their visitor’s unease and with unerring accuracy, and an upward shift of gear, proceeded to tear Keswick’s wide defence to shreds. It was 5 points – 26 before Keswick regrouped and recovered a semblance of the defensive shape that has been at the heart of recent successes. Keswick reeled but worked hard to re- establish some continuity and defensive resilience. After a break by Roper Keswick maintained an attack which, thanks to a quickly taken penalty ended with a try by Ray.
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