Westcountry Warriors

The Warriors last season lost only 2 matches and picked up the Canterbury Shield and with it a new custom made strip in the 2007/8 season.

They started off with quite a lot of players and going well in the Canterbury Shield and our other games. Playing with a very young side at the start of the season the average age was around 23/24. But as the season went on they average age decreased.

At the end of the season they finished off with everyone 21 or under. In one match at Old Deer Park the referee in an attempt to calm things down he was heard to say words to the effect that they should buy each other a drink in the bar after the match, but several of the Warriors were still not of an age that they could legally drink alcohol!

At the beginning of the season the team were often captained by centre Ross Allen but with him being called up to 1st team duties Matt Newman was given the role.  

Gareth Jones was particularly pleased with Matt's performance "For myself for him to take that onboard with time in the first team squad but then to keep his head going and lead the Warriors was real good."

Gareth when pushed for his own personal Warrior of the Season had no hesitation in naming Matt!

Gareth went on to praise the squad "We were playing some very tough opposition the likes of Blackheath and London Scottish. It was a very hard league especially for these younger guys."

The teams they were playing had an average age of  28/29. Playing guys that are not just older but are physically stronger. But the Warriors pace and the strength they were contesting very well.

Communication and defence was key and team itself bonded very well last year. Which was shone in games like Exeter United although the team at Sandy Park did have some first team players they were if anything hidden by the performances the Warriors put in. The Warriors lifted themselves up to the level of the first team players and came away with the victory under hash conditions with the rain blowing hard in the Warriors faces.

Two players in particular, who started in the Warriors made their mark on the 1st team. Mike Denbee and Kyle Marriott who were playing constantly in the Warriors at the front end of the season elevated to the first team. This just goes to show how important the Warriors side is.

Gareth is hoping that more players will make that jump this season. " It is nice that we are starting to produce players through the Warriors that are contesting places in the first team."

I asked Gareth when the squad realised that they had a chance of  winning the shield. "Once we had got through Christmas and had played all the teams once we knew that we had a chance"

" We had only just lost to Blackheath away which is a game we should have won. We were playing a lot of guys out of position and went behind and couldn't back in front. So we knew down here (on the return fixture) we were going to beat  them."

The Warriors were hoping that the squad did not have too many injuries. They did have some but other players stepped in. The likes of Richard Jenkins, George Flemming and a lot of players from Ivybridge Community College stepped in to fill the holes of Mike Denbee and Kyle Marriott.

Richard Jenkins went on to play for Devon and recently represented Bristol in the Middlesex 7s at Twickenham. Richard came through the Albion Apprentice scheme and was man of the match for the first apprentice game. It is always nice just to see that we have spotted those players and that they are doing well. Just a shame that as a club we can not hold on to them. I am told that Richard had an offer from Bristol and you can't turn down offers like that from premiership clubs.

Warriors have not lost at home since March 2007 when they went down to the Royal Navy 14 - 23. The RN had bought a strong side that were big up front and it was not until late in the match that the Warriors came into the match.

2008/9

As we start the 2008/9 season the squad the average age of the majority of the players is still very young but with more players coming in to fill spaces in the first team the likes of Nat Saumi, Ryan Hopkins and Wihan Neethling the average age has been elevated.

Whilst the Warriors have already had a number of fixtures cancelled on them it is still going to be a long season with around 30 games programmed. So it is going to be the consistency right the way throughout the season which is going to count.

Although there are 17 or 18 guys training plus the daytime guys to come back into the squad Gareth thinks they are still going to need to replenish some of the players. " Hopefully the likes of Ivybridge and local sides may do that for us."

Ivybridge CC or Westcountry Wildcats, are playing three games at Brickfields and Gareth will be there to not only watch his son play but also to spot potential talent. Also his role as Plymouth Combination Liaison Officer he has many links with many local clubs.

Scrum-half Cory Moore has joined us, he was at Brixham, but was also at the university and he has decided to give it a go here. So there are players that will come through This has also been aided by having Mike Denbee at the university and helping coach their side.

A Plymouth side will be playing The Combined Services on Tuesday 21st October, As in the past these Plymouth sides are normally made up of a high proportion of Warriors.

With Plymouth being used to prepare the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Marines and now the Combined Services they now only have to pick up the Royal Air Force to complete the set!

The Warriors still have a few blank weekends and will be looking at filling those with friendlies. So keep an eye on this website for the new fixtures being added.

Tom Hobbs has been a consistent prop for the Warriors and made his first team debut against Newbury in the final match of the season. He  has now moved on to Loughborough University and so is unlikely to feature for the Warriors so much this season.

Gareth admits that he is sad to lose him.  "Hopefully breaks and when he can, if he can meet us in London for the games, meet us half way then obviously that will be a bonus for us. But he has got to concentrate on Loughborough at the moment which is his team. If he can get a first team place there he will be doing well."

Tom is one of  the young local players. Lets hope he will be regular in the Warriors as and when he is available.

The Warriors aim for the season is to maintain the Canterbury Shield and with Wasp Barbarians now out this task may be slightly easier.

Last year with winning the Canterbury Shield the team have been awarded  a custom designed kit. With home matches being called off against Wasps and now Newbury the Plymouth support will have to wait for their first sight of it until 18th October when they entertain Blackheath. The first team will also be at Brickfields as the entertain a side that made a good start to the season and now sit 7th in the table, two places above Albion.

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