Marlow beat the All Blacks after refreshing reset
Marlow RFC’s week without competitive action enabled them to reset and ensure they put their best foot forward in Saturday’s match against Gosford All Blacks, according to captain Hugo Jafari.
The Bucks side beat their visitors, 15-12 to move up to sixth in the
Tribute Southern Counties North after two previous losses against Aylesbury (October 30) and Reading Abbey (November 6).
Having spent those two matches on the sidelines through injury, Jafari was delighted to get back onto the pitch at the weekend and ensure Marlow returned to winning ways in the league.
“It was definitely a good victory,” said the skipper. “Truthfully, the scoreline flatters them as we were very much in their half for the majority of the game.
“I think the week off did allow us to reset, yes. We had some really narrow losses against Aylesbury and Reading Abbey, and we didn’t want to make it three in a row.
“We felt confident in the way we played in these games and had we got a few minutes extra on the pitch, the result could have gone our way.
“I was out for them games, so it was nice to come back into the team at the weekend. We’ve got a young side – it’s in a bit of a transitional period – so it’s important for me, as one of the older players, to lead.
“If we keep performing with the team we’ve got, we could be in a really deadly position in the league at the end of the season.”
Marlow journey north to Shipston on Stour this weekend, the side currently sitting fourth in the table and vying for promotion. Jafari says he and his team are looking forward to the encounter.
“Shipston are a really strong team, especially at home,” he said. “I think it’s one of the furthest clubs we have to travel to.
“Our plan is to play the patterns of rugby we know we can play, and ultimately be patient. If we can do this, opportunities will be there for us to win the game.
“We can’t go there underestimating them. They execute the basics very well and it’s a part of the game we need to improve on. It should be an exciting game nevertheless.”