🏉Yate Men Finish Pre-Season in Style with 35–0 Win

Yate Men 35–0 Chepstow

By Rugby Rob 🎙️

With so much rugby happening at Yate, apologise avid readers I was a little slow with the Mens report this Saturday, With the Under 9's first contact game on Sunday and the BIG coaching return of the acadmey favorate Nick Roberts, I just get too excited... but back to the mens game.

And if Saturdays match for the men's was the final tune-up before the season gets properly underway, the Yate Men have certainly given themselves plenty to be positive about!

A 35–0 victory over Chepstow brought pre-season to a close, but this was far from a comfortable walk in the park. The young Chepstow side came ready for the challenge, bringing plenty of physicality, a quick defensive line and an impressive determination that lasted right through to the final whistle.

And that made this exactly the sort of test Yate needed.

💪 Matching the Challenge

Yate came into the game off the back of two strong pre-season performances and, although unbeaten, the squad knew there was still room for improvement.

The hard work throughout pre-season has clearly put the team in a good place, but the message going into this game was about finding that extra 5%.

And when Chepstow raised the intensity, Yate responded.

In fact, they didn't just match it — they consistently went one better.

Whether it was the physicality in the tackle, carrying hard into contact or competing around the breakdown, Yate repeatedly rose to the challenge.

Doing that for 80 minutes is no small achievement, particularly in a pre-season fixture where there were plenty of changes throughout the game.

⚡ Evan: Where Does He Get His Energy?

There were some excellent individual performances, but one player seemed to be absolutely everywhere.

Evan.

A hat-trick of tries.

More tackles than anyone else.

And an energy level that frankly needs investigating.

Seriously, we're still trying to work out how he can make a tackle, get back to his feet, get to the next one, make another tackle... and then somehow still be the first player arriving at the next ruck!

It was an outstanding display of energy, commitment and determination, and exactly the sort of performance that sets a standard for the players around him.

A very well-earned standout performance.

🧱 Credit to Chepstow

A huge amount of credit has to go to Chepstow.

The young side were clearly up for the challenge and never allowed the scoreline to affect their effort.

Their defensive line was quick, they brought plenty of physicality into the tackle and they continued to push right until the final whistle.

The scoreline could certainly have been higher, but Chepstow's defensive determination and resilience made sure Yate had to keep working for everything.

That's exactly what you want from a pre-season opponent.

🔧 Still More to Find

As always, there are lessons to take from the game.

Yate will be looking to become more clinical inside the final 22, making sure opportunities are converted into points.

The team will also continue to work on their breakdown play as the season approaches.

Those small improvements could make a big difference when the competitive games begin.

Because that's the whole point of pre-season — finding those areas where you can squeeze out that extra bit of improvement.

And this group certainly looks ready to do exactly that.

🚀 Bring on the Season!

So, that's pre-season wrapped up.

Three strong performances, plenty of lessons learned, some impressive individual displays and, most importantly, a squad that looks to be building nicely.

The hard work continues, but now it's time for the games that count.

Toughness. Determination. Progress.

And after all the work that's gone in over pre-season...

We can't wait to get the season started this weekend! 💙💛🏉

Rugby Rob signing off — see you on the touchline! 🎙️