The adage goes that great teams work together to become more than the sum of their parts.
Think of the great team performances. England in the 2005 Ashes, New Zealand’s back to back World Cup wins, S Club 7 at Wembley in 2002. All well oiled machines, working in harmony, with spectacular results.
Last week, the Littlemore machine ploughed through Grove relentlessly. Their performance adding to a growing sense of a great team in the making.
With optimism high, Didcot were the next in line. Yet it was soon apparent that there were gremlins in the engine. Misfiring lineouts and malfunctioning backs moves. Second row studs slipped back, Didcot backs slipped through, unchallenged, to score regularly over the course of the game.
Occasionally, the Littlemore machine spluttered to life. Relentless forwards powered mechanically over the line before the break for Littlemore’s only score, Jason Chambers with the final drive. Individuals sparkled. Keown, a menace. Massey, colossal. Devalius, everywhere. But individuals don’t make a team and Didcot eventually motored home.
In the end, Littlemore were all parts. The only sum that mattered, the score.
Littlemore 7 – 40 Didcot
