MATCH REPORT

30 Jan 2010

Old Wellingtonians - A - Score 34-14

Scorers: Try each for Dan Brown & Mat Norton. Mat 2 conversions.



Another of our day trip away matches this time to Old Wellingtonians. On a fine, clear frosty morning we set of on what was to be an eventful journey when just south of Fleet services on the M3 the alarm was raised that the coach was filling with smoke.



On investigation a small fire in the engine bay was the cause so everybody immediately disembarked from the bus and across the crash barrier into a small wood whilst the problem was sorted. Fortunately, some roadside repairs enabled us to complete the rest of our journey safely without the need for specialised breathing apparatus.



The game got underway with a determination that we were not going to repeat the opening moments of our last two games and concede an early try. In fact rather the opposite happened when Joel gathered a kick and passed to Timmie G who took it into contact. Tim G then picked up the ball from the base of the ruck, went blind and passed to Dan who touched down in the corner. A fine conversion from Norts on the sideline gave us an early seven point lead.



The game was evenly matched even though they closed the gap to four after we were penalised for going of our feet. Old W’s did finish the first half ahead as they ran back a kick to score and with the conversion were three up at the break.



Their fast running style of rugby paid dividends for them again early in the second half when they scored an unconverted try to stretch their lead.



We were still very much in the game and the next try, possibly the best team try of the season so far and certainly the best away try, brought us to within a point of the home side.



Again, it was started by Joel when he picked up from the scrum and slipped a pass to Ed. He took it into contact but superbly offloaded it to Sauce behind the tacklers back. Steve passed to Dan who stepped their outside centre and flipped the ball to Mat who just got round the full back to dot the ball down no more that 1mm inside the touchline. Another superb conversion from Norts out very wide completed a fine piece of running rugby.



Unfortunately that was the last time we were to trouble the scorers but not so Old W’s who went on to score three further tries and finish 34-14 winners.



This was a tough game and although we lost it was a good overall display of determination and we are still learning lessons in this league. It was fine performance from everyone, especially Man of the Match Tim Godden and from Luke Mowbray, who played his first game for the team in a long while at 13.

Players :1. Nick Tyler, 2. Keith Walsh, 3. Chris Leaton, 4. Alex Tattersall, 5. Chris Spain, 6. Matt Vass, 7. Sean Gorman, 8. Joel Worrall, 9. Ed Douglas, 10. Steve Brown, 11. Dan Brown, 12. Mat Norton, 13. Luke Mowbray, 14. Mike Grimes, 15. Tim Godden, 16. Leigh Marsden, 17. Philip Collier, 18. A N Other, 19. , 20. ,