Old Yardleians RFC: Club News
Eds 3rds v Vandals - Belated Report
Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:54
This Saturday eventually found us at Edwardians, with Salts & Pershore obviously having been checking out the website.
Whilst dry the conditions underfoot in places resembled Hackney Marshes, having been relegated to Eds' second pitch whilst the Eds & Camps youngsters in the main event battled it out in the bowl.
We took the field (eventually, our warm-ups taking all forms these days) with another large eight, with Christmas coming early with Santa Grainger allowing us the use of the Stig sorry Fridge straight from his fortnight in Florida following the promotion (again) of Dai Baldwin into the Under 23 side. Young Greg coming in at his favourite position at hooker and the Colt Arkell coming in at No.8 and with Nick still nursing his injured titty Captain Slow started at blindside. One positional change in the Attendants saw Ian Neville start at fly half with Gary TAG Williams moving into the centre to partner Chairman Fitz, and the return of Mike Nearly Neary on the wing.
Eds winning the toss elected to kick, good decision, with it not making the ten metre line giving us a scrum to start the ball rolling.
Our first try was a fine individual effort by Ian Neville following good clean ball from the General (having tweaked his hamstring in the process) with Nev giving the oncoming defence a show of the ball and allowing himself to ghost through and round the fullback 5-0. Conversion narrowly missed by Dave Rollins (the magic tee having been left at Claverdon along with Ed's trainers).
Our Second try resulted from a great break from the halfway line by second row Andy Killarney who hugging the touch line sprinted towards the corner flag, getting hauled down short he looked for the back row or a winger in support finding only his partner in crime the Lonester, the rest of us having given up ages ago and John bundled over for a 10-0 lead. Ralphy gets this one 12-0.
Our third try (beginning to sound repetitious) came from a penalty (yes we did get the odd one our way) when the General taking the ball convinced the ref that they were holding on/offside but probably both. Up steps John "Phil, this is the plan, I'll make a lot of noise and you give the ball to Arkell" Oddly enough this simple approach worked, the mere site of the Colt galloping towards the line was enough to make the defenders part like the Red Sea for Alan to score (with much acrimony amongst the defenders afterwards "look at the size of him I'm not intending to tackle him" you get the message. Try converted by Ralph 19-0 and well in control.
Number four involved a good catch and drive on the Eds twenty two finally being held up about ten metres out, then the General selected his strike runner go right with Greg or left in the form of big Bill Burrows moving at speed, the latter crashing through the despairing tackles to put us 24-0 up. Cue big spring in Bills step. Conversion missed.
Then Eds hatched a cunning plan from the restart, kick to the Attendants the ball ending up with Quartz, who proceeded to attempt to run the ball out from inside our twenty two but getting caught, and ultimately turned over for Ed's to score & convert 24-7. Now I believe Gaz had anticipated a supporting run from Ralph, which failed to materialise, anyway enough said.
Mind didn't take us long to score our fifth, with the General taking a quick penalty near the ten metre line he found Pete Butler in support who getting up to full steam ran a full thirty metres with defenders bouncing off and in some cases hanging on to score mid way out. 29-7.
Then Eds hatched (another) cunning plan from the restart, kick to the Attendants the ball ending up with Quartz (again), who proceeded to attempt to run the ball out from inside our twenty two .......f**k this deja vu or what!
We should have had a sixth when a great flowing move by the Attendants saw the final pass to Ed McDonald being harshly judged forward.
Anyway not a bad half's work 29-7
Second half no changes (ok we'd got none) and frustrations started to set in with one or two refereeing decisions not going our way. Time for Captain Slow to lead by example, having been upended & dumped I hasten to add without the ball trades handbags with Ed's James Brown (taught everything he knows by us apparently), cards brandished by the ref but not given. But Slow & Brown spend the rest of the half trading cheap shots.
Time for Chairman Fitz to step up and score a great try wide out left hand side, Fitz is this week's man of the match for some really agressive running especially in the second half (fired up by the ref's interpretive skills) and for being solid as always in defence. 34-7 Try converted by Ralph 36-7
Ed's bad luck continued when with the line begging he just breezed by Fridge and was pinged for accidental offside.
With one of Ed's props sustaining an ankle injury mid way through the second half, we went uncontested with Slow coming into hooker (as John suggested having the quicker players out in the back row!!!...think about it). Think I need longer arms or smaller props than Fridge & Shannon!
Finally another swift set of hands sees the ball though the backs to Ed who turns on the gas to score his first try for the Club in his new socks, just about braking in time before running out of deadball area, turning left and making the conversion easier for Ralph 43-7.
Then in similar fashion Ed deservedly gets a second with the Attendents screaming for him to ground the ball a tad earlier this time, run Forrest run!!! Final score 48-7
Another great result, next up Old Halesonians.
Slow.