Match Report |
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| Date - 2nd February 2002 | Old Brentwood -v- May & Baker |
| Old Brentwood - 41 May & Baker - 0 | |
| OLD BRENTWOOD DEFEAT MAY & BAKER Old Brentwoods carried on their rich vein of form with an impressive away display to beat May & Baker 41-0. The visitors lost the toss & were asked to play into the strengthening wind in the first half. This was the signal for the forwards to show real character. They grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck straight from the kick-off: Mullen and recent signing Harford ran hard and straight which spread the May & Baker defence. There then followed some great interplay from Buchanan, Ian Hannaway and Davies (another new signing this season) which saw play extend all the way up the pitch to the opposition 22. The home team conceded a penalty and man of the match Harford powered over the line for the opening points. The second try was scored seemingly before May & Baker had had time to draw breath: Buchanan set the drive off with a bullocking run down the middle before offloading to Ian Hannaway who found space for Spiral (one of the few actual X Brentwood School people in the team). He was brought down short of the try line, but the ball was recycled quickly for joint man of the match Raymond to rampage over for the second try. May & Baker then gathered themselves and there followed a more settled period of play?until hooker Aim managed a strike against the head. This allowed Cutmore to set the backs off. A fine run from Laws culminated in a throw-in for the visitors deep on the opponent's 5 yard line. Davies, who saw more ball than his welsh cousins saw all day on Sunday, threw to Harford at the front of the lineout. Part 1 of the catch and drive was complete, and Spiral rounded off part 2 with a very well-worked try. The home team worked their way back into the game very well with some excellent work in the srummage and used the elements to repeatedly hoof the ball into the Old Brentwood half. However, the back 3 of Peace, Lee & Hughes returned the ball with interest again and again. On the stroke of half time, one such clearance found full-back Hughes who ran the ball back through their entire team before touching down under the posts. In the second half and playing into the wind May & Baker showed good resolve. They won most of their ball at the scrummage and the introduction of their openside flanker seemed to galvanise their pack. It was from a scrum that their fly-half tried a mis-move in the backs, but the 33 stone centre partnership of Holmes and former club captain Laws applied the pressure and the ball was spilt. That man Hughes was there again to fly-hack through and sprinted the length of the pitch to open the scoring in the second half, albeit against the run of play. May & Baker continued their good work, but couldn't make inroads into the opposition defence. Their scrummage was disrupted when their second row went off with an ankle injury but it was at the lineout where they were having most problems probably because of Old Brentwood's Harford who was a towering presence. The Old Boys scored another interception try through skipper Neil Hannaway to break a barren 15 minutes. Clean possession soon after from the line-out allowed Cutmore to ease Holmes into space to round off the (superscript: th) try and final try of the day. All in all, it was a day where the Old Brentwood showed good character to get over a lengthening injury list. May & Baker made them work very hard and the score line was a little flattering, but ultimately the forwards were too strong in the loose & the set-piece. Please note that the Old Brentwood team which plays at Ashwells Road is made up mainly of non Brentwood school people. If you are interested in playing, please contact Neil Hannaway during office hours on 01245 352472. |
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