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Old Brentwood's Continue Winning Streak
Old Brentwood's carried on in their rich vein of form with a
thoroughly deserved victory over a strong Thames side on Saturday at
Ashwells road.
The game was played out in near-perfect conditions and it was the
home team who notched up the first points of the day with a coolly-taken
penalty from winger Alex Hughes in the opening 5 minutes. This seemed to
galvanise the visitors traditionally strong pack & there followed an
immense battle up front - which followed for much of the game.
The Old Boys forwards coped ably - especially given the last minute
reorganisation which saw club stalwart Dave Cavanagh turning out at
hooker. They looked more than solid in the scrum with the engine room
being provided by the sizeable Paul Buchanan & pack-leader Pat Stroud.
The timing in the lineout improved as the game went on with some
impressive jumping from pack-leader Stroud and Jason Lee.
Despite playing with the wind in the first half, the Old Boys
couldn't seem to convert their possession into points and it was Thames
who levelled the scores to 3 ? 3. Thames' forwards were disrupting well
and the Old Boys half-back pairing of Chris Reah and Phil Towers
coped well with the slow ball.
Thames were coming right back into the game using the catch and
drive option most of the time. It was against the run of play that Old
Brentwoods scored the opening try. After securing quick possession from a
lineout, it was the impressive James Holmes who broke through the first
line of defence before spinning the ball out for Hughes to round off
a good team try under the posts, which he later converted to make
the score 10-3 at half time.
More reorganisation was forced on the Old Brentwoods when in-form
winger Jon Mole went off with a hamstring injury, but he was ably
replaced by the newly slimmed-down Andy Born & the spirit remained
determined.
The second half saw Thames playing with the wind and they tried to
bring the ball up through the backs but were thwarted by some dogged
tackling from outside-half Reah and the centre partnership of Holmes and
Hannaway. They reverted to the catch and drive and spent long
periods in the home team's 22, but it wasn't to be their day as they
were frustrated by a with
a number of last ditch tackles notably from Davies and Buchanan and also
from the back-row of Lee and the ever-youthful White & Mullen.
The home team always looked more dangerous with quick, clean
possession afforded them by their impressive scrummaging. This was largely
down to a great performance from all 4 of the front row Davies,
Cavanagh (Raymond) and Womersley. It was from a scrum that they caught
Thames napping half way through the second half. The ball was spun out
from the 22 and after a
break from centre Hannaway, the ball was quickly recycled for Mullen
to reappear in the opposition 22 where his Samoan side-step worked
three times as he powered over the line for a very well-timed try.
Thames still piled on the pressure and their fly-half kept the Old
Boys pinned back in their half with some fine use of the boot, but again
Old Brentwoods pinched another fine breakaway try. Fly-half Reah spun the
ball out to Neil Tentner who charged the length of the field beating
all
despairing attempts at a tackle to score under the posts having
received the ball on his 22.
Thames carried on applying the pressure & the final whistle was
gratefully received by the Old Boys. On another day, it could well have
been Thames who emerged victors, but this was a day for the Old
Brentwoods (and especially their pack) to savour.
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