Match Report

Old Brentwoods secured a much needed win over the visitors from South Woodham Ferrers on Saturday…but it was hard work !

It was the away team who started much the brighter. Their play in the loose was inspirational & it was only some last-ditch tackling from Womersley, Bash and Laws which kept the score down to 0-7.

The pack were now dominant in the set-piece and were putting more pressure on in the loose. This gave the backs the room to cut open the Woodham defence with some clever running from Holmes and skipper Hannaway. Some great support play from Womersley and Laws was enough to force S.W.F. into conceding a couple of penalties which in-form kicker Hughes duly converted 6-7.

There then came a key moment: S.W.F. had the put-in at a scrum on the home team’s 22 & were in rampant form. But the Old Boys pack (most of whom aren’t X Brentwood School) drove them clean off their own ball & fly-half Cutmore cleared their lines. Just to rub salt into the wounds, they then nicked the ball from the ensuing lineout with a great take from pack leader Born. This gave the space for Cutmore to work a mis-move in the centres which saw winger Gooday crash over to take the score to 11-7.

South Woodham were now chasing the game & were forced to take some risks. This led to Hannaway snaffling an interception pass (for which he was to pay a heavy price later on !), which took the score to 18-7.

Hughes put over another penalty before half-time, but with the wind picking up & the heavens about to open, it was going to be a long second half into the wind for the home team.

The visitors started much the better and were camped in the opposition 22. Tackle after tackle went in from Mullen, Raymond & Laws again. They just could not breach the defence. The Old Boys then turned the ball over in the ruck with some clever work by Laws and ran it the length of the field with some good interplay between Cutmore, Holmes & Hannaway. But, they over-committed to the attack and when a pass was spilt they were left open to a very good counter-attacking try which was duly converted. This left the game well poised at 21-12.

The Old Boys rose to the occasion and ground their way up the pitch to gain a lineout on the opposition 22. The forwards then produced a catch & drive at the lineout which saw Bristow go over. It was a well-deserved try for the hooker, who hit his man time & again in the lineout - even when the wind was gusting.

Tempers began to fray from the visitors at this point. The referee kept his cards in his pocket even after some lively rucking and (far worse in my opinion!) some ungentlemanly conduct from a SWF player when he planted a kiss on Hannaway.

The Old Boys, however, kept focused on the game and some fine work from Mullen, Buchanan & Bash allowed the home team to create phase after phase of possession. This allowed the backs room to work & the half-back pairing of Towers & Cutmore’s clever distribution of the ball saw SWF’s defence streteched. The killer blow was applied by Gooday who the visitors had found a handful all day. He scored twice having taken the ball on the half-way line. This gave the scoreline a slightly flattering look.

Although this rounded off a fine day for the home team, it did make the scoreline look slightly flattering. It was the selfless play from the Old Boys which saw them score some of the best team tries in recent times at Ashwells Road, but it will be the way they dug deep time & again to come back from the pressure exerted on them by SWF which will stay in the memory.

Tries - Ed Gooday (3), Neil Hannaway (1), Michael Brisow (1)

Conversions - Alex Hughes(2)

Penalties - Alex Hughes(4)