Match Report
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| Date - 6th December 2003 |
Old Brentwoods -v- Rayleigh |
| Essex Division 2 |
| Old Brentwoods 20 Rayleigh 0 |
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| Old Brentwoods claimed a solid victory over visitors Rayleigh at Ashwells Road on Saturday to extend their league run to five wins in a row. |
| Kicking off into a strong wind in the first half, the home side went in front on two minutes after good passing down the back line set up left wing Williams, who used his pace to score in the corner. The conditions ensured that kicking at goal was not going to be an easy task for fullback James Faiers, and the try remained unconverted. Possibly for this reason, when they were awarded a penalty in front of the posts ten minutes later Old Brentwoods elected to run at the opposition, this time using the forwards to good effect. Second row Mullen crossed the line but was adjudged to have dropped the ball. The resulting defensive scrum was well-contested by the home pack, and possession was re-secured. From the next phase of play, Mullen once again found himself with the ball five yards out and crashed through two tacklers to make sure of the try at the second time of asking. Again the conversion attempt was missed. |
| Rayleigh responded well and were awarded a number of penalties in opposition territory, but were unable to capitalise on these due to strong defence from the Blues, notably flanker James Holmes, and prop Paddy Bache. Meanwhile, the wind was playing havoc with the Old Brentwoods lineout, making it difficult for hooker Richard Moorby to consistently find second row Tim Croom and exploit a normally-strong area of their game. The home side’s best chance to extend their lead came from a break by Shouksmith after an inside pass from fly-half Reah, but the inside centre was denied at the Rayleigh twenty-two. The half finished at 10-0. |
| The wind died down in the second half, but the Rayleigh pressure did not. After recovering the ball from the restart, they set up camp in the home side’s half, asking questions of the Old Brentwoods scrum and lineout and testing the defence repeatedly. This proved solid however, and the pressure was finally relieved when outside centre Dean Bourne broke through the Rayleigh line with a searing run before offloading to Faiers, who in turn found right wing Paul Sier for the third (unconverted) try of the game. |
| A darting break by Reah shortly after the restart brought the home side back to the Rayleigh five-yard line, but the supporting Nav Saini picked up a back injury in the process. For safety reasons, the game was moved to another pitch while the young flanker received treatment. The break in play did not disrupt the home side however, and with Chris Davies replacing Saini in the pack, they kept possession at the scrum and moved the ball through the backs for Bourne to go over for the try. The score remained at 20-0 after the conversion was missed by Reah, and that was how it would finish, in spite of further breaks by number eight Gary Martin, and winger Sier. |
| It was a hard-fought contest, at times scrappy due to the weather conditions, but played in good spirit. Old Brentwoods look forward to next week’s game against Old Edwardians, when they will be hoping to close the gap at the top of the league table. |