Match Report
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| Date - 13th December 2003 |
Old Edwardians -v- Old Brentwoods 1st XV |
| Essex Division 2 |
| Old Edwardians 6 Old Brentwoods 50 |
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| Old Brentwoods consolidated their 3rd position in Essex 2 with a good win
over battling Old Edwardians last Saturday. The game was played out on a
blustery day with a gale blowing straight down the pitch.
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| Old Brentwoods captain Chris Davies used his trusty "Tails for Wales" call
to win the toss & elected to play uphill and against the wind. As such, Old
Ed's struck first with a well-taken penalty from their fly-half. Old
Brentwoods, playing in their blue jerseys, answered back immediately with a
sweeping move which went from one end of the pitch to the other. Chris Reah
set the backs off and it was Paul Sier who was brought down with a high
tackle which resulted in a penalty try. |
| Old Ed's then kept the pressure on Old Brentwoods and some pinpoint kicking
from their fly-half kept the away side under pressure inside their 22. Every
time questions were asked of Old Brentwoods though, they showed a lot of
character to work their way out time and again. The set-piece was solid as a
rock and this was enabling Charlie Raymond and Gary Barton to make the hard
yards up the pitch. In the backs Gerry Shouksmith and Neil Tentner were
working tirelessly.
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| Their resilience paid off when a sweeping move up the pitch which was
started by man-of-the-match Gary Martin and well supported by Jon Demaray led to a period of pressure in Old Ed's 22. When they tried to clear
the ball, Gary Martin charged down and Tom Williams stole in to make it 12-3
at half time.
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| The wind strengthened in the second half and Old Brentwoods took full
advantage of it running in 6 unanswered tries. The first one resulted from
Chris Reah's superb kick for touch which landed on the 5 yard line. Jon
Demaray (hooking in place of the injured Chris Davies) found Gary Martin in
the lineout. After a brief rolling maul, it was Jon Demaray who was forced
over the line.
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| The next score came from a number 8 pick-up-and-go from Billy Mullen. When
he was held up it was spritely Paddy Bache who cleared out his umpteenth
ruck of the day to allow Rich Moorby to go over for a great scrumhalf sneak.
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| A lineout on half way set the next try up. Tim Croom took the ball well and
Chris Reah launched a great miss-move in the backs to allow fullback James
Faiers to dance over for the fifth try.
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| By now, the Old Brentwoods forwards were smashing big holes in the Old Ed's defence
with some direct running from Womersley & Barton. The back row, who'd been
forced into a reshuffle with Neil Tentner making his debut at 7, were
clearing out and presenting the backs with quick, clean ball.
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| Jerry Shouksmith, stand-in skipper, was creating havoc in the centres with
the promising Dean Bourne and it was Bourne who went over for the sixth score.
Tom Williams went over again for his second, and Billy Mullen rounded off
the scoring with his traditional Samoan side-step.
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| All in all, Old Ed's stuck to their guns, but Old Brentwoods secured too
much possession. They put some good running rugby together and they needed
it in order to beat a committed Old Ed's defence. This all bodes well for
Old Brentwoods' home game against Dagenham at Ashwells Road next week.
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