06 Feb 10
Earlsdon 0 - Old Laurentians 27
Old Laurentians have been noticeably poor travellers this season with, before this encounter, just one win from seven in all competitions away from Fenley Field, where they remain unbeaten. And Earlsdon’s Mitchell Avenue ground has been the graveyard of OL’s ambitions in the past, the home club having lost just once there this season.
But OLs remembered to take their recent sparkling form with them this time and returned home with a convincing victory over a plucky Earlsdon team who never gave up the fight but were swept away in a powerful first half display that saw OLs sitting comfortably on a 20-0 lead by half time.
Early OL’s pressure yielded a Denzil Evans penalty after three minutes and, with their pack assuming command in all phases of play, it was only a matter of time before the spirited Earlsdon defence was breached. Almost inevitably it was Simon Bayliss who breached it after a series of attacks by OLs, quick hands putting the winger away to touch down in the corner after eleven minutes.
After twenty minutes Glenn Todd followed him over, the flanker putting the finishing touch to another spell of irrepressible OL’s play and a 13-0 lead. OL’s forwards had by now established total supremacy over their opposite numbers, the front row of Cowley, Mark Todd and le Poidevin providing the very solid platform on which that was built.
After another sweeping attack started by a quick throw in by Bayliss deep in his own half just failed to make the line, OLs pack mounted a powerful drive from a five metre scrum and were about to touch down when an Earlsdon hand interfered illegally and the referee awarded a penalty try, Evans adding the two points for a 20-0 lead at the break.
Going straight back on to the offensive in the second half, OLs increased their lead after just four minutes. A promising attack broke down and an attempted Earlsdon clearance just failed to find touch on half way, where Richard Parker fielded the ball and found Bayliss with a long pass infield. The winger left his opposite number floundering and set off on a trademark arcing run to beat the covering defenders and touch down for his second try, improved by Evans for 27-0.
Gritty defence by the Earlsdon pack foiled two more strong drives from OLs and a little carelessness crept into the visitors’ game with handling errors spoiling a couple of good try scoring chances. But the home side battled on, taking the game to OLs in the final quarter, an effort spearheaded by their young fly half who tested OLs defence more than once. They finished the game on the attack but could find no way through a resolute OL’s defence who were determined to keep a clean sheet.
OLs visit Silhillians’ Copt Heath ground this weekend, where they have a good recent record but will face a stiff challenge from a side enjoying a better season this time round. With league leaders Worcester Wanderers entertaining second placed Droitwich, a home win there and two points for OLs at Sils would see the Fenley Field men up to second place in the table.
Report by Bill Wallis
Old Laurentian 2nd XV 10 – Long Buckby 1st XV 52
OLs 2nd XV had a break from league action and came up against a youthful but well drilled Long Buckby 1st XV.
It was OLs who drew first blood with a kick ahead by skipper Ricky Reed well chased by Jody Roderick to score in the corner. However from this moment on the visitors took control of the game
Despite the scrummage going well and Eddie Edwards and Andy Orbison winning line outs, the pack offered the visitors the ball back on every occasion and with first up tackling not up to scratch, Buckby were allowed to dictate the pace of the game. The visitor’s use of this turnover ball was excellent ant they racked up 33 unanswered points.
The home team was further disrupted by the loss of Reed with an injury and the influential Gary Hammond in the sin bin.
The second half commenced with further disruption following the loss of prop Ash McEwen with OL’s other prop Paul Amor also struggling. Buckby were allowed another try early on, but OLs, now with 14 men, began to compete.
The back row of James Melvin, Andy Orbison and Dave Longrigg were working overtime and centres Matt Cockman and Dom Hammond, in tandem with Dan Volkman, were now running strong and hard at Buckby and from a good period of play Lawrence Webb, in the unfamiliar fly half role, forced his way over for a try.
Cato, after a disappointing game last week, was putting in a fine defensive show.
Despite OLs being far more competitive it was the visitors who finished stronger and forced the home team to defend deep, scoring a further two tries. One, from a poor decision from scrum half Marc Owen, led to what could be described as the first ‘own try’ ever scored!
There was a bizarre incident involving the lively Owen who, when clearing from a scrum on his own line, was distracted by the alleged appearance of the Bernai in the hedgerow and with his concentration distracted he passed straight into the bushes.
This was a good work out for OLs who will be looking for an improved performance against Leamington in the league next week. It was also good to see Shane Betts return from injury.
Report by Dean Cobley
Long Buckby 2nds 27-22 OLs 3rds
For the first time in a long time, the weather and availability gods smiled and the thirds were able to field a side in an away fixture at Long Buckby.
With their colts fixture cancelled, a battalion of young fit replacements sat on the Buckby bench. But even without these, well before kick-off it was apparent that there was a considerable age difference between the two sides and it would be no exaggeration to say that player for player, there was an average 10 to 12 years age gap between the teams.
Undaunted by this, Long Buckby started the brighter of the two teams. Fizzing the ball through their juvenile and sprightly backs and using their big runners to punch holes in the determined though stretched OLs defence. A wayward, sliced clearance kick from Page gifted the first try to Buckby and the conversion followed.
Moments later Page made amends for his earlier error with the boot as his tackle prevented a certain Buckby score.
As OLs began to get to grips with the game and with set pieces functioning particularly well , they suffered the sin binning of their skipper, scrum half, and motivator-in-chief, Middleton. Disrupted but unbowed, OLs continued to pressurise the youthful Buckby but to no avail, a breakaway try followed quickly by another began to make it look like it could be a long second half for the OLs.
Towards the end of the half, a gradual build up from a text book lineout lead to a promising maul in front of the Buckby posts. At this point a mild and uncharacteristic transgression by the aged and eternally angelic Spriggs resulted in his sin binning by the enthusiastic referee. For a moment the two players in the sin bin sported a combined age nearing a century – about the same as the Buckby back five!
Down to 14 men for the rest of the half, OLs leaked another try and ended the first period 27 nil down.
It was time for a chat.
The Buckby No 8 caught the ball from the Kick Off and, showing a remarkable turn of pace for a big ‘un ran into the OLs 22. His pass was dropped.
OLs took possession.
The tables turned.
Back on the field, Spriggs marshalled the pack into a relentless, rolling maul machine. If Spriggs were the magical Gandalf to this transformation, the indomitable Ray Smith was surely the Gimley, being at the heart of every close quarter combat situation – surely his finest game for a while.
Rolling maul, short break, rolling maul and OLs had found the soft white underbelly of the home side - and it was time to work on it.
It wasn’t long until, rolling a maul over the Buckby line, Ray Smith touched down for OLs first of the afternoon which was unconverted by Kev White struggling with an injured calf.
Far from champagne rugby, this was proper brown ale stuff, not pretty, but totally effective as the mauls continued to be OLs cannon to repel the Buckby snipers and, as the home side used up defenders to quash the relentless tsunami of green, the on-loan Woods scored right in the corner and the game began to look interesting . . . if not for the bemused spectators, at least for the OLs.
Completely starved of ball which was well and truly up the OLs jumper in the latter stages, the youth of Long Buckby had probably never had to deal with such treachery before and, even with a steady flow of replacements entering the fray in the latter stages, were powerless as the OLs pack tractored their way up field to release Rich Hughes to score under the posts. The try was converted and indiscipline now began to creep into, and further hamper, the home side’s game.
Another rolling maul, another try from Hughes with 10 minutes to go left OLs daring to dream and requiring one more converted try to take the honours.
So close, but it wasn’t to be. For once, it was the youngsters of Long Buckby and not the old men of the thirds who were very grateful for the final whistle.
Report by Tim Chambers
