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The Young Guns 52 -
The Dream Team 14 |
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The
reputation of the OL's 3rd XV, aka, the Dream Team was at stake on
Saturday when they faced the OL's Development XV, aka, the Young
Pretenders and would their experience and power be enough to combat
the threat of the enthusiasm and pace of a side that had only played
together a couple of time before?
Five
minutes into the game the Young Guns made their intentions known
with a try, created by the influential Chris Le Poidevan and
cynically finished off by the try machine, Simon Bayliss.
Five minutes later Andy Orbison added to the tally with a try
that owed more to soccer skills than rugby, converted by and
James Murray, 12-0. The Dream Team, though very much on
the back foot reduced the deficit with a try from Kev White,
converted by Daz Price, 12-7. The Young Guns responded
immediately with another try straight from the restart, a break from
Bayliss saw David "not so young" Longrigg in space, he
received the pass and touched down under the posts for Murray
to convert, 19-7, the resulting half time score.
The
2nd half began with the youngsters again dominant with two of their
replacements, Graham Le May and Dan Tilley combining
well to put Bayliss in for his second try, converted by
Murray, 26-7. What, on paper, looked like a win for the
Dream Team, was turning into a rout by the youngsters and when
Murray converted his own try an unassailable 33-7 lead had been
established. The backs were running riot through the old
stagers with Scott Whyment and Ben Wiles in the centre
receiving good ball from fly-half Murray the wingers were
always going to find space and Bayliss duly made the most of
it with his 3rd try, converted by Murray, 40-7. Murray
made a fine break of his own to touch down for a converted try, 47-7
and Bayliss rounded of an excellent performance with his 4th
try that followed a great break from Poidevan and Wiles,
52-7.
Though the Dream Team had been run off the park they were eventually
to get some reward for their endeavours with a try from evergreen
Andy Spriggs, converted by Price, to bring about a final
score of 52-14.
Regardless of which league OL's find themselves playing their rugby
next season if the players who contributed to this highly
entertaining spectacle are available for selection next season a
return to Mids 2 is on the cards. With players like le
Poidevan and le May in the pack winning good ball and making it
available for the likes of Wiles, Miller and Bayliss, the style of
play that saw OL's promoted to Mids 1 just a few seasons ago is
guaranteed to win games and friends. |
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Hinckley 37 - OL's 15 |
OL's 2nd's 41 - Hinckley 2nd's 20 |
|
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OL's
finished their season with a loss to Hinckley and though the score
flattered the home side this was a game that OL's never looked like
being able to win. The home side were the more disciplined of
the two and were able to exploit OL's tendency to give away to many
unnecessary penalties. The result sees OL's finish at the
bottom of a league that they won just 3 seasons ago and relegated to
Midlands 3 for next season.
The
game started with Hinckley pegging OL's back into their own half and
taking a 6-0 lead with 2 penalties and with Chris Wade bizarrely sin
binned Hinckley extended their lead to 13-0 with a converted try.
The second period of the half saw OL's play with more commitment and
structure and this led to a try from Charlie Turney who chased a
well placed kick from Matt Brown and charged down the attempted
clearance to touch down, 13-5.
An
intercepted Hinckley pass by Dave Wallis almost saw him through but
Hinckley recovered well and broke through to score an unconverted
try, 18-5. OL's response was immediate and a line out won in
the home sides 22 saw the ball sweep through the backs for Jamie
Brightwell o score, 18-10. The final minutes of the half saw
some great defence from Turney who tackled well to prevent Hinckley
ending the half with a try.
The
second half began in the same fashion as the first, Hinckley
dominant and OL's reduced to 14 with the sin binning of Jason King.
A lovely phase of play saw the mercurial Dave Wallis combine with
brother Iain and a try seemed to be on, alas not, the delightful
pass was adjudged to be forward. Another penalty saw a quick
tap and go from Hinckley and their break from the half way line saw
them touch down for another converted try, 25-10. Another
break from Hinckley saw them with a 4 man overlap that Charlie
Turney was unable to prevent from combing to touch down for another
converted try, 32-10.
Despite he difference in points OL's were by no means out of the
game and when they conspired to give the ball to their wingers they
always looked a threat and this proved to be the case when Brown and
King broke through the middle before the ball was fed to the wing
for Brightwell to score his second try of the game, 32-15.
Hinckley finished the game with an unconverted try from the restart
seeing OL's lose a game in which they had always been second best
37-15.
Old Laurentian
2nds 41 Hinckley 2nds 20
Once again a mixture of youth and experience took to the field with
OL’s coming out on top in a battle against two very attack minded
sides, which was a pleasure to watch.
The game started very brightly with Hinckley on top, the scrum half
and inside centre being the pick of the team. However, OL’s absorbed
this pressure, Andrew Orbinson and Gary Adkins putting in a number
of strong tackles. From one of these tackles the ball was fed to the
backs and eventually with a small amount of space Matt Miller scored
in the corner. John Edwards, practising for the kicking contest
later in the day, slotted the conversion.
From the restart the ball was immediately fed to Simon Bayliss who
rounded his opposite number went through the full back and scored
under the posts, Edwards converting. These early tries seemed to
spur Hinckley on and they came back with a penalty and try of their
own. There seemed to be a lapse in concentration in the OL’s team
and Hinckley scored again. The lapse didn’t last long; from a
turnover Chris Le Poidevan raced away, fed the ball to Simon
Collier, who had an outstanding game at centre and also in the back
row, drew the defence and fed the ball to Bayliss on his inside who
once again showed his pace and power to score. Half time score was
26-12.
The 2nd half continued in much the same vain; with OL’s
breaking from immense pressure in their own half to score. A number
of breaks orchestrated from outstanding fly half Scot Wiles allowed
OL’s to increase the points and make the game safe. Wiles added a
try of his own, James Murray raced clear and scored an excellent
solo effort and a fine team try finished by Tony Jones, for his 1st
of the season were the main talking points. Edwards completed the
scoring with a penalty from the 10m line to finish with a penalty,
and 4 conversions to give OL’s the winning score line of 41-20.
Again, it proved that with the right level of experience and the
ever attack minded youth led to a fine team performance. With so
many of these new faces being about next season we can look forward
to an exciting attacking year. |
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Spartans U 21's
19 - OL's Development XV 22 |
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With
the Easter break and the club tour to the fleshpots of Newcastle
OL's took a side comprising of past and present pupils from the
school supplemented by a couple of older players to Spartans to play
their own development side and gave the crowd a hugely entertaining
example of free-flowing and committed rugby.
It
was to be the home side who made the stronger start scoring a
converted try in the 7th minute. OL's responded straight from
the restart with a try from Simon Bayliss who made space for himself
and broke through Spartans' defence, 5-7. Spartans were the
more organised of the 2 sides, no doubt due to the number f games
they had played together, were quick to the break and sharp in
attack and always looked to be a threat. OL's were defending
well, though not well enough, when Spartans, having been awarded a
penalty, increase their lead with an unconverted try, 5-12 however
this deficit was reduced with a try from Matt Mogg, 10-12.
The
second half began at the same break neck speed as the first had
ended with OL's making the better start. Full back Anthony
Jones received the ball in his own half and set off down the left,
his clever chip over the Spartans' defence look set for him to score
a try however he appeared to be deliberately blocked from chasing
his kick and OL's were awarded a penalty. The ball went through the
centre of the pitch for Chris le Poidevan to break through from 22
metres to score a well deserved, though unconverted try, 15-12. The
next 30 minutes was all Spartans as they laid siege to the OL's
line, OL's defended well with Mark Brassey and bayliss combining to
prevent a certain score. Despite Spartans' flair and
determination their next score was due to some atrocious OL's
defence as they stood and watched as Spartans crossed the line for a
converted try, 15-19.
OL's
were finding it hard to make any inroads into Spartans' half as the
home side sought to increase their lead and prevent OL's from
scoring. OL's next foray into Spartan territory was down to a
great break from Andy Orbison who fed the ball to Jabba to pass it
on to Bayliss to touch down, a conversion would see OL's take the
lead and James Murray duly obliged, 22-19. The last minutes of
the game saw some resolute OL's defence and when they bundled an
attacking Spartans back into touch the game was over, and won.
If
OL's are able to keep the younger players who played today for the
forthcoming season OL's stay in Mids 3 should not be a long one.
Hopefully the establishment of an OL's Development side under the
leadership of Colin Willes will see these younger players be given
the opportunity of playing regular, and competitive rugby for the
OL's and allow them to integrate themselves into the senior sides. |
|
OL's 24 - Leamington 23 |
Leamington 2nd's 26 - OL's 70 |
|
But
for a missed final minute penalty from Leamington this could well
have been a game that OL's threw away through a series of
unforced errors, bad decision making and missed opportunities,
instead it was a game that OL's won and one that saw them move off
the foot of the table.
One
of the largest gates of the season, including a number of former
club captains, were given a nail biting performance from an OL's
side that swapped moments of exciting play with numerous errors and
indiscipline that allowed Leamington to make more of a match of a
game that could have been OL's for the taking. OL's started
the game well and in a positive way with brothers Iain & Dave Wallis
combining well to penetrate the visitors defence. Though their
move break down the 2nd phase saw Carl Adams cross the line for a
try only for it to be disallowed for alleged crossing.
Leamington responded with a beautiful phase of play that saw a
cheeky kick from their play-making fly-half that brought a try
saving tackle from Charlie Turney, Leamington maintained their
pressure and were rewarded wit a converted try.
The
re-start saw OL's Turney make a 40 metre side stepping sprint to
touch down to reduce the deficit to 5-7. Leamington extended
their lead with a series of penalties to a half time score of
5-20 through OL's making too many unnecessary and unforced errors.
Leamington began the second half as they so often do, physical and
aggressive, with the objective of unsettling their opponents and
though OL's had the opportunity to reduce their lead with a penalty
the kick went wide. The sin-binning of a player from either
side was little advantage to OL's as Leamington's Bristow calmly
slotted the resulting penalty over to make the score 5-23 and game
that had began with OL's looking able to win seemed to be slipping
away from them.
OL's
stepped up a gear and were justifiably rewarded with a try from
David Longrigg, in space and wide on the right wing, 10-23.
Almost immediately, and back in their visitors territory, a well
worked line out move saw Iain Wallis wriggle through to touch down
under the posts from Brown to convert, 17-23. With 2 minutes
of the game to play OL's maintained their pressure and, following a
scrum in Leamington's 22, Matt Brown calved his way through the
defence to score, Dave Wallis converted and OL's led 24-23.
Leamington restarted with a clever kick from Bristow that, in the
resulting scrap for the ball, saw them awarded a penalty, if it went
over OL's would have lost, if it missed they had won - it was wide,
the final whistle blew and OL's had won a well deserved victory.
The
final home game of the season and of Midlands 2 rugby saw OL's
victorious however this was another game in which OL's demonstrated
that they were capable of doing their best superbly, but rarely and
their worst badly and often though had it not been for Leamington's
fly-half the victory would have been far easier.
Leamington 2nd's 26 - OL's 70
Some you win, and some
you lose, and some are emphatic victories, this was the latter.
OL's 2nd XV took to the field with a very young side including an
encouraging number of new faces, several of which were pupils from
Lawrence Sherrif school.
OL’s started the
game with the wind in their favour, but instead of using the wind by
kicking into Leamington’s half, they ran the ball at every
opportunity through their young team and supported well by the young
at heart John Edwards, Ray Smith, Mark Brassey, Tony Jones and Simon
Cooper. However, it was Leamington that started brightly and had a
number of phases; however, they could not cross the OL’s line,
mainly through determined defence. It was from one of the Leamington
attacks that James Morgan broke clear from his own line and after
breaking through a number of tackles fed the ball to Simon Bayliss
who ran from the half way line, outpacing the Leamington defence to
touch down.. The next try was very similar, Leamington securing good
lineout ball, but the Leamington backs were so well marshalled by
the OL’s back line that they could not force their way over the
line. Again, an excellent tackle by Morgan led to turnover ball, the
ball was fed to Mark Creswell, playing at full back, who burst
through a number of tackles, before slowing down and then using an
awesome change of pace he rounded the Leamington full back to score
under the posts.
These early
tries led to pressure for OL’s and they seemed to score at will,
tries from Scot Wiles, Le Poidevan and 2 more from Bayliss and
debutant George Rapsomanikis enabled OL’s to score 39 points in the
first half. Half time score was 39-5.
The 2nd
half started in much the same way as the 1st, with
Leamington looking in complete control. They scored again, from a
lineout. This seemed to spur OL’s into action and from a planned
lineout move OL’s scored a try from Mark Brassey after once again a
good run from Mark Creswell. Further tries in the 2nd
half followed from Le Poidevan and Wiles. Wiles try epitomised all
that was good for OL’s, the backs ran at every opportunity, the
forwards ably supported and rucked over the ball to give quick
attacking options for the backs and after the ball passed through a
number of sets of hands Wiles touched down.
Leamington did
score another try through forward power, but James Murray added
another try for OL’s to increase the lead. The final try of the game
came from Andrew Orbinson again another excellent move involving
most of the team. John Edwards added 5 conversions to make the final
score 70-26. The game was played in excellent spirit and a fine
performance from a very young 2nd team, where there were
many outstanding performances, but man of the match was James Morgan
who was everywhere in the loose and linked well between the forward
and interplayed with the backs. It was also good to see so many
Sheriff boys, either past or present, playing for the team. If the
players remain at the club after university then many of them will
be pushing for 1st team places and will see the club move
forward once again. |
|
OL's A 15 - Broadstreet
2nd's 18 |
Northampton Casuals 10 - OL's B 18 |
|
The
rain held off, the sun shone and OL's took the ball cleanly at the
kick off, things were looking positive for an OL's side that blended
experience, maturity and youth that gave the opportunity for a
number of new faces to represent the senior side out that day.
OL's
took the lead in the 7th minute with a try from Dave Wallis that
followed to offensive scrums in Broadstreet's 22. Dave
Middleton, standing in for the injured Reed released the ball to
Matt Brown who passed to Wallis for him to find the space to thread
through the determined Broadstreet defensive line, Brown's
conversion was successful and a 7-0 lead was established. As
is so often the case a side reduced to 14 men are capable of
stepping up a gear and that is what the visitors did just 3 minutes
after their prop was yellow carded. A well worked backs move
saw the ball released to their full back who touched down between
the posts for a converted try, 7-7. OL's could have gone
further ahead when Brown broke through the defensive line, however
instead of going for the try himself he released the ball to Mark
Cresswell who was bundled into touch. Brown restored OL's lead
with a penalty in the 35th minute and the lead was maintained to the
half time whistle which also saw OL's Pete Nealon sin binned,
strangely in the 47th minute.
Though the score at half time showed only a 3 point difference the
half had been OL's and had they taken their chances the game could
have been won in the first 47 minutes. Broadstreet had one
scoring opportunity, they took it, OL's had many, They did not.
Playing into the wind OL's again started well and should have gone
into the lead with a try from Iain Wallis, however celebrations were
curtailed when the referee determined that the try had not been
scored. Justice was done when Carl Adams, again leading by
example, broke through all before him to score, 15-7.
Ash
McEwan came on for Russ Kennedy and made his impression within
minutes with his sin binning. Following the penalty for the offence
Broadstreet won their line out ball and drove over the line for an
unconverted try, 15-12. OL's made a number of replacements,
Skinners being replaced by Richie Rees, Charlie Turney replaced by
Jamie Brightwell and Crezza by Ben Wiles, unfortunately they were
not given much of an opportunity to shine and Broadstreet, playing
to their strengths - their pack, and OL's weaknesses - their
insistence in giving away unnecessary penalties won the game with a
penalty and unconverted try, 15-18.
There
were some impressive performances from Adams, Marcus Bailey and
evergreen Dave Middleton, however Dave Wallis' mercurial runs were
the stuff of legend, it would seem that centre is his position.
Northampton Casuals 10 -
OL's 18
With a mixture of
youth and experience OL's took to the field with the wind in their
favour. From the kick off, Ols seemed to be in full control and
through a number of strong runs from Antony Jones, it looked as
though the game would be free flowing and full of points. This
wasn't to be the case.
OL's started well and
scored a try though one of the experienced players, Tim
Dougherty, passed to him by one of the youngsters, Simon Bayliss.
Kev White converting. White also added 2 penalties in the first
half before the best move of the match, resulted in Bayliss adding
a try of his own after breaking clear from the 10m line. Casuals
added a try of their own shortly before half time, to make the
score at the break 18-5.
It
was a different story in the 2nd half with both teams cancelling
each other out. The only score was from Casuals. But the defensive
work from all OL's players, young and old, was great to see. With
the wind in the OL's face, the players tried to run at every
opportunity and from some of these moves, Matt Miller seemed
destined to score only for a number of high tackles against him.
All in all, a good team effort, free flowing runs in the 1st half
and a great defensive display in the 2nd half allowed OL's to win
18-10. Good performances from youngsters Bayliss, Jones and an
excellent all round display from Andrew Orbison coupled
with the experienced players, Dougherty and Spriggs allowed OL's
to win a very competitive contest.
|
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Camp Hill 20 - OL's 3 |
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|
Next
season will see OL's play their rugby in Midlands 3 following their
disappointing performance against Camp Hill. This was a game
that OL's had to win to ensure any chance of Mids 2 survival but the
game was lost in the first 20 minutes with a determined Camp Hill
making the better start. The home side took the lead in the
5th minute with a penalty and increased their lead with a converted
try in the 8th following a 5 metre line out and drive, 10-0.
Camp Hill were reduced to 14 men in the 11th and were awarded a
penalty, however though the distance was made the ball went wide.
Numerical equality was restored a few minutes later with Ash McEwan
yellow carded and during his absence from the pitch Camp Hill
increased their lead wit anther converted try, 17-0. In the
30th minute Camp Hill scored another penalty to give them a 20-0
lead. OL's scoring opportunities had been few an far between
however Brown was successful with a penalty in the last minutes of
the 1st half to make the score 20-3 at half time.
The second
half saw the OL's step up a gear and as the rain began to fall even
heavier the game became a pretty dismal affair with both sides
showing their frustrations. Had OL's been able to make more
use of the ball and released it to the wings no doubt the end result
would have been somewhat different as the Camp Hill backs were no
match for OL's, as it was they played to their strengths and in
doing so prevented OL's from playing the rugby we know they are
capable of. |
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Leicestershire Brabarians - Warwickshie Presidents XV |
|
Arranged as a friendly, fund raising fixture, players from most of
the county's junior sides were invited to play in the county colours
against a well organised Leicestershire County Development side.
Unfortunately Paul Willis was denied the privilege due to an injury
sustained against Newport and was unable to join Iain Wallis, Ricky
Reed and Matt Brown. Oddly enough a number of Newbold players
were also asked to play but decided against taking up the
invitation so it was down to the OL's contingency to represent
Rugby. I am awaiting a full report of the game but as far as
the OL's are concerned here are the salient facts;
 |
The game started brightly for Warks with Iain Wallis, playing at
centre, scoring a converted try to which Leics responded with a
try of their own Matt Brown, playing at 11 scored a first
half try and 2 second half tries, one at 11 and the other at
centre. Ricky Reed came on in the 2nd half to complete the OL's
dominance of the game and though the game ended with
Leicestershire winning OL's can be proud of the fact that it was
Wallis and Brown who scored all of Warwickshire's tries. |
Wal
had a superb game, probably the best I have seen him play all
season, finding gaps in a well organised defence to exploit, whilst
Browny relished the fact that he had the opportunity to run with the
ball and subsequently score a hat trick. Reedo was, well Reedo
and did what he does each game, reliable, committed and
inspirational. Who knows what fate awaits this trio, full
County colours, who knows?
 |
|
Newport 29 - OL's 17 |
|
|
With
the strong icy wind to their backs Newport set their stall out with
10 minutes of intense pressure that saw OL's defend two 5 metre
scrums before the OL's were able to venture into their opponents
half. OL's were rewarded with a penalty which Matt Brown
slotted over followed. The next 10 minutes saw OL's the more
dominant of the two sides and their pressure was justifiably
rewarded with a lovely try from Dave Wallis, converted by Brown.
Unfortunately this seemed to spur the home side on who responded
with 2 unconverted tries and a penalty to go into the break
13-10 ahead.
The
home side began the second half as they had ended the first and
increased their lead with another unconverted try and penalty,
21-10. OL's dug in deep to find the strength of character and
determination to reduce the deficit with a superb individual
try from Dave Wallis, who evade 3 or 4 tackles before touching down
for Brown to convert, 21-17. Though a victory was in their
sites OL's were beginning to tire and with the home side, sensing
this, stepped up the pressure and scored an unconverted try and
penalty to bring about a 29-17 victory.
At
the time of writing I do not know who was made man of the match,
however for me it was a choice between Carl Adams and Dave Wallis,
with Wallis getting the nod for his 2 wonderful tries.
Unable to compete in the pack against a strong and physical side
OL's were always going to be on the back foot however their
performance was again commented on by their opponent's supporters
who questioned the fact that a side of OL's character and abilities
should be at the foot of the table. |
|
OL's 7 - Kenilworth 12 |
Kenilworth 2nd's 38 -
OL's 15 |
Old Warwickians 0 - OL's
3rd's 31 |
|
Expecting to leave with
a 50 point victory Kenilworth left Fenley Field counting
themselves lucky to have scraped a win against an determined OL's
side that belied their position at the foot of the league. The
result could have been much different, Kenilworth had 2
opportunities to score and took them, whilst OL's failed to exploit
all of their chances. A number of refereeing decisions also
saw OL's disadvantaged, much to the dismay of the home supporters
and coaching team, and the end result saw a disappointed OL's and
relieved Kenilworth side leave the pitch.
OL's set their stall out
from the whistle and rocked their visitors with with their
determined play that, within 5 minutes, saw Kenilworth's play making
fly-half forced to leave the pitch nursing a rather nasty headache
due in part to the tackling by Dave and Ed Wallis. Kenilworth
bounced back with a converted try in the eighth minute, a result of
2 penalties within 5 metres of the OL's line.
Despite Kenilworth's
league standing there was little about them that seemed to justify
their 2nd place position other than their physical approach to the
game that saw OL's awarded a penalty, following the eventual
penalising of questionable tactics in the line out unfortunately the
attempt went wide and OL's chance to reduce the deficit was lost,
and four minutes later another OL's penalty went wide and the
opportunity to take the lead had been lost. At half time OL's
could feel justifiably proud of their performance and a little
disappointed that they were not deservedly, in the lead.
Kenilworth were
marginally the better side for the first quarter of the 2nd half
despite their continues aggressive approach to the game that even
saw a couple of their own players having a minor fracas after which,
confusingly, the referee rewarded them with a penalty which went
wide. Five minutes later Kenilworth, despite some valiant OL's
defence, extended their lead with an unconverted try.
Behind, but not
downhearted, OL's retrenched and reduced the deficit with a try from
Garry Hammond that justifiably rewarded the forwards for their
commitment and efforts, Brown's conversion made the score 7-12.
With 15 minutes to go Kenilworth were reduced to 14 men with the red
carding of one of their props for an illegal, and highly dangerous,
tackle on Pete Satchwell. OL's were unable to take advantage
of their numerical superiority as Kenilworth were forced to defend
their lead for the final phase of the game. Some poor decision
making and silly mistakes from the OL's meant that the home side
were denied the victory they deserved and their visitors left with a
narrow victory.
The OL's forwards had
been a major factor throughout the game with Carl Adams and Chris
Wade to the fore, however all of the pack performed superbly.
The backs, with the ball being fed to them well by Ricky Reed had a
number of opportunities to show their capabilities however they were
unable to convert their possession into points. With 4 games
left to their season OL's could still avoid the drop, and, if they
play as they did today against the weaker opposition that they are
faced with, Midlands 2 rugby could still be within their reach,
their future is in their own hands.
Kenilworth 38 Old
Laurentians 15
OL's 2nd's gave
debuts to a number of players against an experienced Kenilworth team
and started very brightly running the ball at every opportunity led
by the experienced John Edwards, Ray Smith and Pete Rigg. OL's had
pressure from the forwards and through the lively Gary Adkins, who
was prominent in the loose throughout the whole game, he stole the
ball and fed to Dan Tilley who jinked through the Kenilworth
back line to score.
From the kick off
Mark Wilson, back from University, was taken out in the air, this
led to a turn over ball for Kenilworth, however a fine tackle by
centre Rich Reece led to a knock on, debutant Simon Bayliss
picked up deep in his own 22 and ran the length of the pitch to a
score a fine individual try.
With OL's 10-0 up
it seemed to fire the Kenilworth team into life and they went on to
score a number of unanswered tries. OL's appeared to go to sleep and
missed a number of tackles, the defence around the ruck also seemed
to disappear. It was these reasons that OL's could not get their
hands on the ball and could not play the expansive game of the 1st
15 mins.
After the interval
OL's came out with increased vigour and put right their errors of
the 1st half, the defence around the fringes was much better and
players were putting in big hits, namely Danny Davies and Simon
Bayliss, Martin Storey Anthony Jones and Marcus Gregory when he came
on. This improved defence led to OL's final score of the game, and
probably the most impressive from both teams. Forward and backs
interlinking, Marcus Bailey prominent with his new found ball
carrying skills, Simon Orbison with some very deft passing and Simon
Cooper passing the ball from the base of the ruck at every
opportunity to allow quick phases of possession. This allowed the
ball to be passed down the back line to Matt Miller, another
debutant, to score his 1st try for the club. The game was a lot
closer than the score line reflects and there were some very good
displays by Ben Wiles and Wilson, but it was debutant Simon Bayliss
who was deemed OL's man of the match.
Old Warwickians 0
- OL's 31
Terrible pitch,
terrible conditions, terrible handling, good result.
Tries from Kenny
Robinson, Bob Barba, Daz Price and a brace from Dom Marsella, 3 of
which were converted by Daz Price ensured a comfortable victory for
the OL's 3rd's.
The pitch was like a ploughed field but slightly worse because it
was also very boggy. Our handling was awful but a lot of that
can be put down to the conditions. If we had played them at
home we would have doubled the score line. One plus point was
that we didn’t concede any points. |
|
Newport v OL's |
|
The 1st and 2nd XV
fixtures were cancelled, however the 3rd's did play and won 48-5
against AEI
In perfect conditions
the dream team
looked forward to playing some of the fast flowing rugby for which
they have become renowned. In the unusual position of being
able to field the
team
selected,
OL’s took an
early lead through new recruit Richie Reece which was converted by
Kev White.
White then followed up
his conversion with a touch down of his own only to make a
complete
hash of the kick.
It seemed to be one way traffic and when Daz Price darted through
the narrowest of gaps to dot down it looked as if the visitors were
in for a torrid time. White slotted the kick and was quickly
back in action after Reece scored another but not with the same end
result. A determined AEI
put up some stiff
defence but
when power house Fisher
broke from the maul on the half way there was no stopping him.
White duly missed the conversion under the posts and that was the
end of his kicking career. A scrum on the half way,
a missed tackle
and some good back play saw the AEI score a good unconverted try.
The second half saw
numerous changes which seemed to hamper the home side more than help
as they lost some cohesion but they did start
the half
with an
unconverted try from Dougherty. Tries from Thompson and
Robinson
were converted by
Price who took over the kicking duties from White after he was
transferred to the AEI for his efforts. The game finished 48-5
to OL’s but was played throughout in great spirit and credit goes to
both teams for entertaining the large crowd. |
|
Nuneaton Old Ed's 22 - OL's
A 31 |
With only 1 game this weekend for
the Old Laurentians, it was a chance to blood some new young faces
into the A squad, namely, Rob Harris and Ben Wiles, who both look
as though they have an impressive future with the club. The game
started brightly with the wind in the OL's favour allowed some
good territorial possession. However, through a lineout OL's
passed the ball down the line, only for Old Eds to grasp an
interception and race the length of the pitch to score the first
points of the game.
OL's came back strongly after
this using the wind with some good positional kicking from Jamie
Brightwell. It was through his kick and a lineout and some simple
passing between the backs that allowed Brightwell to score in the
corner.
This was the nature of the 1st
half, very even between the sides, and at the interval the score
was 12-12. The extra points coming from Chris Wade and a
Brightwell conversion.
The 2nd half also went along the
same lines until the last 20 minutes when the OL's fitness told
and the game opened up. 2nd half scores from Rhys Wade with 2 and
replacement Charlie Wragg and 2 conversions from Brightwell helped
to increase the lead and give OL's some breathing space.
Good performances from Harris,
Wiles and Wragg when he came on, who was full of running and non
stop tackling. The game was good to give the team some confidence
ahead of the 1st and 2nd team away trip to Newport and also to
allow some of the young guys the chance to play with the more
experienced 1st team players.
|
|
|
|
Despite a number of
enforced changes to the starting 15 the game started well with OL's
pegging the visitor back in their own half however Broadstreet were
soon of the offensive forcing OL's to defend a succession of
line-outs one of which saw the ball released through their backs for
a converted try, 0-7. Things got worse for OL's with stand-in
scrum half Ed Wallis confined to the sin bin and during this period
of numerical superiority the visitors scored a second try, 0-12.
OL's seemed to be on the losing side of every refereeing decision
allowing Broadstreet to extend their lead with a penalty, 0-15 that
they took into the half time break.
The second half saw a
more aggressive OL's and there were periods when OL's looked
threatening not least when Charlie Turney or Mark Cresswell had the
ball in hand. An injury to the impressive Carl Adams saw
evergreen Eddie Edwards make his return to 1st XV rugby and 5
minutes later OL's were again disadvantaged when Garry Hammond was
forced to leave the field following an unpenalised Broadstreet
offence which saw him replaced by Garrie Reeve. Up to this
period OL's had been a match for Broadstreet and though unable to
reduce the deficit were looking more threatening.
Unfortunately Reeve's time on the pitch was short lived when he, and
a Broadstreet forward, were sin binned. Broadstreet were to
put the gloss on a mediocre performance with 2 late converted tries,
one of which was a result of a blatant, unnoticed, or unpenalised,
knock on, that saw a final result of 0-29, a score that flattered the
visitors but has done nothing to reduce the likelihood of Mids 3
rugby at Fenley Field next season.
Broadstreet 2nd's 53 -
OL's 2nd's 15
With a mixture of
youth and experience OL’s travelled the short distance to
Broadstreet to find a very strong 2nd team outfit that seemed to
have played plenty of rugby together. However, this did not seem to
bother the OL’s as they took a lead very early from a try through
Grant Inch. This was the end of the scoring for the OL’s in the 1st
half except for a penalty from Kev White. The remained of the half
was all Broadstreet, but it did give plenty of tackling practice for
the experienced back row of Spriggs, Storey and Rigg. When OL’s
started to play quick running rugby the side looked much better and
gave space for the backs to exploit, a few good runs from full back
Rob Harris almost led to several scores. It was his defence that
Harris excelled himself saving four or five opportunities when it
seemed easier for Broadstreet to score.
The 2nd half saw
the same threat from Broadstreet, OL’s only managed to get one
further score, another try from Inch. But with the mix of the team,
the lads can be proud of themselves in that they never gave up. An
impressive debut from Orbie in the back row and some good
performances from Wiles in the centre and Harris at full back mean
that OL’s can look to the future with this blend of youth and
experience starting with this weeks game against Nuneaton Old Eds. |
|
|
|
In front of a large crowd, that
would have been the envy of a number of clubs playing at a higher
level, OL's travelled to Parkfield Road for a game that they
needed to win to assist in their fight against relegation however
as is so often the case in games between these staunch local
rivals the game failed to produced the free flowing rugby that
both sides are capable of and, no doubt, the spectators were
hoping for.
The first 20 minutes of the game
saw OL's firmly camped in Newbold's half but they were unable to
convert their pressure into points. Five minutes into the game
OL's were awarded a penalty for a blatant punch by one of
Newbold's pack for which he was lucky not to be sent off, however
the kick, though having the distance went wide. Had OL's Charlie
Turney been able to complete one of the best moves of the game
things might also have been different, but Newbold defended well
to prevent OL's opening the scoring. OL's through making too many
elementary mistakes and their failure to penetrate Newbold's
defence allowed the home side back into a tense and physical game
that at half time saw the scores level at 0-0.
It took another 20 minutes for the game to
open up with Newbold scoring an unconverted try and they extended
their lead with another unconverted try when OL's lost possession
on the half way line and the home side released the ball, through
their backs, 10-0.
OL's were conceding too many penalties and
Newbold eventually converted one of them to extended their lead
13-0. OL's reduced the deficit with one of their trade mark
interceptions which allowed Iain Wallis to sprint the 50 metres to
touch down, unfortunately Matt Brown, having missed 2 penalties in
the first half and to the delight of the home supporters missed
the conversion. Newbold took advantage of another penalty to go
16-5 clear in the 40th minute.The
final throw of the dice was that of the OL's when, awarded a
penalty some 5 metres from Newbold's line, a quick tap saw Gary
Hammond go over the line for a try that allowed Brown to prove his
critics wrong with his successful conversion resulting in a final
score of 16-12.
OL's needed to win this game but poor
discipline and inconsistent periods of play saw a result that the
home side deserved and that OL's may well find a factor in their
final league standing.
And this is what Newbold
had to say
Newbold retained
the bragging rights for this local derby after easing to a hard
fought win in front of a large crowd at Parkfield Road on Saturday
Victory restores Newbold to fifth spot in the league, equalling
their highest position so far this season, while defeat leaves
OL’s anchored at the foot of the table and with games slipping
away they clearly face an uphill struggle to avoid relegation. The
final margin of 4 points somewhat flattered the visitors and
stemmed from two late scores in the dying minutes. Skipper Wallis
grabbed the first with a 60 metre dash following an interception
and hooker Hammond added a second after diving over from close
range following a brief spell of pressure in Newbold’s 22. Before
that, Newbold were pretty much in command at 13-0 up having scored
two good tries following a scoreless first half. The opening
exchanges were typically robust with a liberal sprinkling of
penalties and both sides endured some anxious moments before the
game settled to a dour midfield stalemate. OL’s were the first to
be off target with a couple of penalties before Newbold followed
likewise shortly before the mid way break.
Newbold looked far more comfortable after the restart, their
scrummage was going well, the line out was secure, the backs were
beginning to show their paces and territorially Newbold were now
on top. The deadlock was finally broken just past the hour mark
with a lovely try from fly half Joss Andrews who ghosted through a
couple of defensive gaps to glide over left of the clubhouse
posts. Andrews also played a part in Newbold’s second try, his
initial half break coming at the end of a sustained bout of
interplay and creating the space which led to full back Danny Pope
diving over in the left hand corner. Andrews missed both
conversions but slotted two crucial penalties, punishing OL’s for
some petulant frustration as the game slipped beyond their reach.
This correspondents ‘man of the match’ was Newbold’s Damian
Taylor. The flanker had a fine all round game and he was given
good support by No.8 Jason Hare, who supplemented a solid
performance with a display of secure catching at the line out.
Stewart Eru was also well to the fore in the heat of battle.
Newbold’s remaining league program will be challenging, two games
at Parkfield Road against front runners Broad Street and
Kenilworth, with trips away to Stafford (next week) Barkers Butts,
Newport and Camp Hill. Still enough points on offer therefore, to
cement a top half league position and provide new coach Bob
Harcourt with a satisfying end to his first season at Parkfield
Road.
OL's 2nd's 10 - Newbold
2nd's 6
A try from Simon
Cooper and a conversion and penalty from Pete Satchwell were
enough to hold off stubborn Newbold resistance in this
fore-shortened game.
Newbold 3rd's 12 - OL's
3rd's 14
3 well struck
penalties from Kev White and a try from Ade Cleaver secured
victory for OL's
|
1st XV
OL's 15 - Stafford 8 |
2nd XV
South Leicester 25 - OL's 12 |
3rd XV
OL's v Old Leams |
|
|
OL's made their win hard
work and had the spectators on the edges of their seats right up
until the final play of the game when Iain Wallis' converted try
gave them the margin that would secure victory in a game that they
had dominated for most of the match.
The victory was entirely
down to the forwards who played with pride and passion and refused
to be intimidated by the cynical play of their opposition. Man of
the match Carl Adams, returning to the side at No 8, led by example
and was duly rewarded for his efforts with a try however it would be
wrong to single out any one of the pack as they all performed
superbly. No matter which side fed the ball into the scrum or
line out OL's won it, giving Ricky Reed a platform from which to
feed the ball to the backs. Unfortunately today was a day when
they failed to gel and a number of opportunities were missed, not
least when, with an overlap on their left they decided to go right
leading to Dave Perkins' classic comment of "not that left, the
other ****ing left".
Despite being in total
control of much of the first half it was to be Stafford who were to
be presented with the first scoring opportunity of the game however,
as predicted, their penalty went wide. OL's responded with 2
dropped goal attempts, at least we think they were, from Matt Brown
and then, following a injury to Gary Smith which necessitated his
replacement by Chris Thomas, Brown slotted over the penalty to give
OL's a well deserved 3-0 lead. Smith's injury appears not to
be as bad as once feared and hopefully next season he will be able
to complete a full game against Stafford. The first half game
to an end with OL's again dominant but unable to turn their pressure
into points.
The second half saw OL's
extend their lead through a try from a scrum 5 metres from
Stafford's line which, when offered a penalty or scrum and opting
for the latter, saw the OL's pack drive the visitors back and for
Adams to score a classic Number 8's try.
As so often is the case
when a side has a player sin binned is reduced to 14 men Stafford
played as though there were 16 of them and, against the run of play,
scored a converted try that owed much to uncharacteristic poor
defence from the OL's and with the score now 8-7 it looked as though
a game was on. Stafford had the opportunity to take the lead
with another penalty which again went wide and the next 25 minutes
were, to say the least, tense.
OL's failed to be
intimidated by Stafford's physical approach to the game as OL's pack
continued to dominate the game even t the extent of Hammond having
time and space to attempt his trade mark drop goal attempt.
Stafford, despite a number of threatening breaks, were continually
thwarted by some excellent defence from OL's who were justifiably
rewarded for the efforts with a try from Iain Wallis, converted by
Brown, in the final minute of the game to bring about a final 15-7
victory.
The forwards were superb
and had this combination of players been available all season OL's
would not have been in the position they are. The backs were,
in the main, below par, however with the number of line up changes
forced upon them it must be hard for them to gel because, when on
song they are an impressive force to be reckoned with.
Next Saturday sees a
break from league action when OL's play host to old friend Aston Old
Eds a game to prepare for the following week's visit to Newbold who
have just lost to Malvern. It is time to ask the question to
the non playing readers of this report "which would you rather be
doing on February 11th, watch OL's play Newbold or England play
Italy?" Because on this performance we will most definitely
see a game of rugby at Parkfield Road. |
South Leicester 2nd's 25
- OL's 2nd''s 12
OL's travelled the relatively
short distance to South Leicester with a much changed team from
that originally selected with a host of new players making their
debut for the 2nd's this season. OL's also welcomed back Charlie
Turney who had been injured since early in the season who went on
to have a fine game.
OL's started brightly from the
kick off and after sustained pressure up front and a scrum against
the head Shane Betts powered over to score a fine try
bursting through a number of tackles, Pete Satchwell
converting. From the restart, OL's forwards secured good ball for
Simon Cooper to feed Satchwell who cleared the danger and put more
pressure on South Leicester. From a planned move at a lineout the
forwards exchanged passes with the backs for Satchwell to
score in the corner. This was what the OL's deserved as the 1st 20
minutes was all about OL's.
The try seemed to spur South
Leicester into action and from a period of sustained pressure,
there were to be a number of try saving tackles, firstly from Jody
Roderick and then by Mike Coburn in the opposite corner. This
great defence kept South Leicester at bay for a number of minutes
however the pressure became too much and South Leicester scored.
Further try saving tackles from Turney, playing out of position at
open side forward, prevented the home team of further scores.
However, South Leicester did manage to get another score before
half time to make it 12-10 to OL's.
With OL's tiring the 2nd half
proved to be a one sided affair. The defence was great but OL's
just couldn't get out of their own half, this led to further
scores from South Leicester for the game to finish 25-12 to South
Leicester. Old Laurentians can take many positives from this game.
A number of new faces to the 2nd team was good to see and a few
outstanding performances from Turney, at open side flanker, and
the centre partnership of Betts and stand in skipper Simon Collyer
was also good to see. Also just a note to say thanks to the
players who stepped in at the last moment and who were fully
committed to the cause.
|
|
OL's v
Old Leams
match cancelled |
|
January 21st |
1st XV
Barkers' Butts 5 - OL's 8 |
2nd XV
OL's 0 - Barkers' Butts 10 |
3rd XV
Barkers' Butts 14 - OL's 7 |
|
|
It was always going to
take something special to decide this game and against the run of
play and after Barkers' had been camped in OL's 22 for some 25
minutes an amazing break and turn of speed saw flanker Pete Nealon
intercept a wayward Barkers' pass and sprint some 70 metres to score
a match decisive try. It was no more than OL's deserved, not
least their forwards, who had played with passion, commitment and
pride in this closely fought encounter.
Once again the starting
XV saw a number of changes to the side published with a back row
comprising Andy Coleman, Chris Wade and Pete Nealon and with Coleman
moving to the pack Ed Wallis started on the wing, Matt Brown
remained at fly-half with Dave Wallis combining with Jamie
Brightwell in the centres however none these changes nor the
forgotten kit were to distract OL's from their game.
OL's set out the
stall at the onset with Ed Wallis running on to claim the ball at
the kick off, 2 subsequent phases of play saw the OL's win the line
out, an area of the game they were to dominate until the enforced
replacement of the excellent Paul Wills late in the second half.
Barkers were to make a rare incursion into OL's territory and were
awarded a scrum some 10 metres from OL's line however excellent
defence from Dave Wallis and Jason King prevented the home side from
scoring the try they expected and the ball was cleared with a huge
kick from Ricky Reed. Once again the line out was won by OL's
and with Willis and the inspirational Chris Wade leading by example
the forwards continued to create a platform for the backs, however
it was to be Willis who came closest to scoring with a great break,
Garrie Reeve followed up and, with a three man overlap just 5 metres
from Barkers' line, a try looked a certainty however Brown decided
to go for glory himself and it seemed that the initiative has been
lost. The referee obviously saw something that the supporting
OL's VP's had not and awarded a penalty for Brown to calmly slot
over, 3-0 and a well deserved lead that they were to hold on to till
the break.
It was to be Barkers'
who were to play the better rugby in the second half and the OL's
were fortunate that the home side's backs were not able to exploit
the space and ball that they had available. Like OL's, the
Barkers' side had a number of enforced changes to their line up,
however Medcraft, their Number 8 and Ham, their centre were to pose
a threat throughout the game. The second half was not all
Barkers' with OL's Creswell making a number of incisive runs
but, to be honest, most of the last 30 minutes was all about
defence.
Barkers' missed the
opportunity to level the score with a penalty after 20 minutes and
another 3 minutes later and the game was to now become a nail
biter with Barkers' firmly ensconced in OL's half. The loss of
Willis in the line out was to create problems for OL's but Barker's
were still unable to penetrate their defence, scrum followed scrum,
ruck followed ruck but OL's defence held firm. Barkers' opted
to use their backs and the ball was fed through them until Pete
Nealon intercepted a pass and set off the 70 metres to Barkers'
line, to him it was a sprint, to the spectators a marathon, and
against all odds he outpaced the pursuing players to touch down.
Though the conversion was missed Barkers' would need to score twice
to deny OL's victory after Nipper's heroic efforts.
Ironically Barkers'
were spurred on by the increase deficit and in the 38th minute
deservedly scored the try that they had threatened to all afternoon
following another scrum, the conversion went wide and OL's lead was
now down to 3 points. It was at this point that the referee
informed us that there was to be another 8 minutes of play.
This final period saw OL's again defend as though their very lives
depended upon it, and defend they did with the game ending after 2
scrums and with Reed kicking the ball into touch. The game was
over and the OL's supporters were delighted and as OL's Garry
Hammond was to say "Brian would have approved of that". At the
time of writing I do not know who was voted the man of the match but
for me it would have been a close thing between Willis and Chris
Wade who shouldered the responsibility of captaincy and Number 8
with honour.
The game was won
through a combination of grit and determination and of not wanting
to give in, a fitting tribute to Brian Beckett indeed. |
|
OL's 2nd's 0 -
Barkers' Butts 2nd's 10 |
|
As expected
Barkers brought a strong and well organised squad to OL's but the
renewed confidence of late was more than a match for them and the
result could quite easily have been reversed with chances being
missed and the referee being unsighted when Simon Storey grounded
the ball
In the end it was
Barkers who took the spoils by using their much larger forwards to
create space but OL’s defensive organisation and tackling was
excellent and continually repelled them, but pressure eventually
told and two tries were conceded
Simon Collyer and
new centre partner Shane Betts proved a handful all afternoon and
Tom Gleghorn and James Morgan in the back row were also involved in
the thick of the action.
With a number of
changes forced upon the team including the loss through injury of
both props the final minutes were played with uncontested scrums
which proved to be of advantage to the OL’s as their fitter forwards
and quality backs opened up the game but unfortunately they couldn’t
find the final pass to reward all of the good work
There was a
minutes silence before the game in memory of our past chairman,
Brian Beckett, who recently passed away and this was honoured by
both sides and the 2nds feel a little saddened that they couldn’t
quite provide the win for him |
|
Barkers' Butts 3rd's 14 - OL's 3rd's 7 |
|
A converted try from Daz
Price was not enough to see the Dream Team maintain the run of
victories. With a disrupted side due to player shortages the
more experience home side were always going to be favourites to win
this fixture. |
|
January 14th |
1st XV
Stoke 36 - L's 19 |
2nd XV
Towcester - OL's |
3rd XV
OL's - Towcester |
|
|
It was an unfamiliar
line up that took to the field at Stoke with Matt Brown making his
debt at fly-half and Andy Coleman on the wing. last minute
call offs also saw Garrie Reeve move from the bench to 3 and Russ
(I'm nearly a vet) Parkinson, Dan Harris and Simon (I've still got a
bad back) Collyer on the Bench. In all honesty the final score
flattered the home side and this was a game that OL's could have won
Stoke
opened their account in the first minute when, after being awarded a
scrum straight after Brown's kick-off, they ran in for a converted
try. OL's were under pressure again straight after the restart
however resolute defence prevented the home side from scoring.
The respite was short lived and Stoke increased their lead through a
5 metre line out and drive that saw a try from their blindside
flanker, 12-0.
OL's
dug in deep and were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when Hammond
took a quick penalty and made a some 20 metres before off loading to
Iain Wallis. The 17th minute saw just reward for OL's efforts
when, from a scrum in Stoke's 10 metres, they fed the ball through
Reed and Brown for Coleman to score under the posts, the conversion
was, alas not to be, the score 12-5.
It
looked as the history was to repeat itself when Willis fell
awkwardly at a line out and had to be taken off with what was first
though to be a repeat of his knee injury, sustained last year at
Stoke in exactly the same position of the pitch and Dan Harris came
on as his replacement.
Stoke
increased their lead with a penalty, 15-5, before OL's, in the 30th
minute had the opportunity were awarded a penalty, however the
attempt was missed. A good move down the right wing saw OL's
denied a try scoring opportunity due to an alleged forward pas with
the attacking players having no one to beat. An injury to
Smith, sustained through some cynical play from the opposition, saw
Coleman move into the back row and Ed Wallis onto the wing with
Collyer coming off the bench into the centres. The second came
to an end with Stoke increasing their lead through a drop goal,
18-5.
The
half time pep talk seemed to spur OL's onto greater efforts, duly
rewarded with a try from Reed that owed everything to the forwards
pride and commitment. On the evidence of his first half
kicking the odds were firmly stacked against Brown making the
conversion from a metre inside the touch line, how wrong we were,
the deficit now just 6 points, the score 18-12.
Stokes influential No 8, Ramalangadindong, formerly with Coventry
increased their lead with a converted try, 25-12 and their lead was
increased with OL's being penalised of the park with 2 more
penalties, 31-12. Some of the referee's decisions were,
interesting, not least his decision to yellow card an OL's
player and unsure as to which one asked Captain Iain Wallis to pick
a player to be sin binned, bizarre or what? Reduced to 14 men
OL's were unable to prevent Stoke scoring another try from their No
8 which came about after a won line out and Stoke rolling maul,
36-12.
Simon
Collyer was to show a surprising turn of speed with a great break
down the right wing and it was to be in the same area of the pitch
that Iain Wallis, chasing an inspired grubber kick from Brown, ran
on to score a well deserved try and wit Brown having found his
confidence the subsequent conversion reduced the difference to a
more respectable 17 points, 36-19.
The
game came to an end with OL's again defeated but with more positives
to take from their experience than negatives and with a dubious
decision denying them a try and Brown's 2 missed kicks the score
could have been much closer. With Brown at fly half the OL's
game seems to have taken on a new dimension and with Dave Wallis
available next week the selectors could be faced with a difficult
decision. |
|
Towcester 10 - OL's 15
OL's travelled down
the A5 to Towcester to face two problems; a pitch that resembled a
paddy field and only having 13 players. The latter problem was
resolved after Towcester Kindly loaned a couple of there bench
players.
The game began at
the same intensity that had proved the winning formula the previous
week but this time after 20 mins the only chances fell to two missed
penalty attempts. Just before half time Towcester broke the
deadlock with a drive from a lineout to make it 5-0 at the break and
soon after the break Towcester extended the lean when some
uncharacteristic weak tackling allowed the centre to score.
From this moment on
there was only one team to watch as OL’s forwards and backs combined
to play some terrific Rugby and notch up 3 tries with Mark Brassey,
Mike Coburn and Pete Satchwell all crossing the line after fine
build up work.
Resolute defence
for the last 10 minutes and fine discipline with bone crunching
tackles from Pete Nealon, Scott Whyment and Rhys Wade showed that
the 2nds now have a lot of spirit and pride in the way they play.
This will be tested
this weekend with a tough game against a very good Barkers’ Butts’
2nd team. |
|
|
|
January 7th
|
|
Had OL's not defended as
well as they did this could well have been a rout as Malvern,
fielding a side containing a number of changes to that who visited
Fenley Field in November, were the more motivated of the two sides
and thoroughly deserved their win.
Malvern opened their
account with a converted forward's try in the 13th min, due, in part
to a missed tackle and extended their lead 10 minutes later with a
well struck penalty. OL's responded with a try from Iain
Wallis coming after the OL's forwards had competed well in 2
successive scrums in the Malvern 22, Dave Wallis converted to reduce
the deficit to 3 points. The half ended with the home side
leading 10-7 and, at that time, it looked as though OL's were
capable of making a game of it. The forwards had been
competitive and OL's defence had been effective, particularly from
Iain and Dave Wallis.
The second half saw
Malvern the more competitive of the 2 sides and they used their
backs to good effect releasing the ball to their wings who made a
number of threatening runs into OL's territory. However it was
to be 2 more forward's tries that were to be the end of OL's , both
converted by the accurate kicking of their full back. The
difference could have been greater had it not been for Iain Wallis'
try saving tackle after Malvern cheekily intercepted a wayward OL's
pass. The defeat was no less than OL's deserved having failed
to maintain the quality of play and commitment they demonstrated at
Webb Ellis Road.
OL's seem to short of a
number of players in key positions and this, compounded by their
persistence in failing to release the ball to the wings and
insistence in trying to be clever in the middle of the park
could well see them play their rugby in Mids 3 next season.
OL's need to return to the basics and the good work that their the
forwards put into to winning the ball needs to be rewarded by the
backs doing something with it. OL's current game plan, if
there is one, is not working and some serious work needs to be done
to bring about a change. |
|
Old Laurentian 2nds 15
Malvern 5
After making the long trip to Malvern, the OL's kicked off and
immediately turned over possession to allow the backs and forward to
link and cause many problems for the Malvern defence. It was through
the strong link play, good quick rucking and quick tap penalties
that led to the 1st try for Rhys Wade, playing in a new
position of fly half.
After this score OL’s defence was tested but some strong tackling
led to another turnover, through good work by the back row of Pete
Drewett, Martin Storey and Pete Nealon. The ball was fed to John
Edwards who kicked the ball deep into the Malvern half. A good chase
by Ben Wiles and Andy Coleman, allowed Coleman to kick through and
dive on the ball to make it 10-0.
For
the remained of the 1st half OL's often kicked away good
possession and it was this that almost led to a Malvern score, but
Steve Pike and Mark Brassey prevented the Malvern winger from
scoring. A few moments later, Malvern did score to make it 10-5 at
half time.
The
2nd half was a pretty scrappy affair when the snow began
to fall again. The front five were immense and got the scrum going
forward to allow the backs to exploit any holes in the Malvern
defence. A new combination of Wade, Pike and Coleman in the three
quarters often created targets for the forwards and it was this that
led to Coleman to race through the centre, but with the line at his
mercy dropped the ball, when it was probably easier to score.
Towards the end of the 2nd half OL’s had a quick tap | |