Rugby
Match Report - North Midlands Junior
Vase Competition
5 Sep 2009
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It was a bit of a “mix and match” side that lined up to face Griffs in this cup encounter but any doubts that this was to be a “mix and match” performance were soon evaporated in the opening encounters which saw our forwards gain an ascendancy which they never looked like relinquishing. Plenty of mobility about the field and Adam Reed’s agility in the line-outs saw us gain more than our fair share of possession which gave the backs the opportunity to test the Griffinian’s defence. Several chances went begging for the want of the final telling pass and against the run of play it was the visitors who scored first – winning a penalty on one of their rare sorties into home territory. We had to wait until almost half time to get just rewards for our dominance. A failed penalty clearance from Griffs was fielded by Ashley Lowe who made the initial pre-emptive break through the opposition defensive line and then moved the ball left. Swift hands transferred the ball to opposite winger Dan Hall who easily outflanked the cover defence to cross-mid way out. Alex Yates added the extra points.
Aldridge faced slope and breeze in the second half and substitutions by Griffs strengthened their back line considerably so the match became more of a contest. Mid- way through, a clever chip ahead by Mark Large bobbled about in the in-goal area. Griffs failed to deal with it allowing a quickly following-up Adam Reed to be first to the touch down. We were now leading 12 – 3 but the visitors new tactics of trying to move the ball away from the forward exchanges and break out using their backs was beginning to show promise. We resisted resolutely but couldn’t subdue a searing break from the visitors’ fly-half which put him over close to the posts. With the score now at 12-10 the balance of the game looked like it might change. Griffs missed with a long-range penalty attempt which could have snatched them the game, which would have been a travesty, but it was us who finished the stronger and were unlucky not to score off a series of 5 metre scrummages during the dying moments.
Final score: - Aldridge 12 points – Griffinians 10 points
3,2,1
Adam Reed - 3 points
Tony Jaep - 2 points
Matt Burgess - - 1 point
