League Match-Midlands 5 West North
29 Mar 2008
Stourport vs Aldridge
With a strong end-to-end wind and horizontal rain this was never going to be a day for festival rugby - and so it turned out. A dour forward struggle ensued throughout with very little opportunities for the backs to make headway. If points were awarded for territorial advantage and possession then we would have won by a mile. At the final reckoning it was only late in the second half when we managed to grab the winning score. We presented Stourport with a dream start. Aided by the wind and our tame response to their kick-off, they forced a couple of 5 metre line-outs. The first was scrambled back into touch but we flapped the second into the dead ball area and then remained rooted to the spot whilst Stourport flanker Richard Phillips dabbed it down under our noses. That was the last time the home side threatened throughout the rest of the match and in fact it was only rarely that they got into our half. We rallied strongly to this early set-back and by necessity, with deference to the conditions, stuck to a forward orientated game denying the opposition any worthwhile possession for long periods. We had a try disallowed – the ref was unsighted - and Alex Yates, with the line open, was brought down just short with a desperate tap tackle. But it was from a long period of sustained pressure that the scent of the equalising score eventually materialised. Stourport won a 5-metre scrummage but a concerted shove from our pack caused some disarray at the back. Gary Large harassed his opposite number to provide Lea Ross with the chance to get his hand on the ball. With the dominance we’d enjoyed against the elements in the first half it was looking optimistic for the second but as is so often the case, it failed to happen. We didn’t use the wind well and the forward effort became more individualistic so the previously hard worked for momentum faded and despite lots of endeavour we failed to pressurise the opposition’s try line. The backs role had been entirely and importantly defensive up to this stage but as the game ran down they were increasingly introduced into the attack. The swirling wind produced handling errors and a number of chances went awry but with four minutes left we eventually worked the ball through the hands out to Alex Yates on the wing who galloped into the corner for a fine try.
Final score:- Stourport 5 pts - Aldridge 10 pts
Aldridge : - Tries: - Lea Ross, Alex Yates
Stourport:- Tries: - Richard Phillips
3,2,1
3 pts Mo Harbutt
2 pts - "Forrest"
1 pts -Jim Arnold
Second Team Result:-
Cancelled late Saturday
Third Team Result:-
No fixture
Next week Aldridge have a club fixture TBA
KO 3pm
