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OORUFC 1stXV 8 pts vs Bramley Phoenix 31 pts
Otliensians 1stXV beaten by Bramley
Phoenix
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Any hopes that ‘Ensians
might have a settled side were dashed with two late backwords bringing in
Hugh Gumbs at lock and Dale Kennedy at flanker. With the visitors having
held League leaders Roundhegians to a 5 - all draw recently, the home side
knew they would have to pull all the stops out to come out on top. They
got off to a promising start when they took play into the Bramley half
through strong runs from centres John Ratahi and Will Foster. The scrum
was sound with the front row of Phil Cook, Rob Lyon and Tony Myers having
the edge on their opposite numbers and half backs Sam Clewes and Mark
Coultas made good use of the quality ball.
Gumbs and skipper James Duggan were to the fore in some powerful driving
mauls which took play up to the Bramley line. Cook and Grey went close and
when the ball was spun wide, Foster and winger Richard Goakes were pulled
down just short. The home side battered the line for some fifteen minutes,
but try as they might, they could not engineer a score. The visitors
gradually began to get some ball and showed that they had a back division
which could pose problems. On 23 minutes, winger Goakes injured his back
in a tackle and play stopped for four minutes whilst he received
attention. Fortunately, the injury was not as serious as it first
appeared, but Goakes left the field with Andy Hayward moving onto the wing
and Ben Smith coming on at flanker.
The stoppage seemed to produce a fall-off in momentum for ‘Ensians and
they could not get back into the dominant territorial position they had
enjoyed earlier. Duggan and Kennedy produced good lineout ball, but the
Bramley defence was now better organised and centres Foster and Ratahi
found progress difficult. Spilled ball in the midfield was snapped up by
the speedy Bramley backs and good interpassing produced a try half way out
against the run of play. The conversion put the hosts behind at 7 – 0 on
31 minutes. Before ‘Ensians had chance to settle, Bramley, now gaining in
confidence all the time, put together another slick move which put their
winger over in the corner on 36 minutes and, despite having the edge in
possession and territory, the hosts found themselves 12 – 0 down at half
time.
The home side started the second period with renewed vigour and the back
row of Smith, Rob Grey and Kennedy foraged well for the ball and produced
two good turnovers. Home centre Foster chased a long kick downfield and
charged down the attempted clearance kick to follow up with a skilful
piece of footwork to touch down for a well-deserved try. Although the
conversion failed, ‘Ensians were now very much back in the game at 12 – 5
on 46 minutes.
The home scrum was now well in control and driving mauls once more took
play into the Bramley 22 where Kennedy, Gumbs and Clewes went close.
Unfortunately, chances wide out went begging too often when kicks were
preferred to keeping the ball in hand. When the visitors transgressed,
Will Foster converted a penalty to narrow the gap to 12 – 8 in the Leeds
side’s favour on 64 minutes. With skipper Duggan and his forwards now in
rampant mood, they drove into the opposition half and attacked the line
again and for several minutes it looked as though ‘Ensians could snatch
the lead. However, too often wrong options meant that the solid Bramley
defence was able to re-group and clear their line with long kicks.
As is often the case when trying to play catch-up rugby, risky passes and
speculative chips ahead fell into opposition hands in space and the pacey
Bramley backs took their chances with some enterprising play from deep to
score twice on 75 and 77 minutes to lift the score in their favour to 24 –
8. In the final minute, ‘Ensians launched one more attack, but a stron
tackle and spilled ball in the visitors’ 22 saw their powerful centre set
up a long-range move to produce a final try under the posts to take the
score to 31 – 8 to the visitors.
This was a game where the hosts should have had two tries in the first ten
minutes, but they could not fashion ways of breaching the Bramley defence,
whereas when the visitors spotted opportunities, quick thinking set up
scoring situations through moving the ball at pace. To their credit,
‘Ensians put together some decent passages of play and they were very much
in the game until ten minutes from time, but they will have to continue to
work on ways of capitalising on possession and territory.
OORUFC 3rdXV vs Wharfedale
Otliensians 3rdXV beat Wharfedale by 3
unanswered tries.
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