After an enforced week off, the Club XV reassembled for round 9 of the Raging Bull Division 1. This division is contested by the second or development teams of clubs playing in National 1 & National 2 in the south and southeast. It generally provides really competitive rugby at levels 4-6 and certainly enables clubs to keep their players not in theirfirst teams match fit and ready to challenge.
Our opponents this week were Rams Titans who sat second in the table before Saturday’s game. The Club XV couldn’t have got off to a worse start conceding a converted try out wide on just 5 minutes. Poor defence again contributed directly to two further tries and on 10 minutes we were 0-17 down and facing the possibility of a very tough day at the office.
We fought back to score a well worked try on the half hour dotted down out wide on the right by stand-in winger Keelan Butler and well converted by Chris Bell. So, at 7-17 could the comeback be on? It might seem not as the Titans scored a fine try on 32 minutes taking the score to 7-24 at the break.
A rousing half time team talk by the coaching team saw the Club XV fly out of the traps in the second half. The defence was now as it should have been from the start, and we were turning ball over in the contact areas and dominating the lineout. A very good try on 48 minutes from Ben Charnock breaking off from a driving maul 20 metres out was superbly converted from the touchline by Chris Bell. Fight back on at14-24!
Our forwards continued to compete strongly with a well drilled Titans pack and front foot-ball enabled our half-backs George Daly and Chris Bell to provide our midfield of Matt Armstrong and Daf Lloyd with ball to play with and it was Lloyd on 55minutes who scored a lovely try cutting through a gap following a nice pass from Armstrong. Bell once again converting, and we were at 21-24.
Anyone’s guess as to who would score next and with the ClubXV now down to 14 with a man in the bin somewhat against the run of play it was Titans who on 62 minutes, with an unconverted try extended their lead to 21-31. Back came the Club XV and from the restart a series of driving mauls resulted in Jed Goodrun on as a replacement at tight head prop bulldozing his way over for a try which was converted by Chris Bell making it 28-31 with 8 minutes to go.
From a lineout drive on our 15-metre line, Titans switched play to the left and scored a good try under the posts to make the score 28-38 and despite another good try right at the death from Man of the Match, Daf Lloyd, Titans held on for a fine win 33-38.
Small margin of defeat but in a game in which Titans were never behind, the Club XV must reflect on that opening 15-20minutes for we comfortably won the second half 26-14! Cold comfort then on a freezing yet beautifully sunny afternoon at The Utilita.
Next up for the Club XV is Esher Cardinals at home on Saturday 2nd December with a 2:00 KO. If you are not making the long journey north to watch the first team at Sedgley Park then why not come down to The Utilita, take a seat in the stand and hopefully, enjoy some good quality second team rugby. The upstairs bar will be open before and after the match.
Tries: Butler, Charnock, Lloyd (2), Goodrum
Conversions: Bell (4)
Man of the Match: Daf Lloyd
Blackheath Club XV
1, James Cornish
2, Conor Mitchell
3. Zaki Chenmaoui
4. Alex Washbourne
5. Fin O’Sullivan
6. Reyhan Taraq
7. Anthony Drennan
8. Ben Charnock
9. George Daly
10. Chris Bell
11. James Rust
12. Matthew Armstrong
13. Dafydd Lloyd
14. Keelan Butler
15. James Pierson
16. Jed Goodrum
17. Viv Valmiki
18. Sheldon Mealing
19. Cam Squire
20. Dams Adebayo
21. Alex Omeyer
Craig Molloy
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