The Bandits were on the road again, this time heading into town to face Southwark 2nd XV in Burgess Park, Camberwell. This is a Club the Bandits had played a few times before, usually victorious, and the previous outing last season had seen Club comfortable 14-64 winners.
It was a very different looking Bandits side this time however as most of the Club Players from last year’s game were playing against Beccehamians at Well Hall. Southwark was also a very different team from the previous encounter, with only a few familiar faces. Club also lost two key players prior to kick off, one of which rightly won him DOTD even before a tackle had been made.
Southwark kicked off and the ball was cleanly taken by Jim Nugent, who bounced the first tackler before setting up the ruck. From the next phase we saw one of the areas where Southwark would threaten the most – very quick line speed against the new combinations in the back line, who were still getting used to each other. After a couple of phases we were forced to kick to clear our lines as our usual way of playing our way out wasn’t working. The hosts gathered and counterattacked and, despite a thundering tackle by hooker Dan Stringer, Club gave away a penalty for offside at the ruck – something both sides were guilty of and neither side seemed unable to correct throughout the game. Southwark kicked for touch, took a clean lineout and the 12, running a good line, split the disconnected defence to score under the posts. The Bandits knew they were in a game.
Club chased well from the restart and, more connected in defence, held their line well. After several phases of little to no territory gained Southwark struggled to maintain discipline at the ruck, eventually giving away a penalty. We missed touch and they ran it back at us. After their turn to miss touch Club put together some nice phases, with the pattern with which we like to play starting to show. Another ruck penalty was given and fly half Charlie Shaw saw gaps in a disorganised defence to tap and go, only to be pulled back for not taking it from the mark. The subsequent kick to touch and successful lineout gave the Bandits good territory and again several phases playing our pattern. We were eventually up to within 15m of the Southwark line, with a Southwark scrum, which we won against the head only to knock it on. Missed opportunities seemed to becoming a thing in this game.
Played continued like this – to and fro – for a while until, from a ruck on the Club 5m line, Southwark spun it wide and our left wing bit on the wrong line, to see them cross the whitewash again.
Club came back strong and kept shape which, with some good lines, made ground. Phase play and then a penalty took us to within 5m of the opposition line, from where Stringer made a power carry beating three defenders to score his debut try for Club in the 20th Minute.
Play continued for the next 8 or 9 minutes until Southwark kicked long and, although we gathered the ball their chase was good and they forced a maul on our line and, through inexperience of some backs at mauling, the ball was stolen and we conceded another score.
The pattern of Club building through the system to then concede a turnover continued. Southwark went on to score twice more before the break.
The second half began with the Bandits bench emptied much earlier than we would have liked, due to injuries, and some positional changes – some enforced, some tactical and Southwark were quick to capitalise on some of the enforced changes. A scrum turnover led to them kicking long and although the fullback gathered the ball on the line, was driven over and a scrum 5 was given rather than the goal line dropout was given. Another Southwark try was the end result.
The story was much the same in the second half as the first – the Bandits playing well but mistakes, unfamiliarity in positions and excellent play by our hosts leading to scores we wouldn’t ordinarily concede. They also added more tactical kicking, which they executed well.
It would have been easy for heads to drop at this stage but they didn’t, in part through pride and in part to the workrate of Reuben, Charlie; skipper Danny, plus the calm heads and wise words of Brewer and Nugent lifting the energy of those around them.
By the 70th minute Sims, Cooper, Brindle and Coker were all off injured and Southwark, as is the way in this league, lent us players to keep 15 on the field. Club had a couple of opportunities to score, including one that was knocked on in grounding, until in the 79th minute the indefatigable Reuben Gibbs took a short tip pass to find a hole and make a line break on the Southwark 10m line. He went the distance to score. Skipper Danny drop kicked the extras.
Thank you to our hosts and a special thank you to the Ref, who was not only excellent but she also came despite illness to ensure the game went ahead. Let us not forget the importance of the Ref – No Ref? No Game!
LATEST NEWS
