Broadstreet Take A Big Bite Out Of ‘Bach.
Four try bonus point pocketed early, ‘Street concede second half draw.
On a dry and sunny winter afternoon at the Ivor Preece Field Rugby Ground, Broadstreet squashed Sandbach RFC in a seven try performance limited only by strange deliberations, where scrum power ascendancy went often unrewarded and, on occasions, unjustifiably punished; where the breakdown was, all too often, a free for all, thereby, frustratingly slowing good, quick re-cycling, but, as the travelling supporters in the stand collectively agreed after the second ‘Street try in fifteen minutes, “We have to slow things down”. [And Halesonians think we are boring?]. Unlike the previous week, ‘Street were able to use a mixture of pace and power to register tries through Matthew Solomon (two), Beau Carney, Ben Dawes, Jeff Gregson, Gareth Turner and Chris Wood boosted by five conversions from the boot of fly half, Lee Chapman. Sandbach’s heroic second half riposte came by way of tries to John Smith, Simon Verbickas and an early Christmas present for Benny Elliot; the latter adding two conversions to the first two tries writes Bob Harcourt.
Matt SolomonAndy SolomonLee Chapman missed an early long-range chance in the opening minutes, after Sandbach had applied early pressure from their kick off. A promising counter-attack ended when a ‘Street player passed straight into touch, but, from the ensuing Sandbach lineout centre Danny Richards intercepted, as the visitors attempted to run out from defence, and Matthew Solomon burst onto Richard’s pop pass to crash over near the posts. Chapman obliged with a conversion, 7 – 0 with 10 minutes played. From an attacking scrum five minutes later, scrum half Nick Thatcher broke blind but the re-cycled ball was knocked on with the posts looming. The home pack blitzed the visitor’s scrum and open-side, Beau Carney, picked up a resulting ruck ball to dive over. Chapman converted, 14 – 0 for a first quarter lead. Sandbach’s kicker, Benny Elliot missed a penalty chance on twenty minutes, before ‘Street’s flanker Chris Zutic was astonishingly yellow carded for a perceived “aggressive tackle” which, not even Rudyard Kipling could have satisfactorily explained; (…’If’ his arm had drifted up it would have been high…being the explanation)! But it was ‘Street who struck next whilst down a man through 'Buffalo' Ben Dawes on 27 minutes, after a long Lee Chapman penalty kick to the corner gave the home pack an attacking line-out five metres out and ‘Street’s boring forward power did the rest. Chapman missed the touchline attempt, 19 – 0. Broadstreet pack drove their visitor’s scrum back, not for the first time, and were penalised? Giving Sandbach an opportunity before the break with a penalty lineout inside ‘Street’s 22, but the hosts turned over ball after a sustained attack by the Cheshire men and full back Jeff Gregson stepped his way out of trouble to clear. Sandbach had another go from the clearing lineout but ‘Street again regained possession and cleared to half way from the Chapman boot. Again, Sandbach attacked from half way but from yet another turnover ‘Street countered at the resulting scrum with number eight Chris Wood, scrum half Nick Thatcher linking well to put full back Jeff Gregson boringly free out wide right of field. Chapman converted to give the hosts a 26 – 0 half time lead.
Jeff GregsonChris WoodWithin two minutes of resumption of play ‘Street won their lineout on Sandbach’s 22 and the pack rather tediously made their way the full distance to the try line with replacement back-rower Gareth Turner gaining the touch down. Chapman again converted, 33 – 0. ‘Street were penalised for ‘crossing’ whilst attacking around half way and a tap penalty, followed by a well-placed cross-field kick, found ’Bach’s right wing Sam Morris who stepped out of his opposite number’s tackle to break down the touch; good inter-passing found supporting outside centre John Smith on the overlap. Elliot converted, 33 – 7. The next six or seven minutes saw ‘Street sweep the ball through the hands before Sandbach replacement Mike Egglestone picked up a yellow card for ‘killing the ball’ in the tackle in his 22. Scrum after scrum followed under the posts with Sandbach being penalised four times before Chris Wood eventually touched down. Chapman added, 40 – 7. Sandbach restarted play and from resulting play, stand in scrum half Will Owen broke clear and looked to have the ‘gas’ to go all the way; unaccountably, the referee blew his whistle only to give ‘Street the put in at a scrum for a visitor’s previous knock on!! ‘Street attacked from the set piece but were again penalised for a no tackler interference ‘crossing’. A quick tap and go got behind the retreating players and former Sale performer Simon Verbickas wove an opportunist path to the line after 27 minutes of the second half played. 40 – 14. On restarting, ‘Street applied sustained pressure in the Sandbach half and moved the ball left where Tommy Harris had a good scamper down the line and then moved the ball far right where the Brothers Solomon were found virtually un-marked, allowing Andrew Solomon to un-selfishly pass to big brother Matthew Solomon, who touched down in the corner. Chapman missed the wide conversion attempt. 45 – 14 with just over ten to go. An immediately following home side attack saw Harris again make good ground into Sandbach territory and his chip ahead was skilfully dribbled by Beau Carney, in the exact same spot as in a previous game, but the ball bounced left into touch with a copy-cat score looking likely. ‘Street were penalised at the lineout and ‘Bach, trying to run the ball from deep were ‘turned over’, but, the dominant home pack were, once again, penalised whilst propelling their opponents back at a rate of knots!? Sandbach bravely ran the ball and kicked ahead into ‘Street territory, a further hoof took the ball into in-goal followed by ‘Street’s full back Gregson and the visitor’s Elliot. Neither player grounded the ball as it shot to the safety of the dead ball area, but the try was awarded by the official from almost thirty metres away. Well, it is nearly Christmas! Elliot was unable to convert, 45 – 19; and two more minutes to go. Sandbach, looking for a bonus point, threw everything into attack and gained a penalty to kick deep, but ‘Street eventually wrested possession after the lineout to clear to touch for the end of the game. Final Score: 45 – 19
Team: Dawes, Pearl, Thorne; Solomon A, Solomon M; Zutic, Carney, Wood; Thatcher, Chapman; Harris Tommy, Richards, Owen, Harris Tom; Gregson. Reps: Pendleton, Turner, Simpson.
‘Sunny Scunny’ next week with bad memories of last season and, the first return match of the season against Sutton Coldfield the week after, so still a lot of work to do Gents. Don’t be the weak link!
.
.
