Street Put The Cherry On The Cake.
If winning at Sandbach was the cake and Scunthorpe the icing – this was definitely the cherry on the top!
With the league already won and points pressure parked up for now, Broadstreet RFC sought to enjoy the sunshine at South Leicester RFC’s Welford Road ground and to express themselves with some high risk, high speed, highly entertaining rugby as they posted eleven tries against their sixth-placed hosts in an exciting 73 – 22 romp, writes Bob Harcourt. For ‘Street, scrum half Nick Thatcher, centres Beau Carney and Will Owen and right winger Jeff Gregson grabbed two apiece, with singletons for full back Tom Harris, left wing Tommy Harris and tighthead prop Harry Pendleton; fly half Corey Venus converting nine. Suffering some late withdrawals, South Leicester nevertheless gutsily joined in the festival atmosphere with some hugely committed team play and no little skill in countering with three impressive touchdowns themselves; through lock George Ord, outside centre Connor Smith and left wing Danny Graney, with full back Rickey Aley adding a penalty and two conversions and they almost had the last word, as wily fly half Mark Lord was hauled down metres from the line in the final play, following his own classy midfield break.
Harry Usain Pendleton‘Street kicked off into the breeze and regained possession to work their way to the try line, setting up scrum half Thatcher to sneak over from a ruck five metres out in a little over a minute played. Venus converted 0 – 7. The next ‘Street build up was turned over when a South Leicester player intercepted and ‘Street were subjected to some early line defence, which held out despite a couple of penalties for off-side. Prop Ben Dawes made a powerful run out of defence for the visitors handing off “foive” opponents – no it wasn’t Dawesy it was three! Thereafter, ‘Street lost a close-in penalty lineout chance when the usually reliable Corey Venus kicked the ball ‘dead’ allowing South Leicester off the hook. Some good work earned the hosts a kickable range penalty and Aley made no mistake in getting his team on the scoreboard after seventeen minutes played, 3 – 7. From the restart Will (o’the Wisp) Owen broke through on half way and had the pace to outstrip defenders for his first of two tries on the day. Venus converted to make it 3 – 14 after a quarter played. Again from South’s restart, Corey Venus fed ruck ball to winger/full back Tom Harris who, despite a couple of two versus one confrontations, decided, as wingers do, to beat a couple on his own, much to the chagrin of the supporting Jeff Gregson, who quite audibly expressed his frustration in not receiving a scoring pass. ‘Language Jefferey’! said Mrs Freemantle. 3 – 19 to ‘Street. Three minutes later ‘Captain’ Carney, a back rower standing in at centre, showed a great supporting line of run to burst through the defence off a Will Owen inside pass. Venus added the extras for a four try bonus point, 3 – 26 and just 24 minutes played. Left winger Tommy Harris should have had the next try as Owen chipped the ball through, Thatcher collected and put ‘Tommy’ through to the posts; he slowed, looked back got caught and was rolled over and held up! South survived the five metre scrum and made their way to near half way where lock George Ord was the beneficiary of a line break to go over at the posts. Aley converted, 10 – 26 seven minutes from the break. ‘Street had time for one more as Gareth Turner galloped up field, as he does so often, feeding Thatcher aided by Andrew Matthew Solomon (well one of them) who returned the pass for Thatcher to run the 45 metres to the line. No fools those Solomons! Venus was wide with the conversion, 10 – 31 and almost break time.
‘Street knocked on from the kick off but won a penalty at the ensuing South Leicester scrum. From the lineout Beau Carney received the ball at centre, broke outside his man and beat the covering defence for a great individual try under the posts once again illustrating his versatility. Venus slotted this one, 10 – 38 and just four minutes of the half gone. A great ruck clear out by forwards Dawes, Harrop and Turner two minutes later saw the ball pass through the hands of Carney and Tommy Harris to Owen, who then danced his way to the line for his second and ‘Street’s seventh try. Corey Venus topped up, 10 – 45. Despite the growing score line, South’ were by no means capitulating, which showed through their impassioned play in winning back possession after their kick off; running this way and that, to eventually find a path to ‘Street’s line for a really well taken Connor Smith try, converted from wide by full back Aley for 17 – 45 after eight minutes played. Four minutes on ‘Street won a penalty when South’ went over the top at a half way ruck and from the penalty lineout, twenty metres out, centre Owen fed left wing Tommy Harris as he ran late from deep, to slice through the backline. He did not slow down, he did not look back, he did not get caught and he was not held up! ‘Rock on Tommy’! Venus converted - 17 – 52 and still only twelve minutes of the second half played! There followed ten minutes of ebb and flow as the pace of the game slowed and replacements arrived, before a turnover set up South’ with a counter attack opportunity, which they took with some panache in moving the ball wide to the unmarked Danny Graney, who strolled in untouched left of posts. Aley could not convert, 22 - 52 – eighteen minutes to go. Three minutes later ‘Street attacked left to right where the ball reached winger Jeff Gregson who sprinted in for his first (Venus converted) and followed up with his second five minutes later in almost the same manner, again converted by Corey Venus for a 22 – 66 score line. Just after, the only blemish on a very entertaining game played by both sides in the best of spirits, saw a South Leicester player yellow carded for a clenched fist forearm on ‘Street’s Midlands Under 20 representative back rower, Alex Beddows. Fortunately, there appears to be no lasting damage, but, still an aberration in what was a good clean contest. Last try of the League season went to a first time scorer, prop Harry Pendleton. The irony? He received the scoring pass 20 metres out from lock Callum Tucker, who having missed most of the season through injury, had not scored a try himself and Harry, being a fellow ‘No Tries Naked Run’ candidate, was destined for the post-match run of shame until that very unselfish pass by Callum who, of course, qualified for the inescapable cantor! Venus consummately landed the wide out conversion to push the final score up to: - South Leicester 22 - Broadstreet 73.
Cameo Moment: The one minute to spare great escape by Harry ‘Usain’ Pendleton – “Run Harry, Run”! shouted Mrs Freemantle - and run he did!
Team:Ben Dawes, Stewart Pearl, Harry Pendleton; Andrew Solomon, Matthew Solomon; Alex Beddows, Jamie Harrop, Gareth Turner; Nick Thatcher, Corey Venus; Tommy Harris, Beau Carney, Will Owen, Jeff Gregson; Tom Harris. Reps:Paul Hurst, Chris Wood, Callum Tucker.
The Season’s Defining Moment: Postponed match versus Lymm away – eight changes due to injury, illness and unavailability and despite huge disruption and playing on glue pot pitch, pulling back from 28 - 17 down with fifteen minutes to go and winning 31 – 28 with the last play of the game.
A great season over; great players all! What an admirable collective spirit!
A big challenge for next season? Of course, but just go and enjoy it!
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