Street's Deficiencies Almost Masked by Controversial End to the Game.  

Five Broadstreet teams were fielded at the Ivor Preece Field Ground this Saturday, so a big thank you must go out to the opposing sides Scunthorpe RFC, Derby RFC, Loughborough RFC, Claverdon RFC and Woodlands School for fulfilling the fixtures and permitting the whole club a chance to honour Andy Farrington for the Annual FazFest - in its third year.  We also were welcoming young Italian Exchange Referee Elia Rizzo and a full team of miked-up Touch Judges who were here for occasion writes Luke Truslove.

The 1st XV had a number of changes from the side that lost away at Longton RFC, with influential Flankers Will Parkes and Chris Zutic both unavailable there was a return for Stew Hendry at Number 8 and Back Rower Chris Dodd who came in for just his second game of the season after a bad shoulder injury (caused by running full pace into a wall). Matt Dearden reappeared at Tighthead to shore up the scrum after conceding a push-over try last week against Longton RFC, Jordan Simpson in at 13 at the expense of the injured Ross Bayston.  Todd Freemantle returned from Coventry RFC as the other Centre, whilst Ed Simkiss made a welcome return to the bench after breaking his ribs in a 3rd team run out on the opening day of the season. 

During the two minute silence half of the Broadstreet team must have drifted off to sleep because they started the match appallingly, flying missed tackles across the pitch allowed some good interplay between the Scunthorpe Backs and Centre Sam Morgan touched down with barely two minutes on the clock.  Conversion by Karl Clayton 0-7

To be fair the try snapped ‘Street out of their trance and they worked up the field to camp in the Scunthorpe Twenty-two for the next fifteen minutes.  For a while it seemed that Broadstreet would suffer from last week's inability to convert territory and possession into points, however after a decent rolling maul that took the Broadstreet pack up to Scunthorpe's Five-metres, Captain and Scrum Half Nick Thatcher peeled off to feed Second Row Tom Greevy who had looped round the back of him to score.  Fly Half Scott Harman converted the extras 7-7

After a Broadstreet turnover in their own half on twenty-five minutes, the ball was shipped wide and Loosehead Prop Ben Dawes found himself out wide with a Wing outside of him and just a Number 8 to beat.  He inevitably did the wrong thing and rather than drawing the man and releasing his Winger into 80 metres of open space, Dawes’ struck the ball with his big flipper, spanking one of the worst kicks ever seen on a rugby pitch directly to the Scunthorpe players on the other side of the pitch.  However, minutes later Dawes almost redeemed himself, putting in massive tackle on the Scunthorpe Number 8, the player coughed up the ball directly into the waiting hands of Jordan Simpson who had anticipated the panicked offload and raced fifty metres to score under the posts.  Conversion Harman 14-7

With a hip injury for Stew Hendry incurred during that play, Ed Simkiss came on as his replacement and with the talismanic Lock obviously very excited by his irregular introduction at Number 8, wasted no time in attempting a flying-shoulder-charge to clear out a ruck that almost earned him a Yellow Card within mere minutes of entering the field. Unfortunately, this enthusiasm for contact was not infectious for the rest of the team, as off the next rolling maul a series of missed tackles allowed Scunthorpe’s Matt Power to crash over.  Conversion by Karl Clayton and a missed Penalty attempt from Scott Harman just before half time. 

HT 14-14

Just four minutes into the Second Half the reliable kicking from Karl Clayton ensured that Scunthorpe were back into the lead but unfortunately Broadstreet’s Scott Harman could not bring the score back level with a penalty of his own. 14-17 

With around ten minutes to go in the game, a poor clearance kick from Broadstreet landed directly into the arms of Scunthorpe’s Rewiti 'Woody' Vaimoso on the half way line, a Wing who had looked dangerous all game.  Woody fielded the ball easily and set off down the line, past the Ten metre Line, the 22 and finally the Try-line with another trail of flapping Broadstreet tacklers left in his wake.  Clayton bagged the extras to put Scunthorpe up by 10 and seemingly out of reach with around five minutes to go. 14-24 

With the end of the game fast approaching Broadstreet seemed to raise the level of play and quickly moved up into dangerous territory with a series of big carries from the likes of Ben Dawes, Matt Dearden and Ed Simkiss.  The ‘Street forwards pressured the Scunthorpe line for what seemed like an age and seemed to be eating up the clock by not feeding the ball to their Backs who were waiting with a strike move.  However, with just two minutes of the match remaining Ben Dawes (he’s claiming it, though it’s up for debate) finally crashed over mid-way between posts and touchline, which Scott Harman was unable to convert. 19-24 

When the try was scored the Referee indicated two minutes left.

** Disclaimer – you are now about to read a description of two minutes of exciting rugby.  Sometimes two minutes of exciting rugby can feel a lot longer, almost like five or even ten minutes.  If you are unsettled by two minutes feeling like five to ten minutes then you SHOULD NOT read the following as it may make you feel queazy!!! 

From the ensuing restart Broadstreet fielded the ball and worked their way infield with a number of pick’n’goes hoping to trundle quickly up the field as they had done previously, unfortunately this was stopped short by a Scunthorpe player infringing at the ruck, duly penalised by the Referee.  Unfortunately for Broadstreet, Fly Half Scott Harman missed touch and the ball was kept in play by the excellent Woody - a seemingly costly mistake.  The ball was recycled in field and the young Scunthorpe Scrum Half threw a far too lofty pass which, combined with some borderline respect for the offside line from lightning fast Openside Chris Dodd, meant that he was able to catch the ball, gas the covering Full Back and touch down right in the corner. 24-24 

Pressure on for young Scott Harman, who having missed a couple of much easier penalties during the match, now found himself on the very Touchline and facing a match winning kick.  He lined himself up, did that funny thing with his arms that seems to help Fly Half's kick the ball, looked at the post, looked back at the ball, looked at the post again. Took a full minute to think about what pair of boots he was going to buy next. Then he stepped up and struck the ball sweetly and watched it sail with room to spare between the uprights. The crowd went Wild!!!!! 26-24 

Unfortunately, despite feeling like the end of the game .... it wasn’t.  Scunthorpe kicked off and Broadstreet easily fielded the ball near their own 22, rumbled forward with a number of pick’n’drives to waste time, much as you see people do on the TV.  They managed to get just short of the halfway line when Broadstreet Captain Nick Thatcher turned to Italian Exchange Referee Elia Rizzo and asked him if the match was over, he replied “Time” and Thatch responded by booting the ball out of play.  The Referee then shouted “I Say No Time!!!”, but in my mind “No Time” would also mean that the match is over, so I think the same thing would have happened. 

Scunthorpe won their ball off the lineout and used their Forwards to take the ball on, earning themselves a penalty outside of kicking distance, they tapped the penalty and set up another ruck.  Unfortunately, for Broadstreet the Ref judged a player to have stepped across the offisde line, though the ball hadn’t been played out of the ruck yet.  A strong decision from the Ref considering the time, field position and points difference.  Needless to say the ever-consistent Clayton single-handedly ruined the day for everyone in a Broadstreet shirt by slotting home the resultant penalty.

FT 26-27

DotD – On any normal occasion Ben Dawes would have been a shoe-in for the worst and completely demented kick in the middle of the First Half.  However, DotD has to go Nick Thatcher for not bringing his Italian phrasebook to the pitch and almost crying after....Everyone knows “Time/No Time = The match will carry on if you boot the ball out of play at this particular time!!!”

MotM – Chris Dodd, for his game winning try.....well almost.

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