A Muddy Day

Winchester 13 – 12 Eagles

Seniors 1XV • League • Sat 30th Jan 10, 2:15PM

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The Eagles travelled to Winchester’s pleasantly appointed North Wall’s Park ground with the sun struggling to break through and take the chill out of an uncomfortably bracing day. The Eagles team showed a number of changes, including positional changes, with Mike Allen coming in at prop, Roddy Adams at stand-off and Alan Ryan and James Broadest at centre, with Rob James and veteran wingman Mike Rayner on the bench – though seasoned Eagles watchers were disappointed to note that Mike’s “go faster” elephant shooting shorts had (shame) apparently being retired to the Eric Morecambe Museum of natty attire in Luton. The Eagles had not recently travelled well down the M3, though having been successful at home versus “Winch”, they had struggled in the previous game at North Wall’s Park. The large Winch first team pitch was a glue-pot – running rugby was going to be at a premium and the team with the stronger kicking game was going to be at a distinct advantage albeit there was a fairly strong crossfield wind.

The Eagles kicked off with a cunning start, a low kick scudding into midfield. Winchester gathered reasonably efficiently nonetheless and sought to make progress though the forwards, followed by a fairly ambitious and wayward chip over the advancing Eagles defence: however, the Eagles had drifted offside and Winch were awarded a penalty. This transpired to be a mixed blessing as the wind caught the touch finder kick, which ended up virtually behind the kicker. The Eagles next turned over the Winch runner but were themselves turned over and the Winch forwards engaged the pick-n-drive for a while, before the Eagles were caught offside again, the penalty taker opting for a conservative kick to touch. Winch gathered the line-out and sought the corner with a kick but the Eagles fullback gathered and punted efficiently back to touch – Winch sought to put some pace on the ball with a quick throw - to date, the pitch had predictably dictated a slow pace to play - but the Eagles were up quickly and the defensive line held well.

Winch then tried an new tactic and punted efficiently crossfield over the Eagles defence, with the Winch winger making good ground, collecting the punt, breaking a covering tackle and dotting down in the corner for 0-5, though the cloying pitch meant the conversion was always going to struggle and fell someway short.

Winch gathered the restart and played keep-ball for a while, recycling through the forwards, albeit not making much progress as the Eagles customary solid defence showed well. The Eagles eventually turned the ball over and attacked promisingly down the flank, the Eagles winger being put into space with the line gaping, only to be hauled into touch by the covering Winch defence. Winch stole the lineout and mounted a threatening attack of their own through the centres, taking play up to the Eagles 22, the Eagles unfortunately again drifting offside, presenting the Winch kicker with a fairly straightforward point opportunity, duly taken for 0-8: matters were not shaping up well for the Eagles and the fair sized contingent of Gotes who had travelled to support the team – the Eagles definitely needed to be the next team to score.

More or less no sooner said than done as the Eagles struck straight back – the Eagles turned over the restart and attacked the Winch defensive line, with a kick ahead and full back Reynolds beating the cover to touch down – the referee adjudging obstruction during the scramble to the line and awarding penalty try – a trifle harsh on the home team perhaps but the score was reasonably close to the posts in any event and the extras were duly added by Anthony Penny, for 7-8. The half closed out without further ado.

The Eagles gathered the restart and attacked brightly but were turned over and the Winch forwards drove the ball strongly upfield into the Eagles 22. However, as ever, the Eagles defence held well: Winch were turned over, and the Eagles mounted a rapid move using wingman Hitchmough, taking play up the home 22, before the tactic which had worked so well in the first half was employed again to identical effect – a sharp kick through and Reynolds won the footrace to touch down, albeit this time the extras were foregone, for 12-8.

Unfortunately, that was as good as it got as Winch largely shaded the remainder of the match, with the Eagles defending for long periods, and Winch eventually forcing a score with a pick-n-drive close the line for 12-13. Much as the Eagles strove to get a clinching score, the cloying pitch was slowing play down and assisting the defending side. The match closed out with play oscillating in midfield and neither team able to make much progress. The Eagles had been close but on this occasion, no cigar.

The Eagles:  Allen (M), Cumming, Ellinson (T), Callender, Allen, Rees, Mellor, Joyce, Reynolds, Adams, Ryan (A), Broadest (J), Hitchmough, Penny, Rayner and James.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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