It's a Draw!

Eagles 18 – 18 Guildford

Seniors 1XV • League • Sat 20th Mar 10, 3:00PM

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The Eagles welcomed Guildford on a wet and windy afternoon at Brown’s Lane. Guildford had won the earlier league fixture between the sides, although pressed hard by the Eagles, also played in inclement conditions. The Eagles team showed a number of changes, with Pete Moore coming in at full back, Richard Smith returning on the wing, and Oli Edwards coming in at 8. The Eagles had been on something of a roll of late and with Guildford challenging for promotion, a tough challenge was expected.

Guildford Gees kicked with the Eagles playing into the wind. The Eagles fielded the kick efficiently, kicked clear, and chased the kick, forcing an early penalty. The Eagles kicked aggressively to the Gee’s 22 for a catch-n-drive, which was duly instituted but a poor pass when seeking to move the ball enabled Gee’s to turn the ball over. The Eagles counter-rucked and regained possession, only to knock-on. The first scrum saw Gees put the Eagles under some pressure but Oli Edwards managed to get the ball clear and the Eagles made some ground. Predictably, the weather was playing its part and both sides made a number of handling errors during the early play.

Gees were shading territory and possession, with the Eagles struggling to break out of their half – the stiff wind was preventing effective clearance kicks. The Eagles were defending as well as ever but eventually the pressure told and a penalty was conceded for not releasing, duly slotted by the Gees’ kicker for 0-3.

The Eagles chased down the restart and forced Gees to kick clear. Pete Moore ran the ball back and the Eagles forwards opted for a series of pick-n-drives, a reasonable tactic in the conditions but prone to the inevitable knock-on; scrum Gees, who again appeared to have a nudge on. Gees picked up and moved the ball swiftly through the centres, outflanking the Eagles defence, scoring near to the corner-post: the conversion was always going to be a challenge in the conditions but that was 0-8 to the visitors. The Eagles probably needed to be the next team to score or the match might become rather a struggle. However, although the pressure from Gees was forcing the Eagles to infringe on occasion, the cloying conditions meant the penalty kicks, though from promising positions, were attempted more in hope than expectation and the scoreboard was untroubled.

Gees were continuing to shade territory and possession but the Eagles were hanging in there defiantly and earned reward with a sharp line break by Tom Close, taking play to deep into the Gees 22, before being hauled down. At the resultant ruck, a Gees flanker instituted some reasonably old fashioned slowing down, which earned an old fashioned penalty but perhaps deserved a more modern yellow postcard. The points were duly slotted for 3-8 but Close had been injured and Andy Hitchmough moved into a reorganised backline.

Rob Allan rose impressively at the next lineout to steal Gees’ ball and the Eagles were gradually changing the balance of play: the Eagles front row of Tom Ellinson, Joe Callender, and Mark Allen had reversed the trend of the early play and were taking strikes against the head. However, the Eagles incurred the Whistler’s wrath for an offside in midfield and the Eagles were pegged further back on the scoreboard at 3-11 and that was half-time.

 

The Eagles restarted with a smart kick to the Gees 22, cleared to touch. The resultant lineout was adjudged not straight by the Whistler, scrum Gees. However, further good work by the Effingham front row turned the ball over and wingman Anthony Penny set off on a trademark jinking run, taking play up to the Gees 5 metre line: ball to go-to man Rob Allan looked to be setting up a catch-n-drive but it was all a ploy! A reverse pass to Dom Young, who had been acting as 9, saw a swift charge down the blindside and two recycles later, Tom Ellinson plunged over the line for 8-11, though the extras were not added. Game on!


Effingham having dominated since halftime, Gees now came back into the game: the Eagles conceded a penalty for hands-in and the penalty shy went just wide before an unfortunate knock-on yielded a 5 metre attacking scrum. However, the Eagles front row chose an excellent time for a further strike against the head and n8 Oli Edwards charged upfield making 50 yards before being hauled down. Gees turned the ball over and some sharp interchanges saw ground made taking play right up to the home tryline, the defensive cover being sufficiently stretched to yield a gap, duly accepted for 8-18: it appeared the good work had been undone.

The Eagles lifted their game again and attacked the ball aggressively from the restart, forcing a knock-on. Again the Eagles front row provided a solid platform and David Reynolds was able to pick up and a shimmy later touched down in comfort for that rarity, a score from first phase play, for 13-18, though again the extras were unavailable.

The tide had well and truly turned and the Eagles were dominating play, though unassisted by the Whistler, who penalised the Eagles at two successive scrums for wheeling, in itself perhaps a sign of the Eagles dominance. The Eagles forwards regained the ball and a series of pick-n-drives took play up to the Gees tryline, where the ball was forced over to level the scores at 18 apiece, the kick shaving the far post.

Gees held out for the remainder of the match, though under pressure as the Eagles strove to land the telling blow. A great game to watch, played in awful conditions.

 

The Eagles: Ellinson (T), Callender, Allen (M), McGibbon, Allan (R), Rees, Young, Edwards (O),Reynolds, Binneman, Penny, Close, Evans, Smith (R), Moore, Cumming, Edwards (M), Hitchmough (A).

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