|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sapperrugby
Match Report |
||||
Sapperrugby at The Infantry - Wed 3 March 2010 |
||||
 |
||||
| The Infantry had not won a game all season, they had lost by a point against the Signals the previous week and the Sappers knew they had to beat the team in black to guarantee a place in the Merit league final against the RLC at Aldershot at the end of the month. The fixture was going to be played at London Irish's Sunbury however was changed to Tidworth at short notice. The pitch was in excellent condition and the weather good for a change, games in recent weeks had been played in very wet conditions. The Sappers had put out their strongest team available, Stu Douglas returned from the Oman at full back and the back line had five Army players in it. Injuries to Ben Hughes and Darrell Ball ensured Ledua Jope took back the captaincy and looked to continue the teams winning ways from a very wet REME victory. | ||||
 |
||||
The game started with the Sappers pushing the Infantry deep into their own 22. The forward pack had clear dominance in scrummage and lineout, indeed Rob Taylor and Ralp Cooke took 4 of the first 5 opposition lineouts. Rucks and mauls were working well and the ball was getting shipped to Army senior players Cootes, Vessells, Navacamuto and Qasevakatini, the final pass often however didn't go to had and the Infantry defence denied the skilful backs the opportunity to cross the line. |
||||
 |
||||
| It was left to fly half Danny Cootes to kick two penalties in the half to give the Sappers a 6 - 0 lead at half time; the sky sports possession chart would have been coloured 80% Maroon; Gerhard Vessells was showing his true quality in both attack and defence, but credit to the Infantry their scrambled defence stood firm and indeed they started to penetrate the Sappers defensive line as the half wound up. | ||||
 |
||||
The second half started with a fired up Infantry side believing they had a sniff, they had weathered a huge amount of pressure in the first half but the Sappers had failed to cross the line. Indeed it took them only four minutes to do what the Sappers could not do in 40, cross the line to score and convert took them into the lead 7 - 6. The Sapper defence was working hard, however the penalty count was mounting, it was the Infantry that again pressed the line; running from defence on 20 minutes Ralph Cooke gave a pass that was picked off by the Infantry scrum half who ran in from close to cross the line under the posts and with the conversion good stretched the lead to 14 – 6. |
||||
 |
||||
| The Sappers were in trouble, several changes occurred with Garry Windle coming on at hooker and Gareth Libbey replacing Richie Warmington, new boy Adam Karran replaced Chris Clifford and impressed in the front row. With 10 minutes to go Peceli Navacamuto found himself deep in his own half but broke deep on the far side and offloaded to speedster Gus Qasevakatini who brushed off several defenders to crash over wide to close the score to 11 – 14. | ||||
 |
||||
| That was to be how it ended; with time running out and only seven minutes left the Sappers started to push from deep with Boks Bakoso charging up the 5 mtr channel. He crashed into 3 infantry defenders, sadly one clashed heads, purely accidental but was knocked unconscious. The referee called both captains together and explained he needed to abandon the game, indeed it was the correct call, the air ambulance was needed and we all wish the young man our very best and a quick recovery. | ||||
 |
||||
So the Sappers have won three, beating the Gunners, Signals well and a close game against the REME, but lost to the RLC and the Infantry. The RLC will without doubt start as favourites to derail the Sappers in the Merit final at Aldershot on Wednesday 31 March; Mal Roberts and Andy Geary will be plotting that now. A positive to take away is that the Sappers and the RLC have exactly the same points difference for and against at the end of the season although the RLC have won two more. Nearly all will agree the Sappers were the better team today, but they failed to take their opportunities; the Infantry however did just that. Nobody said it was going to be an easy season. See you at Aldershot. Man of the Match – Nathan Young. A strong performance in the scrum, good work in the lineout, countless tackles in defence and carried the ball forward well done. Sapperrugby – 1. Chris Clifford 2.James Erasmus 3. Nathan Young 4. Rob Taylor 5. Ralph Cook 6.Rich Warmington 7. Noxy Lacquero 8. Ledua Jope (skipper) 9. Zac Vakasawaqa 10. Danny Cootes 11. Gus Qasevakatini 12.Peceli Navacamuto 13.Ves Wessells 14. Boks Bakoso 15. Stu Douglas 16. Garry Windle 17.Joe Ulikedekede 18. Jon Auld 19. Matt Pritchard 20 Gavin Clegg 21 Gareth Libbey 22. Adam Karran Director of Rugby Rich Garrett, Manager Tim Poole, Coaching Staff Gareth Evans Mike Thomas and Vic Reeve. Kit Mark Westlake and Darren Crooks. Physio Sam Emery and Ant Marx. Thanks to Jonathan Fowke for his video highlights and Garry Cootes and Angelo from Hesco for the pictures |
||||
 |
||||
|
