Coney Hill 8, BARFC 34 (16/01/16)

AN Other | 17/01/2016

TRIBUTE SOUTH WEST 1 WEST

Bridgwater gave a good send off to departing Australian full-back, James Martin, with only their fourth bonus point victory of the season , this time at the expense of bottom of the table Coney Hill writes Tony Pomeroy
The game, played at frenetic pace throughout, was littered with errors as Bridgwater resumed their league programme after a four week break.
Bridgwater gave a league debut to winger Kyran Devitt who responded with a brace of tries.
The home side took an early lead when Joe Hamlin kicked a penalty after only two minutes. Hill were penalised from the kick off and Chris Ashwin levelled the score with a 24 m penalty.
Rob Allen split the home defence but the ball was turned over and hacked the length of the field. Two Albion defenders left it for each other and almost conceded a try. However, when Bridgwater’s defence were penalised, Hill took a quick penalty and were rewarded when a driving maul crashed over the line for an unconverted try.
Bridgwater replied immediately. A penalty to touch in the home 22 turned into the inevitable driving maul. Good work by Rob Thompson set up the chance perfectly and hooker, Tom Hillman was driven over. Ashwin’s conversion from wide out shaved the wrong side of a very far from vertical set of posts.
Next to score was James Martin, who caused the Hill defence many problems during the afternoon with his determined running. Bridgwater stole a Hill line out in their own 22, moved the ball left where it reached Martin who proved unstoppable. Ashwin, making more allowance for the sloping posts, converted with an excellent kick from wide out.
Bridgwater achieved the bonus point on the half hour when a good move going right reached debutant winger Kyran Devitt who crossed wide out for an unconverted try and a half time score of 8-20.
The second half was played almost entirely in the Coney Hill half as Bridgwater dominated the game. There had been a few close calls until , after eight minutes, Rob Allen moved to acting scrum half at a ruck on the home 22. As he picked up the ball a yawning gap appeared in the defence allowing him to cruise unopposed under the posts and give Ashwin an easy conversion.
Midway through the half, Bridgwater skipper, Ollie Dunn, who, like his back row colleague, Luca Ercolani, was in the thick of all the action, charged up the left touchline and appeared to score in the corner. The home touch judge on duty that side, the crowd and the players all thought it was a try but the referee ruled Dunn was in touch! Hill managed to clear the danger from the lineout.
With ten minutes remaining, Bridgwater made the game safe when after a very loose passage of play, Bridgwater moved the ball right to Devitt some 40m out. His path to the line was blocked so he executed a superb chip ahead, won the race to the ball, gathered cleanly and, with a fine display of individual skill, scored his second try of the afternoon. Ashwin’s conversion was the final score of the game which ended 8-34.
Bridgwater will be well satisfied with a bonus point win. With Newent’s game at Clevedon being abandoned, and Thornbury picking up five points at North Petherton, Bridgwater are now in third position in the league, five points behind Thornbury but with a game in hand.
Whilst winning comfortably, Bridgwater still showed understandable signs of rustiness. No one had played for a month and Jervis Manupenu was having his first game for three and a half months. Skipper Ollie Dunn led from the front and with Luca Ercolani was in the thick of everything. Bridgwater’s set piece was solid and won a couple of Coney Hill scrums and linesout. Ball retention was good but too often penalties were conceded – some of which baffled me!
The backs, particularly Rob Allen and James Martin, ran very strongly and the two young wingers looked promising until Callum Gillard was injured in the second half. However, a little more cohesive team work would surely have brought many more tries.
Next week, we entertain Drybrook and will be looking to complete the double, having won on a visit to the Forest in October. The game kicks off at 2-15 pm.

Bridgwater & Albion Scorers

Tries : Devitt (2), Hillman, Allen, Martin
Cons:Ashwin (3)
Pen:Ashwin

Bridgwater & Albion Team
James Martin, Kyran Devitt, Rob Allen, Chris Ashwin, Callum Gillard, Jervis Manupenu, Scott Franklin, Lewis Phillips, Tom Hillman, Joe Bussell, Rob Thompson, Dan Kemmish, Luca Ercolani, Ollie Dunn (Capt), Taylor Buller
Replacements (all used) : James Bryant, Ethan Trebble-Westlake, Tom Fournier D’Albe

Referee : Nick Palmer (Gloucester Society)

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