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Bristol Harlequins 10, BARFC 2nds 71 (10/09/16)

| 11/09/2016

Bridgwater seconds were on the road again for the second week in a row after a narrow victory at Weston Hornets in the opening game of the season. This week they faced Bristol Harlequins. Bridgwater exchanged James Collings with Jay Owens from the first team and welcomed back Scott Franklin and Nik Bradley into the back line. Karolis Urbonas started on the flank for the injured George Sluman and Adrian Tew took the captaincy and produced a workhorse like display to go with it. Josh Sturdy and Callum Gillard also both featured from the bench.
Bridgwater played up the slight Bristol slope in the first half and opened their account for the afternoon after ten minutes. A good run from Ryan Barnett had Quins scrambling in defence. Nik Bradley marked his return, after a number of years at university and travelling, by scything through the broken defence with a once trademarked side step. He rounded under the posts and Jay Owens began his impressive kicking display which saw 10/11 attempted kicks succeed. Bridgwater led 0-7
Strong running from Olly Steward and Charlie Johnson allowed the latter to offload to the supporting Barnett whom managed to force his way over the line from close range near the posts, 15m in from the touchline. Owens’ conversion attempt was successful and Bridgwater extended their lead to 0-14.
Complacency set in and just three minutes later a series of soft tackles from Bridgwater allowed Quins to score out wide down the wing. The conversion attempt initially came off the far post before bouncing again, this time off the bar and finally over and between the sticks, 7-14.
Just after the half hour mark, Steward again demonstrated his strong ball carrying skills but also added a touch of class. An outrageous Sonny-Bill-Esque offload around the back (which may or may not have gone forward) found its way to Shaun Mahoney who managed to score in the corner. Owens again converted the wide attempt to regain the 14-point lead, 7-21.
Just before the half time whistle, Quins kept themselves in the running by converting a late 40m penalty attempt which was given for over-eagerness around the breakdown and being offside, 10-21.
Just after half time, a penalty was given to Bridgwater in an almost identical position on the pitch, this time for Quins having hands in the ruck. Owens duly stepped up and restored the 14-point lead once more, 10-24.
A good lineout drive from Quins saw them creep over the Bridgwater try line but some rather dogged and heroic defence managed to keep the maul up and halted over the line. The whistle-blower eventually tooted for a scrum. Off the resultant scrum Sonny-Bill Steward powerfully drove down the blindside and forced his way about 30m up-field to relieve the pressure on the Bridgwater side. This failed attack on the Bridgwater line seemed to have sucked the energy out of Quins and the flood gates opened.
Bridgwater scored seven second half tries in regular and quick succession. First, some slick handling from Owens saw Urbonas cross over the whitewash in the corner in only his second match for the senior Bridgwater sides. Despite Owens’ kick having the legs, it faded to the left as he missed for the first, and last, time in the match, 10-29. Sturdy replaced Rory Macgregor on the blindside for his first game for Bridgwater in over a year.
A fantastic line break from Mahoney, which saw him batter his way through several attempted tackles, led to a further try. James Mclauchlan played the part of the support cast and was on hand to finish off Mahoney’s superb effort. Owens’ conversion was a success, 10-36.
Another line break came courtesy of Bradley in midfield. He linked well with Barnett after a long, searching pass. He in turn linked well with Johnson who stormed down the wing and cut inside his opposite man to score under the posts. Owens added the extras, 10-43.
Johnson also played a major part in the next try. After a great catch, he fended his opposite man with ease before passing back inside to Mclauchlan, who was again playing the part of the support cast to great effect. Owens converted Mclauchlan’s second try and extended the lead to 10-50.
A try scoring attack then went begging after Mclauchlan, Sturdy, Mahoney and Tew all linked well only for Sturdy to spill the final offload from Tew forward with the try line at his mercy. Jack Smith (Son of Nick ‘The Greek’ Smith) then crossed in the corner. Unfortunately, I was still writing notes of Sturdy’s dropped pass and missed the score. Fortunately, Callum Gillard replaced Smith after the conversion so I had a pitch-side chat with the man himself and asked for his account of what happened:
​“I just sort of ran really and the guy… he just sort of fell off. I just sort of went!”
Inspirational speech from the young winger after his maiden try in senior rugby. Owens converted to take the score to 10-57. After, Jason Moulding replaced Dave ‘Velcro Hands’ Norman who was shattered after sublimely catching every single kick off.
Johnson then capped a brilliant performance by scoring his second try of the match. A superb, powerful run from well within his own half saw him break two tackles and scuttle off down the wing and, eventually, round in under the posts. Owens unsurprisingly converted and Bridgwater led 10-64.
Mahoney made another good line break but whilst trying to cut inside the fullback received a high tackle around the face. He went down in a fashion that Olympian Tom Daley would be proud of. There are whispers that he actually called out for his mummy as he was going down. Shaun ‘Didier Drogba’ Mahoney was replaced by Macgregor who returned to the field on the flank, with Sturdy moving to hooker.
Mclauchlan then butchered a try to avoid a hat trick, deliberately passing the ball to the Quins blindside flanker instead of Sturdy. Although maybe he was just saving Sturdy the trouble of knocking it on again… who knows? Bridgwater regained the ball though and Barnett then scored his second after a snaking run where he danced in and around a number of attempted tackles completely untouched to score under the posts. Owens drop-goaled the conversion to take the Bridgwater tally to 10-71 and his personal tally for the day to 21 points – all from the boot.
Bridgwater will be much happier with the stronger start this week and will look to carry that early focus on throughout the entirety of the game next week in their first home fixture of the season. They host Crewkerne, who were promoted alongside them in what will be a familiar fixture between the two clubs over recent seasons.
Team: Barnett, Smith, Bradley, Owens, Johnson, Kerry, Franklin; Norman, Mahoney, Tew (Capt), Lewis, Mclauchlan, Macgregor, Urbonas, Steward
Substitutes: (Used) Moulding, Sturdy, Gillard
Tries: Mahoney, Penalty, Hill
Cons: Owens (9)
Pens: Owens

 

Category: 2nd XV News

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