BRIEF STAY PLAYERS IN RUGBY FOOTBALL PRESS AGAIN
Hot on the heels of Lovejoy Chawatama’s Dream Team as publicised in The Rugby Paper, another former player is highlighted and he happens to mention another of Albion’s alumni.
This time it is the turn of Dan Collier to promote his Dream Team and he has included a former Bridgwater & Albion player in his team – Tom Kessell.
Dan Collier
Dan was a lock and made six appearances for Bridgwater & Albion in the 2009/10 season. He made his debut on 10 October 2009 against Canterbury and scored a try on his debut and then proceeded to play in the next five matches and that was it. In his second match he assisted Albion to one of their only two victories of the season at home to Dings Crusaders 32-23. They also defeated Westcombe Park 16-12 at home on 12 December 2009. The Albion team on Dan’s debut was:-
M Richards; Showering Mangeolles Elisara Coombes; Williams Britton; Purcell Mercer Kemmish Collier Blundell Palma-Newport Bellamy Bryant. Replacements Rudkin P Triggol Cross Hunt.
Result: L 18-31 Scorers: Collier – try Richards try conversion and two penalties
For the record Dan’s Dream Team was:-
Delon Armitage; Wedlake Eastgate Fisilau Ducker; Slade (yes Henry) Kessell Stupple Matavesi Stephen Merrick Dacres L Cowan-Dickie T Cowan Dickie Rice.
Dan is listed as having last played for Plymouth Albion but formerly with Ealing, Bridgwater & Albion, Manchester, Barking and London Welsh – an amazing sequence. Unfortunately Dan played in Albion’s worst ever performance season winning just two of their 29 games and relegation from what was then National 3 South naturally followed.
The inclusion of Kane Palma-Newport on loan from Bath as was Guy Mercer is another example of a Premiership appearing former Albion player.
The aforementioned Tom Kessell also appeared six times for Bridgwater & Albion but in the 2007/08 season. He was a scrum-half and made his debut whilst Albion were in the midst of their second period in what was then National 3 South on 1 March 2008 in a home 15-22 defeat against London Scottish. The team on his debut was:-
Osborne; Edwards Carter Elisara Bedford; Wulff Kessell; Purcell O Biggins Rudkin Kemmish Gould Chase Hastie Bryant. Replacements: Isaac Hafoka Cormack.
Scorers: tries Elisara and Purcell. Conversion Gould. Penalty Gould.
Tom has gone on to play in the Premiership for both Northampton and is now at Bristol where in the last few weeks he has appeared from their bench whilst Randall has been called up for the England squad.
Looking at these teams on these players’ debuts, then what is the remarkably consistent feature? The fact that one Kemmish appears throughout as does Bryant. In your Scribe’s opinion they show the way how to conduct a rugby football career with their loyalty and passion over many, many appearances with Kemmish still flourishing with 400+ 1st XV games under his belt. Roly retired tantalisingly close to 400 appearances.
Your Scribe – when asked to complete a rugby football profile form – came to the item “previous clubs” and replied as follows:-
“I used to use either a one or three iron off the tee but now I get on very comfortably with a Ping Big Bertha driver!”
Scribe
Category: Club News
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