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Wootton Bassett 2nds v Cricklade RFC, D&W Div 1 North. 13/09/08
Bassett Spoil Cricklades Bright Start
Cricklade came to the Dorset & Wilts Division 1 North for the 2004/05
season, but have struggled to maintain a foothold there as they build a new
team to replace that which swept them to the championship. They hope and
expected to consolidate their position this season and the performance they
put on for the first twenty minutes showed great promise. The slow starts
that cost them tens of points last year are gone, the scrum is much better
and their lineout was almost faultless. Dave Cox is leaner and meaner and
the rucking is as good as anything they produced last season. They are
however still a bit green in certain areas and at certain plays and it was
this naivety that allowed Bassett to run in three almost identical blind
side ties in the left corner in the first half.
Despite these setbacks the visitors continued to equal Bassett in most
areas, but the decision to rule out what appeared to be a perfectly good try
by Mike Murray and then the loss of their ex captain and coach Simon Howse
with a broken arm brought their raw state and limited experience into sharp
focus as they lost some of their shape.
The further losses of Colin Baker with a knee injury and then Danny Harris
with a fractured collar bone in the early stages of the second half did
nothing to improve this situation, but Cricklade stuck to their task and
confirmed the determination and depth of team spirit that has grown amongst
them. Wootton Bassett ran out 32 to 3 winners as they added a further three
tries in the second half, but they know this Cricklade side has improved a
long way since they thrashed them ninety odd points to nil last season and
if the improvement continues the return match should be very interesting.
Final Score Wootton Bassett 32 Cricklade 3 (Danny Lloyd Penalty)
Cricklade Man of the Match Dave Cox
Cricklade RFC v Calne RFC. D&W Div 1 North. 20/09/08
Cricklade Continue To Show Promise
After the traumas of last weeks game at Wootton Bassett and the domestic
arrangements of some players impeding availability, team selection was made
easy due to lack of choice. The balance of the team was also effected as
more younger players had to be brought in and this lack of experience showed
when Calne ran in a classy looking first try after only six minutes. The
home side showed their usual determination and came back at Calne, but their
only reward was a penalty that Captain Lloyd slotted easily from twenty-
meters out. Cricklades scrum which had been so firm against Bassett was
creaking under the weight of the visitors big and well drilled pack and it
was their inability to compete in this area that enabled Calne to add
another try. Despite this and the award of a penalty to the visitors the
home team stuck to their task and were rewarded with another penalty that
Lloyd popped over as half time approached.
Half Time Cricklade RFC 6 Calne RFC 15
The second half saw a couple of changes by Cricklade and as their raids on
the Calne half became more frequent and threatening the visitors resorted to
spoiling tactics. Cricklade were awarded a penalty for one incident, but
Lloyd narrowly missed the target. Most of the other infringements resulted
in scrums which were of little benefit to the home side and it was after a
series of probably eight or ten scrums they found themselves defending their
own goal line. A further scrum saw Cricklade driven back and Calne dropped
on the ball for the easiest of tries.
Calne continued with their tactics and it looked as if Cricklade would be
bullied out of the game, but a chance arose just inside Calnes half when
Cricklade worked the ball back from the ruck. They then put together several
snappy passes that gained them twenty meters and as Lloyd was about to be
tackled he chipped the ball over the defence and down the line were rookie
Reese Mills took it cleanly and at pace to go over the line in the corner.
Lloyd didn't convert, but the play he had been involved in was the play of
the day. In the dying minutes of the game Calne grabbed another try which
was again set up by their powerful scrum, but included some smart passing
and a classy switch move that allowed their man to go over unchallenged.
Cricklade lost the game, but the experience for some players is invaluable
and the promise for the future is still there.
Full Time Cricklade RFC 11 Calne RFC 27
Criclades Man of the Match Reese Mills
Fairford RFC v Cricklade RFC 04/10/08. D&W Div 1 North
Local Derby Opponents Stunned By Cricklade
Last season local rivals Fairford gave Cricklade a bit of a seeing too in
both fixtures, but this game on their opponents firm turf and with a strong
cross wind blowing would favoured the up coming youth of promising
Cricklade. Right from the start the visitors tore into the Fairford defence
and it wasnt long before the home team conceded a penalty in front of their
own post. Rookie Rhys Mills was kicking today due to Captain Lloyds knee
injury and despite the now howling cross wind he slotted it home. Cricklade
continued to attack from the restart and despite Fairfords good efforts to
hold them Dave Cox scored a typical try when he took a short pass a few
meters out then surged and wriggled his way over the line with half of
Fairfords defence clinging on trying to stop him. Mills easily kicked the
other two points. With a ten point lead under their belts Cricklade appeared
to lose a bit of concentration and Fairford came back into the game, their
efforts were rewarded when sloppy tackling and poor positional play
presented them with a good looking running and passing try. The angle was
however to tight to get the other points. This fight back by Fairford saw
Cricklade respond with some good moves of their own, but their only reward
before half time was another penalty which Rhys Mills popped over.
Half Time Fairford 5 Cricxklade 13
After a couple of changes in both teams at half time they were much more
competitively matched and the game ebbed and flowed with little chance of a
score for either club. Cricklade were camped on the home sides goal line for
a long time during this spell, but they just couldn't find a defence
breaking move. Injuries were suffered on both sides as the teams put in the
full effort to gain an advantage and it was Cricklade who found the
difference in Mills as he took the ball, side stepped a couple of tackles
and broke the last line of defence with a strong and fast run. He then
stepped up to add the other points and give the visitors some breathing
space. Cricklades tails were up now and some of the heart had deserted the
home team, so it was no great surprise that a few minutes before the end,
Cricklades Dave Cox forced his way over the line on the far left and then
carried the ball around behind the posts to give Mills an easy kick for the
last points of the game. Unfortunately the ball fell over in the strong wind
as he ran up and his drop kick attempt to save the situation went wide.
Final Score Fairford RFC 5 Cricklade RFC 25
Cricklade Man of the Match Rhys Mills
Supermarine RFC v Cricklade RFC, D & W Div 1 North, 25/10/08
Cricklade Revival Continues
On the back of an away win friendly against Wiltshire Police, Cricklade were
looking to continue their recent return to improved form and despite a messy
start it was they who opened the scoring when Mat Blackburn scored a try in
the right corner. His opportunity however was created by some determined
effort by the forwards as they firstly secured their own ball at the scrum
then drew the home team into a rolling maul. As the home side added more
players in an effort to stop its progress Cricklade popped the ball out the
back and sent it wide where Blackburn threaded his way through the remnants
of the defence. Even with the benefit of the strong wind Mills failed to
kick the other points. Supermarine retaliated straight away and scored a try
of their own as they caught Cricklade disorganised and still euphoric from
their early try. This swift return to "as you were" stunned Cricklade, but
they settled themselves and began to play some very attractive and focused
rugby. With the wind playing it's part, some educated kicking kept
Supermarine pinned in their half and opened the way for Cricklade to add
further try's. The first was scored by Gordon Aitkin, but was created once
again by the forwards as they put on a solid scrum, recycled the ball
through two rucks them let the runners have it. Aitkin's take at speed was
classy and left the home sides defence in ruins and gave him time to run
round behind the posts and give Rhys Mills a simple conversion. The next was
scored by Mike Murray in the left corner and was another stylish affair as
the ball was moved from player to player after a line out on the right. The
final points of the first half were scored by Rhys Mills, but had he not
been able to break the last ditch tackles and make it over the line the four
man overlap to his right would have been justifiably very upset to say the
least.
Half Time Supermarine 5 Cricklade 24
With the strong wind now favouring the home team it was Cricklade who had to
withstand the pressure and they did just that for a large portion of the
second half, but a loose ball from a scrum fell to an isolated defender who
had no options or time to dispose of it before he was hit by several
attackers. They ripped the ball out and easily made the few yards to the
line before reinforcements arrived. A good attempt for the other points just
failed. Time was running out for the home team and the Cricklade tackling
was as tenacious as ever with Adrian Hicks, Steve Baldwin, Dave Cox and many
more playing major roles in spoiling Supermarines day. The home side knew it
wasn't going to be their day when a rare threatening Cricklade attack
resulted in them being awarded a penalty in front of the posts. Rhys Mills
slotted the kick home and a few minutes later the final whistle was blown.
Full Time Supermarine 10 Cricklade 27
Cricklades Man of the Match Adrian Hicks.
Cricklade RFC v Corsham RFC, D & W Div 1 North, 01/11/08
Extra Time Shock For Cricklade
A home game against Corsham 2nds looked distinctly winnable considering
Cricklades recent return to better form, but with several regular players
unavailable it was going to be hard and Corsham confirmed that as they made
just the sort of start that Cricklade couldn't afford by scoring an almost
unopposed try within minutes of the start. Fortunately they were unable to
get the other points as the strong wind in their faces pushed the kick well
wide. Cricklade responded well and got a try of their own a few minutes
later when they secured the ball at a lineout on the left, worked it in
field and then presented a perfect ball for Dave Cox who crashed through to
touch down just right of the post. Replacement kicker Lee James calmly
slotted the ball over for the other two points despite the angle and
difficult wind. Corshams restart kick into the wind did not make the
required distance, so possession was handed to Cricklade and despite the
visitors valiant efforts to get it back the home team kept recycling the
ball and moving forward until they were able to score their second try and
create a bit of a comfort zone. Try as they did for the remainder of the
first half to get more try's they could not breach Corshams defence and they
had to settle for just three more points when they were awarded a penalty.
Half Time Cricklade RFC 15 Corsham RFC 2nds 5
Cricklade knew their lead might not be enough once Corsham had the wind in
their favour, so they got their heads down and made Corsham earn every yard
of progress. Stirling performances were put in by everyone and for thirty
minutes it looked as if the home side would deny the visitors, but the
strength and stamina of Corshams front and second row was telling and
infringements by Cricklade were becoming more common. The number of scrums
eventually took its toll and the visitors got their reward when a scrambled
touch down was given, but the home side still had a three point lead which
they continued to protect with their bodies. Corsham were equally determined
and put in more and more effort as they attempted to get the points they
needed. A penalty right in front of the post was given and missed, then
another one which was also missed, the minutes had ticked away and it was
into injury time, could Cricklade hold out until the final whistle ?
Unfortunately not, from ten meters out Corsham utilised a bit of space and
put a good pass into the hands of a runner who was able to burst through
the weary defence. The kick from in front of the posts was good and the
visitors had in all honesty secured a very late, but justified victory.
Final Score Cricklade RFC 15 Corsham RFC 2nds 19
Chippenham RFC 2nds v Cricklade RFC, D&W Div 1 North, 08/11/2008
Depleted Cricklade Overrun By Chippenham
Apart from the fact that Cricklade could only muster fourteen men for this
crucial away game, the names that were missing had been key to their recent
improved form. The replacements however (though mostly playing out of
position) were able to leave the field of play at the end of the game with
their heads held high whilst those who were absent need to start looking
over their shoulders.
Chippenham used the strong wind at their backs and tore into the visitors
from the start and soon had them struggling to stop the first points. The
visitors rearguard action was good enough to keep the scores level for
almost twenty minutes, but once Chippenham had picked the lock another try
soon followed. It still looked possible they might make it to half time with
less than twenty points against them, but Chippenham had other ideas and
stepped up the pace and pressure to run in three more try's and lead by
thirty three points to nil at half time.
The second half promised to be better for Cricklade now that they had the
benefit of the wind, but like the first half Chippenham stormed the visitors
defences and had them struggling. Cricklade weathered this early onslaught
and worked their way back into the game and finally got a score of their own
when Gordon Aitkin caught and disposessed Chippenhams scrum half in his own
in goal area after a five meter scrum. The usually accurate boot of Rhys
Mills failed him on this occasion. The home side were rattled by Cricklades
audacity and tried to do a bit of show boating to put them in their place,
but at a breakdown near the halfway line Aitkin went on a show boating run
of his own with Gavin Russ tracking him all the way and Cox bringing up the
rear. When Aitkin was finally hauled down Russ took the ball on and as the
defence closed on him he slipped it to Dave Cox who was now at full speed
and unstoppable from that distance out. Mills kick failed to secure the
other points. Chippenham sensed that unless they got back to playing real
rugby again, this makeshift Cricklade setup might embarrass them, so they
put a stop to any further nonsense and produced some of their best rugby.
They exploited the man advantage when they brought on replacements against
tired legs and used their pace to further tire the stretched defence, scrums
became a formality for them and two further try's were run in. Cricklade
never stopped trying and as the whistle approached they were threatening to
break out of defence and into attack, but a pass was intercepted and a
breakaway try scored to seal their fate and bring the game to an end.
Final Score Chippenham RFC 2nds 52 Cricklade RFC 10
After a sterling performance in their last league game against title
challengers Cooper Avon Tyres, Cricklade knew they would need to be at their
very best against the current second place holders, but their expectations
and confidence were high. For the first twenty minutes the visitors looked
anything but underdogs and Marlborough had to give away a penalty that
Cricklade really should have slotted over. Despite the disappointment they
kept up the pressure and the home team looked as if they might crack at any
moment, but they are not near the top of the table for no reason and they
soaked up the Cricklade pressure then broke out and it was Cricklade who now
had to infringe to keep them out. Their kick from a similar range and
direction was also off target. With the aid of Marlborough's slope Cricklade
tried everything to get points on the board, but time and again the home
team sent them back and as happens in these situations it was they who got
the only first half try after a solid scrum set up the pick and go move from
some five meters out.
Half Time
Marlborough RFC 7 Cricklade RFC 0
The visitors had missed the opportunity of getting points on the board
whilst they had the benefit of the slope in their favour, but surprisingly
they started the second half with a flourish and had Marlborough back
pedalling for a while. Their exertions however were beginning to show, so a
number of changes were made in an attempt to regain momentum, but
Marlborough's uncompromising rucking and educated kicking were stealing back
hard earned yards and more and the visitors ability to bounce back was
getting more and more difficult. Cricklade stuck to the task and still
manage to give Marlborough a scare or two, but the home teams efforts first
brought them a penalty and then as the clock was running down they grabbed
two try's by securing loose ball and crashing through the remnants of
defence from close in. It was a great performance from both sides, but the
final score flatters the home team more than a little.
Final Score
Marlborough RFC 22 Cricklade RFC 0
With a poor run up to Christmas Cricklade were feeling battered and
disheartened, but the holiday break must have done them good as they showed
their Berks/Bucks and Oxon Premier opponents the levels of skill and
determination that had been missing since the beginning of the season. The
home sides early pressure eventually led to their opponents conceding a
penalty that Rhys Mills popped over. He followed this with a classy
individual try when he kicked over the defence, ran on and collected the
ball when it was dropped by the full back under his own bar. Cricklade
appeared to have their opponents measure, but the College Old Boys are very
competitive and have some classy handling moves if they are given the time
and room to use them and that's what appeared to happen because despite
being the second best team on the park they were on equal terms when half
time came round after they scored two good looking tries.
Half Time
Cricklade RFC 10 SCOB RFC 10
Cricklade started the second half in similar fashion to the first, but the
visitors made a couple of changes that bulked up their pack and were now
dominating the scrum and using their heavier runners to crash through
Cricklades first lines of defence. Fortunately the home sides mobility was a
match for these tactics and defensive holes were soon plugged. The mobility
of Cricklade was the key to their success when they turned defence into
attack with two wonderful opportunistic, running and passing moves that
caught the Old Boys short. Jinking Lee James took the final passes on both
occasions and though close to the right touch lines he sailed passed the
despairing tackles to score close to the right corner. Mills tried hard for
the conversions, but the angle defeated him. Cricklades lead once again
allowed a degree of complacency to creep into their ranks and from the kick
off SCOB's turned over possession and ran in the first of two tries of their
own. They should have converted both and put the match out of the home sides
reach, but they missed both and those misses came back to haunt them when
with only seconds to go the home side turned on the style once more and
danced through the visitors defence with another slick handling and side
stepping move that snatched victory with a final try for Rhys Mills near the
right corner again. With the whistle imminent the missed kick was not an
issue, but the final seconds confirmed Cricklades ability as they denied
their visitors any possession and rode to victory in style.
Full Time
Cricklade RFC 25 Swindon College Old Boys RFC 22
Cricklade RFC Men of the Match
Chris Gee and Rhys Mills
With a stiff, perishing wind at their backs Cricklade had high hopes they
would show Chippenham that the 52 to 10 result from earlier in the season
had been a flash in the pan, but the strong, well drilled and hugely
experienced visitors tore through Cricklade right from the start whistle and
had a try score on the board within five minutes. The home team responded
well and Rhys Mills kicked a terrific penalty from forty yards out and near
to touch, but after that Chippenham took charge of the game. Their thinking
and passing was much sharper than Cricklades and time after time they took
quick tap penalties that caught the home side either facing the wrong way
and not concentrating or miles off side. These basic errors allowed
Chippenham to run in several more tries before half time and the points
deficit would have been more had the wind not made kicking so difficult.
Half Time
Cricklade RFC 3 Chippenham RFC 2nds 22
Cricklade made a couple of changes at the break and they appeared to wake up
to some of the moves their opponents had tormented them with in the first
half, but as time passed they were worn done by the effort of continuous
defence and chasing to provide cover. Kicks for touch against the wind would
fall into Chippenham hands and be run back at them, isolated breaks from
defence would be easily caught by less tired legs and possession turned over
in the ruck or a penalty for holding on. There were splendid defensive
performances from many members of the team, but Chippenhams class shone
through and as full time approached they were almost able to score at will
and it was to Cricklades credit that they contained the score to what they
did.
Final Score Cricklade RFC 3 Chippenham RFC 2nds 53
Cricklade Man of the Match
Jamie Dunkley
After last weekends defeat by an all round better team Cricklade expected to
fair better against the team who only just beat them when they played at
Fairview Field earlier in the season. But a series of individual mistakes,
poor choices and innumerable missed tackles meant Corsham only had to play
adequately in order to win by quite a margin. Corsham were so powerful in
the scrum that knock on's and other infringements brought no advantage to
the visitors as the home team muscled light weight Cricklade off the ball
and retook possession; and it was this power that brought the first try when
pushed Cricklade over their own line for the easiest of try's and a simple
conversion kick. That power also started the move that led to the second try
when they won Cricklade ball in the scrum, but it was Cricklades succession
of missed tackles that let them through for the try. Cricklade briefly came
back after they were awarded a penalty some forty metres out, the kick was
missed, but they emerged from the following maul with the ball and after a
series of slick passes Rhys Mills cut inside leaving two defenders for dead
and touched down under the bar. Corsham responded immediately and restored
the points gap a few minutes later when off the back of a scrum they passed
the ball wide, then sold an outrageous "dummy" to the last man, before
touching down.
Half Time Corsham RFC 2nds 17 Cricklade RFC 7
Cricklade made some changes just after half time to try and stiffen the pack
and things did improve, but Corsham still had the upper hand and began to
add further points to their tally. The first was started by their powerful
scrummaging, but Cricklades awful tackling made it easy to touchdown just
left of the posts. The second was a classic interception of a speculative
pass when there was no pressure on the ball carrier and no full back to be
seen. Cricklade did grab some more points when they stole Corsham ball at a
lineout and linked a number of phases that saw the ball firstly on the right
then over on the left and finally behind the posts. Mills kick however just
managed to pass the post o the wrong side. With a comfortable lead Corsham
were content to contain Cricklade and despite their efforts right up to the
end the visitors couldn't reduce the deficit, but as full time approached
Corshams pack and Cricklades tackling collaborated to make a final try for
the home team. Cricklade are better than this and had a great opportunity to
add to their points tally, but they must make their tackles stick, that
failure alone cost them 24 points in this fixture.
Final Score Corsham RFC 2nds 38 Cricklade RFC 12
Earlier in the season Cricklade had won, quite convincingly at Supermarines
place by 27 points to 10, but right from the start Supermarine made their
intensions clear, "they wanted revenge today" and it only took ten minutes
to get points on the board when Cricklades full back let a high ball bounce,
lost track of it and let the visitors scoop it up and go over the try line
for the easiest five points they will score in many a game. The easy kick
however was pulled narrowly wide of the target. The visitors continued to
press from the restart and Cricklades inability to make tackles stick led to
several heart in mouth moments, but it was Supermarine who were penalised
and then caught with their backs turned by a quick tap that was passed
through the backs and eventually into the hands of Matty Blackburn who
sailed over almost unopposed. Rhys Mills stepped forward and slotted the
ball over for the other two points. Supermarine were so mad with themselves
for letting the home side back into the game they lost a bit of their
composure and Cricklade started to dominate. Their rucking was more
productive and their scrum was holding up better and it was this improvement
that delivered a good ball from a secure scrum to Dave Cox who crashed
through the first line of defence then offloaded to Mills as the second
arrived, Mills attracted the remaining defenders to him and just as they
pounced he passed the ball over their heads were the fingers of Simon Howes
briefly juggled it before carrying it over for the five points. Mills boot
and clever judgement of the cross wind added the remainder and a few minutes
later he repeated the feat when Cricklade were awarded a penalty from almost
the same spot. The half time whistle was only minutes away and Cricklade
were in the driving seat, but a sloppy kick for touch found Supermarine
hands and the solo run left Cricklades defence sprawling as tackle after
tackle failed to stick. The resulting try and conversion could not have come
at a better time for Supermarine, or a worse one for Cricklade.
Half Time
Cricklade RFC 17 Supermarine 12
The second half started with the visitors camped on Cricklades try line and
time after time the home team cleared them out and cancelled them out, but
they had little to offer in attack themselves. Surely it was only a matter
of time before the visitors got the try they so desperately needed, but
Cricklade doggedly clung on to their five point lead, they scrummed, mauled
and rucked with determination, but they maintained their discipline whilst
Supermarine lost theirs. Minor scuffles broke out and just before the end
the referee decided to take some heat out of the game by sin binning a
player from each team. When the final whistle did come Cricklade were
elated, but in the true spirit of the game of rugby it was great to see the
genuine congratulations between players who a few minutes earlier had been
doing all kind of mischief to each other.
Full Time
Cricklade 17 Supermarine 12
Cricklades Man of the Match
Dave Cox
Cricklade won the away leg of this fixture by a clear twenty points, but
recent Fairford results suggested they are much better now, so it was
important for the home side to start with a bang and after only about
fifteen minutes Simon Howes opened the scoring for them with a typical show
and go dummy after solid forwards play in the lead up to it. Cricklades
usually reliable kicker Rhys Mills hit the post with what should have been a
routine punt over. Cricklade continued to have the upper hand, but Fairford
used the favouring slight wind to keep putting the home team back in their
own half, they also pressurised the backs as they tried to collect bouncing
balls with fast follow up runs that caused havoc. As the pressure increased
Cricklade faltered and lost their focus, the game plan went out the window
and they resorted to indiscipline in their effort to hold Fairfords strong
pack and fast backs. Two penalties in quick succession went to Fairford, but
they only managed to kick the first. A scrum near Cricklades left touchline
and ten meters out went the visitors way and a clever blind side run, then a
kick and chase resulted in another five points for Fairford. Cricklade were
in disarray now and every time Fairford came forward the home team looked
likely to concede either a try or a penalty, so it was no great surprise
when the penalty was awarded and gratefully accepted. Cricklade finished the
half with a flourish, but the penalty they were awarded was too far out for
Mills.
Half Time
Cricklade 5 Fairford 11
Fairford started the second half as they had played most of the first and
Cricklade obliged by doing the same, so it wasn't long before the visitors
had another chance to widen the points gap. Fortunately for Cricklade the
kick failed and from the drop out they managed to regain possession and find
touch deep in Fairfords half. Some scrappy play followed and the visitors
were kept in their own half, but never seemed threatened, so when they
conceded a lineout about fifteen meters out there appeared to be little or
no danger. Cricklades Dave Cox (who until now had been having a quiet game)
however had different ideas and collected the ball cleanly as he set off on
his crash run, Tackles slowed him and eventually brought him down, but as
they couldn't hold him, he got up and made the last few yards to the line.
Once again Mills missed the conversion. With the score so tight Fairford now
got jittery and Cricklade took their opportunity to pile on the pressure and
finally the visitors were pinged for off side in front of their post. Mills
didn't miss this time and from the restart Cricklade began to resemble the
team that started this game. An injury in Fairfords front row led to the
referee introducing uncontested scrums and this probably favoured Cricklade
and assisted them to get their next points as initially unchallenged
possession past firstly to Paul Howse who broke the first line of defence,
then set the ruck and quick ball for his brother, who jinked towards the
line before offloading to the hard charging Cox who would not be denied. The
reasonably easy kick was missed by Mills who was having a real off day.
There wasn't much time left, so Cricklade sat back and put all their effort
into keeping Fairford out, this led to a nail biting finish for home
supporters as time and again the visitors threatened to score, but the final
whistle came and the home team celebrated more in relief than satisfaction.
Final Score
Cricklade RFC 18 Fairford 11
After the disappointing cancellation of last weeks Plate Semi Final against
Puddletown, Cricklade were looking for a demanding run out and Sutton Benger
who soundly beat them at the start of the season would be ideal opponents to
make then and now comparisons with. To begin with Cricklade looked way good
for Sutton Benger as firstly Chris Gee forced his way over to open the
scoring and then Rhys Mills got in on the act by going over in the corner.
With only twelve minutes gone and two tries against them SB had to turn the
Cricklade tide and quickly and the home side aided them by inexplicably
committing a string of totally unnecessary fouls that brought SB onto their
goal line for the final scrum and a simple pick and dive over to narrow the
margin in scores. Throughout the remainder of the half Cricklade created
more trouble for themselves than the visitors ever would, they threw
possession away by not looking where they were passing, they knocked on,
they handled in the ruck and their scrummaging was a shambles, but they got
to half time without further loss.
Half Time Cricklade RFC 12 Sutton Benger RFC 5
Cricklades woes continued despite the half time demands of Coaches Russ and
Nicholls and they were left tearing their hair out when another string of
errors led to a five metre scrum for Sutton Benger and another easy five
points. With only two points separating the teams SB's tackling became
somewhat agricultural and led to a number lumps, bumps and bloody noses
appearing as they tried to intimidate their hosts, but the addition of Aidie
Hicks and Steve Baldwin steadied the team and suddenly there appeared to be
more time available to consider and measure passes. The scrum was holding
and winning even Sutton Benger ball, everything was starting to work again
and it wasn't long before one of the many runs by Simon Howse coincided with
a supporting one from Dave Cox who couldn't be stopped once he collected
Howse pass. It was now SB's turn to infringe in order to stem the Cricklade
tide and it was a fitting end to the game when Steve Baldwin put the result
beyond doubt when he scooped the ball up off the back of the scrum drove low
and hard to a position where he could reach out and put the ball down over
the try line.
Full Time Cricklade RFC 24 Sutton Benger RFC 10
Cricklade were disappointed to lose the home leg of this fixture, but after
a run of four games unbeaten, they arrived at Calne in a positive mood. The
first few minutes however found them being outplayed by a strong pack and
good ball handling skills and it was this combination that saw Calne score
their first and only points when they provided quick ball at the back of a
rock solid scrum, whipped it away left to where there was a yawning hole in
defence for them to score beside the post unchallenged. Cricklade put
pressure on the receiver at the restart and after a messy passage of play
were awarded a penalty for off side that Rhys Mills slotted over. Calne
continued to boss the scrums and were determined at the breakdown, but the
visitors kept it tight and started to show promise of their own which as
half time approached led to recycled ball being popped to Simon Howse and
then on to Dave Cox who crashed through the defence from ten meters for a
try. The conversion was wide, but they had the narrowest of leads as the
whistle blew.
Half Time Calne RFC 7 Cricklade RFC 8
With wind assistance for the second half Cricklade frustrated the successful
rucking and mauling of Calne with some great kicking and chasing that pushed
the home side back into their own half time and again. This tactic along
with speedy following up by the pack, strong tackling and rucking brought
about two tries for Lee James in the left corner after Cricklade regained
possession, quickly moved it wide and attacked the last man. Both tries were
brought about by good teamwork, but James danced past him for the first and
impressively spun out of the tackle for the second. Both difficult kicks
missed the target for the other points. As the score gap widened Calne lost
some heart and Cricklade could have had three more tries, but for fumbles.
To their credit however Calne kept pressing and could not be underestimated,
but Cricklade kept repelling them and from a text book lineout the visitors
finished it off with a dash at Calne's centre by Howse, a simple pass inside
to Mills put him through to score under the bar and then convert. After some
shaky performances, this must rate as Cricklades best eighty minute
performance of the season and all the playing and coaching staff should be
well pleased and relishing the last few games of the season.
Final Score Calne RFC 7 Cricklade RFC 25
The brutal away leg of this match at the start of the season saw Cricklade
go down 32 to 3 and put two players out with broken bones, but recent
results have confirmed the marked improvement in performance that now stands
at seven games without defeat. From the outset it was clear that Cricklade
would be difficult to hold and Cox who has been trialled and selected for
the Dorset and Wilts Senior XV to play Somerset Saxons was full of energy
and it was his pass to at speed Matt Blackburn on the left touchline that
opened the scoring for the home side. Even with the benefit of the wind
Russ's kick slipped away from the target, but minutes later he slotted a
penalty. Bassett struggled to get out of their own half for the first thirty
minutes as Cricklade peppered the full back and wings with high balls that
brought fumbles and hasty inaccurate passes and it was from this tactic that
Baldwin secured a turnover and off loaded to Nick Bond for him to trot in on
the right and behind the defence to make Russ's kick easier. More points
were added from a lineout on the right when Sven Grove collected the ball
off the top, spun out of a tackle on landing and popped it to a charging Cox
who ran through the centre almost unchallenged and left Russ with the
easiest of conversion kicks.
Half Time Cricklade RFC 22 Wootton Bassett RFC 2nds 0
With the wind now in Bassett's favour they pinned Cricklade back at the
start, but it was the strength of their pack that brought their only points
when after a long spell of pressure their solid scrum provided the perfect
platform for the successful pick a go move. Cricklade would in earlier days
have become jumpy at this stage and probably given more points away, but
with winners confidence they stuck to the changed of tactics and
concentrated on keeping possession and gaining hard yards through the
forwards and repeated phases and it paid off when the rampant Cox took the
pass from Russ and crashed through. Russ popped the kick over for the other
points. More points came Cricklade's way when Simon Howes took charge of a
loose ball in his own half and ran a good sixty meters with the opposing
full back on his heels, as he ran out of wind he fell and was just able to
put the ball down on the line. Russ once again obliged with a tidy kick. The
final action came when Bassett were probably resigned to the defeat, but
Cricklade turned on the style with a classic running and passing move that
cut the opposition to shreds and culminated in Nathan Camden scoring his
first try for the club close to the left corner flag. The final score is
emphatic enough, but Cricklade were probably worth at least another fifteen
points in the first half alone and the defence during the first twenty of
the second half was awesome.
Final Score Cricklade RFC 43 Wootton Bassett RFC 2nds 7
On this ground seven days before, league leaders Devizes handed out a
reality check to Cricklade by soundly beating them 63-
different prize and as one would expect every Cricklade player wanted to be
part of the action, so the dilemma for coach Nicholls was who would he leave
out in order to field the strongest team. His selection appeared to be the
right one when the match began for Lychett were on the back foot straight
away as the full back fumbled the start kick into touch. The resulting
lineout was rock solid for Cricklade and a few minutes later the pack showed
their resolve by pushing Lychett off their own ball at the scrum. Despite
their dominance however it was their opponents who had the first chance of
points when they were awarded a penalty in a very kickable position, but the
chance was missed and the contest continued to seesaw back and forth until
the thirty-
their penalty chance from a similar distance and angle. Lychett continued to
press, but Cricklade's sometimes suspect tackling was good enough and
quality of the rucking brought turnover ball time and again and it was from
such a turnover that Cricklade's Lee James almost got the first try, but the
last ditch tackle just put him in touch.
Halftime
Cricklade RFC 3 Lychett Minster RFC 0
Lychett had obviously received a stern talking too during the break and
started the second half full of passion and desire, but good positional
kicking by Cricklade repeatedly pushed them back into their own half and
when Cricklade stole their lineout ball the possibility opened up for Simon
Howse and returning skipper Danny Lloyd to display a near perfect loop move
that put Howse over the try line close to the post. Russ easily kicked the
other points. Lychett knew the game was starting to get away from them and
they responded well by getting their own kicking game going and several
times they created havoc in Crick lade's defence and were unlucky as balls
ran long or were touched down by desperate defenders. Their chance finally
came and was taken, but it was wide on the left and the difficult conversion
attempt was missed. With only five points in it, Lychett poured on the
pressure and pinned Cricklade back for long spells, but apart from the award
of another kickable penalty which was missed once again, their opportunities
were getting less as they tired and late in the game Cricklade could have
made it safe, but Lloyds penalty kick slipped wide. Both sides had given all
and the game had been played in a terrific spirit, so when the referee
sounded the final whistle the teams showed their respect for each other in
the best traditions of the game.
Crick lade's Man of the Match. Number 4 Paul Howse