STAFFORD 1st XV vs Burton 1st XV. 27th AUGUST 2016. STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY CUP.

Stafford 5 – 14 Burton

The first game of the season saw Stafford hosting Burton (from Midlands 1) in the opening round of the Staffordshire county cup. The corresponding fixture last year saw the East Staffordshire side dominating with a 99 – 5 victory, so it promised to be another testing afternoon of rugby against a higher league opposition.

With the ball failing to travel beyond 10m from the kick off the game started with a Stafford scrum on the half way line. An excellent shove propelled the county town side forward and set the platform for an early period of pressure against the visitors. The East Staffordshire team absorbed the initial attacks and forced the home side into a strong defence which was tested by Burton, but never breached. The possession switched between the teams and it was evidently going to be an evenly matched contest. A Burton try followed by a penalty broke the deadlock and gave the visitors a hard fought for lead. A Stafford penalty could have cut the deficit but it flew just wide of the uprights. The county town team wouldn’t lie down; a penalty produced some pinpoint kicking to set up an attacking line out within sight of the Burton line. With a safe pair of Stafford hands securing the ball, the forwards swarmed to soften up the Burton defence and a bludgeoning Carl Williams assault carried the ball across the line for a try. Stafford went into half time trailing 5 – 8, but having played and fought their way into a tight encounter.

The second half saw sheeting rain driving across the pitch to kill off any chance of free flowing rugby. An early Stafford charge put the Burton line under pressure, but the visitors managed to repel a tenacious series of attacks. The teams continued to slug it out and a period of brief stoppages bore testament to the ferocity of the encounter. The weather and stubborn obstinacy in defence continued to hold the game on a knife edge with either team looking capable of the next score. It was Burton who eventually gained the advantage through two penalties, leaving the fighting home side needing two scores for the victory. Stafford continued to play as a team and lay siege to the Burton try line, but they couldn’t find the final move for the score. The full time whistle signalled the end of an exhausting game of rugby where two decent teams fought hard and battled to the end for the win.