STAFFORD 1ST XV vs TELFORD HORNETS 1ST XV. 21ST OCTOBER 2023. LEAGUE.

Stafford welcomed Shropshire neighbours Telford Hornets to the County Ground for the final match of October. The teams had some tight games last season, with Stafford eventually taking the home & away victories.

The opening ten minutes of the games saw two evenly matched teams shunting each other around the pitch. It was Telford that struck first with a lumbering attack which saw the visiting forwards crashing over the line. The home side defence responded superbly and managed to turn the ball over. Minor mistakes by both sides could have opened the game up, but it was the visitors who were sharper at finishing. Three Telford tries built a solid first half lead and left Stafford chasing a rapidly vanishing game. The teams both continued to scrap as the rest of the half fizzled to a close. Stafford went into half time trailing by 0-17 in a game which they were struggling to get any continuity.

Following their half time team talk, Stafford sprung into the second half and started to play their brightest rugby of the afternoon. The first five minutes left Telford rooted to the spot as they couldn’t contain the rugby being played against them. Eventually the ball found its way into the hands of Ben Adams who tore across the line for a try. Telford responded with their final try of the afternoon to secure a bonus point. The game then became relatively deadlocked with neither team managing to string together continuous attacking phases. Approaching the final ten minutes of the game, Stafford eventually managed to navigate their way to within striking distance. Defending their own line Telford threw back several assaults, but couldn’t stop Alfie O’Brien from crossing for a try, converted by Connor McCulloch. Stafford went looking for a third score but the ignition button still eluded them as eventually they were beaten by a dwindling clock.

Next 1st XV League Match; Saturday 4th November 2023, Away vs Newcastle (Staffs).