STAFFORD 1ST XV vs EDWARDIANS 1ST XV. 25TH NOVEMBER 2023. LEAGUE.

Stafford welcomed Edwardians to Blackberry Lane for the last league game of November. It was also the turnaround game, with the next fixture being the first in the second half of the season. Edwardians travelled with an impressive nine wins out of ten, eight try bonus points and one loosing bonus point providing a secure top spot in the league. Stafford, however, were still in a transitional period, with injuries and other changes creating a fluid starting XV. The home side debuted two new players as Adam Greaves and Jack Butler took the field for the County Town side.

Edwardians clicked into top gear from the starting whistle and two fairly rapid tries demonstrated why they were sitting top of the table. Stafford absorbed the assault and settled into working hard for each other across the field. They played some periods of good rugby, with just a final touch eluding them. The visiting threat was ever present though and attacking plays bagged the visitors another three tries before the half time whistle. Stafford went into half time trailing 0 – 29 against a composed Edwardians performance.

Stafford scrapped hard in the opening ten minutes of the second half. Some tenacious defence couldn’t keep out a couple more visiting tries, but the hosts kept their heads up putting in some hard hits. Stafford started to make some good ground in a bright five-minute period, but great scavenging work by Edwardians bought the momentum to a crashing halt. Three more visiting tries took the tally past the fifty mark despite some occasional break outs from the County Town team. As the time dwindled on the clock the fighting defence came under more pressure as a yellow card reduced the resistance to a hardy fourteen with a penalty try adding to the tally. A final try for the visitors closed off their profitable afternoon before a late Stafford effort finished the game with a flourish. Finding their way down the pitch the reduced squad swarmed into the opposition territory and caught the visitors on the back foot. Tenacious work produced a penalty opportunity under the posts, which Alex Rock sent over the uprights to claim the last points of the afternoon.

Next 1st XV League Match; Saturday 9th December 2023, Away vs Camp Hill.