STAFFORD 1ST XV vs SPARTANS 1ST XV. 6TH JANUARY 2023. LEAGUE.

Stafford opened the 2024 leg of the league campaign with a home fixture against Spartans. The reciprocal September encounter had seen a comprehensive win for the County Town team. Since then both sides had been searching hard for some continuous form with Spartans managing just two wins against Staffords three. The league positions were similarly tight with the visitors sitting a single point below the hosts but with a game in hand yet to play.

The Spartans forwards opened the scoring with an early try following some strong play which crashed around most of the field. The response from Stafford was instant as the boot of Alex Rock propelled the ball through the uprights from a penalty kick. The County Town team started to look dangerous and the visitors had to defend fiercely to keep their try line safe. Two successive yellow cards added to Spartans woes as the travelling team were reduced to a temporary thirteen on the field. Stafford took full advantage and throwing the ball around the pitch started to stretch the hard-working defenders. The opposition toiled away but eventually was swamped by a surging attack which saw Alosio Yamoyamo crossing for a try and the lead. The resulting restart saw Stafford failing to secure a bouncing ball and an alert Spartans player charging through a rooted defence for a try. The visitors then dug in and tried to smother any momentum in the game whilst the clock ticked down on the yellow cards. The Blackberry Lane XV didn’t get drawn in and resumed some periods of attritional rugby which sapped the energy out of a fighting Spartans defence. It was left to a final surge from the home side forwards to prise open the door and Chris Lindsey was on the bottom of the pile for a try. The remaining time in the period was rapidly diminishing as Stafford continued to press. Some running rugby unlocked the space and the hosts looked certain for another score, before an enthusiastic tackle from Spartans bought everything to an abrupt halt. The referee talked to both sides momentarily before producing a red card for the visitors seconds before the period came to an end. Stafford went into half time leading 13-12 but with nothing certain in a tightly contested game.

A slightly bizarre start to the second half saw play being called back for a scrum in the centre of the field. With fourteen back on the pitch, Spartans put in the early effort and an eventual try retook the lead. The visitors had the bit between their teeth but a clearance kick from the boot of Alex Rock took back all the hard fought for territory and dampened the momentum. As the competition intensified, passions started to boil over and the referee had his hands full managing the game. The match stuttered along with the referee’s whistle in full use awarding penalties and in one instance reversing the original decision as the players were corralled back under control. With twenty minutes left on the clock the Spartans bench had been emptied by injuries and the visiting XIV were starting to look slightly tired. Urged on by a noisy home crowd, Stafford settled into a period of exhausting rugby which ate into a defiant defence. Spartans managed to spoil a couple of attacks, before the speed of the Blackberry Lane backs eluded them and Jerry Qasenivalu crossed for a Stafford try, bringing the scores within a single point. From the restart all of the rugby continued to be played in the opposition half as the visitors were forced to endure everything being rained down on them. With the try line in sight a solid scrum released the ball through the hands and the baying backs shredded the defenders for Ben Adams to take the bonus point try. As the match continued another spate of handbags interrupted the continuity of the game. Stafford kept pressing and a bruising run by Chris Lindsey breached the line but the referee deemed the ball to be held up. With less than five minutes on the clock, the County Town team looked for the score which would deny Spartans a loosing bonus point. The action flowed across the field as attack met defence in an exciting end to an entertaining second half. Time started to tick away, before a savage move saw the Stafford forwards crashing into their opposite numbers under the posts. The confused melee didn’t appear to be reaching any conclusion before James Milan found the space to ground the ball for a try, converted by Alex Rock. This proved to be the final significant action in what had become a very hotly contested game of rugby.

Next 1st XV Match: Saturday 13th January, Away vs Harborne.