KIDDERMINSTER CAROLIANS 1st XV vs STAFFORD 1st XV. 12th September 2015.

Kidderminster 26 – 28 Stafford

Stafford travelled down the A449 to North Worcestershire for an opening league encounter against Kidderminster. Opening league fixtures had been short on points for the visitors over the last couple of seasons, but despite losses pre-season games had shown promise for the county town side.

Kidderminster took an early lead through an unconverted try as the home side immediately clicked into gear. A missed penalty stopped the home side stretching their lead and the game settled into an evenly balanced encounter. Stafford were the next to strike, scrapping for every ball they battled their way up the pitch and even a solid defence couldn’t prevent Tom Hamplett crashing across the line for an unconverted try. Kidderminster struck back immediately and regained the lead within a few minutes of the restart, a converted try giving them a narrow lead. Stafford found themselves falling foul of the referees whistle and rather than reacting, the team supported each other to comply with the requests. Both side continued to throw themselves into the fray but the visitors found the edge through a flying Will Hamplett to make it two out of two for the Stafford brothers with an unconverted try. Kidderminster started to ramp up the pressure a converted try stretched their lead and only some magnificent defence on the line prevented the visitors slipping further behind. Stafford went into half time trailing by 19 – 10, having had their moments but having to fight hard against a strong opposition.

An early converted try stretched the Kidderminster lead at the beginning of the second half. The game appeared to be slipping away from the visitors as the match started to take its toll and injuries called on all of the players from the bench. Home side discipline proved to be the break that the county town team required. The referee issued the first yellow to Kidderminster following several warnings, reducing the home side to fourteen men and allowing Matty Walklate to kick the penalty, increasing the points on the board. The home side continued to miscommunicate with the referee and a second yellow card reduced them to a team of thirteen on the pitch. Kidderminster defended strongly, but the disparity in numbers saw Angus Lennon looking at home on the wing and rumbling across the line for an unconverted try. The home side had just reformed as a fourteen man team when they incurred their third yellow card within a twenty minute period to force them back into a thirteen man defence. Stafford piled the pressure on and the referees whistle was in constant use as Kidderminster conceded penalty after penalty and they were fortunate not to incur a penalty try. Despite some a valiant effort the defence couldn’t prevent Dean Ainger weaving through grasping hands to score Staffords fourth try of the afternoon and grabbing the try bonus point, a Matty Walklate conversion making it a one point game. With Kidderminster back up to a full squad the game looked to be over with the visitors having to settle for the two points on offer. However this Stafford team had other ideas, a positional kick caught the home side on the back foot and the marauding XV piled through a desperate defence. In one final unfortunate twist of the game a red card was shown to a Kidderminster player to once again reduce them to a beleaguered fourteen. The referee signalled that time was up and the Stafford penalty kick would be the last action of the game. The spectators could barely look as a cool headed Matty Walklate stepped up and the ball spiralled through the centre of the uprights to the roar from the travelling elements of the crowd.

An excellent afternoon of rugby which saw a Stafford XV battle hard against a bruising opposition. They can hold their heads high for continuing to play rugby at tempo for eighty minutes and the teamwork ethos which shone through.