STAFFORD 1st XV vs STOURBRIDGE LIONS 1st XV. 14th NOVEMBER 2015.

Stafford 11 – 7 Stourbridge

Stafford welcomed Stourbridge Lions to the Cathedral for the seventh league game of the season. The home side were looking to get back to winning ways following the previous weekends clash against an in form Wolverhampton. The Stafford team went into the encounter with a few players missing through injury which left the coaching team with a very small bench of players to support the starting XV, they were boosted by the return of Rich Martin for his first start of the season.

The game opened with a minutes silence as both teams showed their respect to the French for the atrocities which had been committed in Paris the previous day. The sheeting rains and leaden skies provided the backdrop for very difficult playing conditions, the floodlights needed to cut through the gloom from the opening whistle. The initial periods of play were predictably frustrating for both sides as the slippery ball and playing surface lead to a series of mistakes, with neither team able to put together any consistent periods of play. Missed penalties on both sides contributed towards what became a tiring slog for the players. An injury to Dave Austen saw the home side forced into reshuffling players into unfamiliar positions to add to the difficult afternoon. The half looked to be slowly descending towards a draw when Stafford started to find some momentum. A bright period of play saw the county town XV besieging their South Staffordshire neighbours on the try line. A bruising series of attacks couldn’t find their way across the line until Carl Williams grabbed the ball and bludgeoned his way through the snarling defenders for the first try of the afternoon. Stafford went into half time with a slender 5 – 0 lead over the visitors.

Stourbridge came flying into the second half and early pressure pinned Stafford in their own half. Stafford were further unsettled through the loss of Matty Walklate, but the home side continued to take their chances and were eventually rewarded through a Sam Bedworth penalty to increase the lead. Stourbridge resumed their ferocious attack and Stafford were forced back onto their own try line, a brutal last line of defence eventually turning over a hard fought for ball. The home side responded with some good periods of play and a second Sam Bedworth penalty further increased a growing lead. The last score of the game went to the visitors as they grabbed a converted try to secure the loosing bonus point and salvage something from a damp afternoon.