STOURBRIDGE LIONS 1st XV vs STAFFORD 1st XV. 20th FEBRUARY 2016.

Stourbridge 29 – 5 Stafford

The last league game of February saw Stafford travelling through the far South of the county for an away fixture against Stourbridge. The Stourton Park team were looking to avenge their defeat in the away fixture earlier in the season. The Stafford squad was slightly unsettled with the perfect storm of injuries and unavailability causing positional headaches for the selectors, the subs bench was noticeably sparse but did have lots of experience available.

Stafford opened the game with an early assault, but the Stourbridge response took hold of the game and scored an ominous try, through their pack, for the lead in the first five minutes. The home side looked to build on their lead and came close to a second but resolute Stafford defence kept them out. The heart in the Stafford team was evident as they continued to fight and scrap their way through the half. The referees whistle started to form a constant backdrop to the game as he penalised Stafford for a series of infringements, eventually resulting in a yellow card to reduce the visitors to fourteen for the final ten minutes. Despite a strong defence a fourteen man Stafford couldn’t keep out a determined Stourbridge attack and on the stroke of half time the home side grabbed their second of the game. Stafford went into half time trailing 0 – 14, but having given a good account of themselves.

With Stafford back up to a full complement they came flying into the second half, smashing Stourbridge into a hasty defence on their own line. A period of play on the home side line ended when Dean Fuggle squirmed through the defending arms to claim Staffords first try of the afternoon, the ball rebounding off the upright as Rich Martins conversion was cruelly snatched away by the wind. Stourbridge then settled back to resume their assault but the Stafford defence was equal to anything that was thrown at it. A head injury saw Tom Riley off the pitch and the experienced boots of Tim Woolman launched from the bench to plug the gap. A Stourbridge try followed by a penalty added to the points tally, but a courageous Stafford response demonstrated that this XV would not lie down and pinned the home side inside their own 22. As the Stourbridge defence was stretched a charging Tom Windibank came within fingertips of a try, but with the smallest part of his boot disturbing the whitewash the touch judges flag was raised for the lineout. Tired Stafford legs couldn’t prevent a fourth Stourbridge try, but Stafford can hold their heads high for the way in which they played the game.