STAFFORD 1st XV vs OLD SALTLEIANS 1st XV. 10th SEPTEMBER 2016.

Stafford 14 – 12 Old Saltleians

The first league game of the season saw Stafford welcoming Old Saltleians to the County Ground. The travelling Water Orton team held the games won advantage over the last few seasons and having consistently finished in the top five of the table it was going to be a difficult league opener. The Stafford XV had a decidedly youthful feel with a few absences scattered through the starting line-up.

It was early Stafford pressure which started the game, the visitors forced into defending their own line as the opening momentum flowed one way. Salts fought their way through the assault and started to find some success of their own, a bruising assault looked to bring an inevitable try but last minute tackles halted the play, keeping the ball out. The visitors had another chance to grab the lead through a penalty, but the swirling ball flew wide of the posts. With thirty minutes gone neither side could claim any real advantage and the teams were embroiled in an even encounter. It took ten minutes of punishing rugby to prise the game open. The forwards conspired in a concerted assault which launched Quad Boal to rip through the Salts defence, a supporting Mitch Averis carried the ball deep into the opposition half and the visitors relieved the pressure by conceding a penalty. Stafford continued to fly at the defenders and with the ball shipped down the line, Ed Carr crashed across the line for a try, Rich Martin adding the conversion. The visitors appeared unsettled and couldn’t contain the flying Stafford XV who continued to punch large holes in the defence. Salts repelled several assaults but couldn’t keep out Tom Windibank who crossed the line for the second try of the afternoon, Rich Martin adding the conversion. Stafford went into half time leading 14 – 0 and holding their own against the experienced Water Orton XV.

Old Saltleians started the second half strongly, putting the Stafford line under immediate pressure. The home side defended strongly but conceded a penalty in line with the posts during a period which saw Callum Hoy side lined with an injury. In what would prove to be a decisive decision, the visitors ignored the three points on offer and opted for the scrum. The Stafford forwards stood firm and smuggled the ball out of the back of the scrum. Some wily footwork by Rich Martin broke through the Salts line and together with a charging Stu Lewis tore up the pitch to earn a Stafford scrum at the other end of the pitch. The visitors kept the pressure up, but the response from the home side was equally as dogged. Salts scrapped their way to a first try of the afternoon but couldn’t find the conversion. With less than 10 minutes left on the clock the referee bought out the first yellow card of the afternoon and Stafford were reduced to fourteen. The visitors ramped up the pressure again a further converted try earned them the loosing bonus point, but a great team performance wasn’t going to let go of a well-earned win for a brave afternoon of Stafford rugby.