STAFFORD 1st XV vs TAMWORTH 1st XV. 29TH OCTOBER 2016. LEAGUE

Stafford 42 – 5 Tamworth

Stafford welcomed newly promoted Tamworth to the County Ground for the final game of October. Tamworth travelled sitting one place above the hosts in the league holding a slender one point advantage.

Stafford started the match strongly with the forwards smashing the opposition into a deep defence which struggled to settle. An early penalty could have given the home side the lead, but it flew just wide of the posts. A red card, in the first quarter, reduced a dominant Stafford to fourteen and disrupted the punishing attack. Tamworth built on the opportunity and supported by the referees whistle mounted a dangerous assault against a strongly defended line. Just when the visitors looked likely to score a series of infringements gave away three successive penalties and the home side were back on the attack. A Tamworth yellow card reduced the visitors to fourteen and evened up the numbers on the pitch. A brutal charge by Carl Williams drove the play towards the line followed by a ferocious ruck from which Tamworth conceded a penalty. A quick response saw Oli Greatholder cross the line for the first points of the game, Louis Dewsbury adding the conversion. Stafford started to find the gaps in the defence and the visitors struggled to contain the relentless attacks. A scything run by Will Hamplett ripped apart Tamworth with only a stretching hand preventing the try knocking the ball backwards, but a supporting Olly Leigh pounced on the loose ball for the second try of the afternoon, converted by Louis Dewsbury. With Tamworth back up to a full team a good sequence of play saw them running the ball at Stafford with a two on one advantage, but a charging tackle from a flying Rhys Williams smashed the ball free to signal the end of the half. Stafford went into half time leading 14 – 0, but working hard against a fighting opposition.

Stafford fired themselves into the second half as they disrupted the restart for a tenacious Rhys Williams to steal the ball and release Quade Boal for the try, Louis Dewsbury adding the conversion. The Tamworth XV were trying to build momentum but couldn’t contain the brutal forwards and clinical backs who were combining into a rolling assault across the pitch. The visitor’s afternoon got worse when they relinquished their one man advantage through a red card of their own to even up the teams for the remainder of the match. Louis Dewsbury took advantage of the restart for an excellent chase of his own kick and a kind bounce put the ball back into his hands for the fourth try and conversion of the afternoon. There was a brief lull in the assault for an injury to a Tamworth player, but Quade Boal grabbed the ball from the restart to weave through the defence and take his second try of the afternoon, converted by Louis Dewsbury. Tamworth started to play their best rugby of the afternoon and some good attacking play earned them an unconverted consolation try in the corner. The final restart saw Neil Green showing all of his pace and running over a Tamworth player to force the ball loose. The dominant Stafford scrum secured the ball which found its way to the hands of a flying Quade Boal to claim his hat-trick for the afternoon, converted by Louis Dewsbury.