1st XV
Matches
Sat 22 Feb 2020  ·  Midlands 2 West (North)
Tamworth
18
15
Stafford RUFC
1st XV
TAMWORTH 1ST XV vs STAFFORD 1ST XV. 22ND FEBRUARY 2020. LEAGUE MATCH.

TAMWORTH 1ST XV vs STAFFORD 1ST XV. 22ND FEBRUARY 2020. LEAGUE MATCH.

Steven McLuckie23 Feb 2020 - 17:46
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Three strong tries aren’t enough for Stafford to wrestle their way to victory during a muddy and damp afternoon at a gloomy Wigginton Park.

Stafford travelled to one of the far corners of the county as the league action resumed following a brief interruption from Storm Dennis. The hosts were holding onto a secure mid table position and building on recent good form looking to avenge their 32-6 loss earlier in the season. The playing conditions weren’t ideal with a gloomy sky, patches of standing water and a muddy pitch which was minorly rutted in places. A swirling wind and outbreaks of driving rain provided the backdrop for the opening parts of the match.

Stafford started the game playing into the wind which made any kicking unpredictable. Early Tamworth pressure paid dividends when a penalty opportunity sailed through the posts for the opening points of the game. The hosts were playing all the rugby and set up camp deep in the visitor’s half. The Stafford defence remained equal to anything thrown at it and the game descended into a temporary oppressive stalemate. The deadlock was broken when Jerry Qasenivalu seized a loose ball, tearing off down the field and was finally wrestled to the floor just short of the line. The ball squirted forward and a supporting Dan Mills flew through to put hands on it for the first try of the afternoon, the wind thwarting the conversion. As the game restarted a series of penalties propelled Stafford up the pitch and ended with a yellow card which temporarily reduced Tamworth to fourteen on the pitch. The visiting county town team launched a brutal series of drives which battered against a tenacious home side defence. An exhausting phase of rugby ended with Callum Jones breaching the barricade of opposition players to claim the second try of the game, the conversion falling foul of the wind. Tamworth threw themselves back into the game from the restart and some physical rugby culminated in a converted try for the hosts to draw the scores level. An injury to Callum Jones saw Stafford having to call on the bench, before Tamworth closed the half with a second yellow card to finish the period with reduced numbers on the pitch. Stafford went into half time drawing 10 – 10 but struggling to find consistency against some strong opposition.

The opening session of the second half ended with a Tamworth penalty to nudge the hosts back into a small lead. As the game restarted a charge down by Gareth “Obi” Ley unleashed a Stafford attack which saw the visitors coming close but the heavy surface sucked some of the life out of any free-flowing rugby. The home side started to gain some momentum with hard working attacks which trudged the play up the pitch. With the line in sight, a Tamworth drive allowed most of the team to pile in and a collapsing heap of bodies prompted a long look by the referee before the whistle signalled a try. Stafford battled their way back into the encounter with some exhausting plays which left both sides gasping for air. Carl Williams came within a hand’s width of grounding the ball, but the defence did a solid job of keeping the ball out. As the final minutes started to elapse a third and fourth yellow card reduced Tamworth down to thirteen on the field as the home side continued to haemorrhage penalties. The understrength hosts repelled a couple of attacks but were finally over stretched as Jerry Qasenivalu crossed in the corner for a try. Stafford tried to spurn the conversion for the game to restart but the referee’s whistle echoed across the pitch to signal the end of the encounter.

Match details

Match date

Sat 22 Feb 2020

Kickoff

TBC

Competition

Midlands 2 West (North)

League position

4
Stafford
7
Tamworth
Team overview
Further reading

Team Sponsors

Gold Sponsor - Towergate Insurance
Shirt Sponsor - Stafford Railway Building Society
Club Sponsor - Marston's Brewery
Club Sponsor - Mayflower Control
Club Sponsor - Churchill China
Ball Sponsor - Asset Solutions
Club Sponsor - O2 Touch Rugby
Club Sponsor - Thane Dispersions  Ltd
Club Sponsor - RMS
Shirt Sponsor - Lookers BMW & MINI Stafford
Shirt Sponsor - Gatehouse Theatre
Club Sponsor - Stafford Superbowl UK
Shirt Sponsor - OBI Home Improvements
Shirt Sponsor - Castle Way Dental Care
Club Sponsor - W R Davies Motor Group
Club Sponsor - STAFFORDSHIRE MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS