Sat 7 Dec 2024, 14:15
Alcester got the better of their visitors, and for 63 minutes also of Storm Darragh, until the match was abandoned due to the deteriorating conditions on safety grounds. The result stands, because of the amount of time played, and with Alcester well clear in the game.
The game started with the power to the club house having been lost in the stormy conditions, but despite that and the swirling rain, there was still a good turnout amongst the hardy home support.
17-year-old, Noah Birks, son of club stalwart and Director of Rugby, Phil, made his 1st XV debut, at inside centre, with the usual “12”, Oscar Holland, covering at fly half due to the continued injury absence of regular stand-off, Ed Gough, and his deputy, Tom Burgess, who damaged ribs in last week’s win at Barkers Butts.
Birks was soon in the thick of the action, driving forward on a powerful run which help set up Josh O’Connor for the opening try of the game, which Will Silk converted with the game only four minutes old.
Silk was yellow carded fifteen minutes in, being adjudged to have not rolled away at a ruck, but the home side continued to dominate playing down the slope in the first half.
The conditions made any sorted of flowing rugby impossible, but the home side did increase their lead on the twenty-minute mark, when a caught and driven line out made progress towards the Worcester line. When it was eventually stopped, several pick and gos from the home pack, resulted in a try for hooker Max Biltcliffe.
Still reduced to fourteen men, Alcester added a third try through Sam Lear, which Mark Burrell converted.
When Silk returned and with the home side well on top, they scored a fourth, and bonus point, try through Louis Smith and in the process the visitors received a yellow card due to a high tackle. Silk converted for a 26-0 lead.
With their dominant pack now in control, the home side piled the pressure on looking for further scores before half time. Skipper, Christian Rushton, was held up over the line, before full back Mark Burrell scored his side’s fifth try.
With time running out before the break, there was still time for a sixth Alcester score and a second for O’Connor, who saw off several defenders in a trademark powerful run to the line. Silk converted to make the scoreline 38-0 at half time.
With the elements at their back in the second half, Worcester got the early territorial ascendancy, but the home side managed to repel the visitor’s attacks and even took play up field themselves, for skipper Rushton to add his side’s seventh try.
Alcester lost prop Ieuan Hopkin to the sin bin for a high tackle and shortly afterwards Worcester got themselves on the scoreboard with a try.
With the conditions having deteriorated further and kicking and even passing the ball, virtually impossible, the contest resembled a game of “British Bulldog” at times as the players had no choice but to run with it into contact, with both sides regularly turning possession over.
By now the wind had lost any sense of direction and was picking up twigs and small branches as it swirled around the players heads alongside the driving rain, so the decision was taken to abandon the game at 63 minutes, although the result will stand.
The win moves Alcester up to second in the league table and they play the first game of the return set of fixtures next weekend, when they visit Bromsgrove 2nds on 14th December for a 2.15pm kick off, having already beaten the men from Finstall Park earlier in the year in the reverse fixture.
