Sat 3 Sep 2022
Tenbury 19 – 36 Alcester
Alcester were triumphant in their first game of the season, gaining a well earned bonus point win against Tenbury, 19-36.
Perhaps not feeling the most optimistic in their journey over, Alcester were missing some key players due to the last of the holiday season and only travelled with one sub, however, they put on a performance to be proud of.
But it was Tenbury who took the lead on the quarter of the hour mark, and after several pick and drives were able to crash over the line.
Alcester were quick to retaliate, and after a neat switch back inside from Ed Gough to Jack Green, Green bulldozed over the whitewash and the scores were levelled.
The Alcester pack were dominating both the scrum and the lineouts. Matt Johnson had won every line out of the afternoon and it was his stealing of the ball in the air that set up Alcester’s next try. Johnson held tightly to the ball as his side set up a driving maul around him to see him drop over the line and regain the lead. Gough added the extras.
However, Alcester were unable to hold onto their advantage for long, Tenbury exploited the blindside and scored in the far corner.
Gough had a penalty opportunity at posts to nudge his side ahead before the break but his efforts were slightly wide, both teams were 12-12 a piece at half time.
Alcester really felt it was their game for the taking and started the second half with great intensity and momentum.
Another successful lineout on the five metre line was also the story of Alcester’s third try. Max Biltcliffe was at the bottom of another maul and after much deliberation from the referee, he awarded the five points to the visitors, with another good conversion.
Second rower Dwayne Cruickshank found himself all over the park, being an integral part of some of Alcester’s best moments in the game. He offloaded the ball to debutant winger Harry Wylie to set him free for Alcester’s bonus point score. Looking slightly frantic with the ball in the in-goal area, encouraging shouts from both the sideline directed Wylie to ground the ball and celebrate with his team mates.
Alcester were on a roll and moments after the restart Jamie Harland added another to the tally.
To add insult to injury for the home team who were on the back foot, they found themselves down to 14 men after their number 8 was sin binned for lashing out.
They weren’t deterred and caught the Alcester defence sleeping and broke through the line to score and show they weren’t to be written out of the game just yet.
Five minutes later play was back down the other end of the pitch, Alcester kept the attack moving, shifting the ball back and forth on Tenbury’s line before they were able to create a hole in the defence and sent Gough through against his old side before converting his own try.
Tenbury looked like they were going to have the last say in the game as they were set to add their bonus point try but spilled the ball over the line, Harland scooped it up and raced down the wing to clear the ball from the danger zone.
Alcester defence held strong as Tenbury tried one last time for another try but it was held up over the line and the final whistle was blown.
Alcester welcome Kenilworth II to Kings Coughton next week as they hope to put on a similar winning performance in front of a home crowd.
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