St Francis 18 Plumpton 12 on 19/9/09 - Community Server

21 Sep 2009, 1:55 PM

Scoop

Joined on 10-06-2008
Posts 33

St Francis 18 Plumpton 12 on 19/9/09

This report was written by Adie

Sussex Intermediate League

St Francis 18 Plumpton 12

St Francis were looking to start their first home game of the season with a win and with the blistering sunshine and hard ground an open expansive game of rugby was on the cards. Both teams started a little cagey, each trying to gain the ascendancy over the other, especially in the packs. Frannies looked to be winning the set piece battle and have an answer for each Plumpton attack as the game ebbed and flowed from one end of the pitch to the other. It was, however, the Plums who got the first points of the game with a chip over the top and a fortunate bounce to their on-rushing winger - who dabbed down underneath the posts. This stirred St Francis into action and for the next twenty minutes Frannies gained more control over the game and looked to use their good platform at the ruck to release their backs.

After being on the front foot for a while, Frannies got their deserved try through Dave Miles who smashed his way through a number of tackles to touch down under the posts and with Parish adding the conversion the scores were tied at seven a piece. The game tightened up once again and the Plums elected to use the kicking game against Frannies running attack. With John McShane equal to it, plucking everything out of the air with ease, Frannies responded with attack after attack from the back line. With neither team able to breach the opposition line the game meandered to half time with no one adding to the scores.

St Francis came out for the second half with guns blazing and from the kick off immediately put Plumpton on to the back foot, an air of confidence was evident from St Francis as attack after attack was only quashed by early season rustiness or Plumpton conceding a penalty. St Francis looked to run everything back at Plumpton, even from their own twenty-two, and when a quick backs break resulted in an eighty yard gain all Plumpton could do was attempt to slow St Francis down illegally at the ruck. The resulting penalty was duly converted and St Francis took the lead for the first time in the game.

Frannies did not rest on their laurels and attempted to put pressure on Plumpton in most areas of the pitch and from a well worked line-out Dave Miles crashed through the ten channel for his second try of the game and give St Francis a little bit of breathing space. This really opened the game up and St Francis used the extra space to their benefit showing some flair in attack and, once Parish had successfully kicked another penalty, the Plums were eleven points down and seemingly out.

Plumpton, however, had other ideas and made the end of the game more interesting with a try in the last five minutes to bring them within six points of St Francis and set up a nervy finish. But St Francis dug deep and played the percentages to run out 18-12 victors.

Team - McGahan, Bender, I Singh, Page, Callan, Porter, Millard, Miles, Parish, Kenny, Poole, S Singh, Stephenson, Aydin, McShane, Arney, Tyler, Baulk.