Midlands Two West

Newent RFC 50 Stratford-upon-Avon 25

NEWENT welcomed Stratford to The Rec and both sides made light of conditions that were cold and wet underfoot to produce a good quality and hard-fought game, reports FRANK BOWE.

The Green Army welcomed back fly-half George Clair from injury, but two Newent misdemeanours in quick succession gave the visitors early position and centre Dan Whitby opened the scoring with a penalty kick for 3-0.

Newent levelled the scoring however with their next incursion from the boot of Tom Webb.

And their first try soon followed, blindside flanker James Hartland scoring from a clinically executed maul following a penalty line-out, with Webb’s conversion making it 10-3.

But a long-range Whitby penalty made it 10-6 and the visitors took an 11-10 lead when No 8 Angus Wightman found a gap.

Then awarded a penalty in the Stratford half, Newent hit back taking a tap for captain Ben Vincent to barge past three defenders to score five metres from touch.

Webb struck a good conversion to give Newent a 17-11 lead at the break.

At the start of the second half Stratford pounced on a loose ball to set up an attack.

And although Webb had raced back he was adjudged to have interfered with an opponent and was shown a yellow card.

From the resulting scrum, Stratford scrum-half Jake Lowe scored near the posts and the conversion restored the Warwickshire side’s one-point lead 18-11.

Field position next allowed the Newent pack to bully their opponents though, and Hartland got his second try.

Newent now went into top gear and when a tap was taken after a penalty at the ruck, prop Tom Woodman dived in to score, Webb’s conversion making it 29-18.

Following a kick to the corner, Will Tanner’s perfect throw then saw replacement prop Ethan Allen driven over.

And Newent’s next attack was set up by an inch-perfect 50-22 by Webb into Cauldron Corner.

Stratford decided to retain possession and played some good rugby, but a high pass was intercepted by scrum-half Ted Bailey who rounded the last defender to score near the posts, Web’s conversion making it 43-18.

Newent were now enjoying open rugby with prop Ethan White exploiting a gap to carry the ball for 30 metres before completing a deft off-load to Will Hartland, who scored the straightforward touchdown which brought up the half-century.

As Newent attacked again from their own 22 however, a dropped pass was quickly gathered by the opposition.

And some swift handling saw replacement Oli Pearson score a try which Whitby converted for a final score of 50-25.

The man of the match was Will Tanner, whose performances are never less than solid and whose lineout throwing is exceptional.

The chairman’s man of the match was Ethan White who has been pretty much ever present and an unsung hero this season.

Newent remain unbeaten at the top of the table after 17 straight wins, with a trip to Hereford next this Saturday (February 15).

Ross RFC had a weekend off, but visit Drybrook for a derby clash the same afternoon.

Newent: E. White, W. Tanner, L. Williams, J.K. Devries, J. Marshall, J. Hartland, L. Oakey, B. Vincent (capt), T. Bailey, G. Clair, A. Connelly, T. Webb, W. Hartland, K. Towers, N. Brooks. Replacements: E. Allen, J.D. Devries, S. Goatley.