St Albans First Team
Match Reports
SAINTS BLOSSOM SHADES CAMPION IN CUP!Saturday 15th October 2005
Campion 13 - St.Albans 43
St.Albans RFC travelled to Romford in Essex to play Campion RFC for the first time ever in any competition.Campion were founded in 1975 from Campion School,now a Catholic Science College at Hornchurch in Essex.They are currently in the bottom third of Powergen London North East 3 League whereas Saints,only founded in 1970, are in the bottom third of the more senior London North 2.In prospect, a Cup contest between two truly amateur Rugby Union sides ,one with a Papal blessing and one with a great family tradition .
free driver ge force4Conditions were excellent with rain midweek leaving the going firm.A brisk easterly wind across a sloping well-kept pitch,bright sunshine and an ambient temperature of 17C set the scene for a new Cup encounter for both sides.
Saints kicked off and there was much frisky endeavour before Campion were penalised near half way.Saints No 10 Simon Andrews kicked possibly the longest penalty of his life from just inside his own half,head on to the posts,for Saints to lead 3-0 after 3 minutes.
Campion retaliated immediately drove downfield and kicked a penalty for Saints going offside.Three all after 6 minutes.
Saints forwards,led by mobile hooker Lemere, went on the attack from the restart,but spilled the ball just inside Campion's 22.Campion spun the ball to their No14 who ran through poor Saints tackling to find himself in the clear with 40 metres to go.He left the last Saints defender for dead on the outside to score an excellent unconverted try . Campion 8 Saints 3 after 8 minutes.
Saints went straight back,forcing another penalty converted by Simon Andrews.
Campion 8 Saints 6 after 10 minutes.
On 12 minutes ,Campion took one against the head but failed to capitalise.
The game went off the boil in midfield for 10 minutes before the visitors kicked a third penalty to make it Campion 8 Saints 9 after 22 minutes.
Saints heavier yet mobile pack were now beginning to dominate using several rolling mauls into Campion's 22 with flanker Richard Louw to the fore finally feeding new centre signing Phil James for a crisp but unconverted try by the posts.Campion 9 Saints 14 after 25 minutes.
On 34 minutes from a scrum on halfway,Saints spun the ball all the way left then all the way right before No 8 John Sayers made the extra yards to put winger Ed Coy in the clear but with 30 metres to go.The Herts County flier went on a trademark diagonal run for a converted try in the corner .
Half time score.Campion 8 St.Albans 21.
The second half start saw Saints forwards picking & driving down the middle finally being rewarded with a penalty on Campion's 22.This time Saints drilled the ball into touch for an attacking lineout 7 metres from Campion's line.From an excellent catch and drive,the Herts juggernaught drove over for a textbook try by the godfather of the Saints team,nineteen and a half stone veteran prop Danny Batchelor.
The conversion brought the score to Campion 8 Saints 28 after 45 minutes.
Campion did not give up and on 49 minutes snapped up a loose ball from a sloppy Saints lineout.An excellent breakout ensued with a good offload in the tackle by Campion's No 6 to feed another forward for a good unconverted Campion try.
Campion 13 Saints 28.
This galvanised Saints who drove straight back before feeding winger Ed Coy whose intelligent crosskick to the corner was followed up & caught in mid-air by Saints second row speedster and captain Dan Hillier.He drove to just 5 metres from Campion's line before being adjudged to have held on in the tackle and was penalised
Campion's relief was short lived as flanker Ollie Cooper-Millar again stole Campion's lineout for the pack to drive downfield, being awarded a penalty for more Campion offside 30 metres out.So on 55 minutes Simon Andrews added 3 more points . Campion 15 Saints 31.
By now Campion were tiring under the Saints forward pressure but still managed to claw their way into Saints half to earn a penalty.Not even the elements were with the home side as the kick was caught by a gust of wind sending them back 10 metres.Saints again stole the ensuing lineout and with South African Richard Louw having a storming game in the vanguard of everything, Campion conceded a series of penalty advantages.From a quick tap,forwards linking with the backs,Louw came up into the line again,to feed winger "JD" James Dickinson .He threw a sharp dummy inside then went open through a small Campion gap like a slippery ferret."JD",the Twickenham try scoring finalist of yesteryear, won the 40 metre footrace to touch down in the corner.
As if No 10 Simon Andrews had not done enough already,he surpassed all his earlier pots at goal with a siege gun of a conversion kick from the touchline.
On 69 minutes ,Campion 13 Saints 38.
Saints had one last fling with 5 minutes left,the forwards,like a herd of bulls, still in control.From a scrum 5 metres from Campion's line,they grazed their way over for another try out of the training stockade,scored by a terrier of a scrum half Gareth Day.The unconverted try made it Campion 13 Saints 43 on 75 minutes.
There was no further scoring but still more action as Saints broke out of their 22 from the restart & were awarded a penalty.After yet more pick and drive and rolling mauls by the Saints pack,the tolerant Canadian born referee finally lost patience and yellow carded Campion for repeated infringements mainly obstructing the quick tap penalty & offside.
It mattered nought as the clock ticked down to no-side in a flurry of water and substitution breaks on a sunny Essex day all presided over majestically by the old Romford Brewery Company's towering chimney.I'll drink to that!
Final Score Campion 13 St.Albans 43.
Campion never gave up & can take great credit from two good tries both from Saints turnovers & defensive mistakes.This was Saints best performance of the season outgunning the Romford men both up front and in the backs.Good contributions all round but prodigous performances from No7 Richard Louw and No10 Simon Andrews both having the games of their lives.
Saints Coach Tim Andrews and Skipper Dan Hillier were both delighted with the marked improvement in all departments since last week.Team spirit and forward cohesion have never been better, the backs running in the tries and kicking the goals.
Saints Man of the Match was flanker Richard Louw who gave a masterclass in forward play in the tight,the loose ,the lineout & especially going forward in the open.A joy to behold!
A special accolade goes to Simon Andrews (picture) for his control of the game at No 10 and his kicking for goal,arguably the best of his career-7 from 8.Three of his place kicks ,the long range penalty from inside his own half and two wide out conversions should have "Wilko" quaking in his boots!
St.Albans Team.
D.Batchelor, B.Lemiere, T.Giddings, D.Hillier(captain), M.Davies, R.Louw, O Cooper-Millar,J.Sayers,G.Day,J.Dickinson,S.Andrews,M.Alderton, P.James,E.Coy,M.Shaw,B.Green,J.Andrews,D.Mitchell,I.McNamara.
St.Albans Scorers.