Kesteven 2s - Home

Kesteven 2s were promoted to pennant 2 alongside us last season and in the process managed to beat us twice, both times in hard fought close encounters, so the 2s set about their task today with more than a little determination to set the record straight.

 

 This was a game that very nearly didn’t happen, thanks largely in part to the small-to-medium sized black hole that some motorists and astronomers have labelled ‘Bingham’. First the call came that the majority of the Kesteven convoy was caught up in it, and once they had arrived the news came that it had also sucked in the referee. Unfortunately, his 1.1 Litre Vauxhall Corsa did not have the necessary thrust to weight ratio to clear the event horizon, and he was lost to it, never to be seen again. Our thoughts go to his Wife and three children: Honeybeam (aged 6), Daisy-petal (8) and Kevin (9). However, one of the Kesteven lads was also a bit of a ref in his spare time, and so agreed to step in so that the match could continue.

 

This was more though than a simple NLD Pennant match, this was a clash of two diametrically opposed rugby ideologies being demonstrated by two if their most committed exponents, waging a war for the soul of rugby union, a clash of schools of thought so old many attribute its origins to the early form of the game played by the early Hominid Australopithecus afarensis roughly 3.1 million years ago. Basically they had a bunch of big arse forward types, and we had a load of rapid backs.

 

Early exchanges were fairly even, Kesteven retaining possession well and playing, as they would all day, around the fringes of the breakdown and using some surprisingly good offloading skills to get in behind the committed Moderns defence. The breakdown was an area of much merriment all day, as the Ref (and this is no criticism of a man stepping into the breach at the last minute) was, shall we say, a little old school in a number of his interpretations, including definitions of ‘remaining on ones feet’ and what exactly constitutes ‘handling the ball’. It invoked a more Sepia tinged age, an age where a try was worth 2 points and matches used to last for weeks. Some of our more 'mature' team members were in their element. Finny in particular looked like a kid who had just been locked in Hamleys for the night… however it did lead to a series of scrums, which again the far smaller Moderns pack began to dominate (it must be because we’re all bang hard and stuff). From one such scrum at halfway, No 8. Armstrong-Holmes broke blind and fed scrum half James Gaffney who held the winger and put Pease in to open the scoring. This led to a period of domination which secured the try bonus point, Burston and Rollings both crossing from range, and then probably the best try of the match - a first try for the club from the impressive Gaffney after some great support play from a sweeping move starting in our own 22. However, Kesteven found some fight, and spent the last 10 minutes of the half camped on our try line, pick and go after pick and go meeting a wall of committed and well organised Moderns defence. This eventually led to them scoring, but they really had to earn it.

 

Kesteven had the not inconsequential wind at their back in the second half, and looked to kick to the corners almost constantly in an effort to give their catch and drive lineout a chance to claw them back in to the match. It was a sound tactical stratagem that failed to consider 2 factors:  firstly, our forwards, who manned up and removed the drive as an option for Kesteven. Second was the willingness and ability of our back three to counter attack with great success from almost anywhere on the pitch. One such counter led George Alcock on a mazy run where he seemed to decide that his try wasn’t worth scoring unless he actively found 4 or 5 defenders to beat! With their gameplan undone, Kesteven could only muster a penalty in the second half, although it must be said this was through no lack of effort. To finish off the scoring Pease timed a kick chase excellently to mug his opposite number of the ball as it fell out of the air, leaving him free to scamper under the posts. Let’s not mention the numerous straightforward passes he dropped…

 

A good win with a second bonus point Gives the 2s a bit of momentum which can hopefully be carried forward.

 

Man of the match was new Scrum half James Gaffney, whose support play resulted in a try and who was a constant threat around the fringes when the game became fractured, offloading and taking contact well.

 

Dick of the Day goes to everybody’s 4^th favourite Welshman*, Mat Burrows, for ruining some excellent spoiling work at a lineout by attempting a frankly outrageous chip over the terrified looking winger. Straight into touch. This brought to an end a mixed week in the Burrows household, with his brother from another mother Paige receiving a shock wildcard back into the X Factor live shows.