The Jekyll & Hyde Moderns
A strange game indeed. Again, the preparation was deeply flawed. This time in the shape of a prop and scrumhalf who arrived 10 minutes into the first half! Although no league points were at stake we knew Oakham were going to be steely opposition. So when Feasey and Finny took their ‘arriving late’ to the next level, we were forced into having 13 to start, going uncontested until the rest of the team arrived and borrowed one of their subs to make it at least 14 v 15.
In freezing cold conditions that forced centre Radford into playing in tights (and yes he was severely barracked for this), Moderns didn’t exactly fly out of the blocks and an early try by Oakham through some ‘feather duster’ style tackling meant we were behind.
Everyone knew that we needed to grow a pair and we hit back through a quickly taken tap penalty by Feasey (now he’d arrived) meaning he was able to breach the initial defence without contact and a couple of side steps and swerves and he was under the sticks.
The game ebbed and flowed from both sides and they exchanged scores with neither side able to take a grasp on the game. Barney, who is beginning to make the wing his own, consistently took on his opposite number round the outside and was rewarded with a score in the corner. Oakham hit back with a good try from their winger picking a good line from a set piece and another bobbling ball which evaded the moderns defence bounced up into the arms of the Oakham centre who hastily made a beeline for the Moderns sticks. Not to be outdone, Moderns began to move the ball wider and a good pass and loop by Gaunt opened up the Oakham defence and he sprinted clear to sore out wide.
The half time whistle went and Moderns were down by a couple. The second half was different. Moderns spent a fair amount of time in the Oakham half although execution was not good, far too many passes not going to the man, knock ons a plenty and mistimed runs were not helping. On the one occasion Moderns did appear to get it right we scored. Fitton fielded the ball at full back, looped a long pass to Radford in midfield who handed off a couple of defenders before offloading to Popey who once again was in support. He went over, scoring his first try for the club in the process.
As the game moved towards the conclusion and from a tap penalty, Moderns attempted to put the game to bed. The ball moved along the line well finally reaching Barney. He stormed towards the line and was stopped 5 metres short. They ball was recycled and as it went back the other way, it broke down in midfield. Oakham collected the scraps and set off, offloading through a few pairs of hands and despite several Moderns tackles Oakham players kept coming and their scrumhalf dived over the line for the definitive score. Final score was 24 – 22 in Oakham’s favour.
Overall it was a very mixed performance, sometimes very good, sometimes poor. On another day with better execution it would be a different result but fair play to Oakham.
Honourable mentions go to Pascoe who carried the ball very well up front, Stillwell who directed well from 10 but most importantly to the Oakham chef who served up an amazing toad in the hole after the game which did everything to ‘warm the cockles’ and more on a bloody cold Leicestershire afternoon. We’ll come again!
MOTM: Barney: very strong running in attack and equally strong in defence.
DOTD: Radford: For wearing tights! |