Sandal 12 Wath 10

Sandal 2XV 12 Wath 2XV 10

As the score suggests this was a close game, both teams scoring two tries. The game started with Wath kicking down the slight slope and exerting good pressure from the forwards, the scrum was totally dominant throughout the game in the set piece. The link up play between backs and forwards was good, but the Sandal defence was solid, holding out until 20 minutes in when the ball was moved quickly down the threequarters to Alex Anders who collected the ball from behind him, and surged to the line to score out wide. Conversion missed. The pattern of the game was unchanged from the restart and 5 minutes later Will Booth joined the line from fullback and scored his first try for some time. Sandal then stepped up and started to apply some pressure themselves, however from a break from defence centre Aynsley Williams broke clean through the defence with a 2 on 1, unfortunately the referee who did not have a good day had run in front of a Wath player and taken a knock to the head and gone down looking not well, he blew the whistle to stop play. Luckily he recovered from the knock so the game could continue after 5 minutes with a Wath scrum where the incident occurred,however a scoring opportunity was missed. The poor ref suffered another grounding shortly after when he tripped over a players leg. There was relief all round when he was able to continue, as to abandon the game so early would have stopped a good game.
Just before half time from a short yardage penalty Sandal scored and converted so at half time the score was 7-10. The second half was again well contested, the Sandal 10 used his formidable kicking ability to gain good field position on several occasions, unfortunately Waths lineout work was not upto the excellence of the scrum and there were many not straight throws. The superiority of the Wath scrum was exemplified by, on all occasions Sandal opting for line again. Sandals pressure eventually told and they scored a try to take the lead. 12-10. Wath continued pressuring until the end, the last move of the game ended with a last ditch tackle on Alex Anders 10m from the line.
A close game that could have gone either way, but which Wath needed to convert their first half domination and pressure into points. A well done to the Sandal props who stuck at it throughout the game, they were probably aching a bit Saturday evening, but they never gave up. It wouldn’t have been the first time a pack under that much pressure went to unopposed scrums, they deserved their beer.