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HM Merit Table 5 LEAGUE WINNERS 08/09
Date: 6th February 2010
Opponents: Chess Valley 2s
Place: Silver Leys
Result: Lose 5-34 (OVERTURNED ON APPEAL TO A 25-0 WALKOVER WIN FOR BISHOPS STORTFORD DUE TO IRREGULARITIES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE CHESS VALLEY 2S TEAM)
Scorers:
Cullum Brace - 1 try
The review article below was written immediately after the game had finished. The 5ths do not mind losing when it is a fair and justified result. We were beaten by a better team in this game, and 34-5 to Chess Valley was a fair result based on the platers on the pitch. However throughout the game and in the aftermath we were left dwelling on the clear fact that the team we played against on Saturday 6th February was not the same team we had beaten twice during the season 2009-2010 in the league, and twice in the league during the 2008-2009 season. Our team has not changed significantly in those two years. We have lost a few players and gained a few players. The team from Chess Valley who faced us on 6th February was so different from that which faced us earlier in the year as to be unfair.
For that reason, and with the interests of fair play and transparency in mind, we appealed the result to the Herts and Middlesex RFUs as managers of the competition. Their decision, made on Friday 19th February was to overturn the result based on the acceptance by the RFUs that the Chess Valley side was 'loaded' following a review of the players involved. The 5ths will now progress to the second round of the cup to meet either Enfield Ignatius or Saracens Amateurs.
It should be made very clear that we are perfectly willing to accept defeat when it is what we deserve. We lost a friendly to Upper Clapton back in September due to our collective failure to step up to the plate and play a properly organised game. We lost a league game to Enfield Ignatius at the start of January because we played poorly and they were better than us on the day. We also lost a friendly to Cambourne Exiles on Saturday 13th February because we became complacent in the second half based on a hard fought 14-0 lead at half-time. When Cambourne came back at us we did not deal with it properly and let the game get away from us.
Review:
On a foggy and cold day the 5ths marched out with high hopes for a victory in the 1st round proper of the cup against Chess Valley 2s. Having beaten them twice already in the league this season, we were confident that the same result could be achieved in the cup. Although both games in the league had been close run affairs, Bishops Stortford had run out clear winners. In the first league game, at Silver Leys, the scores had been close for the first 60 minutes before the 5ths went on to win 43-13 with a series of quick tries. In the return game at Chess Valley, another seemingly close game ended up with a 31-5 victory for Bishops Stortford. With Chess Valley sitting 4th in table having won four out of twelve games and lost six times, it was a confidence based on statistical evidence.
However, as they say in financial circles, "previous performance is no guide to future performance". The outcome proved to be very different. The first half was spent almost entirely in the Bishop Stortford half. Chess Valley managed to go over for two tries, one of which was converted. The try count was kept down by some mighty defensive play from the 5ths, with one particularly amazing saving tackle from Cullum Brace standing out amongst the rest of the play. Although it was clearly the case the Chess Valley were on top in the game, the 5ths were still in it and the feeling was that the game remained in the balance. This was reinforced when Cullum went over the Chess Valley line for a try with the last move of the first-half. Although the subsequent conversion was missed, the half finished 5-12 in Chess Valley's favour. The half-time team talk for Bishops Stortford was a confident and positive affair, but with a clear sense that the 5ths needed to keep on top of the game and keep playing at 100%.
The second half started well and the 5ths remained confident. However a number of possible chances were missed due to dropped balls, wrong decisions, forward passes or just a collective failure from the team to convert opportunities. The forwards were piling in to ruck after ruck, and the scrums were getting better as the front row made the hits that had not been made properly earlier in the game. Unfortunately this period of pressure that lasted for the first ten minutes of the second half did not result in a score for Stortford. In fact from around 20 minutes of the second half onwards, it was one way traffic for the rest of the game. Chess Valley ran in a strongly worked try, before hammering the Stortford team with a couple of quickly returned tries almost straight from the kickoffs. This knocked the stuffing out of the game and really brought the contest to an end. Although the 5ths continued to tackle hard and work for each other, there was no way back into the game.
Special mentions should go to George MG for his strong front row play. Throughout the game he was a strong presence in the faces of the Chess Valley team. He carried the ball more times than can be remembered, and also made the final pass for the try that the 5ths scored. Paul Kav returned for his first game in many months and showed fantastic strength in the ruck and mall throughout the game. Tackling by the backs was rock solid. The tries came because the 5ths were either overwhelmed by the attackers or made basic mistakes which led to gilt edged opportunities for Chess Valley. A final special mention has to be made for Mark Davy who has joined the football boot club with a pair of the lovely green boots previously worn only by Mark Sellers. Davy is a deserved winner of the 'Clearly useless numpty twit' award of the week.
To view photos from the game click on the Flickr logo.
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