Staffordshire's match report ....
The senior Staffordshire Squad prepared for this season’s County Championship with a new fixture against North Wales. The match brought an end to nine-game tradition of playing their warm-up game against the British Police. Not only was the opposition new but they received their opposition at a new venue – Burntwood RUFC – last Wednesday 2 April 2008.
With a breeze at their backs Staffs took early control of the game with a series of forward drives down deep into North Wales’ territory. After just eight minutes No. 8 Ally Muldowney (Stourbridge) touched down a push-over try. Four minutes later fly-half Gary McDermott (Longton) crossed for a try when Muldowney jumped, caught and fed him the ball from a clever chip ahead. The host side kept up the pressure on the Welsh and never allowed them to settle. After 18 minutes play centre Mike Swetman (Longton), whose barn-storming forays caused the Welsh problems all evening, broke through and put full-back Josh Fowles (Broad Street) in for a simple try. Muldowney scored again four minutes later with a carbon copy of the first try – this time Swetman converted. On the half hour and resulting from a clean catch and drive from a line-out prop James Hall (Waterloo) forced his way over. This brought the scoring for the one-sided first half to a close.
There were a number of changes made to both sides but the Welsh, now with the wind in their favour, made the greater benefit. They played the second half with much more conviction and got on the scoreboard with a try by Hooker Andrew Baston which fly-half Matthew Parry converted. The visitor’s resurgence continued and a try a piece from centre Edwin Roberts and prop Williams ether side of Mike Swetman getting his second try were just rewards.
The result was an emphatic win for Staffs and augers well for the forthcoming Championship games.
North Wales's match report ....
Anglesey seemed a long way away as the bus pulled into Burntwood RFC at 7.00pm on 2nd April, three and a half hours after leaving Bangor. Gogledd Cymru seemed even further from home at half time with a score of 27-0. Second half, the situation was reversed with Gogledd Cymru scoring 17 to Staffordshire's 7. It was the manner in which thes triese were scored that left a depleted team feeling positive about the evening's work.
Four players stepped into the Gogledd Cymru side at short notice to cover the injuries to wing Huw Parry, centres Robson and Carlton-Jones, backrow forwards Richard Hughes and Huw Jones and second row Rowlands, Haydock and Roberts.
It took a while for the new players to bed into the side but when Gogledd Cymru started to spread the ball wide in the second half they began to score. In all there were three tries, with Edwin Roberts and Andrew Baston scoring one each. Possession remained a major issue for Gogledd Cymru. The young pack with Llion Trefor (Bethesda), again outstanding, and Dewi James (Nant Conwy), playing his first game for the Gogs, had their work cut out. They missed the stablising influence of injured captain Will Bown.
Mathew Parry showed that he is returning to full fitness with good control of the game and Rhys Hughes was a pugnacious as ever around the scrum.
The Gogs pressurized the Staffordshire line in the second half and but for errors in decision making and handling would have scored more points. Gogledd Cymru were given an excellent welcome by the Staffordshire officials and look forward to this becoming a regular fixture.
