Sat 23 Mar 2024, 15:00
Bridgnorth welcomed Kenilworth to the Edgar Davies Ground and their travelling committee joined approximately 300 diners in the marquee to mark the President’s Day. President Alun Stoll was joined by his fellow countrymen Derek Bevan and Nigel Owens and they royally entertained the attentive audience with jokes and anecdotes from their combined total of 144 internationals refereed. A very special day for the President. The game also marked the occasion of 100 caps for Joe Cave, congratulations to him on this achievement.
Bridgnorth kicked the game off in good conditions and both sides looked to play the game at a high tempo which led to a series of errors on both sides with knock-ons, kicks out on the full, high tackles and interceptions all thrown in. The Bridgnorth lineout was working well and also included a lineout steal by Connor Nicholls, which led to the home side’s first points after Joe Cave took the ball on and was illegally halted. Will Biddell kicked the three points.
Kenilworth responded well and broke through several tackles to take the ball over the line, Bridgnorth held the ball up however, and so had the drop-out goal line clearance. Bizarrely, Bridgnorth then kicked the ball straight out on the full and gave Kenilworth a five-metre attacking scrum. Great defence by the home side kept the attack out however and Jordan Burgess followed this up with a great break to relieve the pressure. Loti Molitika then spent ten-minutes in the sin bin after a tip tackle.
This allowed the away side back into the game and after a delay for a head injury to Matt Needham (which he fortunately recovered from) Kenilworth kicked their own penalty to level the scores. Bridgnorth bounced straight back and after managing the restart well, Louis Evitt made a good break and George Newman went over for the game’s first try (converted by Biddell.) Molitika came back onto the field at the restart and the home side had managed the ten minutes well.
Kenilworth continued to exert pressure but the Bridgnorth defence was well organised. The home side forced a turnover and Newman passed the ball on to Burgess who scooted in for the home side’s second converted try. Bridgnorth were now playing really well with good interplay and support. Biddell carried the ball well before it was taken on by Newman. A penalty to Bridgnorth was quickly taken and Evitt smashed over for the home side’s third converted try. This passage of play also saw a Kenilworth player go into the bin. This setback seemed to spur the away side into action and they put together a strong set of plays to earn a penalty. With the score 24-3, Kenilworth opted to take the three points as they looked to build a score. The half-time whistle went with the score 24-6.
Kenilworth started the second half well and were coming off better in the close battle between the two sides. They stuck with their tactic of kicking the three points on offer and two further penalties brought the score back to 24-12. Bridgnorth seemed to allow the intensity to drop and this allowed Kenilworth back into the game. The momentum was changed however when Jack Cole kicked the ball ahead and chased his own kick to put some pressure on the opposition. A better series of attacks by the home side ended with Molitika crossing for Bridgnorth’s fourth converted try and the bonus point.
Kenilworth again responded well and their next attack put the home side under more pressure, another penalty also put Burgess into the sinbin with a yellow card. The away side, again with the numerical advantage this time took the opportunity for the try and although the conversion was missed, the momentum was with the visitors. The Kenilworth scrum was now earning penalties for them and after another set of phases, the away side scored their second try (this time converted) and brought them back to only seven points behind Bridgnorth.
When Bridgnorth knocked-on at the restart and Kenilworth had another penalty from the scrum, the home supporters’ nerves were jangling. This time, the away side took a quick tap penalty and launched a series of drives towards the Bridgnorth line. Good Bridgnorth defence kept them out however and the final whistle blew with the score 31-24. Bridgnorth were delighted with the win to climb a place in the table to fourth. Kenilworth battled hard all game, particularly in the second half and deserved their losing bonus point.
Bridgnorth now have the Easter weekend off, before they travel to Banbury on the 6th April for the final league game of the season. This is the rematch from the first match of the season, which was a high scoring affair on the 2nd September. A repeat performance would be enjoyed by the travelling support before the ‘post-season’ Papa Johns Pizza cup competition starts.
