Colts win last away game at Dursley

It was a glorious Spring day at Dursley. Medic Delia was away so this often meant that injuries would mount and Jo and Jane would be patching up the battered bodies with whatever medical equipment they could lay their hands on. The ground was like concrete so the plasters and gaffer tape would be in frequent use.

Forwards: Lucas, Freddie, Ryan, Laurie, Darion, James, Jake, Mackenzie
Backs: Lewis, Will, Dougie, Myles, Arthur, JoeE, Alex
Subs: Jedd, Mr T, Callum

Stroud kicked off and JoeE was first to secure the ball and then win a penalty for a Dursley offside. The penalty was kicked to the corner but the subsequent Stroud lineout throw was taken by the wind and Dursley took the scrum option that they duly won, but then knocked on. Stroud had a scrum under the posts and a huge shove won clean ball and Will threw a laser accurate long pass to winger JoeE who just beat the covering tackle and scored in the left corner. Conversion missed but Stroud had started fast with a 5-0 lead.

Dursley kicked long and Lucas took the ball cleanly and had a great run back skittling defenders out of his way. Will took the ball up the right wing into the Dursley half and won a penalty for a high tackle. A quick tap penalty was taken and the backs attacked left and quick hands got the ball to Jake who powered past a few tackles and scored in the corner. Another tough kick into the wind just missed – as kicking expert Jedd was good enough to pass on kicking tips to Will. 10-0 the lead.

As if to prove that Jedd was the kicking Oracle and on speed dial to best mate Jonny Wilkinson the Dursley kickoff sailed out the back of the try area giving Stroud a scrum restart on half way that was a formality to win with the formidable pack in total charge. The backs attacked right but Arthur was tackled into touch. Dursley had their 1st lineout and lost it to Lauries acrobatic steal. Dougie and Myles had some good attacking moves. Freddie crashed the ball upto the line. The ball came back to Will and he went for the diagonal kick but the fierce wind took the ball backwards and we came back for an offside penalty on the 5m line. A quick tap penalty was not able to be forced over the line and Dursley managed to steal the ball. The clearance kick was partially charged down by Joe who was having a great game. Dougie ran the ball back to the right, then Laurie came back to the left and fast charging Freddie again threatened to break the white wash but again Dursley were combative at the breakdown and won another penalty. They kicked to touch and then won another penalty at the lineout and Stroud dug an even deeper hole for themselves by giving away another penalty and now Dursley were upto the Stroud 22. They won another lineout and attacked into the Stroud 22 but Freddie was waiting with a strong tackle and then helped by the rest of his forward mates managed to hold up the runner and win a maul scrum restart.

Stroud were stuck in their own 22 and couldn’t break the tackles and if they kicked it away Dursley covered it well and ran it back deep into the Stroud territory. Dougie and Freddie were the leading tacklers but eventually the pressure told and Dursley worked a nice overlap down the left wing and scored their first well deserved try. An excellent conversion from out wide closed the gap to 10-7.

Dursley were growing in confidence and ran back the kickoff well. Dougie was again heavily involved in the defensive work with 2 tackles in close succession. One of them dislodged the ball and Ryan picked up the ball and made good yardage but again Dursley counter rucked well and stole a turnover that they kicked away. Will covered the ground well and ran the ball back well down the left wing but the game had to be stopped for a Dursley injury. Dursley won the scrum restart and kicked the ball away. Alex was well positioned to run it back. Joe took the ball up the wing but the ball was lost in contact but Alex was quick to steal it back at the next breakdown. Arthur gruber kicked down the wing but Dursley covered it well and kicked it deep into the open field. Myles had seen the threat and recovered the ball well and ran it back into the Dursley half. Ryan had a barrelling run and then the ball came out to Jake and he went on his second destructive run of the half. Dursley eventually forced him wide and out of options but as they overcommitted into the tackle Jake did a lovely offload back inside to Mr T who crashed through the last tackler and scored a well worked try under the posts. Easy conversion and Stroud were back in control at 17-7.

2 minutes later the score was 24-7 with an almost identical score. Freddie ran back the kickoff. Then the backs took over. Mackenzie and Mr T crashed up the inside and into the Dursley 22. The ball came out to Jake and with his 3rd blockbusting run he took the same line and again another unselfish offload back inside to Myles gave Stroud their 4th try of the half with an easy conversion to follow.

Mr T ran back the kickoff but this time the backs knocked on. Dursley won their scrum and kicked deep into the Stroud half. Alex recovered it well and ran it back to remove the Dursley scoring threat. The ball went loose at the next attacking phase as the ref blew for half time.

Half Time: Dursley 7 – 24 Stroud Colts

Half time break and player swaps to allow battered knees to recover and grazes to try and scab over. Mr T looked worse than the battering that Dillian Whyte took from Tyson Fury the night before!

Dursley kicked off and Laurie, Freddie and Darion were soon into carrying mode and breaking into the Dursley half and winning a penalty. A quick tap penalty went loose so Dursley breathed a sigh of relief and won their scrum restart. A brief respite as Dougie pounded into them with 2 cracking tackles in close succession that forced a turnover. Will saw a gap and kicked over the top but the wind took the ball out the back and Dursley had a scrum on halfway that they won. A kicking contest ensued with Stroud winning the battle with a typical Will swerving run from halfway and avoiding 5 tacklers before cruising in under the posts to make his kick a lot easier. Duly converted for 31-7 lead but then subbed off to discuss kicking tactics with Lucas who was eyeing up a new position for Senior rugby…...

Jedd had a great run back which created a lovely hole for Mr T to make even bigger. Dursley closed down that threat but that just gave Dougie and Myles space to work their magic and give Myles a try that he duly converted. 38-7 to the blues.

To their credit Dursley were not going to go quietly. They controlled the next phase of the game with good tackling and breakdown action. They turned defense into attack and broke through the Stroud line. Alex put in a try saving tackle, but it only delayed the inevitable and quick recycling gave Dursley a well deserved try in the corner. No kick due to the wind and Stroud leading 38-12.

Perys who had played for Stroud for 2 seasons was back with Dursley and hiding out on the wing like he did in emergency role for Stroud U16s. Good banter (aka distracting tactics) was held between him and the Stroud parents. Seeing our plan he broke off the chat and returned the kickoff well – until Arthur said “Hi” with a high tackle. Dursley kicked their penalty to touch and won their lineout. They kept the attack going and with good ball control and imaginative running lines they eventually worked a gap down the right wing and scored another try. No kick but now it was 38-17 to Stroud.

This time Dursley caught their kick off and kicked it straight back. Dougie ran it back well up the left, then the ball came right and Darion had a good run until he got caught with a twisting tackle and the game was stopped while his knee was checked over. Jo was on medic duty and after carefully twisting his knee in all directions, and failing the “Flamingo bend forward” test declared Darion fit and able to continue. Dursley had the scrum restart but even with Stroud been pushed backwards Freddie managed to hook the ball back and retain Stroud possession. The backs lost the ball at the next breakdown but the forwards won it back with a maul tackle. Stroud won their own scrum on halfway and Will who had just returned to the pitch (mainly to stop Jedd or Lucas taking penalty kicks) danced up the middle with another swerving run and scored another typical try. Good kick at 45-17 lead.

Jake ran back the next kickoff. Then Ryan took the ball into contact. Quick recycling by the ever reliable Lewis set the backs away again but eager hands and optimistic eyes put a pass on the ground and the Dursley winger scooped up the ball and scored a try under the posts. And to make things worse it was ex-player Perys who had done the damage. “Last try wins” was the shout as he jogged back – using a match reporter favourite motivational tactic whenever we were losing a game. Quick as a flash the match reporter dug out his old RFU membership cards and declared Perys a Stroud Old Boy and therefore it was another Stroud try so the score was now 50-17 and not 45-22. Dursley disagreed with that but were generous enough to miss the kick from in front of the posts. Must have been the hurricane force winds helping….or had Lucas pulled on a maroon shirt and tried his first ever kick attempt?

The game was in its final minutes and both teams nullified each other with good defensive work from Callum and James keeping Dursley in check and if they broke away it was a Ryan or Mackenzie crunching tackle that was waiting for them. Common sense took over and Dursley stopped taking the punishing tackles and instead ran out of the pitch to enable the ref to blow for full time.

Full Time: Dursley 22 – 45 Stroud Colts

The players formed tunnels and congratulated each other. It was Dursley’s last game of the season and had been played in fantastic spirit by both teams. Had a lovely chat with Perys who is playing for Dursley Second XV as well as the Colts. So another ex-Stroud player who has made the jump to Senior rugby to go alongside the 6 for Stroud Colts (Darion played vs Fairford on Saturday).

Stroud Colts still have one more game left – Friday night at home vs Cheltenham Tigers. Should be a cracker after winning the last two battles, but by 3 points on average so need our kickers on top form. Thankfully Will and Myles will be upto the job because our new kicking duo of Jedd and Lucas are away at a wedding on Friday and if they make it back to Fromehall for the 2nd half for a final runout might need to aim for the middle goalpost of the 7 their alcohol influenced eyes would be displaying if they were on conversion duties.