Match Report

This was a rather staccato match, frequently punctuated by the sound of Mr. Davis’s whistle writes Des Hickie. Nevertheless, it produced some very good attacking rugby. Stourbridge ran out winners, coming from behind with a strong second half performance.

The visitors took early control, with Chester conceding six penalties and a man in the bin in the first 16 minutes. The home side were barely able to get out of their own half, and two driven lineouts produced converted tries for Jack Lea and Stef Thorp, punctuated by a Chester penalty.

Chester gradually came back into the game during the second quarter, Scott Robson scoring from a driven lineout. Then Harrison Vare scored, coming infield off his wing. He stepped through the defensive line and past the fullback for a try. On 31 minutes Chester held an unlikely 17-14 lead. However, Stourbridge responded quickly with a fine try by winger Dan Rundle, standing up the last defender. A penalty put Chester narrowly in front, 20-19, at the break.

On 53 minutes, Stourbridge were camped inside the home 22, and their scrum pressure eventually yielded a try. They took the lead and kept it thereafter. They scored the try of the match on 63 minutes, constructing a 4 on 2 down their right. The space came with 3 Chester players in their back field, covering a potential kick – a tick for the new laws. The seemingly unstoppable Harrison Vare scored another fine try in the dying minutes, but Stourbridge were home and dry.
Picture Credit: Duncan Cowley

Half-time Score: 20-19

Star Man: Nigel Mukarati (Stourbridge No. 8)

Timeline of Scores:

12 minutes Stourbridge try and conversion

14 minutes Stourbridge try and conversion

16 minutes Chester penalty

27 minutes Chester try and conversion

31 minutes Chester try and conversion

36 minutes Stourbridge try

39 minutes Chester penalty

53 minutes Stourbridge try and conversion

63 minutes Stourbridge try and conversion

71 minutes Stourbridge penalty

77 minutes Chester try and conversion

Attendance: 350

Teams

Chester

15. Phillips
14. Long
13. Van Sertima
12. Roberts
11. Vare
10. Reeve
9. Holloway
8. Ford.
7. Joseph.
6. Powell
5. Lloyd
4. Wilkinson (c)
3. Rhys
2.Robson
1. Furnival

16. William
17. Reed
18. Jones
19. Green
20. Craven

Stourbridge

15. Harrison
14. Fletcher
13. Morgan
12. Carey
11. Rundle
10. Moseley
9. Morgan
8. Mukarati
7. Rodley
6. Tarbuck
5.Heaney (c)
4. Bell
3. Thorne
2.Lea
1. Thorp

16. George
17. Murphy
18. Walters
19. Penn
20 Perks

Referee

Mr. Davis