Stags Serve Three Aces Against Wimbledon

Rugby Result :CS Stags 20 Wimbledon 13

Our visitors Wimbledon arrived at Dukes Meadows, not admitting, but privately looking for revenge for their unexpected defeat, albeit by a single point, at their home fixture on 29th September. Ultimately, they were undone by a savy CS Stags who adapted their game plan when necessary, whilst the visitors rigidly stuck to theirs, and the local bragging rights now remain firmly this side of the net in the advantage court of CS.
The visitors clearly had a strong scrum and focussing totally on that aspect and ignoring most of their backs ultimately cost them victory, enabling CS, despite an adverse penalty count of 15 to 7, to secure the unexpected victory.
The Dons kicked off, and after four minutes the home team were awarded the first of few penalties they were to receive. Despite a clean take the opportunity came to nothing, not least due to the fact that in attack the Stags were pinged for crossing, enabling the visitors to clear their lines. On 18 minutes CS conceded their 5th penalty, twenty metres out which inside centre Hooper converted. 0 – 3, Despite CS having a very promising move on 24 minutes, halted by good Wimbledon defence just short of their line, there were no further first half scores,

The half time score was therefore 0 – 3 and during the interval, the Stags no doubt focussed on the fact that despite the visitors game plan of pressurising up front to win penalties, and the consequent risk of yellow cards, they were very much in the game. However, in the first fifteen minutes of the second half CS conceded 4 penalties, which collectively amounted to not much more than a line out followed by two scrums. The resulting pressure was however, too much for CS, not to mention the referee, who despite no visible infringement or a warning, then awarded a penalty try. The score therefore after 56 minutes was 0 – 10.
Immediately following the restart CS were awarded a penalty, just outside the Dons 22metre line, and more or less in front of the posts. Fly half Tom Hodgson confidently stroked the ball between the posts. 3 – 10. As the third quarter neared completion a couple of unfortunate knocks on by CS resulted in a penalty to the Dons. The eminently kickable opportunity was duly converted by Hooper 3 – 13; additionally, CS tight head prop Craig Bellringer was yellow carded, at which point CS would either react favourably or crumble away, but which was it to be, was the vital question on most spectator’s lips. They were very soon to discover. CS having already replaced one prop due to injury were stretched in the front row, and the next two scrums to the Dons were uncontested.

With ten minutes of normal time remaining the match was essentially in a tie-break situation, and a matter of which team had the mental strength to take the victory. On 71 minutes it was advantage Stags when the Dons failed to roll away from the tackle. Not surprisingly CS opted to kick for touch where a missing prop would not be so critical, as at a set scrum. Throughout the match, as in the corresponding fixture in September, the CS line out, had been very effective, and so it proved with this one. After a clean take, the ball was immediately recycled to a rampaging No 8 Tom Williams who galloped to the line to score without being touched. Fly half Tom Hodgson was unable to convert the score. 8 – 13.

CS now had the impetus and on 74 minutes the left winger fed centre Matt Pollen who with guile and skill deftly chipped the defence and whizzed through the defence to gather his own chip to score under the posts. Hodgson converted 15 – 13. The home spectators had barely stopped applauding when Houstoun made an incisive break and slipped a flat pass to Charlie Greene sprinting in support on the left wing, who had started on the bench; Greene returned the ball to Houstoun who sprinted to the line. 20 -13, and a victory and the season double over a team who at the start of the day had been leading the London and South East Premier league, and with resources, very much greater than those of CS, both personnel and financial. CS are now in the top half of the table. There were no great celebrations at Dukes Meadows as this was one victory in a long campaign.

The next CS home game is on Saturday, 26th January when the visitors are Chingford, a strong side with a powerful scrum, whom we beat in the earlier fixture, away from home, in diabolical weather by 5-19. Kick-off is at 14.00.

January 22, 2019