Tries All Round for Bexley

Biggest win of the season with seven different try scorers.

A cold, bright and blustery day greeted the spectators at Calvert Drive to see Bexley take on Askeans in this Kent II league game. It was good to see some of our injured players supporting the lads – Greg on crutches, Nick awaiting a scan on his knee and Jake Voce back in training - as well as some of the old warriors, Don, Jerry, Paul and Duncan. Bexley in their changed red and white hoops, Askeans in blue, black and white. As we kicked off the wind seemed to pick up blowing down the pitch into the faces of our visitors. I don’t know if the plan was for Bexley to kick with the wind but the first 15 minutes saw Bexley camped in the Askeans half but unable to breakdown a stubborn defence. The set pieces were working well, a strong Bexley scrum and some good lineout work by Jim Moore and skipper Robin Jessup put Bexley on the front foot but it was nearly 20 minutes before the deadlock was broken when Jim Moore picked up behind a ruck and with only 5 meters to go out wide on the right no one was going to stop him. Andreas Cowling converted a difficult kick in the swirling wind, 7-0 Bexley.
Bexley now seemed to grow in confidence and the forwards started to take on their opposite numbers in the loose and it was from another drive, this time from loose head Karl Ansell that saw the next Bexley score, Shrek not to be denied – conversion missed – 12-0. The second quarter saw Bexley step up the pressure and a line out move involving all the forwards saw Ollie Bailey go over for the 3rd try followed but a dominant scrum push the Askeans pack backwards for lock Dean Fisher to emerge from under a pile of bodies for the bonus point try. The score now at 22-0 was such a shock to the watching faithful that when a move involving forwards and backs with some slick passing resulting in Bryce Redmill scoring the 5th try, Duncan Dalgliesh mentioned to me that we were actually passing the ball, catching it and scoring tries! With confidence now sky high prop Neil Davis thought for a moment he was Danny Cipriani and tried a chip kick over the Askeans defensive line. The kicked worked but as none of his team mates expected it nothing came of the move. I’m not sure if that was before or after Neil lost a contact lens as some searching around on the ground meant there would be at least one sub for the second half. Half time and 27-0 up but playing into the wind in the second half.

In fact at half time fly half Jake Davis, who was controlling the backs well, had to be replaced with a re-occurrence of the shoulder injury he has been carrying. So father and son off the pitch, on came Nathan Futter, back from injury and Josh Cumming for his 1st team debut. Both being forwards meant a reshuffle all round with Robin Jessop moving into the 2nd row, Scott Henry out to the centre and Bryce Redmill in at fly half. Josh into the front row and Nathan at No 8. The start of the half saw Askeans using the wind to their advantage as well as a more aggressive pack saw them camped on the Bexley 5 metre line opting to take scrums because of Bexley indiscretions. After the third scrum with the Bexley forwards under pressure and being pushed back the referee had no option but to award a penalty try which Askeans converted 27-7 and the opposition growing in confidence. But Bexley came back strongly with a drive by the forward finished off by Nathan Futter for the 6th try of the day, converted by Bryce Redmill taking over the kicking duties from Andreas Cowling. Bexley now had to do the simple things keeping the ball in hand and trying to use their backs. Full back Rob Cottrell was fielding the high balls well and running good lines from deep and it was a backs move that finished the scoring with converted lock to centre, Scott Henry, running a great line to spilt the defence for the last try converted again by Bryce Redmill. A good all round team performance with Pete Materazo at blind side doing a lot of hard graft in the loose, scrum half Sam Heard buzzing around causing a nuisance of himself, strong defensive work when needed by Richard Ward and Sean Steel rounded off a good day at the office.