For the first time on tour, the opposition team lived up to the Argentine reputation for big pieces of meat. Bigger and heavier on average and with a couple of giants to boot. How would the Roast Beef and three veg measure up against the Bife con guarnicion?
Maidenhead started with some good simple rugby and moved the big lads around. After five minutes though, one of the giants peeled round the front of a lineout and offloaded from a three man tackle to his No.9 who touched down to open the scoring. Play resumed with Uni sending their big forwards down the narrow channels and mauling with skill and discipline. Maids more than held their own in the scrum, however, pushing the home side back at every engage. As well as this, Maids showed their own impact in the loose with Cam Avery and Tim Cronbach making good yards.
On 20 minutes, Maids tried a penalty kick at goal but Scott Atherton pushed it just wide in what would be his only miss of the day. Maids' mobility was beginning to stretch the Uni pack and their frustration led to a loss of discipline. A run of penalties and Chris Dow tapped and went through the thinning line. Turning to his left to look for support and not finding it he carried on turning until he was running backwards and carried on further until he eventually found Will Thompson. Is it possible that his knee locked up and he could only run in circles? By this time the bemused Uni defenders were ready and cut Thompson down. Even so, they dived over and Atherton kicked the 3 points.
After this period when Maids seemed to be getting on top, Uni went back to their strengths and drove mauls downfield into the 22. A series of pick and drives, four scrums in quick succession, Cal Hull and Blake Nicol making last ditch tackles on the big men. Bryn Evans led by example and vocally, driving the giants back time and again. The biggest of them squared up and had to be dragged away shouting as Evans smiled in his face. At last the pressure told and a simple freekick tap and dive gave Uni a 10-3 lead.
Back and forth it went, Shiv Khindria making a half-break, Hal Orchard spinning out a long pass, Atherton and Greg McHugh going close. Uni also showed some running power, first their right wing flying outside, only James Hibberdine to beat, CRUNCH, flattened. Huge cheers from the sidelines. But Uni recycled well and moved left and their outside centre cut a line back towards the right, past the first line towards Hibberdine, who lined him up and dropped him. Renewed and redoubled cheering. Half time and all to play for.
Maidenhead started the second period confidently, Jacob Sanders off on a trademark swerving charge, Hull and Edney arriving quickly enough to force a penalty. Kicked to the corner, ball off the top, swift passes to the left, penalty for desperate high tackle, tap and quick hands out to McHugh overlapping on the right, great winger's finish. Atherton's conversion ties the score.
The Rosario boys came back, their rapid centre with a great run stopped just short. Pick and drive again and again. Tremendous defence, more angry reaction, and a key player withdrawn for his own protection. Job done, Bryn. Uni missed a kickable penalty but ran the 22 restart back and were held up over the line. Number 8 pickup and ruck, big No.5 finally breached the visitors' defence to restore a 5 point lead.
Maids regrouped and recharged and then produced a most astonishing six minutes of attacking rugby. Muscling into the 22 and showing their own slow ball pick and driving skills, the forwards wound up the pressure and won a penalty. Cam Avery tapped and drew, flung a pass to Evans, who crashed through the screen and touched down. Straight from a scrum after a restart knock-on, Sanders picked up at the base and made 30 metres, found Hull on his shoulder and put him in on the right wing, with time to gallop halfway in to the posts. It is never all about the forwards though and maybe the try of the day was scored by Ed Kaye, guesting at outside centre, blistering onto a short pass into the gap made by a dummy 12 crash. DAJ could not have done it better. The cheering was by now hysterical and joyous. Atherton converted all three to make the score 31-15.
The last fifteen minutes were not for the faint-hearted. Uni gave it everything they had. They battered away at forward and back. The line gave and a prop crashed over for a converted try. Then a great inside line from a switch move in front of the posts, the conversion brought them to within two points. Four minutes of added time ticked, cruelly, slowly, away. A bad day to give up glue-sniffing. Outstanding tackles by Steve Carn and Sam McCarthy and another by Hibberdine; high energy and commitment by Josh Edney; everyone shouting encouragement and pride. Time for one more Rosario scrum, at half way, No.8 pickup, recycle, fast hands out to right wing, over the 22 and WHAM! Atherton and McHugh double hit, ball spilled forward and the final whistle.
Maidenhead started with some good simple rugby and moved the big lads around. After five minutes though, one of the giants peeled round the front of a lineout and offloaded from a three man tackle to his No.9 who touched down to open the scoring. Play resumed with Uni sending their big forwards down the narrow channels and mauling with skill and discipline. Maids more than held their own in the scrum, however, pushing the home side back at every engage. As well as this, Maids showed their own impact in the loose with Cam Avery and Tim Cronbach making good yards.
On 20 minutes, Maids tried a penalty kick at goal but Scott Atherton pushed it just wide in what would be his only miss of the day. Maids' mobility was beginning to stretch the Uni pack and their frustration led to a loss of discipline. A run of penalties and Chris Dow tapped and went through the thinning line. Turning to his left to look for support and not finding it he carried on turning until he was running backwards and carried on further until he eventually found Will Thompson. Is it possible that his knee locked up and he could only run in circles? By this time the bemused Uni defenders were ready and cut Thompson down. Even so, they dived over and Atherton kicked the 3 points.
After this period when Maids seemed to be getting on top, Uni went back to their strengths and drove mauls downfield into the 22. A series of pick and drives, four scrums in quick succession, Cal Hull and Blake Nicol making last ditch tackles on the big men. Bryn Evans led by example and vocally, driving the giants back time and again. The biggest of them squared up and had to be dragged away shouting as Evans smiled in his face. At last the pressure told and a simple freekick tap and dive gave Uni a 10-3 lead.
Back and forth it went, Shiv Khindria making a half-break, Hal Orchard spinning out a long pass, Atherton and Greg McHugh going close. Uni also showed some running power, first their right wing flying outside, only James Hibberdine to beat, CRUNCH, flattened. Huge cheers from the sidelines. But Uni recycled well and moved left and their outside centre cut a line back towards the right, past the first line towards Hibberdine, who lined him up and dropped him. Renewed and redoubled cheering. Half time and all to play for.
Maidenhead started the second period confidently, Jacob Sanders off on a trademark swerving charge, Hull and Edney arriving quickly enough to force a penalty. Kicked to the corner, ball off the top, swift passes to the left, penalty for desperate high tackle, tap and quick hands out to McHugh overlapping on the right, great winger's finish. Atherton's conversion ties the score.
The Rosario boys came back, their rapid centre with a great run stopped just short. Pick and drive again and again. Tremendous defence, more angry reaction, and a key player withdrawn for his own protection. Job done, Bryn. Uni missed a kickable penalty but ran the 22 restart back and were held up over the line. Number 8 pickup and ruck, big No.5 finally breached the visitors' defence to restore a 5 point lead.
Maids regrouped and recharged and then produced a most astonishing six minutes of attacking rugby. Muscling into the 22 and showing their own slow ball pick and driving skills, the forwards wound up the pressure and won a penalty. Cam Avery tapped and drew, flung a pass to Evans, who crashed through the screen and touched down. Straight from a scrum after a restart knock-on, Sanders picked up at the base and made 30 metres, found Hull on his shoulder and put him in on the right wing, with time to gallop halfway in to the posts. It is never all about the forwards though and maybe the try of the day was scored by Ed Kaye, guesting at outside centre, blistering onto a short pass into the gap made by a dummy 12 crash. DAJ could not have done it better. The cheering was by now hysterical and joyous. Atherton converted all three to make the score 31-15.
The last fifteen minutes were not for the faint-hearted. Uni gave it everything they had. They battered away at forward and back. The line gave and a prop crashed over for a converted try. Then a great inside line from a switch move in front of the posts, the conversion brought them to within two points. Four minutes of added time ticked, cruelly, slowly, away. A bad day to give up glue-sniffing. Outstanding tackles by Steve Carn and Sam McCarthy and another by Hibberdine; high energy and commitment by Josh Edney; everyone shouting encouragement and pride. Time for one more Rosario scrum, at half way, No.8 pickup, recycle, fast hands out to right wing, over the 22 and WHAM! Atherton and McHugh double hit, ball spilled forward and the final whistle.
A famous victory and a squad each of whom seem an inch taller than a couple of hours before.
Squad: Avery C, Keir, Nicol, Evans, Cronbach, Hull, Dow, Sanders (Capt.), Carn, Khindria (VC), McHugh, Thompson, Kaye, Hibberdine, Atherton, McCarthy, Edney, Orchard
Squad: Avery C, Keir, Nicol, Evans, Cronbach, Hull, Dow, Sanders (Capt.), Carn, Khindria (VC), McHugh, Thompson, Kaye, Hibberdine, Atherton, McCarthy, Edney, Orchard
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Fabulous report, I feel I watched the game ! Thank you once again graeme for your updates. The boys are doing great !
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Just like being there on a Sunday morning at Braywick, feeling proud of the boys. Great photos too.
ReplyDelete