Gosford All Blacks 15 Phoenix 27

Saturday 10 October 2009

For the second consecutive Saturday Phoenix travelled up to Oxford to play their fixture in the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Premier League, this time to meet Gosford All Blacks. In an error strewn but entertaining game the visitors triumphed 15-27.

Phoenix kicked the game off and almost immediately Gosford conceded a penalty for not releasing the ball under their posts which was duly kicked by Nigel Coltman for the first points of the game. From the restart Phoenix maintained their initial pressure, taking two scrums against the head but were unable to turn this dominance into points. Perhaps as a result of overconfidence Phoenix lost the ball at a lineout following a clearance by Gosford and their hooker bored through the defence to touch down in the corner giving the home side a narrow lead. Gosford attempted to consolidate this position but determined defence by the Phoenix forwards, notably by prop James Dixon and hooker James Richardson, kept them at bay and the Phoenix backs tried to make the most of the dry conditions by running the ball out of defence at every opportunity. Both winger Adam MacMillan and full back Jason Townsend had runs which threatened the Gosford line. After twenty minutes Phoenix received a just reward for their pressure when from a disrupted Gosford scrum Ian Watkinson stole the ball, passed it to fellow flanker Dave Harris who popped it on to number eight Rob Mitchell to drive through the last line of defence and touch down giving the lead back to Phoenix. This set back appeared to galvanise the home side who began to compete more vigorously both in the loose and set play and during the second quarter of the game Phoenix sustained continuous pressure ultimately resulting in a drive over the Phoenix line at half time with the referee adjudging the ball to have been touched down by Gosford.

A mistake by Gosford at the start of the second half gave Phoenix a scrum in the centre of the pitch. Scrum half Alex Walsh moved the ball out through his backs to outside centre Chris Laidlaw who directed a well placed cross kick through the Gosford players to be chased by winger Will Midlane. A desperate clearance by Gosford fell into Watkinson’s hands who passed to winger MacMillan to score, Coltman adding the conversion. From the restart Phoenix were immediately back on the attack, Mitchell taking the ball over the line but it was held up by Gosford. Undeterred Phoenix kept the pressure on and another smart backs move from Phoenix released Midlane to touch down in the corner after 48 minutes for a ten point lead. An injury to Mitchell who was replaced by Robin Gill required Phoenix to shuffle their pack, Watkinson moving to number eight, Richardson to flanker and Gill to hooker. Phoenix were denied another touchdown a few minutes later when Coltman was held up over the line but the team were not to be denied and on the hour another slick exchange of passes by the backs released MacMillan to score his second try of the game, cooly converted by Coltman . Gosford were aware the game was up unless they produced something almost immediately and a slick individual try by their inside centre gave them a faint hope of coming back. However, Phoenix were equal to the challenge and Laidlaw kept Gosford penned back inside their own half with a series of penetrating cross kicks to finally give the game to Phoenix 15-27.

This win gives Phoenix two wins from four games but as three have been played away from home the team can look forward next week to welcoming Stow-on-the-Wold to the Institute Road ground for their next league fixture.

On Saturday Phoenix 3rd XV beat Littlemore 2nds 19-7 in the Thames Valley Invitation League.

Phoenix 1st XV

1 James Dixon
2 James Richardson
3 Edd Dibb (Capt.)
4 Billy Duncan
5 Nigel Coltman one penalty, two convns
6 Dave Harris
7 Ian Watkinson
8 Rob Mitchell (Sub. Robin Gill) one try
9 Alex Walsh
10 Dan Simmons
11 Adam MacMillan two tries
12 Dave MacMillan
13 Chris Laidlaw
14 Will Midlane
15 Jason Townsend

Subs
Robin Gill
John Winters