UCSOB 1ST XV – Close But No Cigar

UCSOBRFC 14 Saracens Amateurs 17

On a day of perfect playing conditions UCS suffered their first defeat of the season, and a painful one at that.

The game started off messy, with line breaks and errors occurring frequently for both sides. The first try went to Saracens with a reaction to quick turnover ball in the UCS 22 resulting in a try outside the centres with a missed conversion.

UCS sensing that this was slightly against the run of play and reacted well. After exerting a lot of pressure at the scrum with little reward UCS responded with a quick tap penalty which ended up with Lloyd Hughes dotting down under the posts and converting his own try adding to an ever increasing personal points tally for this season.

Before the half was up the opposition had slotted two penalties managing the scoreboard well, a lesson for us this season I feel. This left the scoreboard at 11 -7.

UCS again reacted well and came out of the gates strong. Playing a good territorial game off the boot of Elliot Duke and the UCS scrum found itself set on the opposition 5 meters. The feeling of excitement from Christian Henk and Ahmed Ghanem was palpable and they didn’t disappoint strolling across the line for a penalty try. An important partnership for the club this season and one which is setting a reliable platform for us to play our style of rugby from.

The game then hung on a knife edge with UCS missing a penalty, Tom Arnold knocking on close to the line, Chris Bean breaking through and passing as opposed to flattening the fullback.

Then a rare sight… The opposition fullback off a penalty advantage decided to slot a 45m drop goal. Fair enough.

It was then baton down the hatches as Saracens probed for the penalty they knew could win them the game and eventually it was given and converted with the last kick of the game. I have to say the defence in the lead up to the penalty was superb, with line speed and integrity that would make any opposition coach look on in envy and one we should perhaps not save for the last 5mins of a game.

The defeat hurt, not because of any injustice, but because it was in us to perform better and win it. Let’s take lessons from that and move on.

Team: Ghanem, Abraham Atlass, Warner, Henk, Bean, Chapman, Jones, Oulton, Filip, Austin, Doble, Arnold, Hughes, Rauchwerger, Boyles, Duke, Bromley