South West One

South West One
Bracknell 62 v Cleve 3

Match photos can be seen at http://www.solidphotos.com/main.php?g2_itemId=23217

Stunning can be the only way to describe Bracknell’s performance at Lilly Hill this Saturday as they progressively snuffed out any chance of the clever Cleve team, who last week beat promotion candidates Bournemouth 18-13, getting any form of toe hold in the game.
Cleve are never to be underestimated because they have a habit of beating good team. It was only last season at in March they inflicted a shock defeat against Bracknell that went a long way into spoiling the Lily Hill team’s 2007-08 promotion chances.
Player/Coach Chris Sheasby was well aware of this and after the poor showing at Chippenham he told his squad, “If they really wanted to get out of this Division and after the Chippenham performance I said that I wasn’t sure!”
“I did this to stir them into action and I made the point that their whole season now depended on this game. It was the same that year when we went down to Cleve with the weather that day being a great leveller.”
“This time I felt if it was going to happen it would be due to our failure to rise up from last week’s performance especially as we now had a number of injuries and I had to make a few changes. Fortunately, we do have squad depth as demonstrated by the 2nd team’s performance this season and the great win today against Esher.”
“I told them that I want to get the answer from this game and see if this squad is good enough to compete in National 3 or if we lose this game I will need to change the majority of the squad for new players next season. “
“Well, they have risen to the challenge similar and I hate using football analogies, to that Liverpool did when playing Real Madrid this week. They did by being staying right on top of them for the entire match.”
“That is what I wanted us to do because playing at a high intensity from the first minute Cleve wouldn’t be able to catch breath for the whole 80 minutes.”
“We were like that right from the first penalty through to the second try off the line out where Nick Shears scored and I was especially pleased with this because he has doing so many breaks for us and making 20,30 even 40 meters but not getting over the try line, today he did it!”
“You could see today all the hard work we have put in on ball handling skills, decision making and being comfortable on the ball. And you could see when they had the ball we were in their faces all the time. They are a good team who have a record of picking up top team scalps, look at last week against Bournemouth and they would love to have added us again to this list.”
“But we shut the door on them and a big message went out to the rest of the league that we are now getting stronger.”
“I must take my hat off to the boys’ who have come in as cover especially, Pete Hill who had his best game. He’s taken previous criticism on the chin and was fantastic today being the general and talisman. Matt Bramley had a workmanlike game taking on anyone from Cleve who moved and he hit every ruck. Plus scummaged his backside off so our front row weren’t too tired because being short of an experienced prop, I needed them to last for the whole game.”
“When young Luke Carter came on he demonstrated he is now able to play for much longer in the game. Dan ( Ap Dafydd) was another who lifted his game along with Jervis (Manupenu) who was back to his best today and Stu (Mackay) deserved his hat trick.”
“There were no weak spots with the defence spot on and because we remain patient, when we go beyond 6 phases, we are likely to score a try or get a penalty.”
“Playing like that we are hard to stop and this is the third time this year that we’ve had games like that scoring 40, 60 and now 62 points.”
“In fact, we will end up with the best stats in the league but the trouble is, we did that last season and didn’t go up. This time we are going to make sure that we have that record and still go up!!”
On a great day for rugby and in front of a crowd of over 200, tt was clear from the kick off that Cleve fancied their chances against the home team. They shouted encouragement to each other but talk doesn’t win games.
It didn’t because; Bracknell overwhelmed them turning the Bristol team’s normally competent defensive performance into a confused and often shambolic display with too many heads dropping in the final stages.
Also, Bracknell again showed they are now willing to play the game as the referee required and it was Cleve who transgressed in 50/50 situations. Mr Steve Johnson gave one of the best displays seen at Lilly Hill season using a quiet diplomatic style to get his way and not try the big boss approach one or two have employed previously.
The first score came from just 3 minutes when Cleve went offside and skipper Ben Nowak kicked his 24th penalty of the season giving the home team a 3-0 lead.
Winger Nick Shears then reaped the rewards after playing in games where others have reaped the reward from his line busting runs. This time after 5 minutes he burst through to score. Nowak converted and Bracknell had firmly demonstrated to Cleve that they were in for a very rough afternoon.
Strangely it wasn’t Bracknell who scored the next points but Cleve because on 11 minutes with the first time they had possession over the half way line, scrum half Lee Audis fired an enormous 45 meter penalty kick down wind and through the centre of the posts to pull the score back to 10-3.
Soon after, Nowak missed his own penalty chance but the dominance and brilliance of Bracknell’s play was seen when on 19 minutes forward Nico Maybury stood tall under intensive tackling and fed the ball off to Nowak who, in turn, slipped it to Rudal Aiono to score under the posts.
Nowak’s conversion pushed Bracknell out to 17-3 lead and their dominance was then made even easier when on 30 minutes referee Johnson sin binned fullback Joe Hall.
The Lily Hill team used this 10 minute period to add a further 12 points with Mackay getting the first of his hat trick and another by prop Andy Van Zyl who finished off as fine cross field passing move with a powerful run through the centre. Nowak converted one of them and it was a satisfied Bracknell team who went into half time leading 29-3.
Clearly Bracknell lost none of their enthusiasm because after the break they quickly picked up the pace. Second row Hill got a deserved try by running 22 metres to the posts which included a smart move past or should it be described over, the Cleve full back. Nowak converted and on 43 minutes the home team’s lead was now a satisfactory 36-3.
It was now time for the spectators to be entertained with total rugby from Bracknell side as the tore through the brave but ineffective Cleve defence.
Dave Budge was next to score on 50 minutes with a clever dummy that outwitted the unfortunate Cleve full back who probably wished his sin bin had been extended to the whole of second half because nothing was going right for him. Nowak converted and the score was 43-3.
To their credit, Cleve did manage to raise their game by belatedly finding a way to bring their excellent winger Dan Ajuwa into the game but he was stopped by a solid defence wall before he had a chance to use his speed and size.
On 70 minutes following another fine wing to wing passing move, Mackay scored his second try with a very good turn of acceleration.
Bracknell’s Carl Cimpoias finished off a terrific afternoon on 78 minutes by running at the Cleve defence inside their own 22 meter area. Rather than tackle him, their defence just evaporated as he strolled past them to score the try that pushed Bracknell’s total points tally for this season to over 500 and the match total to 55-3 with Nowak’s conversion.
Finally the game ended with Mackay getting just reward for a tremendous afternoon of running as he scored his trick. Nowak’s conversion gave Bracknell a satisfying 62-3 win from an afternoon that for once, the supporters had nothing to grumble about.
Ben Nowak was clearly pleased with his team, saying,” It was a fantastic performance from the first to last minute. By playing fantastic rugby getting rid of our frustrations after last week ‘s game by being physical in everything we did whether tackling or ball carrying.”
“And it must also be realised that today we are a couple of experienced players short but guys like Matt Bramley and Matt Surman showed the attitude of the whole squad, it is a terrific effort”
“Looking at the rest of the season I’m sure that if we win all our games we will either win the league or come second. Not a bad position to be in.”
He is correct because the games left for Bracknell are very interesting with home matches against Bournemouth and Clifton plus the game at Redingensians who this season are a team that failed to live up to their own publicity

*** Courtesy of Bracknell Times