Yet another Windy Away Day

Yet another Windy Away Day

Trowbridge (0) 7 Bracknell (7) 38

Reporter Gary Miles

Promotion secured the previous match, we travelled to Trowbridge with the feeling the pressure was off and we arrived to a warm welcome from the hosts and an enjoyable day was had.

It was dry with sunny intervals when Trowbridge kicked off at 3pm, left to right from the clubhouse side. Bracknell gathered and after three phases of rucks a knock on gave the scrum to Trowbridge, but following a couple of rucks they gave a way a penalty which was kicked for a line out on the home sides five metre line, the line out ball was secure and following a rolling maul Bracknell scored a converted try to go 7 - nil in front after four minutes.

For the rest of the half Trowbridge had the majority of the possession but failed to make any inroads on the Bracknell defence. Just before the whistle blew for the end of the half, the away side had a chance to score again, a penalty to line out was followed by trading penalties by each side, concluded with a maul just in front of the posts, unfortunately a knock on brought the half time whistle.

HT 0-7

What ever was said at halftime, worked, making this a classic game of two halves, Bracknell scoring within 4 minutes of the restart. The restart by Bracknell to Trowbridge was successfully overturned in the away sides favour, on the attack, a rolling maul was developed, but after a couple of phases the ball was turned over, the clearance kick on the try line was charged down and the ball successfully grounded, with the conversion good, Bracknell’s lead was doubled. 0-14.

Trowbridge restarted the game, after a break by Bracknell, four phases, a further break, they were up to the 22, a break from hooker Brad Walters, a further five phases and following turnovers from each side, Simon Bayliss scored in the corner, the conversion was pushed wide by the wind, score 0-19, 19 minutes into the half.

The restart was wind assisted, gathered by Bracknell, a break down the left wing was stopped illegally and the resulting penalty scrum was won, ball passed in side to May and four phases later Bracknell took the try bonus point under the posts, conversion good 26-0, 12 minutes into the half.

Five minutes later, Bracknell were back on the score sheet again. The restart was secured by the away side, but a penalty to the home side was kicked to lineout, with possession within Bracknell’s five metre line, Bracknell managed a turnover, and a break up to the Trowbridge line saw the ball out to Bracknell’s no 7 and back inside to the fullback to score a well worked try, the wind interfered with the conversion attempt, the score was now 0-31 after 19 minutes of the second half.

With 36 minutes of the half played, Bracknell scored their final try, a quick penalty to seven metres was turned over and over and cleared, gathered by Bayliss, he ran round the defence to score near the posts, converted 0-38.

The restart was gathered by Trowbridge and a wind assisted clearance past the Bracknell try line, resulted in 5 metre drop-out, the wind blew this back and the home side managed a turnover as Bracknell tried to run it out of defence, Trowbridge turned the ball over and scored a converted try to have the final say in an entertaining half.

Final score Trowbridge 7 (0 pts) Bracknell 38 (5 points)