Match Report 09/11/24

This weekend, Ashfield 2nd XV faced off against Tupton 2nd XV at Larwood, looking to build on last week's cup success and carry that momentum into the league for a much-anticipated win.

Tupton started strongly, taking an early 0-7 lead within the first two minutes, capitalising on Ashfield's inability to clear their lines from the kickoff. Just two minutes later, Tupton extended their lead to 0-12 with swift passing out to the wing, finding space to reach the try line, although the conversion was missed.

Ashfield rallied close to the 10-minute mark when Gav Payne cleverly cleared from inside his own half, sending the ball deep behind the Tupton defence. When Tupton failed to collect the bouncing ball, Ross Waldram—nicknamed "Forrest Gump" for his speed—sprinted from 10 metres inside Tupton's half and went wide to score between the posts. Payne added the conversion, narrowing the score to 7-12.

Tupton responded quickly, scoring another seven points following a penalty awarded about 10 metres out, which their forwards drove over the line under the posts to bring the score to 7-19. Shortly after, Tupton's number 8 capitalised on a scrum just outside Ashfield’s 5-metre line, spotting a gap in the defence to add another five points, although the conversion hit the upright, making it 7-24.

Ashfield fought back with determination. After a series of well-executed phases, the ball was moved wide to Dave Hayes, who crossed in the corner for a try, narrowing the gap to 12-24 as the conversion missed. Ashfield's fighting spirit continued as slick passing from the backs saw Terry Titi deceive the Tupton defence with a dummy, freeing Hayes to make a blistering run from inside his own 10-metre line, dodging defenders to secure his second try. Payne’s successful conversion brought the score to 19-24.

Around the half-hour mark, Tupton capitalised on a disrupted Ashfield scrum, gaining a penalty and finding touch just five metres out before adding another seven points. Ashfield struck back before halftime, with Titi using his impressive power to drive over the line, bringing the halftime score to a tight 24-31.

Five minutes into the second half, Ashfield drew level. Adam Wilkinson picked up the ball at the back of a scrum deep in his own half, spotting gaps and making good ground before offloading to Tom Dallinson, who powered past two defenders to score under the posts. Payne added the extras, making it 31-31.

At the 60-minute mark, Tupton added another seven points after their number 8 picked the ball up from a scrum, broke on the blindside, and offloaded to a teammate, who then passed for a try under the posts, taking the score to 31-38.

Ashfield faced a setback as Chris Smith was shown a yellow card for retaliation, reducing them to 14 men. But they dug deep in the final five minutes, producing a well-worked try, with Titi and Dallinson linking up to release Waldram in the corner, bringing the score to 36-38 after a missed conversion.

With just minutes left, David Hayes rounded off his hat-trick with another explosive dash from inside Tupton’s half, finding the corner to score. Although Alun Jones missed the conversion, the final whistle blew with Ashfield victorious at 41-38.

It was a hard-fought and well-deserved 5 points for Ashfield, showing true grit and determination. Tupton left with 2 points for their efforts.

Man of the Match: Terry Titi (awarded to Dave Hayes in Titi's absence)

Dick of the Day: Ricky Okon, returning after a year out with injury, was “honoured” by his teammates accordingly.

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To watch a video replay of the match