ROSSLYN PARK 33-29 PLYMOUTH ALBION
23/11/24
By RHYS STRATTON
The 1st XV got back to winning ways on Saturday as they came away with the full 5-points from the clash with Plymouth Albion at The Rock. Sam Kennaugh got the scoring started early as he converted the first attack of the match into points when he dove across the line out wide from the feed by Josh Bragman. The visitors quickly narrowed the gap through the boot of Tom Putt, before the 1st XV responded with a flurry of attacks across the next 15 minutes. First, Charlie Walker almost went over in the corner, only to be dragged into touch just short of the line after several phases deep in opposition territory. Then, Jake Cleet powered over the Plymouth line following an excellent 50-22, before Walker made it 3 first-half tries for Park when he finished off a slick passage that had seen Arthur Ellis reel in a Bragman grubber and spread the ball to the touchline.
The visitors pulled one back thanks to a fantastic carry by Joel Broadhurst minutes later and then scored either side of half time, through Jack Oulton and Broadhurst once more, to edge in front for the first time in the contest.
The 1st XV proceeded to wrestle back the momentum over the subsequent 15 minutes, as Rhys Charalambous and Josh Bragman each found pay dirt to first re-gain the lead and then extend it to 11-points. Charalambous’ try came after a Benji Marfo break had forced the away side into conceding a penalty which meant Park could run a move from the lineout in the corner that eventually resulted in the tighthead crashing over the line. Bragman then scored in a very similar fashion as another Plymouth penalty following a linebreak, this time by Charlie Mulchrone, once again handed us a lineout deep in opposition territory. A tense final quarter followed, with a resilient defensive display from the 1st XV frustrating the visitors as they chased a try to get them back in the game. The resolute defence finally cracked with 5 minutes remaining as Mike Stupple crossed over, but it was too little too late for Plymouth and they had to settle for two hard-earned losing bonus points as Park held on to make it 7 wins from the last 8 matches.
ROSSLYN PARK
Tries: Kennaugh (3’), Cleet (15’), Walker (21’), Charalambous (49’), Bragman (60’)
Conversions: Bragman (4’, 16’, 22’, 50’)
Penalties: N/A
Yellow Cards: N/A
Team: Wade, Miller, Woodward, Cleet, Martin, Spencer, Ellis, Wrafter, Fenley, Bragman, Marfo, Kennaugh, J. Smith, Cordy-Redden, Walker
Replacements: Keasey, Cade, Charalambous, Bolwell, Mulchrone
PLYMOUTH ALBION
Tries: Broadhurst (27’, 41’), Oulton (36’), Stupple (74’)
Conversions: Putt (28’, 42’, 75’)
Penalties: Putt (6’)
Yellow Cards: N/A
Team: Boughton, Wilkinson, Pullinger-Ham, Makepeace, Stupple, Broadhurst, Clarke, Hodges, Oulton, Putt, Akinrowo, Hill, Ratukadreu, Cornish, Duncan
Replacements: Mead, Clemson, Birger, Legg, Raumakita
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Blackheath 16 – 7 Dings Crusaders
Darlington Mowden Park P – P Birmingham Moseley
Esher 14 – 31 Bishop’s Stortford
Richmond 21 – 6 Sedgley Park
Rotherham Titans 21 – 14 Rams
Sale FC 12 – 15 Leicester Lions
This week in National One saw previously unbeaten Rams fall to second in the table as their loss away at Rotherham coupled with Richmond’s win over Sedgley Park meant that the two sides now sit level on 49 points with Richmond having a slight edge in point differential. Rotherham’s impressive win also they remain just out of reach of Park in third place in the standings for now. Elsewhere, Blackheath emerged victorious from their clash with Dings whilst Leicester won away at Sale to put even more distance between themselves and bottom placed DMP, whose match this weekend against Moseley was postponed due to a frozen pitch. The Lions have now pulled level with Sedgley Park and sit just 2 points behind 11thplaced Esher as things continue to heat up in the fight for survival.
Up Next for Park is a lengthy trip North as the 1st XV are set to take on Sedgley Park up in Manchester on the 7th.