Stamford RFC 2nds 50 - Bourne RUFC 2nds 17

Stamford won the toss & elected to play against the wind in the first half, but nevertheless began to dominate from the whistle due to a well-drilled pack and some textbook scrummaging. The well organised home side were also quick to the breakdown with numbers.

3 early tries by Stamford against a makeshift Bourne side, with many resuming their careers after several years out, saw them take the initiative before Bourne started to put on some pressure. Territorial advantage was gained through a kick by fly half Rod Asher, before Barry Snaith produced quick ball out to Tom Adams on the right wing who raced over for a touchdown.

In spite of Bourne’s efforts, Stamford soon hit back again, scoring two further tries before half time as the Bourne side struggled to get a firm grip on the game.

The second half saw Bourne winning some good ball in the lineout through Ollie Beard, who seemed to have a knack of plucking the ball from thin air despite this being his debut following a 17-year break. Another youngster returning to the game was Neil Rogers, who made a very promising start for the side as scrum half.

Ten minutes into the second half the onlooking spectators saw the try of the season as Oglesbee stole the ball from the lineout, jinked past the first two tackles and set off towards the try line like a gazelle. Leaving bemused defenders in his wake, Oglesbee sidestepped the full back to dive over after running fully 65 yards with ball in hand. This spurred Stamford on, and an onslaught of tries followed as they capitalised on a consistent 2 or 3 man overlap on the left wing, despite some staunch defending by Richard Hartley. Only solid tackling from Oglesbee, Turner and Bentley kept the score down.

But Bourne ended on a high note - a loose ball was recovered by Lenny Godber and popped to Tom Adams for a try under the posts, with Karl “4x2” Gray adding a drop kick conversion. Stamford still had time for another couple of converted tries before the final whistle.

In all, a good performance against a very capable Stamford side. Good to see some new faces & a good foundation to build on for the coming season.

Man of the Match - Karl Gray for his drop goal & tireless work in the pack despite injury.

Bourne RUFC: Dick Bentley, Ollie Beard, Lenny Godber, Karl Gray, Carmen Colletto, Tom Adams, Neil Oglesbee, Alan Thomas, Mick Bennett, Tom Adams, Mick McManus, Rod Asher, Don Brennan, Fred Groom, Richard Hartley, Neil Rogers, Barry Snaith, John Turner.