2nd XV bow out to organised Letchworth outfit
Verulamians 2nd XV 5 vs 49 Letchworth 2nd XV
After their fine victory at Royston 2 weeks ago, Vees 2nd’s welcomed Letchworth 2’s to Cotlandswick. A pre Xmas fixture at Baldock Road had ended with a slim victory for Letch, a club 4 leagues above the Cotlandswick side, , but Vees were hopeful of overturning the result.
It turned out to be a hard day at the office for Vee’s but as ever those in the blue and gold gave their all.
Vee’s have a real look of youth across their two Senior sides and it was great to see Aaron Rawlings and Matty Borrell making the jump from colts to senior rugby as they debuted.
Vees had 10 changes from the Royston game and although the experience of the returning Jim Turner, Jimmy Atkinson and Ross Graham bolstered the Vees pack, a more cohesive Letchworth team, with some pace out wide proved too clinical in the end.
It took Letch 8 mins to work a slick overlap and score for a 5-0 lead, which they doubled 10 mins later with a controversial line out catch and drive which Vee’s deliberately stood away from, but the whistleblower missed.
Vee’s were starting to fight back and Turner was unlucky to be hunted down yards short after the prop intercepted a Letch backs move on half way.
Vee’s lost Luke McAndrew with a leg injury with replacement Si McCullough having to play 60 mins at fullback and not the 10 min cameo he was hoping for. Letch then lost one of their backs but Vee’s stepped up and offered Casey Lynch who was on Vee’s subs bench after sometime away from the club. He did the first half and then Matt Keo played for the visitors in the 2nd
Vee’s were forcing pressure on the visitor’s line, when a dropped ball was hacked almost the full length by Letch’s pacey scrum half. Rory Shenton showed his own wheels to get back to stop a try but great support for the S/H allowed Letch hooker to score in Cotlandswick corner.
5 mins later saw another line out drive for a score leaving Vee’s with a 0-24 halftime deficit.
The home side re-grouped at half time, intent on more structure to their game. The second period started promisingly with multiple phases, Rawlings mixing up play and Borrell adding extra dynamism to Vee’s ball carrying. Guesting ‘Southgate Johnny’ had some flashes of his strong carrying from the base of the scrum and Letch started to be repeatedly penalised at the breakdown. Vee’s kept the game at pace with tap and goes and at 48 mins, skipper Jimmy Ryan waltzed his way over for a fine individual score.
Vee’s started to show belief and went straight back at the visitors, with centres Oakley R-S and Ollie Gardiner making making ground in midfield. From one such carry, Gardiner was unlucky to be held up over the line, a score which could have turned the game on its head. The extra effort started to take it’s toll on Vees as Letch’s pack started to disrupt the line out and their young back line looked to attack from all areas.
One such attack saw their 10 score an outstanding length of the pitch score leaving many Vee’s defenders in his wake. This was followed soon afterwards by a score from a tap close to the line and two tries in the last 5 mins to give the visitors a well deserved if slightly flattering 5-49 victory.
The home side were disappointed, identifying structure and the breakdown as areas in need of improvements! Strong performances from Johnny, Ciaran H, Aaron and Matty gave the team some positives and a worthy VOTM went to Ollie Gardiner who rolled the years back with a superb all round game both with strong and elusive carries in attack and scything tackles in defence. Ross G with a hotly contested Richard of the Day for an alleged averlanche of penalties conceded within the first 10 mins.
Vee’s will want to get out again as soon as possible to get back to winning ways and playing the sort of rugby that has brought them their many victories this season.
