Sat 21 Sep 2024
Back at home, with thunderstorms a possibility, Stratford welcomed Ludlow to Pearcecroft and started putting pressure on pretty much from the get-go, a smart backs move put Charlie Powell in space, and he was able to make good yardage before being tackled and unfortunately the ball spilled out the back of the ruck allowing Ludlow to recover. Once they had regained the ball, Stratford again looked threatening, but a fast flat skip pass was fumbled by an unintended recipient.
Ludlow had the next attacking phases and worked their way into the Stratford half. A scrum on the Stratford 22 after a messy Stratford lineout gave Ludlow a great attacking opportunity and they made Stratford pay. Ludlow spread the ball across the pitch from a stable scrum and used a decoy runner and pivot to get on the outside of Powell at the far end of the defensive line. Full-back Jo Cook was across to cover but a basketball-style pass back inside saw Ludlow score 5 m from the corner, 0-5.
With 10 minutes gone, Stratford went back on the attack again making their way deep into the Ludlow 22. A charge down from an attempted clearance bounced over the try line and Ludlow were just able to clear it after the bounce wasn’t kind on Tom Houlahan who got the charge down. Stratford kept up the pressure, but the Ludlow defence was solid, and they won a turnover on their try line.
The next five minutes took place between the two teams 22s with both having attacking opportunities fizzle out after knock-ons and defensive turnovers. Thankfully though, the sun had come out and the game continued in similar fashion. Stratford then began to dominate play again, coming close on a few occasions but eventually they were pulled up for crossing. They did score the next points though opting to take the three with it so close and central to the posts, Gwilym Davis duly delivered and it was 3-5 after close to half an hour.
Stratford then added to the score, after forcing Ludlow back into their own 22 once more, a Stratford lineout, followed by 8-9 phases back-and-forth across the pitch eventually made space for Zak Hamersley to go in in the corner for his first try for the Stratford 1st XV. Davis nailed the conversion from near the touchline and Stratford were 10-5 in the lead.
Not to be outdone by the Ludlow defence, Stratford were also resolute, having denied Ludlow close to the goal line on three or four occasions Ludlow themselves opted to take the kick for goal at a penalty not too far wide of the posts. This was missed and Stratford held their five-point lead. Stratford added to this as the last action of the half when Davis knocked over a penalty from around the 10 m line, not too far wide of the posts and Stratford held a 13-5 lead at half-time.
Five minutes after the restart, Ludlow scored a try 5 m from the left corner having progressed into the Stratford half following a lineout, a break that saw them stopped just 10 m in front of the Stratford posts, then a quick ruck plus numbers on the left were all they needed to bring it back to 13-10 after another failed conversion.
Stratford hit back five minutes later with a try of their own. A scrum on the Ludlow 22 right of the posts saw Stratford work their way left making the most of multiple pivots, with would-be fly-halves numerous in the backline, and Nathan Geekie put Powell in one-on-one with the Ludlow winger in the 5 m channel. Passing his man with relative ease, he then curved his run in to score 15 in from the touchline. 18-10 after a wayward conversion attempt.
Following the restart, Ludlow lost a lock to the sin bin after a high tackle on Stratford lock Will Dobbin, starting once again after an impressive performance last week, who was thankfully okay to continue. Not long after Stratford made all three substitutions with the hope of fresh legs exposing the now fewer Ludlow defenders. Ludlow’s ill-discipline saw them lose another man to a high tackle.
A promising attack for Stratford was stopped at the Ludlow 22 when they managed to win a turnover and kicked deep into the Stratford half. Though they maintained possession, when Stratford played it left along the 22, they were pulled up for crossing and despite opting for the kick at goal and a possible three points, to use up time, the Ludlow kicker put it wide of the post.
Back with the ball and a penalty not far from the right wing, an attempted Stratford cross field kick to catch out the narrow Ludlow defence was seized upon by the 13 who made Stratford pay, catching the ball over his head on the turn and leaving Stratford’s chaser stranded, he sped down the Stratford left and popped back inside for a supporting player to score in the corner. Finally making a conversion, though only just, Ludlow were now only a point behind with approximately 25 minutes remaining.
After a loose Stratford kick downfield, the Ludlow backs made the most of their sprightly years and cut through the Stratford chasers making their way back into the Stratford 22. Retaining the ball through multiple phases and frustrating Stratford, a wide looped pass tempted Powell into the intercept, not pulling it off allowed Ludlow to counter with more men in the attacking area of the pitch getting them into the 22 again. The recovering Powell was then carded for not entering the ruck through the gate, to add the Stratford’s woes, Ludlow were back to 14 now as well.
Not long after the 5 m scrum following the sin bin penalty, Ludlow were working their way across the pitch inside the Stratford 5 m line. After multiple phases pushing left, they capitalised on a penalty advantage for a Stratford player not rolling and sent their number eight crashing over the line just to the left of the posts. Despite the experience in the squad, Ludlow were exposing them around the edges with Stratford missing that extra turn of pace when needed. This score, without the conversion, took Ludlow 18-22 ahead Stratford had just 10 minutes to try and turn it around.
After gaining the ball through a lineout on the halfway line, Stratford took it beautifully and spread it left through the hands, frustratingly it was fumbled, and a Ludlow foot sent the ball to within a metre of the try line. The ball was retrieved by Gwilym Davis, but when he lifted his head up, he was met by two Ludlow defenders who drove him back over the line forcing a Ludlow 5 m scrum. Ludlow scored from this scrum down the relatively wide blindside with the number eight picking and popping it to the nine without Tom Houlahan managing to cover the gap, the final wide pass put the Ludlow winger clear through in the corner. 18-29 and both teams were shortly restored to 15 men.
A promising Stratford attack down the right putting Cook in space was ended with a defensive turnover at the next ruck. From this, Ludlow had a lineout on Stratford’s right not far from the 22 and spread the ball across to the right before moving back left again and toeing it down into the far corner to keep Stratford as far away from their own try line as possible. Although not moving much out of the corner, a penalty was awarded to Stratford when the other Ludlow lock was sin bin for feet in the ruck, playing the ball on the wrong side as opposed to stamping or raking.
Stratford conceded a final try when Ludlow were able to execute a three on two just inside the Stratford 22 and the Ludlow 15 scored in the corner. 18-34 with the final whistle following the missed conversion attempt. It was a second half to forget for the Stratford team, with multiple mistakes at crucial times costing them dear. Take away these and they did perform well, but on the day, Ludlow got the better of them. Sensing the mood, a player of the match was not awarded despite the positive moments, Zak Hamersley scoring his first try and the return of James Walton at lock just two of these. However, missing vice-captain Jonny Smith and the fastest of the backs for 10 minutes in the sin bin, Ludlow capitalised.
Stratford: 1. Geoff Dyson, 2. Ben Cole, 3. Tom Stanley (C), 4. Will Dobbin, 5. James Walton, 6. Danny Earp, 7. Zak Hamersley, 8. Jack Young (VC), 9. Tom Houlahan, 10. Bobby Scott-Walker, 11. Charlie Powell, 12. Gwilym Davis, 13. Nathan Geekie, 14. Andy Oliver, 15. Jo Cook. Subs: 16. Zak Amond, 17. Dave Prichard, 18. Bron Koziel.
The Stratford second team travelled away to Shipston after Ludlow were unable to bring a second team with them. Sadly, they were well beaten 62-7, with George Fox getting the only try of the game for Stratford. Stratford 1st XV’s next match these them venture into Birmingham to take on Moseley Oak and the 2nd XV team open their league campaign away at Daventry.
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