Sat 20 Sep 2025
Kenilworth 17-20 Stratford
Stratford travelled away to another rival, Kenilworth, who came back down from the league above after a thoroughly disappointing season, with kick-off brought forward to 14:15, Stratford got the match underway on a relatively warm afternoon.
Kenilworth gathered in the kick-off but were turned over by prop Tom Stanley who then made a 5 m carry infield before being brought down. 7-8 phases later with both Stratford centres, Dan Whitby and Charlie Powell, carrying hard on opposite sides of the pitch, Stratford got into the 22, where they kept up the pressure.
After a ruck 6 m out on the right of the post, one phase to the left before moving back to the right left Stratford with a 3-on-2 and saw Whitby execute a miss pass to set Andy Oliver free into the corner, though he did have to step inside a final defender to score. Whitby added the extras from near the touchline on the harder side for a right footed kicker.
Around 10 minutes later after both teams had had possession a few times, a penalty to Kenilworth gave them a lineout 5 m from the Stratford line. Taken down, they ran a few phases towards the posts and with Stratford’s fly half Ethan Cook out of play with a dislocated shoulder, they pressed on and scored to the right of the posts, converting the relatively simple kick to level the scores 7-7.
With Cook removed, Nathan Geekie stepped in at 10, Charlie Billings came on for his first team debut and Andy Oliver shifted to 15. When Stratford had the ball, they looked strong and keeping it tight around the rucks were making progress. Oliver executed a 50-22 after taking a Kenilworth clearance on the full, a back lineout ball and five phases later Stratford were awarded a penalty which Whitby slotted with relative ease, 7-10.
Having stopped numerous Kenilworth attacks with jackals or higher tempo defence, Stratford launched one of their own making it down to the Kenilworth 22 once again. A high tackle allowed Whitby to increase Stratford lead, though a few minutes later Kenilworth had a similar opportunity and brought it back to a three-point game, 10-13.
Kenilworth did get ahead before half-time following a lack of communication by Stratford when defending a lineout on their own 5 m line. Jamie Jones was thrown up high and did win the ball back, tapping it back, but a Kenilworth forward got the luck of the bounce and dived over the line, the conversion made it 17-13. A succession of scrums and lineouts ended the half with Stratford looking powerful in the scrum, hit and miss in the lineout and benefiting from a very positive first 30 minutes for Charlie Billings.
The second half started with a light but annoying continual drizzle of rain which might be blamed for a few handling mistakes but otherwise the game continued as it had in the first, but with fewer points taken. Each team appeared to be slipping off tackles when the other was running hard but making the tackles that counted once the red zone was threatened. As expected by now, both sets of fans felt aggrieved with decisions going against their respective teams.
After Sam Britain was introduced for Lawrence Birch (managing a back issue) at half-time, 10 minutes later Toby Mendes was also withdrawn, though sure to return later, for Mike Hickey to make his first-team debut for the black and whites.
Kenilworth started to build some pressure and test the Stratford defence pushing into their 22. Fearing the worst after a Kenilworth quick tap penalty Ben Humphreys, who’d just been moved into scrum-half, couldn’t help but tackle the player inside 10 m and saw yellow for it. Kenilworth turned down that, and a further penalty kick opportunity to continue to attack the Stratford try line. A knock-on released the pressure on Stratford and allowed them a defensive scrum to clear their lines.
With Powell stepping in at scrum-half and setting up to move left, Stratford captain Jonny Smith picked and went right, passing to Whitby who ran clear and kicked ahead once confronted on the halfway line. Winning the ball back at the ruck on the Kenilworth 22, with players desperately trying to catch up with play, Stratford ploughed on. The attack was stopped at the 22 on the opposite side of the pitch but a minute later Stratford struck.
A few phases after the Stratford scrum, Whitby stepped in and made it within a metre of the posts sucking the majority of Kenilworth defenders in, a further phase to the right allowed Stratford a three on one in which makeshift fly half Powell through a 20 m pass to Toby Mendes’ feet. Thankfully for the travelling support, he gathered the ball and dived over the line in the corner. Whitby slotted another technically difficult kick to put Stratford three points clear, 17-20.
Stratford’s defence held strong and with the return of Humphreys from the sin bin were bolstered to try and see out the win. Kenilworth really did work hard to try and get back in front but mistakes or turnovers and at crucial times ate into the remaining minutes. Continually pushed backwards, Stratford’s desire to win was tested and proven after latching onto a ruck ball feet from the try line and giving the referee grounds to penalise Kenilworth for holding on.
With some confusion around the penalty ending the game, Stratford were forced to take a lineout but that went awry, and the final whistle blew with Stratford taking the win and four league points, 17-20.
POTM went to Toby Mendes for a standout performance not to mention the game-winning try. In truth, many Stratford players put their names in the hat for this award, with everyone playing their part in an all-round team performance. A break weekend next will give aches and pains the chance to recover before they play Old Halesonians at home on October 4.
Stratford XV: 1. Michael Dawes* 2. Ben Cole* (VC) 3. Tom Stanley* 4. James Walton 5. Lawrence Birch* 6. Toby Mendes 7. Jamie Jones* 8. Jonny Smith* (C) 9. Jake Lowe 10. Ethan Cook* 11. Ben Humphreys 12. Dan Whitby 13. Charlie Powell* 14. Andy Oliver 15. Nathan Geekie* (VC) 16. Sam Britain 17. Mike Hickey 18. Charlie Billings
*Denotes product of Stratford minis and juniors
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