Sat 8 Nov 2025
Stratford 7-27 Luctonians II
Luctonians II (Luctonians) were this weekend’s visitors to Pearcecroft after a rest week for all involved due to the Autumn Internationals. Luctonians got the match going and unfortunately a knock-on gave them position back straightaway. They ran a move off the back of the scrum and exposed a misalignment in midfield to get close to the try line, once the ball was recycled, they went in on the right corner. Sadly, this was an all too familiar early setback for Stratford.
With only eight minutes gone, Stratford were 0-12 down having rebuffed a few Luctonians attacks, penalties allowed them to put the pressure back on and a quick tap of a further penalty for saw Luctonians player dive in next to the posts. Stratford did then appear to wake up and thanks to a high tackle found themselves with an attacking scrum on the Luctonians 5 m line. Three Stratford players hit the defensive line hard but couldn’t get over the whitewash and on the third they were penalised for holding on.
Stratford then built into the match pushing Luctonians backwards and gaining more yards, helped by persistent infractions. Scrum-half Jake Lowe tried to repeat the Luctonians second try tapping and going on a penalty right in front of the posts but the pop off the floor, back to a supporting player was knocked on and gave Luctonians an easy exit.
Stratford had most of the ball in the next 20 minutes, but lineouts and passes were going slightly astray, being caught behind the inside shoulder or going to ground and preventing Stratford from breaking the gain line with the Luctonians defence coming up fast, occasionally offside and less often penalised. A set move from right to left saw captain Johnny Smith, playing inside centre again, this time with a different partner (the returning Dan Whitby) pass out wide to winger Ben Humphreys but the ball was fumbled and Luctonians had it back again.
With a Luctonians eventually sin binned, Stratford pushed on and were now making more yards and producing cleaner ruck ball but ultimately could not get a try during the period with scrums and lineouts eating the time away. With a lock (James Walton) playing prop and his propping partner Tom Stanley throwing into the lineout in the absence of regular Ben Cole, it would be hard to expect perfection, and they both did a decent job, nonetheless. The half ended with Luctonians still ahead 0-12.
Stratford started the second half much better than the first, from a right-side ruck on the Luctonians 10 m line the referee awarded another penalty to Stratford and had a long chat with the Luctonians captain before allowing the penalty to be kicked to touch. From this Stanley found Jamie Jones right at the top of the lift securing clean ball and allowing Stratford to form a maul. After it twisted and turned it went to ground but Stratford still had access to the ball and started an attack from there.
The ball went through the hands of Lowe, Luke Jelley, Whitby and out the back to Humphreys before being bought down centre-field. Returning to the starting lineup, outside flanker Sam James came “round the corner” and took the ball inside a wrongfooted defender, handed off the next would-be tackler and was eventually stopped in front of the posts. Prop Stanley came in at an angle to the right of the ruck crashing into two defenders and down onto the white line. After much consideration the referee awarded the points, a much-needed lift for Stratford. Converted by Whitby, the score was 7-12.
Luctonians suffered more yellows in the following period, both when in possession of the ball with one shoulder charge was clearing the ruck and another for what appeared to be hands on the floor but may have just been persistent fouling. What didn’t help Stratford was giving the ball straight back to Luctonians in between the two. Stratford chose to make two changes then with Dom Wan and Toby Mendes entering the field for Laurence Birch and Dom Leach, some fresh legs to try make the numbers count.
In the period when Stratford had more men on the field, position was equally split with Luctonians relying on their go-to-carriers to keep possession but occasionally knocking on or being turned over by Stratford. Stratford made lots of yards, breaking through midfield or through multiple phases but generally they ended in a kick or being turned over themselves. It also didn’t help that these yards were predominantly in escaping their own half.
Luctonians, not being able to break through, ended the period by taking a kick for goal, extending their lead 7-15. They then continued to play the territory game with long booming kicks turning the Stratford defence around and then benefiting from knock-ons or by turning the ball over to keep the game down in Stratford’s half. After one promising attack, building phases out of their own 22, a clearing kick failed to find touch and Luctonians attacked again creating a two-on-one. Having been introduced on the wing, Yashi Joshi was exposed and in making the tackle, injured his shoulder and was withdrawn from the field whilst Luctonians attempted and missed their conversion. They now led 7-20.
The game finished five minutes later, ended after the conversion of a final try for Luctonians when the centre stayed out wide on sideline ruck and was able to get an arm free and pop it back inside to support a man. Stratford had stepped up in the middle of the match but with two tries at the very start and end, Luctonians‘ took it 7-27. Player of the Match on the day went to Sam James who along with his forward pack made many yards, and had his 15-yard dash to set up Stratford’s only try of the match.
Stratford XV: 1. James Walton 2. Michael Dawes* 3. Tom Stanley* 4. Zak Amond* 5. Laurence Birch* 6. Dom Leach 7. Sam James* 8. Jamie Jones* 9. Jake Lowe 10. Luke Jelley 11. Charle Billings* 12. Johnny Smith* 13. Dan Whitby 14. Ben Humphreys 15. Nathan Geekie* 16. Dom Wan* 17. Toby Mendes 18. Yashi Joshi
*Denotes product of Stratford minis and juniors
