Sat 6 Dec 2025
Stratford 33 - 33 Edwardians
Stratford hosted Edwardians on Saturday, and a 3-0 forward-back split on the bench meant one of two things, a lack of available fit backs or the more likely assumption of Edwardians gameplay! Any possible premonitions came true with Edwardians opening the scoring, once close to the Stratford try line, with their hooker bulldozing over the line, the conversion made it 0-7.
Having let Edwardians in from a penalty on the half-way, Stratford ended a recent run of conceding two opening tries when presented with an opportunity, the returning Dan Whitby dissected the uprights, 3-7. This led to a 10-minute period where Stratford struggled to gain a foothold, with their first three lineouts failing and stifling any attack. However, they held tough in defence and stopped Edwardians going further ahead.
Storm weathered, Stratford put a series of plays together which delivered the desired reward, five points and the lead. Starting with a scrum just outside the 22, a pass and loop round by fly half Luke Jelley distracted Edwardians whilst Gwil Davis fed Whitby with a short pop, and he made it to the halfway line.
A wide pass to fullback Andy Oliver saw him stepping players despite ankle problems making it to Edwardians’ 22 and popping inside to Davis who was brought down 10 m out. Two phases later and fourth crucial action by Davis saw quick hands put Laurence Birch in over the five, moving another 10 m in towards the posts before touching down. The only thing missing was the conversion, 8-7.
With around 30 minutes gone and having been pegged back by an Edwardians try when they created and executed a four-on-two, Stratford moved back into the lead 15-14. A scrum penalty on the halfway was kicked to the right side for a lineout and taken successfully, then driven on 3 m before Michael Dawes popped out the side and made another 10 in towards the posts setting up a great attacking position.
Next captain Jonny Smith bumped off the first defender and made another few metres causing a desperate defence to stray offside. With the offside penalty kicked to the corner Stratford once again gathered the lineout and drove towards the line, its span a bit at the end and Dawes finished it off, getting the ball down safely.
Stratford moved further ahead before half-time with a solid scrum giving the backs the platform they needed to execute. With another hard straight run from Whitby, a quick ruck thanks to Jamie Jones and Jake Lowe, Stratford moved across the field and a dummy back inside by centre Davis caught out two defenders and saw him galloping towards the 22. A second handoff metres before the try line allowed him to go in almost untouched. Whitby added the extras and Stratford led at half-time, 22-14.
Stratford almost opened the half with a try of a set move, but the ball sadly went forward when left-wing Charlie Billings was tackled 5 m out from the corner. However, having invited Edwardians to the try line via two penalties Stratford conceded the inevitable score, the Edwardians hooker once again. Knowing this might be a tight game, five minutes later Stratford opted to take the points from a penalty and moved a little further ahead 25-19. They also introduced James Walton and Zak Amond from the bench.
Dealing with a large amount of pressure in the red zone, Stratford were pushing the referee with persistent fouling which in the end led to a yellow card for scrum-half Lowe, and a 3 m tap and go in front of the right post. This allowed the Edwardians hooker to collect his hat-trick, and they moved one point ahead, 25-26. Edwardians pushed ahead in the sin bin period, Stratford suffering two blows; losing centre Whitby to injury and conceding a further try. With around 10 minutes left it was 25-33.
Stratford then started to gain the ascendancy, helped by the reintroduction of Lowe the game was now being played in the Edwardians half. Lineouts, scrums and penalties gave them the position and confidence that they could get back in the game. With 5 to 6 minutes hard graft in the Edwardians 22, Stratford hadn’t broken the whitewash. So, at the next opportunity-an Edwardians yellow-Stratford’s Davis took the three, in the absence of Whitby, to move within seven, 28-33.
From a lineout on the 10 m into the Edwardians half, right hand side, Stratford worked in the field first with Dawes back on the ball, three further phases and Stratford spread the ball left where the defender lapped it down and left the home support outraged with the referee not noticing. Nevertheless, they battled on, with Amond smashing the ball up either side of a carry by fellow substitute Toby Mendes, both hoping to prove they should start the next match.
3 m out in front of the posts with Edwardians scrambling, forgetting he was now playing centre Captain Smith took the ball in, got his arms above the defender and popped it to the right. Fantastic hands from Jones, picking the ball off his shoelaces and instantly swinging it wide right gave fullback Oliver a great opportunity to score.
By the time Oliver got to the line he was on the five with three Edwardians sprinting across to try and deny him. Oliver used all his experience to loop the ball up over his shoulder and slam it down on the ground. With the referee very insistent on the distance of the kick from the touchline, inside centre Davis had a very difficult kick from the right, being right footed, which would mean the difference between a win or a draw. The kick held true but drifted to the right of the posts meaning a 33-33 draw.
As with the highs and lows of sport, the elation of the try was dampened a bit with the missed conversion, but on reflection a very entertaining game that both teams will feel got away from them. With each having scored four tries they took three league points, these could be crucial later in the year. Player of the match went to Gwil Davis, his second in a row. With Jelley playing fly half, Davis had the freedom to let loose.
Stratford XV: 1. Michael Dawes* 2. Ben Cole* 3. Tom Stanley* 4. Sam James* 5. Laurence Birch* 6. Dom Wan* 7. Jonny Smith* 8. Jamie Jones* 9. Jake Lowe 10. Luke Jelley 11. Charle Billings* 12. Gwil Davis* 13. Dan Whitby* 14. Armin Tofighi* 15. Andy Oliver 16. Zak Amond* 17. James Walton 18. Toby Mendes
*Denotes product of Stratford minis and juniors
