Sat 26 Sep 2026, 15:00
Stratford 29-21 Camp Hill
Stratford welcomed Camp Hill to Pearcecroft this week in a belated start to the season on what turned out to be a sunny afternoon. Now in Counties 1 West Midlands (South) with new head coach Anthony Andrews and first-team Captain Gwilym Davis, Stratford were looking to put the dark days of last season behind them.
The game got off to a nervy start as neither team knew quite what to expect from the other having not played for at least a decade. Stratford attacked out wide after securing rucks whereas Camp Hill did more damage through the middle, but ultimately both were scuppered by Jackalers at the ruck and poor handling. Stratford thought they had scored in the right-hand corner, with 10 gone, only to be brought back for a forward pass on the 5 m line.
Stratford were back on their line defending at least twice before opening the scoring, starting from a lineout just inside their own 22 on the right. The lineout was secured and the pack showed their dominance (which they had been enjoying in the scrums) and drove to 3 m short of halfway. Captain Davis stepped into first receiver and passed out the back to first-team debutant and Warwickshire U18 representative Seb Hillard, who then offloaded in a tackle to Charlie Billings, who had wrapped around from his wing to pass out to George Fox on the other.
Sensing the touchline Fox put the brakes on and stepped inside one man before being taken down by the second. Thinking quickly, he popped it inside to his full-back Dan Lewis a metre short of the line to dot down and score on his first-team debut. Davis missed the conversion, but Stratford now led 5-0.
Minutes later Stratford were behind, giving away a penalty on their own 10 m line, with the defensive line generally coping well with the barrage of sizeable Camp Hill forwards, not to mention the two centres, high tackle was their undoing. A Camp Hill back, taking a quick tap on the referee’s mark, raced between two defenders that knew they would be binned if they touched him. He went in under the posts untouched to move into a 5-7 lead with an easy conversion. Any illusions of the division being a breeze were surely now gone.
Stratford were further behind before half-time; they had many promising positions on the pitch squandered by ambitious tip-ons and passing inaccuracy. Despite growing frustrations, the crowd could see that the players were looking to execute their new coach Andrews fluid attacking style despite the issues. The fierce defence worked well but Camp Hill kept coming at them and after sustained pressure in Stratford’s 22, managed to push their way through for another score, also converted to go into half-time 5-14 ahead.
In the second half Stratford went on the attack quickly, a scrum on the halfway was kicked deep into the Camp Hill 22, trickling out inside the 5 m on the right. Camp Hill were rewarded with the ball, despite what appeared to be a 50-22 from Davis. Possession switched a few times before Camp Hill were able to clear the ball down to Stratford’s 22, however the danger was not over yet. Gathered by full-back Powell, he got to halfway before passing off to Fox who drew his man and found Whitby.
Whitby spread it out to Davis before looping round him and making the extra man, receiving a well-timed pass back from Davis to run in from just outside the 22 and score 5 m in from the right post. Davies missed the conversion, but Stratford were starting to click.
Stratford then moved into a one-point lead by scoring on the left side of the field. Having played for position Stratford gained possession in the Camp Hill half, when a clearing kick was taken in by no 8 Jonny Smith, then smashed up by now prop Amond before eventual scorer Stanley. A penalty a few faces later gave Stratford an attacking lineout on the 5 m line. Stanley found the first jumper and joined the back of the maul as it marched over the try line allowing him to collapse and score.
Not long after, Stratford appeared to have worn Camp Hill’s defence down, a lineout on the attacking 22 moved forward before the next runner was pushed back by a dominant defensive tackle, but from this, Stratford recycled the ball well. Lewis, now scrumhalf, found Toby Mendes who put a little footwork on an offloaded just to his right to Amond 10 m out and he was able to run under in the posts with the Camp Hill 15 over covering towards the corner. This gave Davis an easy conversion, allowing him to break his kicking duck.
Camp Hill were not done though; they moved back to within a point with a converted try to make it 22-21. Though not having the power to match Stratford at the set pieces, with a running start their big ball carriers made dents and pushed Stratford back. Camp Hill eventually went in to score, just left of the posts to secure seven points.
As the game ticked on, Stratford survived a scare when a Camp Hill back broke through the first line and managed to beat the first covering defender Fox, before full-back Powell saved Stratford, bringing the man down on the 22. After turning the ball over in the corner, fly half Hillard received the ball to clear on his own five and smashed the ball downfield, trickling over the line on the Camp Hill 22. This point was hotly debated in the crowd with many believing it was a monster 50-22.
Stratford made sure of the points after turning over Camp Hill at the lineout, winning a penalty on the right and opting for the scrum. Another dominant scrum gave them the perfect platform to spread the ball left, with Billings offering an option at the back, Hillard went to Davis who offloaded at the last moment to his centre partner Whitby. Taking the ball on the half spin Whitby finished the 360 with great poise and ran the last 5 m, going in under the posts.
Davis added the extra two and Stratford saw the game out having secured a bonus point win. Despite many impressive debuts, player of the match went to Toby Mendes who outshone them all working tirelessly around the pitch for the full 80. Sadly, Stratford lost tighthead prop Geoff Dyson after half an hour who was on his way to hospital with a possible torn bicep.
Next week Stratford travel across the M40 to take on Leamington in a 3 PM kick-off.
Stratford XV: 1. Geoff Dyson* 2. Michael Dawes* (VC) 3. Tom Stanley* 4. Lawrence Birch 5. Zak Amond* 6. Jamie Jones* 7. Toby Mendes 8. Jonny Smith* 9. Ben Humphreys 10. Seb Hillard* 11. Charlie Billings * 12. Gwil Davis* (C) 13. Charlie Powell* (VC) 14. George Fox* 15. Dan Lewis* 16. Elliot James 17. Mike Hickey 18. Dan Whitby
*Denotes product of Stratford minis and juniors
Other results: Stratford 2XV 64-21 Southam 2XV; Nuneaton Old Eds Colts 15-26 Stratford Colts; Stratford U16s 39-18 Olney U16s
