4th October – Midlands 4 East (South)
Northampton Casuals 6 Rugby St Andrews 8
Saints continued their improved performances and
returned from Northampton with a good victory and more importantly, two more league
points. The Saints front five worked tirelessly against one of the best set of
forwards they have faced for several seasons and the back row outclassed their
opponents in both attack and defence. The backs had to cope with a strong wind
blowing down the pitch but they kept the midfield secure and made some useful
breaks which petered out in a stop start match. Saints, with the wind at their backs,
took an early lead through a Ryan Taylor penalty after 5 minutes but despite
their territorial advantage they failed to add to the score and Casuals
cancelled it out with a penalty of their own mid way through the half.
Saints turned round at half time to face the wind
and came under increasing pressure which resulted in them being temporarily
reduced to 14 men. The seven man pack kept Casuals at bay but after the
offending player returned to the fray they relaxed and Casuals converted a
second penalty to take the lead. Saints forwards immediately went on the
offensive and a series of drives resulted in quick ball for the backs who spun it
wide for Dave Brucket to go over in the corner. There were still 15 minutes to play and
Saints held a slender lead but an increasing penalty count put them under
increasing pressure but some excellent tackling kept Casuals out of range of
the Saints line and they held on for a well earned victory.
Saints will hope to continue this run of good form
when they entertain Vauxhall Motors this Saturday.
Warwickshire 2nd Team League Division 2
Rugby St Andrews 2nds 28 Dunlop 2nds 13
An excellent performance from Saints seconds which
sees them go to the top of Warwickshire Two. Fraser Caithness crossed twice
with Andy Dean and Gary Yates also scoring tries, Gary Curtis added all four
conversions against Dunlop's converted try, penalty and drop goal.
Earlsdon Colts 55 Rugby St Andrews Colts 5
Rugby St Andrews 3 Market
Harborough 36
Despite the scoreline the
performance from Saints was a vast improvement on the previous week. They
limited Harborough to two long range penalties as Saints direct physical
approach asked questions of the Harborough defence. The turning point came in
the final five minutes of the first half when Harborough squeezed in for an
unconverted try in the corner after Saints ran out of defenders on the blind
side, they then converted a third penalty before claiming a second converted
try after a Saints kick was charged down to lead 21-0 at half time.
Harborough were soon on the scoresheet
again early in the second half through a penalty and an unconverted try that
the referee did well to spot under a pile of forwards. Saints finally got on
the scoresheet through a Ryan Taylor penalty after a
period of sustained pressure but Market Harborough had the final say with a
converted try in the final minutes.
Saints were pleased with their work rate if not the
final scoreline, with the front five back to
somewhere near their best against a larger physical set of forwards, the back
row tackled non stop throughout the game and the
backs did well to create breaks that were only thwarted by some stubborn
defending from Harborough.
Saints will hope that the knocks and bruises picked
up during this game to an already depleted squad will have healed in time for
the visit to Northampton Casuals next weekend.
Market Harborough 2nd 27 Rugby
St Andrews 2nd 5
Keresley Colts 24
Rugby St Andrews Colts 18
20th September – Midlands 4 East (South)
Northampton Mens Own 24
Rugby St Andrews 16
Saints will want to forget their first league visit
to Northamptonshire following a disjointed and at times ill disciplined
performance. Saints fell behind within a minute of the kick off after Mens Own made the most of two Saints errors to score a
converted try under the posts. Lee Hersey successfully kicked two penalties
from his four attempts to leave Saints trailing 7-6 at the break. Saints made a
better start to the second half only to get penalised with the try line in
sight, Mens Own eased their way up field thanks
mainly to string a penalties and registered a second converted try. Worse was
to follow as Saints were caught napping at the restart which went straight into
touch and NMO took a quick line out to race away for another converted try to
open up a 21-6 lead. Saints battled their way back into the game and Lee Hersey
crossed for a try which he also converted before he added a third penalty to
close Saints to within a try with 8 minutes remaining. Saints pushed for the
score but were repeatedly thwarted by a combination of stout defending from Mens Own and their own ill discipline which allowed their
hosts to relieve the pressure. As time began to run out Mens
Own secured victory with a penalty.
Saints will hopefully learn from this performance
as they will have to be back at their best when they entertain Market
Harborough this weekend.
Warwickshire 2nd Team League Division 2
Rugby St Andrews 2nds 41 Southam
2nds 7
Saints fell behind to an early converted try but
soon got into their rhythm to record their first league victory of the season.
Rugby St Andrews Colts v Daventry Colts
13th September – Midlands 4 East (South)
Rugby St Andrews 26 Bugbrooke
10
A much improved
Saints performance saw them claim victory in their opening league following
their transfer to the East of the region. Lee Hersey followed up a speculative
kick to gather and score the opening try after two minutes. Bugbrooke
then settled and it took Saints until the 25th minute to extend
their lead through a Jamie Clynes drop goal and five
minutes later he charged down a clearance kick and was first to react to the
bouncing ball to claim a try, converted by Lee Hersey. As half time approached Bugbrooke scored an excellent individual try which was
started in their own 22. Lee Hersey exchange penalties
with his opposite number at the start of the second half and then added a
second with ten minutes remaining. As the game entered injury time, winger Tom Helliwell did well to pick up a loose pass to score in the
corner to secure victory.
Warwickshire 2nd Team League Division 2
Old Leamintonians 2nds 47 Rugby St Andrews
2nds 7
Saints seconds couldn’t reproduce the form
they showed the previous week and fell to a heavy defeat in their opening
league game of the season. Ali Fraser claimed Saints’ only try, converted
by Griff Evans.
Old Leamintonians Colts 15 Rugby St Andrews
Colts 15
6th September
Southam 22 Rugby
St Andrews 18
EDF Senior Vase - Round 1
A much changed Saints side failed to gel as they
bowed out of the Senior Vase at the first hurdle at local rivals Southam. Southam took full
advantage of Saints stuttering start to score a converted try after four
minutes but Saints responded with a penalty from Jamie Clynes
to reduce the deficit shortly after. Southam
stretched their lead in the second quarter claiming a converted try and a drop
goal as they began to stretch the Saints defence. Southam
further extended their lead ten minutes in to the second half after winning the
race to a ball that had been quick through behind the Saints defensive line.
Trailing 22-3 going into the final quarter Saints suddenly cam
to life, the forwards started to take on their heavier opponents and Jamie Clynes was on hand to scamper over for a try with he also
converted before adding a second penalty. Saints moved to within a try in the
final ten minutes when winger Tom Helliwell finished
off a good handling move for a try in the corner with the conversion attempt
falling just short. Despite finishing the stronger Saints failed to find the
elusive score that would have seen them snatch victory.
Saints will now turn their attentions to league
matters when they entertain Bugbrooke at home this
Saturday in Midlands 4 East.
Earlsdon 2nd 6 Rugby
St Andrews 2nd 5
Warwickshire 2nd XV Cup - 1st Round
A youthful second team traveled
to higher ranked Earlsdon in the first round of the
County Cup and were unlucky not claim a win. Despite being under pressure in
the opening quarter Saints defence held firm and after a series of penalties
they threw the ball wide to cross in the corner, with the touchline conversion
attempt hitting the crossbar. Saints came under immense pressure in the second
half and after a number of indiscretions Earlsdon
kicked a penalty from in front of the posts to close the gap. With five minutes
left on the clock Saints were again penalised under their own posts and Earlsdon again kicked the penalty to snatch victory.
Saints seconds are also in league action this
weekend when the travel to Old Leamingtonians in the
Warwickshire 2nd Team League Division 2
Rugby St Andrews Colts 7 Newbold
Colts 34
