South Demolition Derby

South visited Haslams the home of Derby RFC in the league for the first time since achieving a 24 -18 victory on the 4th March 2006 and going onto promotion into the old Midlands One. Gaz Nicholson, Adam Cocks and Mark Lord shared the points that day.
Joe Glover was unavailable this week and Connor Smith injured so Ricky Aley took his place at scrum half, Danny Graney at full back with Dave Weston on the left wing. The pack was virtually the same as the Sandbach game, however, with Aaron Langan at 7. Simon Johnson, Wes Cartwright and debutant Joe Cleary made up the bench.

South attacked from the word go and should have been ten points up immediately as a kickable penalty was spurned and Dave Weston, after an excellent kick and chase, knocked on in the act of scoring, over the Derby line.
South did score first, however, when subtle hands from Luke Coltman, Andy Gates and Lee Miller put the evergreen Andy Harris in for a try. Ricky Aley pushed his conversion attempt wide.
Speedster Gareth Kerr added South’s second try after Keiran Stone, Stu Bale, Will Ward and Danny Graney did the hard yards. Aley added the conversion.
Will Keeling was on hand for South’s third try as he intercepted a wayward Derby pass as they strove to get out of defence and strolled over. Aley again added the extras.
Things went off the boil as Derby hit back with a penalty and two converted tries all from South defensive mistakes.
Josh McLaurin got things back on track latching onto an Aley grubber kick behind the Derby defence touching down to gain the four try bonus point just before half time. South were on top at scrummage time, but again weren’t rewarded as the dominent side by a somewhat pedantic referee.

A 17-24 half time score was closer than it should have been, but probably reflective of South’s disjointed approach.

Immediately after the break South were dealt a severe blow as Aaron Langan was given a harsh straight red card apparently for stamping. South, however, re-organised and really tightened up their play to put together some great rugby under the duress of being a man short for forty minutes.
Mark Lord controlled the game from fly half and took over the kicking duties converting all five tries scored by South in the second half.
Aley intercepted another Derby wayward pass for a long run in to go over for South’s fifth try, followed by a penalty try as the referee had no option after South destroyed the home pack in a series of scrums on the home line.
Lord made a slick break to pierce the home defence and offloaded in the tackle to put Kerr in for his second try and got in on the act himself strolling over for the next try under the posts. Derby were reduced to fourteen men as their No8 was yellow carded and Will Keeling added his second try and South’s ninth to conclude the rout virtually on the whistle.

From South’s point of view it was a game of two halves. A struggle to put together any coherent passages of play without making any mistakes in the first then a half of sublime rugby with a man short!

Coach Steve Booth nominated Mark Lord for man of the match not just for his fifteen points, but his game control, line breaks and some “big” hits in defence.

Crunch time next week at home to Sutton Coldfield – Be there!

Squad:

Graney, Kerr, Keeling, Gates, Weston, Lord, Aley, McLaurin, Langan, Miller (Cartwright), Ward, Bale (Cleary), Stone, Coltman ©, Harris, Johnson.