Berkswell’s forward momentum puts Spa on the back foot

BERKSWELL & BALSALL29

Leamington were swept aside by a powerful second-half performance from Berkswell in this Midlands Two West (South) encounter.

The game had been delicately poised at the interval, with the visitors leading 10-3. However, as Berkswell’s forwards started to dominate the set scrums, the game became one-way traffic and Bs scored three tries in the final quarter to reflect their control.

There was an even start to the match as both sides tested each other out, with play confined to the middle third.

Sam Sharman scythed through Bs’ defence in Spa’s first positive attack, while James Fahy broke free for Berkswell and almost put Joe Cart clear on the overlap but the final pass was just behind the flying flanker.

After 21 minutes, Fahy produced the first try. A kick over the defence by Sam Bignall saw the full-back pounce on the loose ball and dribble it into the in-goal area before diving on the ball. Bignall’s conversion was wide.

Leamington responded well and penned the visitors deep in their own half. A penalty for offside was run by the home side, but the referee called play back after nothing came of the move and Patrick Northover slotted over the three points.

Berkswell’s forwards were beginning to get on top in both the loose and the sets and this advantage manifested itself in an unconverted push-over try for Mark Galpin three minutes before half-time.

A resurgent Leamington kicked off the second half and immediately gained the upper hand with Bs having to weather some heavy pressure to keep their seven-point lead intact.

A series of offences culminated in visiting centre Roman Coombes being yellow-carded, but good clearance work by half-backs Mike Walls and Bignall kept Leamington at bay.

With the Bs forwards pushing the home scrum back off their own ball at regular intervals, the visitors started to take control and Coombes’ reintroduction was the catalyst for Berkswell to dominate the final 20 minutes.

In the 67th minute, a Bs driving maul was held up inches short of the line, but after resetting and driving again, lock-forward Andrew Caves was awarded the try after close inspection from the referee.

Five minutes later, Berkswell moved further ahead when Dave McNidder stole the ball on the half-way line and sprinted through the unprepared home cover. He was hauled down just short of the line but set-up a maul which the rampant Bs forwards propelled over the line, with Caves’ second-row partner John Arnold getting the ball down. Bignall converted the try for a 22-3 lead to the visitors.

Leamington, to their credit, continued to try and run the ball, but although they made inroads, they could not get near the line.

With two minutes remaining, Berkswell scored the final try. Walls’ kick was fumbled and winger Cameron Hunt gleefully snatched the loose ball and ran 50 metres to score in the corner. Bignall stroked the ball through the posts from a difficult angle to complete the scoring.