Bournville Forwards Coach Tom Manise wants to see a positive reaction to the disappointing 57-17 defeat at Hornets when they hit the road again for a key National Two West match at Devonport Services on Saturday November 14.
Bourns’ last away National League win came at The Rectory in April 2025 in a match between two clubs who knew they had already been relegated to the regional leagues.
Both Bourns and Services made a swift return to the National Leagues having topped their respective leagues last season but have found life tough going back at level four. While Bourns have beaten Lymm and drawn with Loughborough Students at Avery Fields, Devonport are still seeking their first victory after nine straight defeats.
Bourns will go into Saturday’s match having imploded in the second-half at Hornets but Manise hopes that a few days of reflection will benefit the side.
“It’s all about how we react as a group and how we react individually. We need to go away and look at our own individual performances and put a plan in place during the week and then look to complete on it,” Manise said.
“Today wasn’t the best day for any of us. All we can is rebuild and have another go.”
Away wins in the National Leagues for Bourns have been rare and hard-earned and the hopes of travelling supporters that they might be about to witness another were raised – but quickly dashed – at Hornets.
When Joe Jenkins crossed early in the second-half Bourns were just two points adrift of a Hornets side with two men in the sin bin, but that was as close as they got.
“We went in at half-time really excited about the second-half and excited to get our hands on the ball and keep the ball and build a score. That was the plan,” Manise said.
“Everyone has got a plan until they get punched in the face in the famous words of Mike Tyson. Hornets came out firing, they managed the game better than us, they took their chances well, they kicked well and we didn’t stick to our game plan.
“They put us under a lot of pressure and we didn’t react to the pressure how we wanted to.
“We put a lot of emphasis at half-time on the first ten minutes of the second-half with the idea of keeping the ball in hand as much as we could, make them make tackles and make them work in those ten minutes. Unfortunately ,it didn’t run that way.
“The bounce of the ball wasn’t with us but also Hornets were better in every department.
“We had four or five really good chances in the second-half to get that bonus point try but we didn’t complete. I thought we had scored off the back of a maul but, once again, bounce of the ball or rub of the green however you want to put it, it didn’t quite go our way.
“All credit to Hornets, but we shouldn’t be putting ourselves in the position where we were relying on those decisions to go our way.”
