Bournville players were prominent in helping North Midlands to win the Bill Beaumont County Championship Division Two title with a 30-28 victory over Northumberland in a tense final at Twickenham.
There 12 members of the Bournville squad which won the Regional One Midlands title in the county’s matchday 23 with seven starters and the remainder on the bench.
All of them got game time and contributed to victory with Jacob Fewtrell kicking 25 points in a flawless display off the tee and Mauro Miller and Sam Grimshaw each scoring a try.
Fewtrell’s accuracy proved crucial as Northumberland out-scored North Midlands by four tries to two. But the Bourns fly-half converted all three North Midlands tries – two of them from the right-hand touchline in the first-half – and he also landed three penalties.
North Midlands were pushed all the way by an abrasive and direct Northumberland side but Chris Idehen, who came off the bench in the second half, put in an important tackle to disrupt a threatening attack late in the game and a penalty won in injury-time allowed Fewtrell to boot the ball into the West Stand seats to start the celebrations.
Throughout the competition Bournville have been strong supporters of North Midlands and have supplied the largest contingent from one club.
In addition to Fewtrell, Miller and Grimshaw, wing Mikey Ho, hooker Ben Rhodes, loosehead prop Scott Rudge and openside flanker Adam Shaw all started at Twickenham with Idehen, props Clarkson McLeod and Jake Thompson, lock Ben Meakin and scrum-half Reiss Price all making an impact off the bench.
Fewtrell gave North Midlands the lead with a fifth minute penalty but it did not last long as Northumberland went over from the back of a lineout for a converted try three minutes later.
Miller’s try, after a patient and sustained attack, and Fewtrell’s brilliant touchline conversion regained the lead and North Midlands built on it when Fewtrell added another penalty then Newport blindside John Tuia collected at the front of a lineout and drove over.
Fewtrell again made a difficult conversion look easy but, from looking comfortable at 20-7, North Midlands found themselves a point down at the break as Northumberland used their hefty pack to score two more converted tries in the last seven minutes of the first-half.
Grimshaw’s try, after North Midlands used quick lineout ball and Fewtrell delivered a perfect pass, with Fewtrell adding the extras regained the initiative and a third penalty from Grimshaw on 48 minutes gave them a little more comfort.
But a lack of accuracy in attack and some indiscipline meant that other promising attacks were frustrated and Northumberland were able to stay in touching distance.
A fourth converted try, after Northumberland built pressure from their pack, meant a nervous final 15 minutes but North Midlands were resilient and the Bournville contingent were able to end a long season with another piece of silverware.
