Bournville won top marks for performance, delivery and style from Head Coach Alex Grove after they ran in nine tries in an entertaining and competitive friendly at Avery Fields.
Pre-season friendlies can often by shapeless and disjointed affairs when they are played in third or quarters with frequent interchanges of players but this was played as a proper game of rugby which produced a high-tempo contest which tested the skills and stamina of players just two weeks away from the start of a new league season.
Silhillians, relegated from Regional One Midlands at the end of last season, played their part in a fast and furious affair and ensured that Bourns did not have things entirely their own way. But when Bourns played with pace and accuracy – which they did for most of the match – they produced some scintillating rugby.
“It was a very full-on game. As a coaching team we challenged our lads to play fast, play physically and be really accurate and I felt that we did all of those in most areas of the game,” Grove said.
“Whilst Sils scored a couple of nice tries I think physically we had the edge on them in all areas.
“We did an awful lot right today. Everyone has had some game time. We’ve looked at some new players and some new combinations.”
One of those new players was 17-year-old schoolboy Oscar Fawkes-Underwood, a product of the club’s mini and junior sections. He was due to play his first-ever game of adult rugby at full-back but was given additional responsibilities when Jacob Fewtrell withdrew with a tweaked hamstring which meant he was switched to fly-half.
If Fawkes-Underwood had any nerves he did not show them as he produced an assured and authoritative performance as Bournville’s playmaker and a haul of 12 points from six conversions.
“I thought Oscar was outstanding for his first game of men’s rugby,” Grove said. “He’s just turned 17 and whilst he has been training with us through pre-season he had never played a game of men’s rugby.
“So he ‘s never had to deal with that level of physicality but he didn’t shy away from it. Understandably, he had members of the opposition targeting him, which you would do if you have a young ten opposite you. He was quite smart with how he dealt with that. He had runners on his inside and on his outside and he was tipping balls and playing balls inside.
“That just softens up the defence. If the defence want to come really hard and you are tipping the ball inside or outside you are bringing other runners into the game, suddenly that defence changes next time around. They go a bit softer.
“He varied his game. He ran, he kicked, he passed and that was the most pleasing thing. He played with confidence.”
Although Fawkes-Underwood produced the outstanding individual performance this was very much a team effort from Bourns with forwards and backs combining superbly throughout with the only minor blemish being the sin-binning of Mikey Ho then Adam Shaw within a minute of each other midway through the first-half.
Bourns handled the period when they were down to 13 reasonably well and it was only in the final minute of that nine minute spell that Silhillians scored the first of their two tries.
Once Bourns were back to 15 men, Fawkes-Underwood drew in Sils’ defence before slipping the ball to Mikey Ho.
The other tries were scored by hooker Ben Rhodes – five minutes into his comeback from a serious biceps injury – Jasper Smith, captain Ben Meakin and Sam Grimshaw in the first-half.
Lock George Jewell, who was a constant threat in attack, rounded off another superb attack midway through the second-half, Jonjo Fanning got a quick brace as Bourns increased their dominance up front and Clarkson McLeod rounded off the try-scoring with Fawkes-Underwood completing the scoring with his final conversion.
There was an unexpected cameo appearance as a replacement for wing Abraham Jones who had turned up to watch that match. Jones was a regular in the Blues a couple of seasons ago and a committed and enthusiastic trainer.
He now plays his club rugby in London and had played 40 minutes in a pre-season match on Thursday night when Grove phoned asking him whether he would like to play for the Blues at Claverdon on Friday evening.
Jones booked himself on a train from Marylebone, played the second-half at Claverdon and, when Ben Fellows was forced to withdraw from the bench against Sils, he answered another late call after Grove spotted him on the touchline and gave him his senior debut as a replacement for the final 20 minutes.
“Abraham had 40 minutes for the team he plays for in London on Thursday night. He spent most of Friday on the train to get to Claverdon where he played 40 minutes for the Blues and then turned up today and was called in as emergency cover 20 minutes before kick-off.
“So, he has played three games in three days. I didn’t expect him to make his first team debut today but I thought he did well when he came on.”
Through the viewfinder
A good trial game in the bag. Better than that though, the lineouts, the scrums and to be honest everything else was top notch too.
Now the let down. Here are the photos 🙂
Till the next time
Sully, Bournville’s always friendly (and free) club photographer.
