Alex Grove’s class and experience proved decisive in helping Bournville to start 2024 with a deserved win over improving Old Redcliffians at Avery Fields.
Former Scotland centre Grove has been used sparingly since he re-joined Bournville as player/defence coach last summer but he played his first full 80 minutes of the season and featured prominently in attack and defence.
It was a performance that was appreciated by the band of Worcester Warriors Supporters Trust members who were accustomed to Grove’s wholehearted performances during his long career at Sixways.
Grove helped to sort out tickets for the Trust group, who have not had a team to support since Warriors went into administration 15 months ago, and his contribution to a fourth win of the season for Bournville were praised by his boss, head coach Matt Price.
“What Alex brings is that experience and that calmness to proceedings. When everything is going flat-out, he has got the calmness to see things early, spot it and go and deal with it, especially in defence, he brings the line up nice and solid,” Price said.
“But I was also pleased with the way he attacked today. He attacked really well.
“Having somebody who has international and Premiership experience to come in and settle things down, especially when they came back at us, does feel you with a bit of comfort.
“Whether he can do it week and week out I don’t know. I gave him the option of coming off after 60 minutes but he gave me the thumbs-up and he did the full 80.”
Grove’s bone-crunching tackles were important in helping Bournville to deny Old Reds the sniff of a scoring opportunity in the first-half but equally significant was the muscular contribution of tighthead prop Steffan Thorp.
Old Reds were under so much pressure in the scrum that they changed their loosehead midway through the first-half and, such was Thorp’s dominance, that the Bristol club were reduced to wheeling in a desperate attempt to nullify him.
“You know you have a dominant scrum when you allow them to hit you and then manage them after it. That’s what we were doing,” Price said.
“I don’t think they were at full-strength but we will take every advantage that we can.
“What we do well is we scrummage as one. It’s nice and tight and there are not many teams in the league who can compete with us there.”
With a plentiful supply of possession Bournville eased into a 22-0 lead at the break with Jacob Fewtrell’s early penalty being followed by a brilliant individual try from left wing Nathan Decalmer whose pace and power left a trail of tacklers in his wake.
Right wing Alex Evans rounded off another sustained attack before scrum-half Jay West finished off a move started by Grove and Owen Williams.
There was a reminder that there was still work to do in the second-half when Old Reds centre Toby Baker scored within a minute of the re-start but Bournville responded with a second try from Decalmer which secured a bonus point.
Old Reds pulled to within eight points when first centre Jonathan Cook then full-back Finn Murphy scored within the space of seven minutes but West ended the fightback when he snaffled a deft chip through from Sam Grimshaw.
A penalty from Rhys Williams extended the lead although Old Reds salvaged a late bonus point when they were awarded a penalty try when a driving line-out was collapsed.
“I think the three-week break over Christmas and a bit of a re-set has done us good,” Price said.
“Against Dudley Kingswinford we were missing a few people but we are now pretty much back to full-strength with a couple still to come back.
“What was pleasing today was our defence was pretty solid and aggressive, especially in the first-half when we gave only two penalties away.
“We were clean and clinical and we were very good. In the second-half we knew that Old Reds were always going to have a go but it was really pleasing to come out with the five points.
“That first 40 minutes is where we want to be. When we play like that I don’t think there is any team that could compete with us in this league.
“But that’s the challenge isn’t it? You have got to do it for long periods of time and do it against the best teams. That’s our challenge.
“We want to be pushing up the table and challenging the top half.”
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