Decalmer’s brilliance inspires Bourns

Bournville  41 Newent 19

Nathan Decalmer’s individual brilliance inspired Bournville to an impressive bonus point victory over resilient Newent at Avery Fields.

Decalmer followed up his hat-trick of tries in last week’s defeat at Bromsgrove with four more, all of them scored through a combination of superb footwork and raw pace. The tries were also scored with an increasing degree of difficulty although the left wing managed to make all of them look deceptively easy.

Decalmer does not like the nickname that his team-mates have given him – Starboy – but it is something that he will have to get used to. Having arrived as an unknown from Telford Hornets two years ago Decalmer has quickly become a proven try-scorer and a firm favourite among the Avery Fields faithful as well as his team-mates.

His first try was a trademark jink followed by smooth acceleration which left his opposite number grasping at thin air. For his second, Decalmer wrong-footed three defenders and then produced one of his long distance specials to bag the hat-trick in style.

There appeared to be nothing on when Mikey Ho collected an upfield punt from Newent on his own 22 but Decalmer was given the ball with plenty of space and lots of time in which to decide his route to the line. His brilliant change of pace left tacklers trailing in his wake before he dotted down to score Bourns’ bonus point try.

Decalmer’s final try rounded off the scoring with skipper Jacob Fewtrell setting him up with a pinpoint accurate crossfield kick which found him in space and with time to torment Newent one last time.

It was not entirely the Nathan Decalmer Show as Chris Idehen got Bourns moving with a fifth minute try after a lovely mazy run from Mauro Miller had opened up Newent’s defence.

Newent, who had lost just one of their first five matches, contributed to a free-flowing contest and ensured that Bourns were given little time to relax as fly-half Nathan Brooks and hooker Ethan Allen crossed for first-half tries.

Bourns were also heavily penalised, particularly for high tackles, and that had a cumulative effect in the second-half when Callum Nicholls, Ben Meakin and Scott Rudge were sin-binned in quick succession.

But Newent scored only one try, through loosehead prop Garret Myers, when Bourns were down to 14 men and none at all during the seven minutes when they went down to 13 with Meakin and Rudge both on the naughty step.

When Bourns were back to 15 they made pressure count with Fewtrell slotting a 75^th minute penalty which put Newent out of range of a losing bonus point before Decalmer’s fourth try from the final play of the match, to go with his five conversions and a first-half penalty in a 16 points haul.

*Bournville Blues went down 75-0 to Bromsgrove’s Second XV in their latest Counties Two Midlands West (East) match at Finstall Park.