Bournville 26 Bromsgrove 19
Bournville began their countdown to the new National Two West season with a hard-earned victory over the Boars in fast, furious and entertaining pre-season encounter in front of a big Friday Night Lights crowd.
With lots of new faces and new combinations across the pitch this was never going to be a perfect performance but there was plenty to encourage the coaching staff in a resilient and tenacious display.
Importantly, the longer the match went on, the better Bournville played and they finished strongly to take victory with late tries from replacement hooker Connor Thorneycroft and Clarkson McLeod.
Bromsgrove played a full part in the entertainment and were in front until Thorneycroft was driven over from close range eight minutes from time and recent recruit Freddie Morgan, a scrum-half who has arrived from Dudley Kingswinford, added the conversion to level at 19-19.
Bournville did not settle for the draw, but played with ambition and were rewarded when McLeod rounded off a sustained counter-attack two minutes from time and Morgan added the extras.
Both sides face bigger and more important challenges in the weeks ahead but this was a good starting point for Bournville who had to split their resources with a second match inside 24 hours against Bridgend Ravens on Saturday.
Of the newcomers, Morgan and fly-half James Mann – another recruit from Dudley Kingswinford – were a cohesive half-back pairing and Mikey Ho, back for a second spell after a season with Old Saltleians, had his usual busy game, this time in the centre.
Ho marked his Avery Fields return with Bournville’s third try midway through the second-half after Bromsgrove were shunted off their own ball at a five metre scrum and he nipped in down the short-side.
Matt Spence got the opening try in the first half when he went over from close range in another solid performance from the lock who performed so well when he was promoted from the Blues at the end of last season.
Ben O’Sullivan, Jonjo Fanning, Kurtis Payne and skipper James Weaver gave the side valuable experience which made the difference against a Bromsgrove side whose enterprise was rewarded with tries from wing Ali Murray, flanker Josh Forbes and loosehead prop Will Parkes with fly-half Will Harris adding two conversions.
Bournville | 15 Niall Demel; 14 Henry Corbett, 13 Mikey Ho, 12 Mark Coulson, 11 Dallas Ororo; 10 James Mann, 9 Freddie Morgan; 1 Clarkson McLeod, 2 James Weaver (C), 3 Kurtis Payne, 4 Ben O’Sullivan, 5 Matt Spence, 6 Lewis Hall, 7 Harry Sigley, 8 Jonjo Fanning.
Replacements used: Connor Thorneycroft, Sean Kimberley, Harry Scarlett, Ben Harper, Bhairaj Rai, Laughie Moeller, Liam Turner, Elliot Christie.
Bournville will introduce ten more of their summer signings in Saturday’s match against Bridgend Ravens at Avery Fields (2.30pm).
Full-back Josh Tutt, centres Joe Jenkins and Rob Knox, wing Dan Rundle and scrum-half Tom Lucas feature in a new-look back division.
In the pack, Bournville supporters will get their first look at hooker Ben Rhodes, tighthead prop Chad Thorne, lock Kieran Henderson and back-row forwards Adam Shaw and Jasper Smith.
Bournville | 15 Josh Tutt; 14 Alex Evans, 13 Joe Jackson, 12 Rob Knox, 11 Dan Rundle; 10 Jacob Fewtrell, 9 Tom Lucas; 1 James Burgoyne, 2 Ben Rhodes, 3 Chad Thorne, 4 Ben Meakin (C), 5 Kieran Henderson, 6 Louis Mifsud, 7 Adam Shaw, 8 Jasper Smith.
Replacements | 16 Connor Thorneycroft, 17 Stef Thorp, 18 Clarkson McLeod, 19 Ben O’Sullivan, 20 Lewis Hall, 21 Jay West, 22 James Mann, 23 Freddie Morgan, 24 Dallas Ororo.
