Bournville’s 64-14 victory over Dudley Kingswinford in their latest Regional One Midlands match was very much a team performance but which included some significant individual contributions.
Jamie Harding made his first appearance for the club since the end of the 2022/23 season following two seasons in Ireland with Dublin-based St Mary’s College and having re-joined on loan from Birmingham Moseley.
Harding missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate knee ligament which required major reconstruction and the DK match was the first time since he had played a full 80 minutes since the operation.
Having started at hooker, Harding made a smooth transition to the back-row for the second-half to accommodate the returning Ben Rhodes and capped a busy performance with one of Bourns’ ten tries.
“It was good to have Jamie back. We were supposed to have him last week against Newent but he got called up by Moseley as cover although he didn’t play for them against Blackheath,” said Bournville Head Coach Alex Grove.
“We have been without an out-and-out hooker for the last two weeks. It’s like waiting for a bus to come along and two arrive at the same time with Ben Rhodes back and available.
“I thought Ben was outstanding hen he came off the bench. I was really pleased that we put Ben on as early as we did because he had an immediate impact with the turnover when he came on, winning possession back for us.
“Having both Ben and Jamie available for us is a bonus. Jamie has played on the back row before and for him to play the full 80 minutes after so long out is great. With only three on the bench in this league you have got to have players who have the flexibility to play in more than one position.”
The DK also marked the league debut of schoolboy fly-half Oscar Fawkes-Underwood who looked calm and composed in only his second-ever game of adult rugby.
Fawkes-Underwood was the star of the show when he made his senior debut in the pre-season friendly against Silhillians in August and although his performance against DK was less eye-catching he worked effectively with Jacob Fewtrell alongside him at inside centre.
“This time has Oscar has played in a game that actually matters. It’s a league game with points at stake and it’s a local derby,” Grove said.
“He seemed unflustered but that’s how he plays. Hes a confident player.
“It wasn’t about him making loads of breaks and off-loads. He just had to play his role within the team and he did that. Playing alongside Fewts really helped both of them actually.
“Sometimes it was just about making a catch-pass but he did that with a high skill level and he set up a try towards the end when he could have been selfish and decided to go alone. He didn’t he put the pass in , he didn’t he put the pass in for Mauro Miller to score.”
Bournville have a weekend off before returning to league action with Lichfield’s visit to Avery Fields on Saturday November 8 (3pm).
