Bournville 46 Camborne 35
Bournville guaranteed a fourth season of National League rugby with a hard-earned but thoroughly deserved win over plucky Camborne at Avery Fields.
The victory, Bournville’s seventh of the season, condemned North Midlands rivals Dudley Kingswinford – beaten at home by Hornets – and Newport – who lost narrowly at Exeter University – to the drop.
Head Coach Matt Price said at the halfway stage of the season that Bourns were looking rather than down in the table but with a 21 points advantage over DK and only 20 points available in the last four games of the season, safety is now mathematically certain.
Although this win was convincing enough it could have been even more comfortable. Bourns had the try bonus point in the bag before half-time as wings Nathan Decalmer and Alex Evans bagged a brace each.
But the sin-binning in quick succession of skipper Chris Idehen and Sam Grimshaw late in the first-half disrupted the progress. Ben Meakin became the third player to be yellow-carded 12 minutes from time by which time the result was decided.
Against a stronger side the high penalty count might have hurt Bournville but with Louis Mifsud carrying powerfully and James Burgoyne and Stef Thorp dominating the scrums they were able to manage their way out of trouble here.
“I am pleased with the result, I am less pleased with the performance. To score 46 points and not play to our potential says a lot about what the squad is,” Price said.
“We were in control all the way through but when we give away so many penalties and don’t react to how the referee is refereeing the game it can you put you under pressure.
“What was pleasing today was that it didn’t. I always felt that we were in control.
“There were some big performances out there, some of the boys played very well. It could have been squeaky bum time but we got there in the end.
“When we attack we are a massive threat. Give us open field ball we will attack you and we will find gaps. We have a back three that are very, very dangerous and are up there with the top back threes in the league.
“But if you don’t play the ref then it can get you into trouble and it very nearly did today.
“We are now mathematically safe with four games to go but we have never said we are looking down we have always said that we are looking up the table.”
With a full complement of players on the pitch Bournville were a handful for a depleted Camborne with Decalmer latching onto Owen Williams’s chip through to score the opener and Evans rounding off a superb attack four minutes later.
But Camborne played their part in a free-flowing contest and hit back with a try from their Royal Navy hooker Ben Priddey from a lineout drive.
Decalmer’s second – his 18th of the season – from an interception close to half-way was followed by Evans’s second which secured the bonus point but Camborne pulled to within five points with two tries in a six minute period either side of half-time.
A penalty try was awarded after Idehen was adjudged to have taken down another driving maul then lock Jack Heazelton rounded off a sustained attack.
But that was as close as Camborne got as Bournville responded with a penalty try of their own after the Cornishmen collapsed a scrum and a brilliant individual effort from Grimshaw who unpicked the defence with a jinking run and clever change of pace.
There was still time for Camborne to grab a try bonus point when Priddey went over for his second and wing Jago Sheppard finished a swift counter-attack.
But Bournville showed composure and pragmatism to keep Camborne at a comfortable distance with Rhys Williams landing two long-range penalties in the last eight minutes.
Through the Viewfinder
Lee Sullivan
