Vanbrugh beat a combined Goodricke-Langwith side 42-24 in an open and entertaining match on 22 Acres. The match was played in a 10s format, with Vanbrugh kindly donating several players to Goodwith for the game.
Goodwith started the match brightly, retaining possession well over a few phases. One of the men in green ran a strong line, evading the sloppy Vanbrugh defence, dotting down under the posts for a good score. This early try then sparked Vanbrugh into life. Alex Cunningham carried well throughout the game, making huge inroads into the GoodWith defence. The Vanbrugh backs had plenty of possession but were often unable to beat the final defender.
After a couple of phases in the GoodWith half, the ball came to debutante Vanbrugh winger Rory Blight. Blight looked to be away in the corner but a good covering tackle denied him a try. However, Blight managed to offload the ball superbly out of the tackle, allowing captain Alex Millar to run in for a try in the corner.
The dreadful first half conditions dictated the play, with handling errors dominating proceedings. Vanbrugh continued straight from the off with three more well-taken tries, the pick of the bunch being a solo effort from scrumhalf Toby Dyke. Goodwith finished the half strongly, scoring a well-taken try in the corner.
The second half started where the first half left off. Vanbrugh looked stronger at the set piece, pressurising the Goodwith scrum throughout. Vanbrugh scored three more tries shortly after the break, the pick of the bunch being an excellent team try. The sharp-minded Brian Cunningham took a quick lineout to Millar, who in turn fed second row Jordan Perkins. Perkins offloaded out of the tackle well, with the ball finding Dyke on the right wing. Dyke was presented with a two-on-one, and unselfishly passed the ball to Vanbrugh MOTM Nick Petken, who capped an excellent individual performance with a great try.
After this, Vanbrugh switched off and Goodwith took full advantage. The last ten minutes was dominated by a spirited Goodwith effort. Slick hands from the Hes East side, coupled with good support play, allowed Goodwith to score two fine tries of their own.
Suddenly, Goodwith looked like the stronger team and pushed on for another try in the closing minutes. They looked to have exploited some lackadaisical Vanbrugh defence, only for Dyke to come across and make an excellent covering tackle. The Vanbrugh number nine then ripped the ball from the GoodWith winger, and ran the length of the pitch to score in the final play of the game.
This game showcased the spirit of College rugby, with both teams playing expansive rugby in a friendly, yet competitive match. If Goodwith can supplement their squad with a few more players, they’ll be a strong force in the league. Vanbrugh, recording their first win of the season, now look ahead to a game against Alcuin next week, hoping to build on this result.
Vanbrugh scorers: Millar x5, Dyke x2, Petken.
Goodwith scorers: Pickles x2, Hughes, Cheung.
Vanbrugh: Alex Cunningham, Alex Millar, Adam Mitchell-Baker, Curtis Hodgson, Nick Petken, Jordan Perkins, Julian Wickert, Toby Dyke, Brian Cunningham, Rory Blight, Reimund Bayerlein, Oscar Coyle, Tom Jackson, Henry Perks, David Greenfield.
Goodricke-Langwith: Graham Pickles, Mason Gurney, Tom Hughes, James Tighe, Kajunn Cheung, Will Osweld, Mickey James, Ethan.