Derwent defeat their college rivals James, winning 18-0 with tries from Phil Hammick and an extraordinary solo effort from prop Rob Johnson, to go top of the College Rugby Championship.
Lest we forget, James’ 40-0 thumping of Derwent in the league last year, the two sides met in a highly anticipated match, both sides looking to prove they are the top college team on campus.
Being it Remembrance Sunday, both sides impeccably held a two-minute silence before the early 10:30 am kick off.
Nevertheless Benji Brummitt was to have a day to forget. A non-starter with flu last week, the James Captain had to watch from the sidelines as an early injury forced the talisman off.
The Black Swans were given no chance to settle into the game. The new centre partnership of Will Harnden and Dominic Munns were making crunching tackles. Adding to the physicality were the Derwent forward pack, who although not winning the scrum battle, were having great success in the fringes of the breakdown and across the field.
Despite Derwent’s territory and possession, the Blue Ducks could not cross their opposition’s line. Ill discipline in the rucks and a dogged James defence kept the score 0-0 at half time.
Derwent eventually went ahead in the match. Great running from Hugo Marino, followed by clever play in the ruck by flankers Joshua Clewes and Captain Tolga Necar earned the Blues a penalty, which Oliver Wessely slotted from 15 yards.
The penalty proved a catalyst for what was to happen next. Prop Rob Johnson having made himself available from previous breakdowns to take the ball on, screamed for another crash ball just inside his half after the restart. Scrum Half Henry Guest duly obliged finding the marauding Rob Johnson who fended two tackles, looking around him for support; the perplexed prop sidestepped the full back before sliding in under the posts to prompt wild celebrations. Wessely kicked the conversion, to give Derwent, playing in their new GBK sponsored kit, a commanding lead in the match.
James, employing a heavy kicking tactic, were looking for inspiration in their attacking line. However, the Men in black were finally to be undone by substitute Phil Hammick. Wessely scooping up a loose ball; fed Ed Kemp who drew his opposite man before sending Hammick on his way to score in the corner.
Wessely was unable to score the resulting conversion, but got another penalty late on to secure a convincing 18-0 victory.
Derwent’s Turkish Captain Necar pointed to hard work being the ingredients to his team’s success today.
‘Hard work has got us here. We’d focussed really solidly in training the last few weeks and it showed today. The squad are incredibly talented and play in the right frame of mind. Needless to say I’m happy and proud of the result, as well as baptizing our new shirts with a victory’
James Captain Brummitt, absent for most of the game with a sprained ankle, was realistic over today’s result and gave a battle cry for the rest of the season.
‘We were beaten by a better team today, but we will be doing everything we can over the next few weeks to get to the final and avenge the defeat’
The following game saw a depleted Alcuin side charge to an impressive 34-0 victory over Goodricke.
The men in red and black were without several regular starters such as Sam Asfahani and Alex Wilson, and were forced to play the entire game without substitutes, yet still managed to register an impressive victory over their Goodricke counterparts, with trys coming through Sonny Dewfall, Alex Harrison, Karl Binks, Tom Duthie, Joe Cooper and Aiden Woodcock.
Marinus Maris used the slope of the pitch well to gain territory for his side, territory which Sonny Dewfall’s consistent steals in the line out made to pay, as Alcuin ran in four trys in the first period to effectively put the game to bed by half-time.
Goodricke came out more resilient in the second half, but could not prevent Alcuin from adding two further scores, converted by Maris to round off the scoring at 34-0.
Concussed captain Muzzy Foley insightfully told vision, ‘Yeah, we smashed them! Who were we playing?’