In a highly anticipated match, Derwent ran eight tries past a ragged Alcuin to end the term unbeaten.
The crowd arrived in their droves to see what many billed to be the College Rugby decider, a winner takes all contest. Alcuin boosted by their big win last week and the availability of some of their key men were looking to upset Derwent who this season have been College Rugby’ dominant side but not having faced a team in 2 weeks the Blues were short of match practice.
Alcuin kicked off with the wind, but were soon to find themselves defending in their own half. The Derwent outfit put the Panthers under immediate pressure resulting in the Blues taking an early lead from an unlikely source. Captain Tolga Necar, wrestling the ball from Alcuin’s scrum half Alex Brightmore, went over from close range. Ollie Wessely added the extras to send his team into a 7-0 lead.
The lead was soon to be doubled, Dom Munns running at a gap in the Alcuin defence fed team-mate Hugo Marino who managed to fend off Red’s full back Joe Cooper to go under the posts.
Jamie Criswell was then to finish a fine backs move, extravagant passing from Henry Guest saw the Winchester-born flyer go over in the corner finishing the half in the ascendancy.
Alcuin came out wanting to make a quick amends of the match, but were to be undone by a quick brace of tries from Phil Hammick. For the first, Derwent’s newly appointed Sports Rep finished off the brilliant work from Charlie Clark and Ed Kemp to score in the corner. For his second ‘the Situation’ pounced on an exquisite Munns grubber kick to again go over.
Substitutions were made but the game continued in much the same vein. A beleaguered Alcuin side had no answer to further second half Derwent tries finished by Alex Cochrane Dyet, Munns and the hat-trick hero Hammick to seal a emphatic victory.
Tolga Necar was quick to praise his team ‘Its been a fantastic first term, the lads deserve all the success that they are receiving and I look forward to next terms fixtures’.
College Rugby President and Derwent winger Freddy Harris was emotionally drained from the enormity of the win. ‘Derwent were amazing throughout, the rate this team is going at, anything is possible’
I thought that with the weather been so mild the captains were looking to organise a second series of games in the league next season? Or has that idea been canned?
More matches next term would definitely help all teams especially the one’s trying to bed their freshers like Vanbrugh. if football can do it i don’t see why rugby can’t. We’ll have to see if the weather is as mild next term. However a few matches from this year still have to be played- like Halifax-James, Derwent- Vanbrugh before any ideas can be introduced.