Camp Hill fielded one of the strongest 2nd XV’s of the season – a consequence of tough competition for places at the club currently. However, Bromsgrove provided a stern test having defeated Camp Hill 12-5 earlier in the season.

Camp Hill got off to a strong start with 2 early tries from Ryan Large and Andrew Cresswell. The mobile pack made their presence felt from the kick off, dominating the breakdown and set piece. However, Camp Hill’s momentum was halted suddenly when Bromsgrove crossed for a try following some lazy defending, to make the score 12-5. This only provided further incentive for the 2’s, who quickly found their rhythm once again with the backline taking their turn to steal the limelight, showing off their skills with some scintillating line breaks. 2 further tries were scored by Kieran Hayes and Jonny Betty, giving Camp Hill a 25-5 lead at the half way point.

More of the same was asked from the players at Half Time. However, Bromsgrove had other ideas and came out fighting. This gave Camp Hill the test we have been craving and were finally put under real pressure at times. Other than a well worked Bromsgrove try, the defence held firm and often kept the opposition pegged back far behind the gain line. The substitutes brought on at Half Time added some fresh legs and kept the intensity levels high. A solitary second half try from Camps closed out the game and continued what is now an 11 game winning streak

The overall team performance was outstanding, but there were some stand out individual performances that need mentioning.

Ryan Large – Was a monster with ball in hand, often taking 3 defenders to haul him down! Also gave the Bromsgrove scum a very hard time.

Trigger – Any fears over his fitness seemed misplaced, as he popped up all over the park in defence, racking up 4 turnovers and a tackle count in the high teens.

Sam Matts – Marshalled the pack to great effect and kept the opposition guessing with quick tap and goes to release out backline.

Andrew Cresswell - Breached the opposition defence on countless occasions, getting on the score sheet himself from over 40m out! Tackled anything that came near him to keep Bromsgrove at bay.

Sam Brookes – Looked like he had all the time in the world with ball in hand as well as carving some great lines in attack. However, it was his defence that stood out, often smashing opposition attackers back 3 or 4 meter to halt any potential momentum.

Matthew Clarke & Jermaine Bernard – Despite their advancing years, both players showed they still have some fight in them yet (more notably Clarkey who picked up a yellow card in the closing stages!). Both showed off their foot work to leave opposition defenders flat footed. As well and increasing the average age of the side, they provided invaluable experience to be in the right places at the right time.

However, Man of the Match has to go to Kieran Hayes who hit virtually every ruck and didn’t seem to miss a tackle all game! He offered an unmissable target in the lineout as well as stealing a few against the head. Playing the full 80, he was richly rewarded with 2 tries.

Camp Hill continue to fight off the challenge from Stourbridge to hold on to 2nd place in the league, but face a tough ask to catch the undefeated Wolverhampton. The 2nd XV face an inconsistent Moseley Oak side next week in what is likely to be a fiery local derby.