1st XV vs Lordswood

The Valley 1st XV's losing run in the league continued this Saturday. An unfortunate injury crisis, that sees over 20 players on the medium term injury bill, continues to handicap performances.

The starting lineup saw some familiar names in unfamiliar positions, and a number of new names stepping up from the 2nd XV. Most comically, DVRFC 1st XV Captain, Ben Orcan, who normally plies his trade at 2 or 6, found himself starting at 9. His unfamiliarity with the role became evident to outside spectators at certain moments in the match; such as when he kicked a 22-drop out straight from his hands, and later kicked a free-kick straight in to touch. These, just some of the tidbits that earned him DoD.

Soon into the match, against what was a very physical Lordswood side, onfield injuries began to compound the existing crisis even further. Scott Laws left the pitch after a big hit, shortly followed by Sam Ellis, who had started the game like a man possessed, making a great impact for the team. Later, prop Jamie Chang-Pin-Tive was removed from the field after a collapsed scrum, which thankfully looked a lot worse than it was.

For the third week in a row Valley found themselves down to 13 men in a league fixture. They fought valiantly as always, never giving up, and were commended for their spirit, but they could not hold back the tide against a very strong Lordswood side. One consolation DVRFC try was scored by Kieran Yates, who simply wanted it more than 3 opposition players when the ball spilled loose, and managed to get the first touch on the ball, then show some good footballing skill, pace and power to go over.

Notable performances:
Dan Martin - Won the Hammer for his immense work rate, tackle count, and general lack of concern for his own personal wellbeing

Kieron Phillips - MoM for making a huge impact on the game with both his ball carrying and tackling

A huge Club positive that deserves mention is the fact that despite having a full squad's worth of players out injured, we were still able to field two teams on the day!

The 1st XV now have 2 weeks before their next fixture vs Foots Cray, for the bodies to heal, and the injury status to improve. They will take comfort from the knowledge that last season's first 5 games (losses) against what was ultimately the top 5 teams in the league were followed by an impressive winning streak. They are sticking together, and will be looking to emulate that turn around again this year, starting with a positive performance next time out.