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UPMINSTER 1st XV 14 - 32 EAST LONDON 1st XV
Gary Bird2 Oct 2017 - 09:30
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Unbeaten start to season continues
East London maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 32-14 away win at Upminster on Saturday (30 September).
The visitors scored all their points in an enthralling first 40 minutes that skipper Dan Bracken described as their "best half of rugby for some time".
The maroon and blues used the sloping Upminster pitch to their advantage. Playing downhill in the first half they took the lead with only three minutes on the clock. Good build up the East London forwards resulted in fly-half Daryl O'Brien scoring the first try which right wing Corey Griffiths converted.
On eight minutes a break by hooker Chris Hodgson, supported by Griffiths, saw the ball fed to scrum-half Graham Bougen who scored the visitors' second try. Griffiths converted.
Griffiths extended the lead on 26 minutes with a penalty from distance and from the kick-off East London added their third try. Second row Rob Yiannakou gathered the ball and dashed forward. Full back Sean Cooper took over and outpaced the home defence on the left flank before offloading to left wing Alex Mylchreest to score. Griffiths converted.
It was the final action for Cooper who went off injured and was replaced by Kevin O'Donoghue. It didn't hamper East London's effectiveness and Griffiths added another penalty on 34 minutes.
The bonus point for four tries was secured on the stroke of half-time following a fine individual effort from Griffiths. The conversion was missed.
Now playing uphill for the second half, East London prepared for the home onslaught and concentrated their efforts on disrupting Upminster ball. O'Brien was sin binned on 50 minutes for one offside too many and a penalty try was awarded.
Superbly marshalled by number eight Bracken, the visitors kept their opponents at bay until 68 minutes when they conceded a second try and conversion. With the game getting more niggly the visitors frustrated the home side and wound down the clock for a deserved victory.
Skipper Bracken said: "We knew we had to get points on the board early with the downhill slope in our favour. We knew they would come back at us but it was a superb defensive effort in the second half."
The result put East London second in the London 3 Essex table, equal on maximum match points with Braintree but with a lesser points scored difference. They visit Campion on Saturday.
East London 1st XV vs Upminster: 1. Paddy Coman; 2. Chris Hodgson; 3. Adrian Samuel; 4. Rob Yiannakou; 5. Florian Oger; 6. Nick Parrott; 7. Ed Brown; 8. Dan Bracken; 9. Graham Bougen; 10. Daryl O'Brien; 11. Alex Mylchreest; 12. Kevin Lee; 13. Will Brown; 14. Corey Griffiths; 15. Sean Cooper. Replacements: 16. Gary Pearmain; 17. Ben Combarro. 18. Kevin O'Donoghue.
The visitors scored all their points in an enthralling first 40 minutes that skipper Dan Bracken described as their "best half of rugby for some time".
The maroon and blues used the sloping Upminster pitch to their advantage. Playing downhill in the first half they took the lead with only three minutes on the clock. Good build up the East London forwards resulted in fly-half Daryl O'Brien scoring the first try which right wing Corey Griffiths converted.
On eight minutes a break by hooker Chris Hodgson, supported by Griffiths, saw the ball fed to scrum-half Graham Bougen who scored the visitors' second try. Griffiths converted.
Griffiths extended the lead on 26 minutes with a penalty from distance and from the kick-off East London added their third try. Second row Rob Yiannakou gathered the ball and dashed forward. Full back Sean Cooper took over and outpaced the home defence on the left flank before offloading to left wing Alex Mylchreest to score. Griffiths converted.
It was the final action for Cooper who went off injured and was replaced by Kevin O'Donoghue. It didn't hamper East London's effectiveness and Griffiths added another penalty on 34 minutes.
The bonus point for four tries was secured on the stroke of half-time following a fine individual effort from Griffiths. The conversion was missed.
Now playing uphill for the second half, East London prepared for the home onslaught and concentrated their efforts on disrupting Upminster ball. O'Brien was sin binned on 50 minutes for one offside too many and a penalty try was awarded.
Superbly marshalled by number eight Bracken, the visitors kept their opponents at bay until 68 minutes when they conceded a second try and conversion. With the game getting more niggly the visitors frustrated the home side and wound down the clock for a deserved victory.
Skipper Bracken said: "We knew we had to get points on the board early with the downhill slope in our favour. We knew they would come back at us but it was a superb defensive effort in the second half."
The result put East London second in the London 3 Essex table, equal on maximum match points with Braintree but with a lesser points scored difference. They visit Campion on Saturday.
East London 1st XV vs Upminster: 1. Paddy Coman; 2. Chris Hodgson; 3. Adrian Samuel; 4. Rob Yiannakou; 5. Florian Oger; 6. Nick Parrott; 7. Ed Brown; 8. Dan Bracken; 9. Graham Bougen; 10. Daryl O'Brien; 11. Alex Mylchreest; 12. Kevin Lee; 13. Will Brown; 14. Corey Griffiths; 15. Sean Cooper. Replacements: 16. Gary Pearmain; 17. Ben Combarro. 18. Kevin O'Donoghue.
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