Southam 31 - 20 Alcester - Warks Shield

By Mike Haville

Lack of concentration and discipline made the last 20 minutes hard work

Newly promoted to Midlands 3, Alcester came to Midlands 2 Southam ready to play what would probably be their toughest game of the season, whilst Southam with a few players still to return, set up to use it as another pre league warm up game.

In the first quarter Southam were still shaking the cobwebs out, but had some penetrating runs from wing forward Dick Lloyd Jones, centre Will Wood and wing Sam Bench, but failed to complete due to mistakes and some good cover tackling from Alcester. Southam were first on the score board after 15 minutes with 30m penalty for holding on, taken by captain Will Grindal, who was ably filling in at scrum half. Grindal added another from the same distance 5 minutes later for offside. As showed all through match, Southam have not quite got their defence sorted out and 27 minutes in the Alcester scrum half, picked up on the halfway stepped and was off for a free 50m run in for a converted try. Southam responded and drove up to Alcester 5m, but gave away a penalty, the return kick did not find touch and 2nd row Matt Taylor took it, fed inside to full back (and player coach) John Lowden, he took the ball back up to the Alcester 22m, their followed some great interchange passing across the 22 of both forwards and backs, until the ball found Wood in space and he strolled in for the try. As the half closed Southam finished strong with a sneak up the blind side to the halfway by Bench, the ball was recycled and fly half Harry Hewson, put Lowden through with a perfect no look pass, Lowden put a lofted pass out to Wood and he fed out to wing Will Clarke, Clarke committed the defender, fed the ball out of the tackle back to Wood, who ran in for his second.
HT 18 - 7

Southam started the second half strongly and after 9 minutes Grindal narrowly missed a 30m penalty for offside, but 6 minutes later, slotted a 40m from a penalty for tackling in the air. 17 minutes in Hewson floated out a long hospital pass to Wood, Wood took the hit and still laid the ball back, centre Tom Grimes picked up, stepped across the Alcester 22, chipped over and beat two defenders to the bounce and went over the try. With the score at 31-7 and 20 minutes to go, Southam looked sure they had the game won and came off the gas, Alcester started finding gaps and camped in the Southam 22, Coach Lowden was yellow carded for mouth and Alcester found the extra space with a cross kick to the corner, followed up and forced over for the try. From the KO Southam held up the maul to force a scrum on the 22, from the scrum, a loop move on Grimes, put Hewson in space and he put in a long pass to put Bench in some space and he gassed in for the try. After that brief wake up, Southam went to sleep again and Alcester continued to find gaps right across the pitch and with 5 minutes to go after prop Matt Catterall was yellow carded for mouth, Alcester forced over for another try.
FT 31 - 20

A steady start for Southam, who need to sort out a few problem areas and their discipline to be ready for their first league match next Saturday.

MOTM Tom Grimes

Next matches - Saturday Sept 9th KO 3pm
1sts away v Barkers Butts (league)
2nds home v Barkers Butts (league)