Southam 32 - 27 Leamington

Southam grind out the win and make it 3 on the bounce against Leamington

On a fine sunny day at Kineton Rd, the visitors Leamington started well, but the Southam backs were the brighter.
Seven minutes in from a home scrum on the halfway, a cut out pass from fly half Harry Hewson to centre Tom Grimes
gave him space to get round the corner and into space, Grimes drew the last man and fed wing Sam Bench and he
held off the covering defence for the try. Leamington came back and got up the field with some tight phases and twelve
minutes in, got 3 points for high tackle penalty 10m out. Leamington got another three points, four minutes later
for a penalty for mouth. From the short kickoff, Southam competed and the ball came free, prop Will Bostock gathered
and gained a penalty for not releasing in tackle, converted by captain Will Grindal. Southam struggled to control the game
and gave Leamington a lot of ground with a series of missed tackles and Leamington were camped in the Southam half,
but could only come away with a penalty for going past ball after 32 minutes. Another straight kick off and Leamington
fumbled and from a scrappy scrum, scrum half Lewis Dodds had to scramble to to clean it up, recovered well, got some
space to feed centre John Lowden on the 22 and he muscled through the defence to the line for the try. Leamington got something back with 5 minutes to halftime, a big mismatch on Southam 10m with the stepping Leamington
fly half versus a prop, he made ground and stepped a couple of tackles for the try.
HT 13 - 14

From the kick off good pressure from Southam saw the ball stolen back by Lowden and driven on into the Leamington 22, the ball was recycled, Grimes broke the line and then fed supporting 2nd row Rich LLoyd for the try, converted by Grindal. Southam came back down to the Leamington 22 with a break from Grindal, the ball was recycled and penalty gained for Leamington player yards offside, converted by Grindal. From the kick off, Leamington exploited more Southam missed tackles and their centre stepped through for the converted
try. Young wing forward Finn Toner came on and Southam started to plug the holes. With the defence strengthened Leamington had to wait until 20 minutes in, when Southam gifted them an easy penalty on the 22 for the backs encroaching at the line out. From the kick off Lowden won the ball and Southam drove on and gained the penalty on the 22 for not rolling away, converted by Grindal. Southam went on the to grind out the last twenty, forcing multiple penalties out of the Leamington defence. On 24 minutes, Grindal converted
a 40m penalty for not releasing and another 5 minutes later for offside. Leamington got back to within two, with a penalty, when Southam were penalised for side entry, but Southam sealed it 35 minutes in, with penalty for holding back and a massive 48m kick by Grindal.
FT 32 - 27

A roller coaster of a game with the lead changing 4 times, but Southam had enough in them to come out on top, but will have to work on plugging the defensive holes for next weeks game.

Good to see returns from Finn Toner, Finch, the retired Andy Ford and Mikey richards

Next weeks fixtures Saturday 30th KO 3pm
1sts away v Balsall & Berkswell
2nds home v Balsall & Berkswell