Team Selection for Saturday, 1st September 2018
15 Andy Hodgson
14 Rupert Broadley
13 Lewis Bowman
12 James Flint
11 Ali Womack
10 Will Hodgson
9 Steve Depledge
1 Ben Whitney
2 Ianto Jones
3 Dan Rylance
4 Dave Clayden
5 Joe Cooke
6 Tom Womack
7 Angus Hughes
8 Sean Casey
Replacements: -
16 Michael Bradford (FR)
17 Tadgh Campbell
18 Matt Law
The season opener saw Sheffield task to the field up on the second fifteen pitch against Bridgnorth who last visited us on 22nd April 2017 for the last match of the league season before our playoff match with Rossendale, with Sheffield running out 24 point to 2 winners. Today saw both teams with much changed squads for the match, so with little knowledge of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
Bridgnorth kicked off, but managed to kick straight out giving Sheffield a scrum on half way and the attacking advantage. Andy Hodgson, playing at full back rather than his more accustomed role as fly half, kick toward the Bridgnorth line out on the right. Bridgnorth kicked out from the line out, but straight to Andy Hodgson who attacked down the right side. Bridgnorth seemed to freeze and Andy offloaded to Rupert Broadley who cruised in to open the scoring. Steve Depledge added the conversion and Sheffield had a 7 point to nil lead after just 3 minutes.
Bridgnorth continued to look very much at sixes and sevens as they both turned ball over and gave away penalties, culminating in a penalty after 9 minutes which Steve Depledge converted to take the score out to 10 points to nil. However, Bridgnorth soon began to get themselves back into the game and with Sheffield’s line out and scrum not quite firing as one would wish, Bridgnorth were getting an ascendancy. They were rewarded after 21 minutes with s penalty for not rolling away, which inside centre Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui converted to reduce the deficit to 10 points to 3. Bridgnorth were further able to reduce Sheffield’s lead just before half time with a further penalty for Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui on 38 minutes to take the match at half time to 10 points to 6.
The second half say both teams battling out, with Bridgnorth getting slightly better of the rub of the green, but with Sheffield defending very determinedly, and when on 51minutes Bridgnorth’s number 8, Chris Wright was yellow carded it seemed Sheffield might take full advantage. However, the loss of Wright seemed to spur Bridgnorth to greater effort. Sheffield kicked to touch from the penalty resulting penalty, but then failed to secure the ball at the line out with Bridgnorth taking full advantage for inside centre Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui to score the try out on the left. Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui converted his own score to take Bridgnorth into a 13 point to 10 lead.
However, the effect of the yellow card was soon to tell on the visitors. Sheffield secured a line out close to Bridgnorth’s 5 metre line after Bridgnorth had a penalty awarded against them out on their 10-metre line. At the lineout confusion and chaos reigned with the ball being knocked back on the Sheffield side, but appeared to shoot forwarded through the line out. Somehow, the ball fell into the hands of Sheffield second row Dave Clayden, and whilst Bridgnorth appeared to wait for the referee’s whistle for whatever, which never came, Clayden pounced to score Sheffield’s second try after 57 minutes. Steve Depledge failed to add the conversion, but Sheffield had once again got the lead at 15 points to 13, if in a most unlikely manner and much to Bridgnorth’s frustration.
Salt was to be further rubbed into Bridgnorth’s wound, when two minutes later their tighthead prop, Joe Cave was despatched to the bin just before the return of their 8, Chris Wright. Sheffield took full advantage and were rewarded with a penalty after 66 minutes, which Steve Depledge converted to take the lead out to 18 points to nil. Cave returned to the fray, but Sheffield now appeared to have control of proceedings and with time called and Sheffield on the attack, Sheffield were awarded a penalty just the right of the posts and barely 22 metres out. However, for whatever reason, Sheffield elected not to kick at goal and take the score to 21 points to 13 and deny Bridgnorth a losing bonus point. Instead they tapped and kicked to touch to end the contest with a hard-fought win for the home team.
Scoring:-
Time | Scorer | Type of Score | Team | Score | Score | |
Minutes | Home | Away | ||||
Team | Team | |||||
1st Half | ||||||
3 | Rupert Broadley (14) | Try (1) | Sheffield RUFC | 5 | - | 0 |
Steve Depledge (9) | Conversion (1) | Sheffield RUFC | 7 | - | 0 | |
9 | Steve Depledge (9) | Penalty (1) | Sheffield RUFC | 10 | 0 | |
21 | Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui (12) | Penalty (1) | Bridgnorth RFC | 10 | - | 3 |
38 | Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui (12) | Penalty (2) | Bridgnorth RFC | 10 | - | 6 |
Half Time: - | 10 | - | 6 | |||
2nd Half | ||||||
53 | Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui (12) | Try (1) | Bridgnorth RFC | 10 | - | 11 |
Afeafe Haisila-Lokotui (12) | Conversion (1) | Bridgnorth RFC | 10 | - | 13 | |
57 | Dave Clayden (4) | Try (2) | Sheffield RUFC | 15 | - | 13 |
Steve Depledge (9) | Sheffield RUFC | 15 | - | 13 | ||
67 | Steve Depledge (9) | Penalty (2) | Sheffield RUFC | 18 | - | 13 |
Full Time | 18 | - | 13 |
# | Team | Pl | Pts |
1. | Scunthorpe | 26 | 102 |
2. | Luctonians | 26 | 101 |
3. | Newport (Salop) | 26 | 95 |
4. | Broadstreet | 26 | 84 |
5. | Bridgnorth | 26 | 83 |
6. | Sheffield | 26 | 66 |
7. | Burton | 26 | 62 |