Rugby St Andrews 29 - 37 Southam

This was a must win match for Southam and the Southam pack came up with the goods for the win.

It was much changed team for Southam, but helped with the welcome return from injury of captain Will Grindal.

St Andrews were first on the board with a penalty on the 22 for not rolling away, Southam came straight back with a Grindal penalty on the 22 for offside. 7 minutes in a short pass on the halfway to the big St Andrews No8, saw him straight through and all the way to the line for a converted try. 5 minutes later, full back Jon Lowden, cleared to touch into the St Andrews 22, Lowden followed up and he collected a wayward quick throw and fed the supporting Grindal for the try under the posts, Grindal converted. 30 minutes in, a cutting run on the halfway by centre Will Clarke, took him all the way to the 5m. The ball was recycled twice, before scrum half Tom Reeve gave a neat reverse pass to centre Pete Burnell and he was over for the try, converted by Grindal. St Andrews got in at the end of the half, drove into the Southam 22 and a simple miss move left a 2 on 1 for the converted try.
HT 17 - 17

Southam changed it around, bringing on 2nd row Chris Gillet and veteran prop Jack Rumsey, this had immediate effect, when Southam drove the big St Andrews pack off their own ball and pressured the fly half for an offside penalty, converted by Grindal. The Southam pack with a front row of Will Bostock, Sam Deeming and Rumsey, got St Andrews on the back foot at nearly every scrum and kept Southam up the field and in the St Andrews 22. The next Southam points came from an inside ball to Lowden on the 22, who crashed all the way to St Andrews line, and from the ruck, Burnell took the ball and burrowed underneath for his second try, converted by Grindal. Southam were sucked in the middle by the St Andrews No8 making ground and when the ball was spread, they found an overlap and the big St Andrews winger, showed some good pace, drew the last man and fed the support for the converted try.The dominant scrum got Southam back into the game, with two great scrums that generated penalties and Grindal converted the second. As the half closed another fine scrum by Southam stole the ball and fly half Harry Hewson, put the ball deep in the St Andrews 22, a good kick chase forced the long pass, which a smiling Deeming intercepted for a 10m canter for the try and the bonus point, converted by Grindal. St Andrews almost took another bonus point, when Lowden was charged down and in the scuffle, the ball ran all the way back and St Andrews won the scramble for the try.
FT 29 37

After 4 losing bonus point games, it was time for Southam to get the win and Southam forwards deserve the credit.

MOTM Will Grindal