1st XV
Matches
Sat 21 Feb 2015  ·  Midlands 1 East
Belgrave Rugby Football Club
1st XV
12
55
Kettering
Belgrave fade to a younger and fitter Kettering side.

Belgrave fade to a younger and fitter Kettering side.

richard pollard24 Aug 2019 - 23:00
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Written by a man hearing voices from westerns and in the company of two men named Lionel

Having closed the front door in the style of Lionel Messi and danced to the ground in the style of Lionel Blair.Today Belgrave entertained Kettering RFC with a chill wind swirling around the ground.
Prior to the game 104 people sat down for the Vice Presidents Lunch,all went well even to the fact that the catering companies van never got blocked in.
After the meal the room was upstanding and anniversary toasts and much applause was given to Greg and Maureen Franklin married for 50 years and John and Doreen Boot married for 25 years.This year of 2015 it is 600 years since the Battle of Agincourt and 200 since the Battle of Waterloo.So Mr and Mrs Franklin and Mr and Mrs Boot you are in esteemed company.
The match official for the day on exchange from Manchester was Kieron Henry as in Henry 5th bit of a connection with Agincourt who is a paramedic in his day job.
On the kick off Belgrave attacked the clubhouse end and as at the away game at Kettering Belgrave took an early lead,a swift interpassing move down the wing between Kevin(bungle)Curtis and Joe(legohead)Pollard saw Pollard flick the ball one handed to Curtis who made ground down the wing to cross the line.Kettering soon struck back through Damien Conyard of the famous Conyard family of Kettering.See my match report of the Bedford game regarding famous people at the ground.I do not intend to type it out again.But suffice to say Mrs Conyard was at todays game.But not her mother or Sir Cliff Richard.
The game ebbed and flowed with neither side able to break the deadlock.Coming up to half time with Belgrave on the attack and against the run of play Kettering scored a breakaway try through Josh Cox.A Kettering penalty then followed.Half time saw Kettering leading by 15 points to 12.
As the second half progressed Ketterings youth and fitness started to tell as Andy Burton scored for Kettering and missed tackles were costing Belgrave dear.Shane Ling then crossed the line twice for Kettering as they began to dominate.
At this point I heard a child like voice cry out "Shane,Shane,comeback Shane" was it the child actor Brandon De Wilde from the 1953 film, the classic western Shane.Starring Alan Ladd or not.The voice was carried away on the wind.But as in the film Shane never came back.
Kettering again scored through Andy Byrne and Damien Conyard.It must be that the Conyard family are to Kettering what the Kyle family is to Belgrave.
Belgrave fought on to the end and in the last minutes Jack Kyle kicked over the top from his own half Kevin Curtis followed up and went on a long run he was tackled but managed to off load to Ashley Clarke who completed the move to score a consulation try for Belgrave
Final score Belgrave 12 Kettering 55.Belgrave well beaten by a strong Kettering who should be in the promotion stakes at the end of the season.
The usual excellent catering afterwards by Mrs Kyle and Mrs Regan,I will not mention the deep fat fryer,we are down to one now and I do not like oven chips.
After the match debrief at The Tom Hoskins I met an avid follower of these reports an ex Belgrave player Josh Wilding who I said I would give a mention to.Well he did buy me a drink and he is 6ft 5ins tall.Buy you one back when I see you Josh.
Left the Hoskins in quick time in the corner sat alone at a table a man dressed all in black similar in features to Jack Palance,as I left a smallish chap about 5ft 4ins tall clad in buckskin came in.I was sure I could hear gunfire on my way home or perhaps not..
This report is a day late as we await news from Dublin of the Belgrave players that went over after the match for Elliot Walkers 18th.All must be OK 2pm on Monday and no news.
Next week an away fixture at Mansfield,hope to see you there "Shane,Shane come back Shane" that's enough now Brandon its the end of the film and this report.

Match details

Match date

Sat 21 Feb 2015

Kickoff

14:15

Competition

Midlands 1 East
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