Stanford-Le-Hope 13 - 51 Braintree

BRAINTREE maintained their 100 per cent start to the season by recording their eighth league win on the trot to power back to the top of Essex One.
The strong wind made kicking from the hand and the tee a lottery for both sides and it quickly became clear that retaining possession was the key to securing victory.

Tree kicked the contest off and spent the first 30 minutes of the game camped in the opposition half.
Early pressure led to a home scrum on Stanford’s 22 which the black and ambers pack won against the head, enabling returning number eight John Smillie to pick up and crash over.
On 15 minutes Tree added a second try when good line-out ball was passed through the hands to fly-half Craig Willis who extended the visitors’ lead to 10-0.
Fourteen minutes later Smillie picked up from another successful scrum before feeding the ball to scrum-half Darren Page.
Page crashed over to score a try which was superbly converted by Kyle Crush for a 17-0 lead, despite the awful kicking conditions.
Stanford then fought their way back into the game and a good spell of possession saw them reduce the arrears with a 32nd minute try.
But it was Tree who finished the half stronger courtesy of a fine try from second row Dan Johnston which came about from turn-over ball at a line-out, securing a 22-5 interval lead.
The visitors rang the changes at half-time but it was Stanford who added the next points with a long distance penalty which reduced the arrears to 22-8.
But more possession from the line-out enabled the black and ambers to hit back when a blindside move put Willis in for his second try of the game. 27-8.
Smillie was next to claim a brace when he scored again following repeated scrum penalties against the home side on 53 minutes, Crush converting for 34-8.
Four minutes later full-back Glenn Whyatt entered the line at pace to fly through and score to round off a great individual performance, with Crush’s third successful kick making it 41-8.
Ten minutes from time a powerful break through the midfield by Jack Lee put Page in for his second try before Stanford showed they were still dangerous with a try of their own. 46-13.
But the visitors had the last word when Joe Young returned to the action in place of Willis to jink his way through a crowd of defenders for try number nine.

BRUFC manager Brian Joslin said: “It was another powerful performance from the boys with the whole squad playing well.
“I was very pleased because we had difficult selection decisions to make before the game, especially around the back row.
“The lads we left out helped the second team to a 12-7 win at home to a strong Old Cooperians side and the competition for places is keeping everyone on their toes.”

Chairman of Selectors Dave Gilder added: “All the forwards played and carried well but the back row of John Smillie, Nick Spearman and our skipper Tom Carslake were immense.
“The move from 8 to 6 was a big ask from Nick but he put in an even more industrious shift than he normally does, if that’s possible.
“Neil Fitzearle and Craig Willis showed their class as well and they seemed to be involved in everything that was good about our play.
“Stanford were a lot better than the scoreline suggests but they really struggled to contain our pack, who really deprived them of ball.”

Tree are on the road again next week when they travel to eighth-placed Writtle Wanderers. The second XV are also away to Wanstead.