Ilford Wanderers v Braintree

ILFORD WANDERERS 33 - 25 BRAINTREE

HIGH flying Braintree crashed back down to earth for the New Year as they suffered their first defeat of the season against a strong Ilford Wanderers side on Saturday.
But the black and ambers need not feel downhearted at losing their 100 per cent record for they played some sparkling rugby and made their opponents fight every step of the way.
If the home side’s plan was to use the pronounced slope at their ground and the strong wind behind their backs to build a first half lead and then hang on to it then it worked a treat.
Despite Ilford’s master plan it was Tree who drew first blood after just four minutes when they won a penalty out wide and winger Kyle Crush potted his best kick of the day. 0-3.
But their fortunes soon waned when they lost inside centre Kingsley Joslin to a blow to the head in the tackle and were forced to reshuffle.
Ilford then quickly started to take advantage of their superiority in the forwards, building pressure from the scrum and line-out.
The pressure told on 16 minutes with a try scored following a driving maul from one such successful line-out. 5-3.
A second converted try followed on 24 minutes, this time from a quick Ilford move off the back of a scrum. 12-3.
Then almost immediately Ilford produced the score which probably proved decisive to the end result when they won scrum ball on the visitors’ 22.
The ball was fed out to the Ilford backs who executed a swift move which saw their scrum-half grab another converted try to stretch the lead to 19-3.
Tree hit back four minutes later via a breakaway try from veteran scrum-half Darren Page which narrowed the gap to 19-8.
But the home side then added a fourth try, converting it to establish what looked like an unassailable 26-8 interval lead.
However, the visitors were confident they could turn the slope and the wind to their own advantage and set about chipping away at Ilford’s lead straight from the re-start.
Almost immediately full-back Glenn Whyatt steamed in to score in the first minute of the half. 26-13.
Ilford’s forwards sensed the danger and opted to play up-the-jumper rugby for a sustaned period, until Whyatt got his second try on 54 minutes to narrow the gap to 26-18.
Cue another long period of the hosts doggedly keeping possession in the pack and driving forward, depriving the black and ambers of the ball time they desperately needed.
Grinding the game out in the fading light, Ilford finally wrapped up their victory in the final five minutes with another converted forward try after repeated driving mauls. 33-18.
But there was still time for Joss Adams to score a fine individual consolation try, rounded off with a drop-goal conversion by Crush which proved to be the last kick of the game. 33-25.

BRUFC Chairman of Selectors David Gilder said: “Credit to Ilford, we were unable to unleash our skilful backs because their big pack starved us of ball.
“They played their own game and played it very well, and at the same time we played as poorly as we have all season.
“The main consolation is that we surely can’t play as poorly as that again and we have to improve next weekend when we’ll be facing another good side.”

BRUFC Manager Brian Joslin added: “Ilford deserved the win. They played the conditions well in the first half and we struggled with their physicality at the set-piece and break down.
“We found ourselves 19-3 down after 20 minutes, giving us a mountain to climb to get anything out of the game.
“Craig Willis matched Ilford's physicality putting in some massive hits and Joss Adams and Glen Whyatt looked threatening every time they got the ball in hand.
“Credit to the boys they finished the game strongly, but it was a reality check for us. We need to be at it every game.
“I know we are better than that performance and we'll regroup and hopefully come back stronger next weekend.”
Things are suddenly looking tough for Tree, who next host league leaders East London at Robbs Wood on Saturday.

Trees II's beat Maldon III 103 - 7 in a friendly with hat tricks from James Moore and Lloyd Hardin

BRUFC: Whyatt, Crane, Adams, Joslin (Lee), K Crush, Willis, Page, Aldridge, J Jones, Halford (Baker), Fitzearle, Johnson, Carslake, C Stephens (Evans), Smillie.