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Mens Own 24 - 14 Brackley

Mens Own 24 - 14 Brackley

Glenn Nightingale16 Sep 2019 - 08:38
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Mens own started the 2019 / 2020 season with an away trip to Brackley RFC

Last season saw the two teams meet in great games with Mens Own scraping the win in both thrillers.
After losing head coach Adam Baker at the end of last season new head coach Alex Tollan was hoping to start the season better than the last and get off to a winning start against a strong brackley side.
A completely different team was out for Mens Own compared to last season with League Debuts from; Michael Bagby, Conor Frost, Harvey Hughes, Dexter Maloney and Joe Liggins.
With First Team Captain Callum Kerr away the Captaincy fell to Vice captain Tom Perkins who led the side for the first time.
Mens own played down the hill in the first half and defended well against a very strong running Brackley side with some great defence in the middle of the park keeping the home team away from the danger zone.
A well worked Mens Own line out gave the backs the chance to get ball in hand for the first time in the 22, a hard line from Cullis drew 3 defenders in giving the rest of the back line the chance to go on the attack, some well worked hands from Liggins, James and Cairns gave Rust the chance to go on a sprint down the wing. Some good covering defence from Brackley meant Rust just came up short within the oppostition 22 but with a good clear out and big carries from the forwards in the middle gave the chance for debutant Joe Liggins to dart through the line and under the post for the first score of the game. Converted by Louis James.
It was then the home teams chance to attack, Brackley seemed to have woken up and started playing some very good rugby their forwards were running with intent and aggression from all over the park some massive hits from the debutant Frost knocked them back but their offload game paid off with a break from a brackley forward lead to a supporting line from the brackleys number 13 got them on score board. Converted Try Brackley.
James Thatcher Replaced Alex Cairns who said he felt like he was going to die because he was poorly...
Thatcher made an instant impact with a well worked backs move from brackley gave their winger a sprint to the corner Thatcher tracked across from the middle of the park and smashed the winger into touch.
It was then all Brackley coming up to half time, with the opposition camped on the Mens own Try line some great defence kept the home team at bay. With the attack so strong from Brackley, Harry Hill found him self in the wrong position in the ruck getting him 10 minutes on the side line.
The Mens own defence paid off and they turned the ball over on the 5 metre line.
It was then the turn of Mens owns to add salt into their own wound.. a very interesting pass back from Liggins to James in the try area that bounced along the floor 5 times before James took a big swing and a miss at the ball as it bounced towards him meant Brackley simply had to dive on the ball under the posts given them the lead. Converted Try Brackley.

Second Half- With Mens own knowing they needed a stronger performance in the second half, they started well with some good patterns of play and hard running from the entire team. Mens own received a penalty for their hard work which James kicked through the sticks to bring the game to 14-10 to the home side.
Mens Own played the better rugby in the second half with some deep kicks into Brackleys 22 and a great kick chase put the Home teams back 3 under a lot of pressure, which put Mens own in good field position when they stole the ball back in a ruck. Brackley gave away a penalty in the 22 which Mens own decided to go for the line out, a kick to the corner from James and a very well structured line out from the forwards gave prop Michael Bagby a chance to secure the ball at the back of the line out and drive the boys over the line. Converted James 14-17.
Mens own Kept the pressure on and with hard running from Liam Kerr and Luke Oakey Mens own found themselves on the front foot and they made it count. With forwards and backs linking well they made it to the Brackley 22 metre line. Another well worked backs move split the Brackley defence leaving a hole for Louis James to sprint through and under the posts on the 70th minute. James converts his own try 14-24.
With Mens owns tail up they went on the hunt for the bonus point Try but it wasn't to happen on this day with some good defence from Brackley across the pitch.

Final score 14-24 to Mens Own.
Man of the match - Joe Liggins
D*ck of the day - Joe Liggins and Louis James (Liggins for the pass, James for the swing and a miss)
Mens own have their first home game of the season in a National Cup clash with Old Wheatleyans this coming Saturday 21/09/19 it is also the season opening party at the club so please bring your friends and family on what should be a very good day.

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