Tough conditions, tough opponents, ST Ives fighting to the end

The visitors were welcomed to St Ives RFC by bright sunshine and the ground being as soft as any good fenland bog.

Game 1:

A good strong start was seen from both teams, as they got used to the ground underfoot and difficulty of handing the wet and very muddy ball. Bedford seized the initial advantage with a neat break to go ahead with a first try (0:1). The St. Ives lads were strong in defence against the big lads from Bedford, holding the game at only one try down at half time.

The second half saw good strong rugby from both teams, and although St Ives looked the strongest in the early part of the half, Bedford found form scoring three additional tries. St Ives kept strong, but on this occasion, Bedford took control.

Final Score: 0:4 with Charlie of St Ives being ‘Man of the Match’.

Losing the first of three was no unusual position to be in for St Ives, as in both recent games, St Ives had come back to win the best of three. Could this happen again today?

Game 2:

Bedford had the luxury of being able to feild a mostly fresh team of players as they faced St Ives’ original nine.

The score line of this second game did not reflect the determination and quality coming though from a St Ives team of which had not got even a handful of games together under their belt. Bedford showed a seasoned performance with good lines, handling and successful runs. At the end of the first half, Bedford was two up, with St Ives having shown strong defence (0:2).

The big Bedford team came out strong in the second half. As the game got to 0:5, St Ives just did not lose heart, mind or resolve as they fought together as a ‘team’. Their every effort paid off with a great run from Stanley and the achievement of St Ives’s first try of the day (1:5).

As the whistle blew, Bedford had achieved seven against a St Ives that gave it their all. Final Score 1:7. Man of the Match: Rory

Game 3:

With a 1:7 defeat, and Bedford now able to pick the best of the bunch from their nearly twenty players, one could easily imagine if St Ives had lost heart. A great team talk from both Team Captain Richard and Assistant Andy set the focus for this last game of three.

St Ives were now really gelling as a team... the last game had earned them some real ‘battle scars’ but when the going got tough, the St Ives team put their heads down and got on with the task in hand! Gritted play, a strong attack from George, and then James, won its reward with Stanley scoring his second of the day, putting St Ives ahead for the first game of the day (1:0). Although Bedford came straight back (1:1), Stanley’s third of the day put St Ives in the lead at 2:1 at Half time (2:1).

With confidence renewed, the fight back was on and St Ives really got stuck in. They kept the pressure on as the reward from great team work came in the form a try from James. (3:1). The strong Bedford team needed every second of the game to level the score in the dying seconds. Final Score: 3:3 – Draw. Man of the match James.

To Sum Up:

When the going got tough, St Ives came from two games down, won the first half in the third game within which they were rewarded with a draw. Their one team of nine players faced a fresher team with nearly twenty in hand. Bedford were strong worthy winners and congratulations for a great performance from the Bedford lads. St Ives showed strength, never gave up, did not once lose heart and the final score in game three reflected great attitude and the work of a group of lads that show the signs of what will be a great team for 2013.

St Ives Man of the day: Stanley