Uxbridge off with a bang in first league victory

After many months of training, fitness and Instagram-friendly S&C (see @uxbridgerfc for more details) Bridge began their campaign at home to Staines who had come down from the league above.

With a bare 15 and in searing heat and many people playing out of position, Bridge got off to a flyer, putting Staines under pressure from the kick-off and winning a penalty fairly central on the pitch four minutes in. Fly-half and captain for the day Ieuan Jones, stepped up to dissect the posts and give the home side a 3-0 lead.

Uxbridge were playing to shape moving the ball around well and tiring the heavy Staines pack out and Jones found a dog-leg to burst through the defence and get the ball away to gallivanting Spaniard Rafael Espinosa to barrel his way over for the opening score.

With a 10-0 Bridge went off the boil for 10 minutes and some sloppy defensive work put the line under pressure and Staines scored from close range to take the deficit to three. Jones then added another penalty before the break for Bridge to take in a 13-7 lead.

The half-time team talk was more of the same and play in the right areas of the park. It was exactly this that paid dividends as good work down the right from Mark Wilson, Graeme Bartlett and Jones saw the ball held up short. Scrum-half Cowper recycled to Matt Coker who with some *extremely* able assistance from Mark Coles, bulldozed their combined 36 stone over a couple of defenders to score.

Staines came back and scored a penalty of their own after some good pressure and equally good defence before the ball was worked wide to Wilson who ran, dodged and jinked for a good 50 metres before getting the ball back into the same corner as the previous try.

Bridge kept trying for the fourth and almost got it through an intercept by Sam Cater. Similarly, Rafa Espinosa ran hard lines all afternoon causing no end of problems and if Sergio Ramos ever switched to rugby would no doubt be inspired by his commitment to the cause.

A frantic red-zone melee ensued with Espinosa, Will Child, Tom Redrup and Coles all trying to break through and it was again Matt Coker who dashed around the blindside like a sex-crazed whippet to superman his way over the line. A tough conversion followed, which was sadly missed.

Bridge’s 15 men were starting to tire and mistakes crept in allowing Staines the upper hand for the final 10 minutes, but the defence held firm, but for one try to take the final score to 23-15.

This was a solid effort from Bridge in the face of numerous late pull-outs. All players are asked to make themselves available for next week’s game away to Old Actonians (K.O-15:00) who will be a strong side and to minimise the impact on the team of withdrawing at last minute.