VIGO 2nd FALL SHORT

PREMIER 2 EAST

Vigo can consider themselves unfortunate, but can only blame themselves after a closer game than the score line suggests. This match was against a team, lying second in the table, their first XV mid table in London SouthEast 2, and yet Vigo were never out of the running,and with a little more composure could have brought off a shock result.
Deal & Betteshanger started brightly, their teenage stand off kicking two penalties to give the home side a great opening. Vigo, however, were showing signs of co-ordinating their effort. With Harry Pattison starting at scrum half and the Little & Large pairing of the Two Bens in midfield, skipper Buckland and Moorhouse outside, both nominally back row men, Vigo made a decent fist of it. They ran through the phases, recycling the ball well, taking on their hosts face to face. D&B were not quite so confident when being attacked and Vigo got themselves back in the game after a good series of drives. Pattison held on to a delayed pass, Lewis Evans read the move perfectly , cutting a great line and slicing through to score.
Encouraged Vigo went for the home side hard, and once again took full advantage of the home side’s reticence to tackle with a carbon copy of their first try. Once again, Pattison held the defence, once again Evans cut a great angle. Even though skipper Buckland was screaming for the pass, Evans spotted the gap and tore through. Ollie Stringer added the extras to give Vigo the lead.
Unfortunately for the Villagers, this was possibly the high point of the day. D&B, shaken by this double whammy, came back hard at Vigo. The visitors started to toss away a few too many penalties, offering their hosts easy territory, easy access to the ball. Beginning to query decisions also cost them the goodwill of the referee, paranoia seeping into the collective spirit. With time running out in the first half, Deal attacked the blind side of a scrum and broke through some decidedly less than enthusiastic tackling to score to haul themselves right back into the match.
It was essential that Vigo used the break to regroup, to collect their thoughts but they rather carried on as they had finished, penalty followed backchat and D&B were able to progress upfield to lay siege to the Vigo line. D&B took the lead when good ball retention and recycling denuded the Vigo defence and the winger was able to cross relatively unhindered, the conversion safely gathered. Vigo briefly recovered, Ollie Stringer kicking a good penalty, but it was brief respite. D&B’s big inside centre, a continuous danger, broke through to score under the posts, the conversion a formality, to give the hosts a pretty convincing score line.
Vigo refused to give up but the damage had been done. They continued to fall foul of the referee as they desperately sought a way back. The scrums and lines out were functioning well, but the lack of composure with the ball cost them dearly. But, without doubt, this is a team who have come to terms with a hard League. They have acquitted themselves well, often shorn of players but never giving up and will be better for the experience. In Ben Buckland they have a young inspirational Captain, who has carried on the great work of Matt lane, and who will surely taste better days. The players in his charge can only gain from the experience, and the transition from 2nd to 1st XV’s more seamless.

Team: G.Harrison; A Fitzgerald (rep: C.Cutts), B.Moorhouse, B.Buckland (capt.), R.Lancaster (rep: L.Pitchell); O.Stringer, H.Pattison; C.Judson, G.Rawlings, L.Walker; M.Lingham (rep: Josh Miles), R.Carleton; Lewis Evans, M.Gregory; D.Cox

MVP – Lewis Evans