Sandal Junior Colts v Bradford and Bingley

At the end of last season the Match Reporter vowed to hang up his biro. Being a man of principle, nothing could shift him from that resolve.

Except hard cash!

So, when the club president, Sir Phlippin Downton-Abbey, offered him the same terms as Coach Reynolds, the principles took flight like a majestic albatross and soared right out of the window. And so, after a surreptitious handing over of a brown paper bag in Asda car park, the Match Reporter was back on the game…so to speak.

However, let me make it quite clear that there are no other principles that I will compromise, possibly not even for a wedge of laundered cash. For example, I absolutely will not let the truth stand in the way of a good story, nor will I, in any way, let rugby interfere with my match reporting. So don’t even try writing letters, blogs, e-mails, or tweets of complaint. You could try sending hard cash, but I’m not promising anything.

So, now that’s all cleared up, let’s get on with what Pitchero naïvely entitle the ‘match report’.

Sandal 67 v 0 Bradford and Bingley
Some stuff happened early on, but not much. Then Sandal took the lead and it all became a bit one-sided.

I ought to point out that The Bees were under-strength today, so much so that Bubba had to don the opposition strip and play for the visitors – and a splendid job he did too. Only 53 of the 67 Sandal points could be directly attributed to him! OK, I jest; it was much nearer 0.

Where were we? Oh yes, I’d just started padding out the report with some vaguely rugby-related stuff. So, it was early on when the ball was moved wide to the right for Woodings to show no little pace to outstrip the defence and score. Fox converted.

Shortly after, Sandal won a Bees’ lineout in a dangerous position and moved the ball along the back line for Taylor to apply the finishing touches.

And soon after that Sandal extended their lead when more good work from the forwards, this time at the visitors’ scrum, secured possession for Sandal. The ball was carried through the line and Fox showed great awareness to overlap wide on the right, take the pass and touch down.

The match was in serious danger of slipping away from Bradford and Bingley, and with no replacements to call on they were going to tire in the later stages. So the last thing they could afford to do was gift points to Sandal. But this they did when a lineout just 5 metres from their own line completely misfired and the ball sailed over the top to Garrity who simply caught it and touched it down.

And the half ended with a fifth Sandal try when their scrum gave number 8, Wilkes, the chance to break the line. Kelly gave good support and when his back row compadre shipped him a great lay-off Kelly merely had to dive over for the try.

So, 27 – 0 at half time; things were looking bleak for the Bees.

I would like to make some profound comment about how Sandal’s game plan and tactics were shaping this rugby match…but I’m sticking to my principles. So, instead here’s some more waffle about the second half tries.

Soon after the start Sandal won a scrum against the head – something they did constantly throughout the game – and broke into the Bees’ half. On the tackle the ball was recycled to Wilkes who ran a powerful line through the defence and, resisting a last desperate shirt tug, broke clear to score under the posts. Darby converted.

And he added the extras a couple of minutes later when Lee was too strong for the Bees’ defence after good work by Fawkes had presented him with the opportunity.

It was 41 – 0 now, and there was only way the game was going as the visitors tired. Full credit to them though; they made nothing easy for Sandal, contested everything and tried to take the ball to Sandal on the few occasions they secured it. But they found Sandal’s defensive line in impeccable form – the forwards letting nothing drive through around the rucks, and the backs defending well along the entire width.

And with the set pieces being dominated by the Sandal pack – scrums against the put-in, lineouts stolen – the Bees did not see enough of the ball to seize any initiative and press for some consolation points which their efforts deserved.

Hang on a minute, those last few sentences sound vaguely rugby related! How did that happen? Let me check my wallet…no, no unexpected notes of the realm there. You’d just better ignore those last couple of paragraphs.

Anyway just because it sounded rugby-related doesn’t mean it was accurate, so I haven’t compromised everything.

So, back to the yarn.

Another scrum against the head gave the back row chance to drive through. The ball was recycled quickly out wide where Fox chased his clever kick through and, getting a favourable bounce, seized the ball and sprinted clear. Darby added the 2 points.

Kittrick proved too fast and strong for a wilting Bees defence to add another try

Then Henshall’s hard work in the ruck secured the ball. Kelly ran a straight line onto the ball and broke clear. The Sandal flanker, whose previous tries have tended to come from within 5 metres of the line, had 40 metres to run. But, to the surprise of all, he showed that there is some pace in those stilts, and he streaked clear of any chasers to score under the posts. Darby converted.

And to finish, number 8, Wilkes, worked hard to drive through a tired opposition line and find Lee whose strong run wide took him clear and round to score in the middle.

Bees won’t have been upset to hear the final whistle blow then.

Well done to the visitors for their sterling effort for the entire game, it takes big hearts to keep plugging away in the face of such an onslaught.

But what about Sandal?

With an understrength opposition it’s difficult to judge…so I won’t bother (unless an envelope stuffed with Lady Godivas falls on my mat).