Longlevens RFC

Due to a rest week and the weather Longlevens hadn’t played any rugby for two weeks, so this game was needed to blow away the cobwebs before the big one next week.

We are now officially in the second half of the season and playing the return fixtures, so we know a bit more about the opposition than we did before, so the Griffins knew this wouldn’t be easy, and so it proved.

The rustiness was evident straight from the kick off as the Chipping Sodbury full back showed how elusive he was going to be all afternoon by making 30 yards through poor tackling. From a ruck on the left Sodbury spun right and put the winger in to score in the corner, 0-5 after two minutes.

Levens got back into the game following a lineout on the left. The ball was crashed up the middle and good phases followed moving right before Tom Griffiths put Carlos Jenkins away. He was stopped short, but, crucially by a high tackle, meaning the referee giving a penalty try, 7-5.

The next 20 minutes became scrappy with lots of mistakes creeping in, but Levens slowly upped the intensity and energy to create a second try. A lineout on the right deep in the 22 created ruck ball for Wilkins to move away. Griffiths played the ball out the Back to Jack Cuthbert who found Jack Beck to go over under the posts, 14-5.

The half was finished with one final score from Wilkins. A lineout off the top was crashed up to the right of the posts and quick ball was spun right by Griffiths. Fox made some yards on the left before the ball was moved back right to the forwards to punch. From the resulting ruck Wilkins threw a dummy and sniped over making the half time score 21-5.

The second half started as poorly as the first for the griffins with the otherwise flawless Griffiths throwing an interception pass for Sodbury to capitalise on and go over under the posts, 21-12. This woke Levens up and continuous pressure drew a penalty under the posts which Wilkins duly dispatched, 24-12.

It was crucial that Levens were the next to score and they did not disappoint. Quick ruck ball was created in the Sodbury half and short one out runners were able to get behind the defence to secure good front foot ball. Wilkins moved back blind to 10 Beck who showed good feet to get on the edge. He got the ball away to Carlos Jenkins to scoot over in the corner, the difficult conversion made, 31-12.

Sodbury were able to get another try of their own before the Griffins finished the game off with a well worked try from the forwards. A catch and drive was set up close to the line on the right and Dave Edwards was on hand to flop over, making the final score 38-17.

This wasn’t a vintage performance and no doubt the boys were rusty from having two weeks off, but the bonus point was in the bag and the cob webs were blown away.

Next week we travel to Cinderford in the top of the table clash. There’s still a lot of rugby to be played and some tough games to come, but this game will more than likely decide who comes out on top come March.