ALL GOLDS SECURE DESERVED WIN
Christopher Wilson at Hitchin RFC
NORTH HERTS CRUSADERS 22 – 40 BRISTOL ALL GOLDS
On a roasting hot day, North Herts Crusaders and the Bristol All Golds played out a fiercely competitive and fully entertaining match with the All Golds running out deserved 40-22 winners.
Play flashed from end to end with both sides creating some flowing attack to go with solid defence, but it was the All Golds who were the more secure when not in possession and the more deadly in attack. It was a spell of five unanswered tries midway through the second period that sealed the game for the visitors, as they took the score from a narrow 18-16 deficit to a commanding 40-18 lead.
Jack Uren and Kieran Jackson both scored twice for the All Golds while Rob Davies, Tega Rume-Tabiowo, and Lewis Harris each crossed once. Jay Woodley added six goals from as many attempts each one pushing his side steadily out of reach of the Crusaders.
The All Golds have never lost to the Crusaders going back to their first encounter in 2018, but that proud record looked in danger during a first half when the lead regularly changed hands.
The All Golds were first to strike as Uren exploited a gap on the short side to hustle over for the opening try after three minutes’ play. Rume-Tabiowo was wide with the conversion attempt.
The lead lasted barely two minutes as an error from the restart gifted the Crusaders field position and they made it count with Liam Scofield crossing to tie the scores
Possession changed hands regularly for the next fifteen minutes as both sides sought an opening. Leon Atherton blew a great chance to restore the All Golds’ lead when he inexplicably chose to pass with the tryline undefended just a few metres in front of him.
Just before the mid-half hydration break, the Crusaders edged back in front with a well-executed shift play that gave David Bofenda the room to score. Ollie Adams added a fine goal from out wide for a 10-4 lead.
Fortified by the break, the All Golds emerged from the welcome shade of a line of trees to begin to turn the screw. Eric Davidson’s chip on the last tackle close to the home line took a couple of deflections and Rob Davies snapped up possession to dive over. Woodley’s first goal tied the scores at 10-10.
As half time neared, the Crusaders edged back in front with another well-executed play that saw Joe Allison dive over for an unconverted try.
However, a short kick-off from Rume-Tabiowo gained the All Golds possession and Jackson showed great strength to spin his way out of a two-man tackle to score.
Woodley extended the lead to 16-14 with the last kick of the half and the teams sought the shade for an extended break.
The All Golds made a shaky start to the second period, failing to find touch with a penalty and then conceding a six-again which allowed Bofenda to scorch through to score his second try of the game.
Eight minutes later, Jackson scored his second try, touching down despite being held by three defenders and Woodley added the goal for a 22-18 advantage.
The All Golds now took the game by the scruff of the neck and began to build a commanding lead.
After Jack Hunter produced a superb try-saving tackle on Oliver Baptiste-Wilson, Brandon Lamb was held up on the home line on the last tackle. Shortly afterwards, the All Golds earned a scrum in good field position, and Rume-Tabiowo’s arcing run caught the defence shorthanded, and he slammed the ball down for a four-pointer.
Three minutes later, a great set from a 20-metre restart saw the All Golds roll upfield and Lewis Harris touched down by the posts, though he almost lost possession trying to improve the angle for the kick.
Woodley needed no such assistance as he confidently thumped the ball between the posts to take the lead to 34-18.
Harris thought he had scored again minutes later, but Lamb’s audacious behind the back pass was ruled forward.
It mattered little as Uren added a trademark try evading tackler after would-be tackler to run 30 metres to the line, Woodley adding his sixth goal for good measure.
The All Golds survived a full set of six on their own line as the Crusaders tried to batter their way over. They did have the last word, however with a well-taken try from Baptiste-Wilson, which went unconverted, and the All Golds could celebrate a hard-earned but much-needed victory.
They now move on to an intriguing tie in the 1973 Cup against St Helens-based side Blackbrook at Lockleaze on Sunday 19 July, kick-off 12.45pm.
MatchStats
TEAMS
CRUSADERS: Alex Deery; Oliver Barnes, David Bofenda, Liam Scofield, Oliver Baptiste-Wilson; Joe Allison, Ollie Adams; Luke de Normanville, David Slater, Callam Hall; Tala Petelo, Sonny Kelly; Lamont Bryan. INTERCHANGE: David Hallendorff, Will Peasey, Nabih Soumah, Daniel Bendon.
Scorers:
Tries: Scofield (5), Bofenda (20, 41), Allison, (37), Baptiste-Wilson (77).
Goals: Adams 1 from 3, Deery 0 from 2.
ALL GOLDS: Jack Hunter; Leon Atherton, Brandon Lamb, Lewis Harris, Liam McGrath; Jack Uren (Capt.), Tega Rume-Tabiowo; Eric Davidson, Sam Gilder, Angus Parkin; Kieran Jackson, Jamie Jenkins; Jacob Purcell. INTERCHANGE: Rob Davies, Luis Rowe, Oli Inch, Jay Woodley.
Scorers:
Tries: Uren (3, 72), Davies (25), Jackson (39, 49), Rume-Tabiowo (60), Harris (63).
Goals: Rume-Tabiowo 0 from 1, Woodley 6 from 6.
Scoring Sequence: 0-4, 4-4, 10-4, 10-10, 14-10, 14-16, (HT), 18-16, 18-22, 18-28, 18-34, 18-40, 22-40, (FT)
Referee: Peter Hamer (RFL)
Penalties: Crusaders 8-8 All Golds
Thatchers Cider Bristol All Golds’ Player of the Match – All Golds’ stand-in scrum half Tega Rume-Tabiowo earns the cider this week. His powerful running earned him a try and his defence and leadership proved valuable as the All Golds secured a well-deserved victory.