Christopher Wilson at Colchester Sports Park.
EASTERN RHINOS 50 – 12 BRISTOL ALL GOLDS
Bristol All Golds crashed to their third defeat of the season with a 50-12 loss at Eastern Rhinos on Saturday. With a 12-6 deficit just before half time, the game was there for the taking. However, the All Golds conceded a try with the last play of the half and collapsed alarmingly in the second period conceding seven tries as their defensive resolve fell apart under pressure from the Rhinos’ big forwards.
Tries for Rohan Chatterjee in the first half and Dave Weetman in the second, both goaled by Callum Merrett were scant consolation as the manner of the defeat disappointed all concerned.
On a bright sunny day, the game began with the All Golds coughing up possession close to their own line on the first set of the game and the Rhinos created an overlap for Rob Williams to go over. Chris Kerkow missed the goal and, but for his wayward goalkicking things could have been much worse for the Bristol side.
For the next 20 minutes, the game settled into a pattern with both sides completing their sets without creating clear scoring chances.
The All Golds finally got the breakthrough after repeat sets took them close to the home line and Callum Merrett measured a perfect kick to the corner for Rohan Chatterjee to collect and touch down. Merrett’s touchline conversion gave the All Golds a slender 6-4 lead to take into the second quarter of the game.
After surviving more All Golds pressure, The Rhinos took the lead just before the interval, Williams touching down a loose ball in the corner for his second try.
The All Golds would have taken going into the break trailing by 8-6, but the Rhinos scored again with the final play of the half, Peter Mbwasse driving over after a quickly taken penalty had caught the All Golds defence out. Kercow was again unsuccessful with the conversion and the sides turned round with the Rhinos leading 12-6.
The signs weren’t good from the off in the second half, as Adam Cook crashed over for two in the space of three minutes, the second straight from a tap penalty as the All Golds’ defence wobbled. Ben Ratcliffe took over the kicking duties but could only convert one of the two scores.
The All Golds responded well, and Jack Uren made a characteristic break from dummy half and found David Weetman in support for a try under the posts. Merrett added the goal to cut the deficit to 22-12.
However an error from the restart stopped any momentum the All Golds had dead in its tracks and James Abbott went over for a well-constructed try that again went unimproved.
Things unravelled pretty rapidly after that as the Rhinos hammered home their dominance with a further four tries in the final quarter. Mofe Abidekun scored the first, taking a tap penalty and forcing his way over the line then Eveli Qorovakatini had a try chalked off for a foot in touch.
The sin-binning of Sam Bragoli Jones for a high tackle should have given the All Golds an opportunity with the extra man but Morgan Lewis saw yellow just minutes later to level the numbers.
Cook completed his hat-tick again with a score through a tired defence from a tap penalty before a good break by Qorovakatini ended in a try for Ratcliffe, who finally found his kicking boots to add the goal.
Cook was then sinbinned and the All Golds’ Lewis Harris sent off after an altercation at the play the ball. The referee judging that Harris threw a punch to earn his dismissal.
Anare Daunivutia went close from another tap penalty before the Rhinos were penalised for obstruction. This led to the moment that really encapsulated the All Golds’ fortunes in the Spring sunshine.
Dan Short burst through a gap on halfway and headed for the tryline with nobody in front of him and chasers trailing in his wake. Suddenly the ball popped from his grasp and was scooped up by Abidekun who cantered away to the posts in the opposite direction to touch down.
Ratcliffe’s goal pulled the curtain down on a day to forget for the All Golds and a day that the Rhinos got their own back for their defeat at the hands of the All Golds in the Plate Final back in September.
The defeat leaves the All Golds without a win after three rounds of matches and in need of this weekend’s break to recharge and refocus for the visit of Brentwood Eels on 9 May, a match that is to be played at the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex.
MatchStats
RHINOS: Jed Kneeshaw; James Abbott, Peter Mbwasse, Rob Williams, Eveli Qorovakatini; Chris Kerkow, Ben Ratcliffe; Charlie Key, Adam Cook, Sam Bragoli Jones; Mofe Abidekun, Henry Davetanivalu; Tom Williams. INTERCHANGE: Will Cooper, Bayley Eden, Anare Daunivutia, Shaun Chircop.
Scorers:
Tries: Williams (2, 36), Mbwasse (40), Cook (43, 46, 71), Abbott (53), Abidekun (58, 80), Ratcliffe (72)
Goals: Kercow 0 from 4, Ratcliffe 5 from 6.
ALL GOLDS: Callum Merrett (Capt.); Rohan Chatterjee, Joe Capener, Lewis Harris, Mackenzie Cumming; Sam Gilder, Morgan Lewis; Angus Parkin, Jack Uren, Jacob Purcell; Dan Short, Rob Davies; David Weetman. INTERCHANGE: Harrison Clifford, Louis Birch, Adam Turner, Mason Apsee.
Scorers:
Tries: Chatterjee (24), Weetman (49)
Goals: Merrett 2 from 2.
Scoring Sequence: 4-0, 4-6, 8-6, 12-6, (HT), 18-6, 22-6, 22-12, 26-12, 32-12, 38-12, 44-12, 50-12, (FT)
Referee: Christopher Lawson
Penalties: Rhinos 10-12 All Golds
Sin Bin: Bragoli Jones (Rhinos) 65 – high tackle; Lewis (All Golds) 68 – professional foul; Cook (Rhinos) 77 – fighting.
Sent Off: Harris (All Golds) 77 – punching.
Bristol All Golds’ Player of the Match was hooker Jack Uren who worked hard from dummy half to get his team going forward. He was one of the few All Golds who consistently broke the Rhinos’ line and from one break he set up his side’s second half try.