BATTLING ALL GOLDS DENIED AT THE DEATH
EASTERN RHINOS 22 – 18 BRISTOL ALL GOLDS
Christopher Wilson at Colchester Sports Park
SUMMARY
A last-minute try from Rhinos’ winger Kieran Fleming snatched victory for his side after they battled back from a 12-0 halftime deficit. The Bristol All Golds had taken control of the game in the first half thanks to tries from Aaron Ryan and Mason Ball converted by Owen Priest, but the second half of the game was a different story.
Buoyed by an early try from Tom Ramsay, The Rhinos worked their way into an 18-12 lead thanks to two tries from William Blakemore and Fleming’s first of the afternoon which he converted with his side’s only successful kick of the day.
Mike Holden brought the scores level again with a 50-metre sprint to the line, Darrion Ball converting, but Ball missed an ambitious long-range penalty goal with four minutes left and the Rhinos were able to work their way upfield to send Fleming in at the corner with the last play of an enthralling game.
REPORT
A last-minute try from Rhinos’ winger Kieran Fleming snatched victory for his side after they battled back from a 12-0 halftime deficit. The Bristol All Golds had taken control of the game in the first half thanks to tries from Aaron Ryan and Mason Ball converted by Owen Priest, but the second half of the game was a different story.
The Bristol side were forced, through injury to their starting props Ed Tait and Aaron Ryan, to play the second half with just one replacement, which was negated when Henry Symons left the field with a rib injury with half an hour left.
The All Golds’ 13 men ran and tackled for all they were worth, but the Rhinos stepped up from their first half showing and ran in five tries. Had their goalkicking been more accurate – four players missed the target from the tee – their win might have been more convincing.
The game began under overcast skies and with a chilly breeze and the sides traded possession for the opening few sets.
The opening score came after 11 minutes. The Rhinos were penalised three times in quick succession and Ryan powered over from close range, Priest adding the extras.
Play became scrappy as the initial intensity waned and mistakes became more frequent, but it was the All Golds who had the composure to add to their lead after 22 minutes. Winning a penalty on the last tackle, swift hands on the resulting set gave Mason Ball just enough space to squeeze over. Priest converted with the aid of a post.
The Rhinos worked hard to get back into the game but weren’t able to convert their opportunities into points. Their best chances came when George O’Connor was held up over the line and from the resulting play Fleming was tackled into touch at the corner flag.
A breather and reset during the half-time interval worked wonders for the Rhinos. Their big men, particularly William Blakemore, powered forward, making yards upfield but it took an horrendous error in the All Golds’ rearguard to present them with points.
A low kick through towards the in-goal bounced around unclaimed and Tom Ramsey touched the gift down.
Buoyed by the score, the Rhinos grabbed the initiative, though they were given a fright when Mike Holden ran across the line before racing through a gap only to be ankle-tapped with the try-line in sight.
With half an hour left, Blakemore scored straight from a tap penalty and crossed again five minutes later to level the scores at 12-12.
The visitors had the better of the next section of play without troubling the scoreboard until Fleming crossed, improving the angle enough for him to be successful with the conversion.
However, the Rhinos’ 18-12 lead was soon wiped out as an error on their first set after the score gave the All Golds a scrum in midfield and Holden powered his way through and away from the defence to touch down, Darrion Ball adding the goal to level the scores again.
The All Golds then had a couple of chances to snatch a win. The first came when they won a penalty just inside their own half with four minutes left and Darrion Ball went for goal, but the kick fell short. They then won a scrum in good field position after a Rhinos’ error, but the home pack had enough nous to put on a six-man shove, force a knock-on, and earn one last bid for victory.
A penalty got them within striking range and with the last move of the game Fleming dived over in the corner to settle an enthralling game.
MatchStats
Teams:
RHINOS: Daniel Harding (Capt.); Jim Niudamu, James Abbott, William Blakemore, Kieran Fleming; Aidan Frensham, Rory Butcher; Will Cooper, George O’Connor, Joesph Dakin; Thomas Ramsay, Jack Barbrooke; Stanley Wong; INTERCHANGE: George Chisnall, Owen James, Lloyd Ellis, Josh Ellison.
Scorers:
Tries: Ramsay (42), Blakemore (51, 56), Fleming (65, 79)
Goals: Frensham 0 from 1, Harding 0 from 1, Fleming 1 from 2, Ellison 0 from 1.
ALL GOLDS: Mike Holden; Rohan Chatterjee, Mason Ball, Morgan Lewis, Henry Symons; Greg Hamilton, Darrion Ball; Ed Tait, Owen Priest, Aaron Ryan; Louis Birch, Billy Hooper; Jack Uren (Capt); INTERCHANGE: Ross Rochelle, Luke Bowyer, Jay Woodley.
Scorers:
Tries: Ryan (11), M. Ball (22), Holden (68)
Goals: Priest 2 from 2, D. Ball 1 from 2.
All Golds player of the Match: Full back Mike Holden was safe under the high ball, made any number of forward carries and scored a vital try to get his side back into the game. He was always probing for a gap in the defence and, but for a desperate ankle tap, could have had a try just after the Rhinos had crossed for the first time.
Scoring sequence: 0-6, 0-12, (HT), 4-12, 8-12, 12-12, 18-12, 18-18, 22-18, (FT)
Penalty Count: 6-8
Referee: Gareth Winnard