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Anselmians back to winning ways
Tony McArdle30 Mar - 14:01
Saints run up big score against Derby
Round 21 saw Saints take on already relegated Derby rugby club in the last home league game of the season. Conditions where dry and bright but with a strong breeze although a brief hailstorm made a brief 5-minute appearance at the start.
Saints with the wind behind them where straight into the attack with Matty Bowden returning a kick straight from kick off for a 50-22 return giving the Saints pack a lineout 7m out, with a catch and drive hooker Joe Sanders touched down with less than 2mins on the clock, converted by Bowden 7-0.
Desperate defence by Derby and some poor handling were the only thing stemming the tide of attack from Saints, again a lineout 5m out catch and drive Sanders in again converted by Bowden 14-0. Saints still pressed hard starting to pass the ball freely through the hands and Sam Cotgrave squeezed through a gap to score in the corner not converted 19-0.
With the large Derby forwards working hard to stem the flow scrum half Lewis Kincart came off the back of a ruck to step the defender and score at the side of the post, converted by Bowden, bonus point notched up 26-0. Then with the hail falling Saints butchered two tries due to slack passing, another catch and drive saw Sanders go in for his hatrick again converted by Bowden 33 - 0, one of three colts in todays changed team, along with debutant Gus Crowe the 3rd Crowe brother in today’s team.
With Saints forwards on a roll Sam Gregory bounded through the line into space to score under the sticks converted again by Bowden for a 40-0 HT score
Second half into the wind Saints changed tactics, preferring to spread the ball wide to avoid kicking into the strong breeze, with Matty Bowden converting his own try in the corner 47-0 before Harrison Crowe smashing through three defenders to score beside the posts 54-0.
Derby kept pressing themselves and where rewarded when a saints defender slipped while trying to change direction, giving the Derby back an easy pick up for their only score of the day, it’s been a tough season for them and fair play they never gave up during the game 54-7.
With Saints pack dominant it was Mike Byrne to power his way over next to the post easy conversion for Bowden 61-7. Next two scores where both by Ollie Dodd, first from halfway to break through the tackle and sprint over, missed conversion second from a brilliant one-handed pickup from a spilled ball to dart in under the sticks converted 73-7. Final score was prop John Whittaker who broke a tackle and sprinted a full twelve yards to score under the sticks converted to finish the game 80-7.
Rest week over easter then the league decider away at Huddersfield in a fortnight.
Saints with the wind behind them where straight into the attack with Matty Bowden returning a kick straight from kick off for a 50-22 return giving the Saints pack a lineout 7m out, with a catch and drive hooker Joe Sanders touched down with less than 2mins on the clock, converted by Bowden 7-0.
Desperate defence by Derby and some poor handling were the only thing stemming the tide of attack from Saints, again a lineout 5m out catch and drive Sanders in again converted by Bowden 14-0. Saints still pressed hard starting to pass the ball freely through the hands and Sam Cotgrave squeezed through a gap to score in the corner not converted 19-0.
With the large Derby forwards working hard to stem the flow scrum half Lewis Kincart came off the back of a ruck to step the defender and score at the side of the post, converted by Bowden, bonus point notched up 26-0. Then with the hail falling Saints butchered two tries due to slack passing, another catch and drive saw Sanders go in for his hatrick again converted by Bowden 33 - 0, one of three colts in todays changed team, along with debutant Gus Crowe the 3rd Crowe brother in today’s team.
With Saints forwards on a roll Sam Gregory bounded through the line into space to score under the sticks converted again by Bowden for a 40-0 HT score
Second half into the wind Saints changed tactics, preferring to spread the ball wide to avoid kicking into the strong breeze, with Matty Bowden converting his own try in the corner 47-0 before Harrison Crowe smashing through three defenders to score beside the posts 54-0.
Derby kept pressing themselves and where rewarded when a saints defender slipped while trying to change direction, giving the Derby back an easy pick up for their only score of the day, it’s been a tough season for them and fair play they never gave up during the game 54-7.
With Saints pack dominant it was Mike Byrne to power his way over next to the post easy conversion for Bowden 61-7. Next two scores where both by Ollie Dodd, first from halfway to break through the tackle and sprint over, missed conversion second from a brilliant one-handed pickup from a spilled ball to dart in under the sticks converted 73-7. Final score was prop John Whittaker who broke a tackle and sprinted a full twelve yards to score under the sticks converted to finish the game 80-7.
Rest week over easter then the league decider away at Huddersfield in a fortnight.
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