Match Report

This was new team which had split from Ashfield Swans and Spartans when they merged. The team was trying to get election to the same league as Melbourne.

The Melbourne team was a mixed bag, with the 1sts and 2nds having cancelled late on, Pete Ilot, Matt Brown and Devanny were in the backs and David Lowson on the forwards but also included were Simon Croft and Adam Marsh, two Chellaston 6 formers making there senior debut, and returning kiwi Andy Jenson on the wing who the wing and Jim Domjan both of whom had not played for 20 years.

The Melbourne side arrived in dribs and drabs and sorted out where everyone was playing, meanwhile a number of teams were warming up who could be our possible opposition, there were two quite fat teams on one pitch and a squad of about 24 players on another pitch training in a very coordinated fashion. When we enquired we found out we were playing the co-ordinated team the others were not even from Ashfield Spartans.

The team was a little experimental with Colin Topliss being our only line out jumper and no 8 , and Adam who had never played backrow playing blindside.

The game kicked off and from the start Ashfield came at us like a train, they were a large physical side and it really felt to most people like we would be on the end of a 60 or 70 point mauling, quickly Ashfield power play lead to two tries for the home team who were playing up hill. 10-0.

Melbourne were showing some fighting qualities, tackling hard and refusing to cry, in the line outs Toppo was taking his fair share of ball and David Lowson much to his own surprise kept diving on the large quantities of loose ball that was available, the backs also with nothing to loose were playing with real flair, Pete, Matt and Devanny, running dangerous lines and really having a go.

In the scrums, Bob Stowell was hooking and after a 1st dodgy scrum we had started to dominate pushing the much larger Ashfield pack about and winning Ashfield ball, Darren Grant at Scrum half was also menacing.

Then Melbourne scored good work in the backs saw Pete Ilot go through to score from 20 metres a try converted by Dot Cotton, Ashfield did fight back but the game was far more even and they did score two more tries to make it 20-7, but from the restart Melbourne took the ball and were awarded another Penalty 20-10 at Half time.

The half time team talk by Kevin Holdgate was very positive, it was perhaps a bit too much to ask to win the game, but we were making a first team look shabby and upsetting their rhythm, big respect to Pete Ilot and Devanny who were extraordinarily positive about the goings on, despite the odd comedy moment from some of the less experienced players.

The 2nd half saw Dot Cotton who was going out on the beer replaced by Devanny and Martin Ridges coming in at Full Back. For the next 30 minutes the game was probably mainly Melbourne’s there were lots of positive play, and great tackling, including some good work by Bob Stowell the scrums went well and some very good running on the wing from Andy Jenson who looked to be quite classy and deserved a try and Simon Croft who made a lot of hard yards with a Ashfield player hanging off him.

Ashfield brought on lots of substitutes, including one of about 6 foot 9 who still didn’t beat Toppo in the line and in the last 10 minutes Melbourne lack of match fitness showed and they were able to run in a couple of tries 32-10 final score.

Despite the defeat there was a lot of positives from the game and we left the pitch with our heads held high after a very enjoyable game of Rugby. Simon Croft and Andy Jenson and Darren Grant looked like they could step up a level if they wanted and Ashfield Spartans had played in a sporting and good humoured manner.

In all truth this would have been a better fixture for a strong Melbourne 2nds team.

Post match entertainment was in a detached house converted into a working mans club and as only 5 or 6 of us found it there was loads of top food to go round and Guiness was only £1.98 a pint!.

Team

1. Lowson
2. Stowell
3. Holdgate
4. Adam Marsh
5. Chris Moore
6. Domjan
7. Simon Croft
8. Toppo
9. Darren Grant
10. Dave Cotton
11. Andy Jenson
12. Paul Devanny
13. Pete Ilot
14. Matt Brown
15. Steve Pye
16. Martin Ridges