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Boston Rugby Club

Reports round-up

May 2006 match action details Club’s own website: www.bostonrugbyclub.co.uk

May 20 round-up

Boston Rugby Club’s end-of-season dinner proved a big success at the club’s Boardsides headquarters with BBC radio and television presenter John Inverdale attending as special guest speaker for the evening. A total of 115 people were at the gathering, including vice-presidents, players and guests. After John’s reflections on rugby and sport in general, he presented the following club awards: Player of the year, Simon Cooke; most improved player, Darryn Barratt; young player of the season, Max Slater; Joe Ward player’s player of the year, Rhys Gosling; and clubman of the season, shared by Jim, Lynn and Ste Brogan.

May 13 round-up

Boston 1st XV 37, Boston President’s XV 7

There was an entertaining conclusion to Boston Rugby Club’s season in this “challenge” fixture between the club’s first XV and the President’s XV who put on a brave and committed performance under the watchful command of their manager Norman Walsh.

The President’s XV comprising a mixture of retired, current Boston players and guests, ensured the present Vivaldi-sponsored team players did not have it all their own way through out the game. While the scoreline suggests it was a one-sided affair, like all statistics this can be misleading. The President’s XV matched their counterparts admirably in loose and set play.

Their downfall, however, was in open play, where given an opportunity and some space, Boston’s pacy backs exploited things to the full, showing no mercy. Darryn Barratt, Rhys Gosling and Paul Jarvis all benefited from having time and space to score fine solo tries. Gosling showed an impressive turn of speed to score a try, the run for which began from inside the President’s XV half, to extend Boston’s score after 20 minutes to 15-0, following previous scores from Ben Hauserman and Adrian Hart.

It took the President’s XV until the second half before they opened their account. Good forward driving play saw winger Martin Mullinder seize on a loose ball on the blind side to outpace his opposite number to score under the posts, the converted try by Wayne Barnett, reduced the arrears to 25-7. Before the end of the match winger Paul Jarvis scored an impressive solo try, demonstrating his pace and side-stepping ability to leave a clutch of red shirts grasping thin air. Scrum half Barratt sealed victory with a score straight from the restart, to end the match 37-7 to draw the 2005/6 season to a close.

Bridget Deptford presented captain Kevin Williams with the Tony Deptford Memorial Trophy after the game in front of the watching crowd.

May 6 round-up

Boston 1st XV 27, Horncastle 1st XV 3

In the final of the Lincolnshire Shield Cup competition, Boston emerged victorious against a spirited and determined Horncastle team. The match, like the weather, proved to be a game of contrasts. In the first half Boston dominated territorially and had 80 percent of the possession. Boston, sponsored by Vivaldi, were looking to play an expansive game. However, the weather and poor handling conspired to prevent fluid rugby.

It took 10 minutes before the deadlock was broken, and arguably. A dropped ball by Horncastle on half way was seized upon and was quickly transfered to Paul Jarvis on the wing. He accelerated and skipped past his opposite number. And with the covering defence approaching, he off-loaded perfectly to the supporting Darryn Barratt at centre to finish off the move. The converted try by Rhys Gosling moved Boston into a 7-0 lead.

With Horncastle finding it difficult to contain the Boston pack, they soon started to concede a number of penalties, and Boston added a further three points to move 13-3 ahead after 20 minutes. It was this dominance that resulted in the pack recording the next two tries.

First Boston methodically worked their way to the Horncastle line. And from the resulting lineout, the pack drove back row Ste Lovely over the line to extend their lead to 20-3 with the conversion landed by Rhys Gosling. With the clock running down towards the end of the half, Boston again found themselves in a perfect attacking position 5m out. The Boston pack drove the Horncastle forwards over the line for No 8 Ben Hauserman to score Boston’s third converted try to see them enter half time 27-3 ahead.

As the weather continued to deteriorate in the second half, so did Boston’s play. In what can only be described as a dour 40 minutes, the most rewarding aspect was to see five of Boston’s replacements take the field.

In order of appearance these were: Nigel Lane (second row), Simon Cooke (centre), Max Slater (wing), Andrew Maguire (back row) and Anthony Buckberry (prop). With the relief of hearing the final whistle, Boston and their travelling supporters celebrated winning their first silverware of the season, which will be displayed at the annual dinner on Friday when guest speaker will be radio and TV presenter John Inverdale.

Boston 1st XV: I Sampson, R Collins, R Lancaster,K Williams , F Cannon, S Loveley, B Hauserman , D Allen, T Kemp, R Gosling, D Barratt, R Krause, P Stubley, A Hart. Replacements: N Lane, M Slater, A Maguire, S Cooke, A Buckberry.

On Sunday May 14 the final game of the season takes place between the annual President’s XV and the first team for the Tony Deptford Trophy (kick-off 3pm). A junior match at 1.30pm and Boston ladies playing at noon will precede this.