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Reports round-up

 

 

SEASON 2006-2007

October 2006 match action details

 

October 28 round-up

 

Stoneygate 1st XV 3, Boston 1st XV 20

 

In the EDF-sponsored RFU Junior Cup competition, Boston comfortably secured their passage to the second round with a solid team performance away at Stoneygate in Leicestershire. The opposition, while in the same league as Boston (Midlands South Five), had been relegated from Midlands Four the season before and were very much an unknown quantity coming into this match.

 

With six first team regulars unavailable due to injury, Boston coaches Ray Hayward and Ben Hauserman were forced to make a number of changes. In the back row, James Fendyke and Ollie Webster were drafted in. Meanwhile in the backs, centre Ryan Krause returned with Adam Wright (an ex-youth player) making his first team debut on the wing. After the initial early exchanges, both teams swapped penalties to make the score 3-3 after nine minutes of play. In a typical tight cup encounter, neither side were able to impose themselves.

 

Stoneygate with the ball in hand looked dangerous in attack, only for poor handling and off-loading in the tackle to end many promising moves. In Boston’s case — sponsored by Staffsmart — the visitors were looking strong in the scrum and in particular the lineout, where they were producing quick quality ball to the backs. For once captain Rhys Gosling’s kicking radar went astray and a number of opportunities went begging. With only a few minutes remaining of the first half, Boston scored their first try of the match, through back row Mark Miles, who seized upon a loose ball from a lineout 5m out to score, and move Boston into an interval lead of 8-3.

 

At half-time Mark Miles (injured shoulder) was replaced by Kenny Doig. With the psychological advantage gained, Boston were quick to push home their advantage. Within 15 minutes of the restart Boston winger Peter Stubley scored their second try. Constant pressure within the Stoneygate 22m zone eventually brought its reward. From loose play, Boston recycled the ball and back row Doig broke blind to feed winger Stubley who extended Boston’s lead to 13-3.

 

While Stoneygate briefly rallied and applied pressure on Boston, sound defensive tackling, in particular from second row Nigel Lane, back row Ollie Webster and James Fendyke, kept the home side at bay.

 

Boston effectively killed off the game to seal victory with a third try 10 minutes from the end. A quickly taken tap penalty by centre Simon Cooke saw Cooke break through the Stoneygate defence and allowed the supporting back row Kenny Doig to sprint in from outside the 22m line. With a 20-3 advantage at this stage of the match, Boston used their remaining replacements. Sam Paylin replaced Ollie Webster in the back row and Tom Kemp made way for Andy Coats at scrum half to help close out the game.

 

Boston importantly continued their winning momentum, and while a good cup run is always a bonus, the club are clearly focused on the league and in gaining promotion to Midlands Four. To this end they resume league duties when they entertain Worksop at home on Saturday November 4, kick off 2.30 pm. All support is welcome. Later the same evening, the club will be hosting its annual fireworks night, starting at 7.30pm.

 

Boston 1st XV: I Sampson, C Dowse, A Buckberry, N Lane, F Cannon, O Webster, J Fendyke, M Miles, T Kemp, R Gosling,  A Wright, S Cooke, R Krause,  P Stubley, P Jarvis. Replacements: K Doig, A Coats, S Paylin.

 

 

October 21 round-up

 

Nottingham Casuals 10, Boston 1st XV 28

 

Boston first XV moved up to third place in the Midlands 5 East League (North) table with an excellent 28-10 away victory against Nottingham Casuals. The success brought up Boston’s third straight league victory. The Boardsides-based outfit now have six points to their credit, two behind joint leaders Nottinghamians and Bakewell Mannerians, the latter being the only side to inflict defeat on Boston — a result arriving on the opening day of the league campaign.

 

The two teams went into the match neck-and-neck in the league table in third place but it was Boston who made a significant leap ahead of their opponents.

Despite having to reshuffle to cope with a few injury problems, Boston held the upper hand for most of the first half even though they were playing into the teeth of a fairly strong breeze. Several good forward surges finally culminated in a well-taken try on 15 minutes by Ben Hausermann. The conversion was added by Rhys Gosling.

 

Shortly afterwards the home side pounced on a loose Boston pass and ran 50 yards to land an unconverted try. Boston continued to hold sway and were rewarded with another well-constructed try from Norm Patterson just before half time. Gosling once again converted.


The early part of the second half saw Notts Casuals exert plenty of pressure on the Boston team, but the visitors defended well and didn’t concede any points. Boston rallied strongly. And in the 58th minute Gosling scored a try close to the posts. He then also added another conversion.

 

But again, Notts came back. And after several penalties close to the Boston line they crashed over for a second unconverted try. Ten minutes before the final whistle, Boston were rewarded with a try from Paul Jarvis. Gosling again converted well

 

This Saturday (October 28), Boston are away to Stoneygate in a cup-tie.

Boston 2nd XV 19, Spalding Development XV15

An early Andy Smith try plus conversion by Jon MacPherson gave Boston an quick advantage in this derby clash. But Spalding hit back within minutes by scoring an unconverted try of their own. Just before the break, an error in the home rearguard allowed Spalding to score another try and go into the break with a lead.

 

Boston tightened up on their forward play in the second period, conceding fewer penalties. And as a result they enjoyed more attacking work of their own. They got back on the scoresheet with a well-worked forward move that ended with winger Perry Cumber going over in the corner.


Now 12-10 ahead, Boston continued to pile on the pressure, resulting in a further try by scrum half MacPherson. This he converted himself to put Boston clear at 19-10. Spalding added a third unconverted try, but were unable to further close the gap as Boston held on.

 

Boston 2nd XV: Welsby, Pheonix, Smith, Scott, Roberts, Scott-Mance, Woods, Cock, Coats, MacPherson, Cumber, Smith, Brooks, Slater, Carr. Replacements: Brogan, Cook, Palin.

 

 

October 14 round-up

 

Boston 1st XV 64 Long Eaton 1st XV 8

 

In a devastating display of open running rugby, Boston’s back division, led by captain Rhys Gosling completely overran the Long Eaton defence to register nine tries while conceding only one and setting new club records along the way.

 

Two players, full-back Paul Jarvis and winger Adrian Hart, scored hat-tricks. And not to be outdone, fly-half Gosling amassed a personal tally of 29 points and had another 100 percent kicking return.

 

It was a pleasure to be at the Boardsides on Saturday as a large crowd, bolstered by a strong vice-presidents presence — courtesy of a pre-match lunch — witnessed Boston turn in their best performance of the season for the new team’s shirt sponsors Staffsmart Recruitment Agency.

 

Preparation is the key to any sport. And on this occasion Boston came out of the “starting blocks” in impressive fashion. Playing with intensity and vision, the team totally dominated the opening 20 minutes. With spectators only just taking their seats, the home side got off to a perfect start when full-back Jarvis was the recipient of a long pass from Gosling and showed his devastating pace to score under the posts.

 

Within minutes, centre Darryn Barratt finished off another flowing move executed at pace to take the home side into an early 14-0 lead. It was impressive to see Boston players getting to the breakdown in numbers and watching the backs move the ball at speed to support their colleagues off the ball.

 

A penalty by Gosling quickly followed and Boston’s old habit of taking the foot off the accelerator allowed Long Eaton to get back into the match through a well taken try and penalty, reducing the arrears to 17-8.

 

Boston immediately awoke from their slumbers with Gosling seizing on a loose ball then jinking his way through the visitors defence to score the first of his two tries. Further tries from Adrian Hart and Jarvis followed to take the Staffsmart-sponsored Boston side into a commanding 45-8 lead at half-time.

 

While the second half did not quite match up to the scoring feats of the first, Boston still added another 19 unanswered points. Winger Hart scored the first and last try of the match to earn a deserved hat-trick. Jarvis scored one more to complete his treble while Gosling added the conversions.

 

With the match safely won, the coaching staff gave all three replacements a 25-minute run-out, replacing Kenny Doig, Ste Loveley and Darryn Barratt.

 

On Saturday October 21, Boston travel to play Nottingham Casuals in their fourth league match of the new season, kick-off 3pm. After that, they hit the road again and travel to play Stoneygate in the first round of the RFU Junior Cup competition.

 

Boston 1st XV: I Sampson, R Collins, N Lane, F Cannon, S Loveley, K Doig, B Hauserman, M Miles, T Kemp, R Gosling,  A Hart, S Cooke, D Barratt,  N Patterson, P Jarvis. Replacements: C Dowse, A Buckberry, S Bourne.

 

Boston seconds’ scheduled match against North Kesteven was regrettably cancelled at the last minute. The call-off did not leave the team time to find another fixture. This Saturday (October 21) they play a Spalding development side at home.

 

October 7 round-up

 

Boston RFC 1st XV had no match over the weekend of October 7-8 but undertook a full training session in advance of their next league fixture at home to Long Eaton on Saturday October 14 (kick-off 3pm at the Boardsides).