Droitwich 2nds 10 Alcester 45
FOLLOWING the postponement of their Midlands Four West (South) game at Keresley, whose pitch had fallen foul of the inclement weather, Alcester travelled to Droitwich for this hastily arranged friendly on Saturday and enjoyed an excellent victory.
Droitwich are a club at the top of their game right now with their first team all but promoted from Midlands Three West (South) and their seconds impressing in the Merit Table.
Therefore, it was no surprise when the home side took the lead inside the first ten minutes with an impressive try.
However, Alcester, captained by prop Jack Horton, clawed themselves back into the match and by the end of the first quarter were beginning to dominate.
Fly half Josh O’Connor scored the first of his team’s seven tries before winger Alex Chiles sprinted through the defence for Alcester’s second score to put his team 12-5 up at the interval.
Led by man of the match hooker Tom Harris, Alcester’s pack took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half. Harris, along with the back row trio of Phil Birks, Matt Alderman and Ben Hope, proved to be almost unstoppable with their charging runs in the loose.
Flying flanker Hope scored his team’s first try of the second half, before going on to complete a hat-trick of second half tries.
Other scores came from winger Lewis Walker and teenage centre Jamie Harland. O’Connor successfully converted five of his team’s seven tries.
The rearranged fixture against Keresley means Alcester now face five league games in successive weeks to complete their season.
They will do so starting in second place as their enforced absence from league rugby allowed previously second placed Bromyard to play what effectively became their game in hand on Alcester and they leapfrogged the Kings Coughton men to reclaim top spot.
The top three teams in the league, which also includes Coventry side Stoke Old Boys in third place, are separated by just two points as the final quarter of the season approaches.
Alcester host lowly Kings Norton on Saturday (3pm).
Alcester 2nds 19 Evesham 3rds 35
A DEPLETED Alcester 2nds lost out to their neighbours despite a gutsy showing in which they were competitive throughout.
Alcester’s three tries came from Anthony Cauvin, Scott McGee and Rup Daffern, with Matt Ashby adding two conversions.
Dunlop Colts 7 Alcester Colts 54
ALCESTER Colts recorded an excellent win in Coventry with an eight-try demolition of their hosts and a good all-round performance.
Leading try-scorer Cian Allen raced in a hat-trick of tries – his third three-try haul of the season – which included one 90m score when he received the ball on his own try-line and set off on a pacy and determined finish.
James Bates scored twice and there was one each for Viktor Lazarov, Steve Lowe and Harry Adams, who converted five tries and Lazarov the other two.
ALCESTER hosted an eight-team under 14s tournament at Kings Coughton on Sunday.
As well as a combined Alcester and Stratford side, other entrants were Bromyard, Camp Hill, Evesham, Old Saltleians, Trinity Guild, Walsall and Warley.
The sides were split into two independent pools of four, with Camp Hill and Warley running out as tournament winners.
The hosts came second in their pool behind Warley after winning two of their games.
With the unpredictable and showery weather and the boggy conditions underfoot, all sides did well to play some excellent rugby despite the elements as several keenly contested and very close games ensued.
