Alcester President’s XV 34 Alcester Chairman’s XV 27
ALCESTER’S annual Boxing Day game was its usual keenly contested affair, with the positions and sides for all players for this inter-club match being drawn out before the game.
The only criterion was that players could not play in their regular positions, which resulted in props playing on the wing and backs packing down in the scrum.
It also featured a number of interesting match-ups of brothers playing against each other, which always adds some extra spice to the occasion.
A healthy Boxing Day gathering of spectators made the most of the bright but chilly conditions to ensure one of Alcester’s longest standing traditions was well supported for another year.
The president’s side, wearing Alcester’s red kit, took the lead early on when Tom Goddard opened the scoring, before Phil Birks doubled their side’s tally with a second score shortly afterwards.
Before the first quarter was out, Louis Smith had got the yellow-kitted chairman’s side on the scoreboard with their opening try.
Former club chairman Pete Goddard, wearing a santa hat throughout, took charge of the whistle for the game and he dictated the match would be played over four quarters to ensure plenty of liquid refreshments could be taken on board by the players throughout, although this turned out to be of the alcoholic, rather than isotonic, nature!
In the second quarter Robbie Parker scored the first of his two tries to put his red side 15-5 ahead before club captain Jack Green narrowed the deficit for the chairman’s team with the first of his own brace of tries.
Half time came with the president’s side 20-15 ahead and the traditional Boxing Day half time tot of port was provided to all players and the referee at the break.
In the third quarter Tom Goddard scored his second try for the president’s team before a brace from the yellows’ Alex Chiles levelled the score as the final quarter of the game approached.
With tired legs and hangovers now getting the best of most players, the game de-generated into a number of pile-ons at rucks and off the ball playfights, from one of which Kyran Flynn was yellow-carded for reasons that only referee Goddard knows!
By now both captains and the referee had agreed that, with the score tied, the next score would win and it was left to the president’s side’s Sam Fell to grab the honours with a try which he converted himself.
After another enjoyable Boxing Day full of fun and the usual post-match traditions, next for Alcester is a return to the serious business of league rugby and the mouth-watering prospect of the visit of leaders Bromyard, who travel to Kings Coughton on Saturday.
The Herefordshire side are the only team to beat Alcester in league rugby this season, which was in the Kings Coughton men’s first league outing of the season, before Alcester embarked on an unbeaten run which has now extended to nine league games.
A tenth successive win will see Alcester move above their opponents and top the Midlands Four West (South) table.
On Sunday Alcester’s 2nd XV play host to Coventrians 2nd XV in the semi-final of the Warwickshire 2nd XV Shield. Both home games in the first full weekend of the new year kick off at 2.15pm.
