Alcester 53 Old Patesians 3rds 7
WITH scheduled opponents Stratford 2nds electing to have a weekend off, Alcester entered the fixture pool and were paired with their Cheltenham-based opponents whose 1st XV play in the National Leagues and who themselves play regular league rugby.
In the first meeting between the two sides last season, Old Patesians ran out comfortable winners in Cheltenham, but this game had a very different outcome as Alcester ran in nine tries to record their fourth half century points haul of the season at Kings Coughton.
The visitors arrived two players down so were lent Jack Horton and Meka Pieri by their hosts and, with the Cheltenham men also unable to field a full front row, the game was played with passive scrums throughout.
With the strong wind and slope at their back in the first half, the visitors took an early lead. Alcester loanee Horton was prominent in the build-up to the try in a move that was rounded off by the Old Patesians fly half between the posts, which he converted himself to give his side a 7-0 lead.
However, that was as good as it got for the visitors as Alcester hit back with four tries before the break, including a brace from left wing Lewis Walker, his second following an excellent mazy run from 17-year-old full back Oscar Holland.
There was also one try each from right wing Alex Chiles and skipper Jack Green, the latter eluding several half-hearted tackles to race in from the halfway line. Fly half Josh O’Connor added one conversion.
In the second half Horton returned to Alcester colours and swapped places with fellow prop Kyran Flynn who spent the final 40 minutes representing the visitors.
With the elements at their back in the second half and against tiring opponents, Alcester ran in five more unanswered tries.
O’Connor was the first to score after some excellent work from man of the match second row forward Matt Johnson, who did well to pick up a loose pass from down near his bootlaces before delivering a clever disguised pass to set O’Connor free.
O’Connor doubled his try tally moments later, before the final part of the game belonged to teenage centre Jamie Harland who ran in a hat-trick of tries to round off the scoring. O’Connor converted four of the five second half tries.
Old Patesians spent the final part of the game a man down, after the referee finally lost patience with their scrum half and yellow-carded him. The visiting number nine had been central throughout the game to the slight bouts of verbals and niggles between the sides.
Leaders Alcester return to Midlands Four West (South) action on Saturday when they start a six-week period which will define their season. They start with a trip to basement Coventry side Keresley for a 2.15pm kick-off.
THE BROSTIN Warmwell society, the gathering of some of Alcester’s most loyal and long-standing supporters and charged this season with selecting the player of the month, have chosen back rower Phil Birks for his outstanding contribution in February.
Birks has been one of the Kings Coughton men’s most consistent performers over the last decade or so and continues to lead his pack from the front, as he has done so particularly well throughout February.
