Sat 14 Sep 2019, 15:00
A glorious late summer afternoon greeted the teams at Droitwich and there could be no excuses for either side on the conditions they were faced with. Both teams had recorded wins on the opening weekend of the season, so the crowd was expecting an entertaining game of rugby.
The opening minutes of the game favoured Droitwich, and they were starting to build pressure in the DK half but the blue line was coping well with the direct style employed by Droitwich, but this pressure led to a yellow card against DK full back Sam Vaughan, but Droitwich were unable to make their numerical advantage count. The ball was spilt out wide and DK were soon counter attacking with purpose.
Charlie Baffour was on one of his trademark runs take advantage of a broken field opportunity, when he suddenly passed to a Droitwich player, the referee’s whistle quickly followed and a penalty was awarded to DK in accordance with Law 9.27.
Up stepped Harry Bayliss and a kick to the corner, a well worked lineout saw a catch in the middle initially driven and a spin out by James Ryan saw momentum into the move, and more ground gained by drives from the two second rows, Callum Nicholls first and then Dan Marsh. The resulting scrummage was a put in to DK, The DK forwards secured the ball and used a good second shove to put the Droitwich backs at the disadvantage and with the DK backs split, scrum half Joe Dunn fed The short side and Stef Shillingford powered over for the first try, 5-0 to DK
The resulting kick off saw Droitwich lost a player to a yellow card a tackle in the air, not a malicious tackle but timing is everything in such cases, and there could be no argument with the decision. DK were back on the front foot and a probing run from Charlie Baffour back infield to link with the two second rows who were have a tremendous influence on the game saw DK close in on the Droitwich line but some good work stripped the DK forwards of the ball and a kick to touch removed the immediate danger.
DK were building pressure and a touch finder into the Droitwich 22 saw another period of pressure than DK made count, a lineout win saw James Ryan pick and go around the back and with his forward mates in support saw him over the line but the referee adjudged James had been held up. A 5 metre scrum to DK, a back row move and into a ruck situation James Ryan again around the side this time a 5 pointer, Sam added the extras from wide out 12-0 to DK.
The opening minutes of the game favoured Droitwich, and they were starting to build pressure in the DK half but the blue line was coping well with the direct style employed by Droitwich, but this pressure led to a yellow card against DK full back Sam Vaughan, but Droitwich were unable to make their numerical advantage count. The ball was spilt out wide and DK were soon counter attacking with purpose.
Charlie Baffour was on one of his trademark runs take advantage of a broken field opportunity, when he suddenly passed to a Droitwich player, the referee’s whistle quickly followed and a penalty was awarded to DK in accordance with Law 9.27.
Up stepped Harry Bayliss and a kick to the corner, a well worked lineout saw a catch in the middle initially driven and a spin out by James Ryan saw momentum into the move, and more ground gained by drives from the two second rows, Callum Nicholls first and then Dan Marsh. The resulting scrummage was a put in to DK, The DK forwards secured the ball and used a good second shove to put the Droitwich backs at the disadvantage and with the DK backs split, scrum half Joe Dunn fed The short side and Stef Shillingford powered over for the first try, 5-0 to DK
The resulting kick off saw Droitwich lost a player to a yellow card a tackle in the air, not a malicious tackle but timing is everything in such cases, and there could be no argument with the decision. DK were back on the front foot and a probing run from Charlie Baffour back infield to link with the two second rows who were have a tremendous influence on the game saw DK close in on the Droitwich line but some good work stripped the DK forwards of the ball and a kick to touch removed the immediate danger.
DK were building pressure and a touch finder into the Droitwich 22 saw another period of pressure than DK made count, a lineout win saw James Ryan pick and go around the back and with his forward mates in support saw him over the line but the referee adjudged James had been held up. A 5 metre scrum to DK, a back row move and into a ruck situation James Ryan again around the side this time a 5 pointer, Sam added the extras from wide out 12-0 to DK.
Into the dying moments of the half, DK were on the attack again and a right to left backs move saw Sam Vaughan cutback against the grain and make it back to the forwards who drove towards the lie and Stef Shillingford took advantage with a very short range effort to score DK’s third try, so it was 17-0 going into half time.
There were plenty of positives to take into the half time huddle, but the 0 for Droitwich was a big bonus over week one. The coaches choose to make the main changes at half time.
DK struck first in the second half with a well working strike, following a scrum on about half way scrum half Joe Dunn, checked the Droitwich defence with a cross field run and then a well-timed pass to full back Sam Vaughan who was put clean through a gap, with Tommy Walker outside him and one defender to go, Sam released Tommy who was over the line for DK’s bonus point try, 22-0 to DK.
There were plenty of positives to take into the half time huddle, but the 0 for Droitwich was a big bonus over week one. The coaches choose to make the main changes at half time.
DK struck first in the second half with a well working strike, following a scrum on about half way scrum half Joe Dunn, checked the Droitwich defence with a cross field run and then a well-timed pass to full back Sam Vaughan who was put clean through a gap, with Tommy Walker outside him and one defender to go, Sam released Tommy who was over the line for DK’s bonus point try, 22-0 to DK.
The game went through a period were the play was confined to the area between the two 22’s, that spell of play was broken when Josh Melvin pounced on a loose ball and darted into the Droitwich 22, and a clever change of angle allowed Ryan Smitheman to run a line off him to beat the defence and score a try converted by Sam 29-0 to DK.
Into the final 10 minutes and Droitwich, came to life and pounded in the DK 22, though the blue line held but Pete Griffiths was yellow carded for DK, and despite some epic defending including a Charlie special the extra man told and Droitwich scored in the corner, final score 29-5 to DK.
Into the final 10 minutes and Droitwich, came to life and pounded in the DK 22, though the blue line held but Pete Griffiths was yellow carded for DK, and despite some epic defending including a Charlie special the extra man told and Droitwich scored in the corner, final score 29-5 to DK.
