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AEI RUGBY 1st XV 27 - 3 RIPLEY RHINOS 1st XV
FRIENDLY
Saturday 26th April 2008
Ripley finished their Saturday fixtures with their regular trip to Warwickshire to play AEI Rugby 1sts. Again skipper Zeique Robinson had a much changed side going into this fixture on a hot and windy afternoon, played on a pitch that could have fed a dozen cattle for a month.
No.8 Robinson won the toss and Rhinos had the advantage of the slope and wind in the first half. They started slowly but appeared to have the upper hand in the scrummages with brother props Simon (on debut) and Gareth Davies and hooker Carl Whitley having the nudge over their opponents. Robinson was always a power at the front of the lineout and spoilt a lot of AEI ball that Whitley cleaned up expertly. Twice in the opening quarter Rhinos had pressure on the AEI line but silly mistakes and penalties spotted by the fastidious ref denied them any points. The home side made them pay when their first foray into the Rhino 22 saw them camp on the Rhino line for five minutes before creating the overlap to score a converted try. Rhinos struck back and fly half Will Evans opened their account with a neatly struck penalty (second time round after the referee ordered a retake). Ripley kept the pressure on and should have scored near half time but scrum half Dave Trubee ignored the easy option to pass the ball out wide and went alone and got turned over.
Rhinos had held the upper hand throughout the first half so it was a shock to find AEI scoring their second converted try soon after the break. Ripley again made it back into their half with strong running from centre David Owen and some good recycling work from the forwards - Whitley linking and keeping the ball alive superbly - only for the maroons to concede another penalty with the line at their mercy. AEI used the wind to thump the ball downfield and Ripley didn't deal with it and conceded a penalty that was duly kicked to extend the home side's lead to 17-3. Worse followed when a good kick off from Evans was spilled backwards by AEI but no Rhino was in attendance as AEI's very surprised prop set off for the distant try line. Full back James Franco made the textbook low tackle but as the ball carrier fell he popped the ball backwards straight onto a supporting team mate's boot and they won the chase to the line to score a rather fortunate try. Rhinos now went for everything, throwing the ball around with gay abandon but tiring legs and minds saw them conceded another try on the final whistle and lose the match 27-3.
It was a surprise to everyone at the game that Ripley managed to lose this match after dominating it for such long periods but AEI had the cutting edge to score when they had the chance and to keep the pressure on Rhinos to force the mistakes. Hooker Carl Whitley stood out on an afternoon where his colleagues generally didn't and took their plaudits as the man of the match.
Rhinos finish the season with a game on Wednesday evening game at Police HQ in Ripley against Derbyshire Constabulary; kick off 6.30pm.
Rhino's rugby training for both men and women will restart in May at the back of the Beehive pub in Ripley - all new players are welcome - for more details ring 07816 779018.