It’s Raining Pens!

Bowdon firsts completed the league double over the side that were relegated with us last season. In a stop start game Bo’ gave far too many penalties and at times poor handling resulted in missed chances to further enhance the home teams score. In future Bowdon need to read the ref better and then play by their interpretation of the Laws of Rugby! We also need to keep quite when things don’t go our way as too many penalties were a result of back chat - or our players trying to do the refs job. We may not agree with some (or in some cases many!) of the Refs decisions, but they are not going to change it when we moan about things. We need to remember without the ref we don’t have a game, and they are the ones brave, or daft, enough(special mention to Bruce Henderson for reffing only his second game at the weekend! - deffo poacher turned gamekeeper there!), to pick up a whistle. If any of us think we can do a better job the referee’s societies are always looking for would-be refs.

To the Game! They say any win is a good Win! This was an ugly win! Against a better team Bowdon would have been struggling - due simply to penalties given away, handling errors and turnovers! Bowdon’s first score came from an Orrell scrum on their own 5 yard line. Pressure on the away side saw the ball tuned over and an initial Daruis bulldozing charge was off loaded to Tom Shaw to force himself over from 10 yards out. Swets kicking the conversion.

Orrell then capitalised on another Bowdon penalty mid way in our own half to reduce the lead to 4 points. On 20 minutes a midfield break from Andre Hechter set Ben Sutherland off on a run some good rucking play and another dash from Sean Convey saw the ball come back from a 5 meter ruck to John Blackwell who squeezed over the line for another 7 points with the help of Swet’s boot!

5 minutes latter Ben got on the Score sheet - ending a great move with breaking runs from JB and Chris Hares before a wide pass from Swets released Kane before he passed to Ben to score wide out on the right. A mighty effort for the extras by Swets unfortunatley saw the ball bounce back from the upright. The final score of the half was initially forged from a Mark Wells breakthrough in midfield. With good ruck ball Bowdon progressed- Fiji Fred picking up from a ruck a few meters out to cross the whitewash to again score out wide on the right!

Several words were spoken at Half time - Most of which can’t be repeated here! Suffice to say it mentioned penalties, handling errors, popping the ball to no-one and keeping traps shut! Looking at the second half stats - most of the team must have been wearing scrum caps as none of it went in!

It took 15 minutes from the re-start for Bo’ to get the scoreboard ticking over again! From an Orrell ruck just inside their own 22 Bobby Gould suddenly emerged with the ball – The dark arts are strong in that one! From the turnover Bo’ moved the ball swiftly through several pairs of hands releasing Kane Ditchfield to score near the posts, giving Swets another conversation to add to his points tally. Three minutes latter good rucking and support play gave Evaldas a run at the posts scoring close in for another easy kick for Swets. Four minutes latter and it was Chris Hares who profited from the good support play and keeping the ball alive. Swets completing his fifth and final conversion of the day!

Bowdon then went to sleep for 5 minutes - allowing Orrell one of their few excursions into the Bo’ half. As Orrell came forward, some poor tackling allowed the visitors to score out wide on the Bowdon right. After that, normal service was resumed with Orrell pinned in their own half – and from considerable Bowdon Pressure in their 22 the Orrell Fly half had a kick charged down with Evaldas - the cat! - pouncing on the loose ball to score this second try.

Arguably the best try of the day was saved for the last play of the game. As the gloom was descending over Clay lane and not just from Thiu’s mood from the performance, Mark Wells unleashed the kryptonite powers from his boots. Like a highlighted streak down the margin of a page, he set off from near half way, after the ball had been turned over by Tom Shaw. Skipping tackles and bouncing tacklers Mark somehow managing to stay on the right side of the sideline to score a try close to the posts. The less said about his conversion attempt the better!Those boots are made for running not kicking!

As the first line said a good score masking a poor overall performance! A much sterner test waits on the Isle of Man next week where the Vagabonds will be looking to reverse Bowdon’s early season - last minute - victory.