Bournemouth v Barnes

The game was played on the 3rd XV pitch as the 1st team pitch was unplayable due to heavy overnight rain. The weather was overcast but with a cold Westerly wind that blew straight down the pitch. Underfoot it was dry enough in contrast to the problems on the main pitch. Bournemouth kicked off from the Western end, i.e. with the breeze.

A quite dramatic match and the catalyst, a red card. Lock Kenneally was red carded for a dangerous tackle on the half-hour. 10-nil down and this thunderbolt. Game over? In arguably the best performance by a Bournemouth team this season, I can’t realistically say ever can I and I can’t describe them as a fifteen either, gathered themselves together and with a ‘never say die’ attitude took the game to the visitors and almost, almost prevailed. Earlier despite Bournemouth pressure the Barnes defence refused to yield. Then, and how many times have we seen this this season, the opposition ‘turned the ball’ over when we were ‘camped’ on their line and moments later scored at the other. 7-nil down after less than ten minutes. Extremely disappointing. A quarter of an hour later after a similar pattern of Bournemouth pressure, Barnes got themselves deep in the Bournemouth half. Were awarded a penalty and full-back Joshua Hammett increased the lead by three with a well-struck kick. Four minutes later and the aforesaid calamity happened. Bournemouth saw the out the rest of the half as if nothing had happened. The scrum stood up very well and even pushed the opposition back which was very encouraging if a little surprising to us mere mortals on the touchline and Bournemouth maintained their earlier pressure.

Bournemouth came out ‘fighting’, in a metaphorical sense I quickly add, for the second half and were rewarded with typical piece of Michael Pope ‘magic’, who danced his way through the defence from inside the 22m to score right of the posts. Hancox did his ‘bit’ and Bournemouth were right back in it just five or so minutes into the new half at 7-10. Extraordinary. Even more extra ordinary perhaps was Bournemouth were straight back on the attack down the left. In his efforts to stem the tide, the Barnes lock Jamie Collins was asked by referee Alan Chandrachudaj to reflect on his misdemeanour for ten minutes. From the resulting penalty inside the Barnes 22m, Bournemouth took full advantage of his absence when full-back Sutherland forced his way over and Bournemouth were in the lead at 12-10. Kicker Hancox turned away almost immediately after kicking the ball certain the ball was on target and sure enough up went the flags and he had increased his side’s advantage to four points at 14-10 just ten minutes into the half. Despite being a man down they continued to take the game to the visitors. Youngster Josh Pidgley typified the team’s determination with a thunderous tackle that maintained the pressure. However, with just over ten minutes to go, all this effort came to naught when Barnes broke down the right and hooker Cameron Ruddock scored in the corner. Hammett failed to convert the score but his side had a vital one-point lead at 15-14. Strive as they might, the 14 players simply couldn’t break the Barnes defence down again. The Barnes mantra was ‘no penalties’ because they already had evidence of Hancox’s kicking potency and sure enough our star kicker didn’t get the opportunity to ‘nick’ the game and Bournemouth had to settle for just a losing bonus point but it could have been so much better.

How one could choose a Bournemouth Man of the Match out of that team performance I am not certain but nonetheless there can’t be any objection to prop Luca Firetto being the chosen one. A heart-warming performance by the lads of which we all can be proud.

Next week nominally we are away to Leicester Lions. They are currently lying 6th and, in our very first encounter against them back in November at Chapel Gate, we lost 16-17 to a ‘last minute’ penalty. KO is 3pm. But it might not happen. Check.