Bournemouth v Bracknell

Team Selection: In the backs, inside centre Antony Fitch replaced Ryan Morrell at full back, Morrell moving to the bench. Fitch was replaced by scrum-half Grant Hancox who was replaced by Harry Warr, returning after a two-match absence. There was a reshuffle in the front row. In the absence of hooker Conrad Carkeet (concussed in the Sutton game the previous week), Alan Manning took over hooking duties and Tom Napier came off the bench to replace Manning at loosehead. In the second row, Ben Goodall was preferred to Matt Warwick as fellow lock to Connor McCafferty, the two swopping places on the bench. The back row was unchanged. On the bench, new player Ademuwagun Anjolaoluwa (Anjol) made his first appearance for the 1^st XV.

Fine and overcast but with a stiff Westerley breeze that blew straight down the pitch, giving the side playing with the wind a notable advantage.

Bournemouth Overwhelmed by Hard-running Backs

Bracknell kicked off right to left as viewed from the stand, i.e. into the aforesaid wind.

Bournemouth got off to a good start when they drove off a 5m line-out on the right and prop Luca Firetto secured the touchdown to the right of the posts. The left-footed Hancox pulled his kick for goal outside the near post.

6m: Bournemouth 5-0 Bracknell

Bracknell promptly nullified this score when three minutes later they did much the same to Bournemouth in the righthand corner. Their kick for goal had the same result as Bournemouth’s effort, to leave the scores level at five apiece.

9m: Bournemouth 5-5 Bracknell

Bournemouth restarted left and managed to retrieve the ball. Hancox broke through a hole in the defence, but a promising move left was stopped with a forward pass. Bracknell went right from the scrum, but a knock-on gave Bournemouth the put in at a scrum. They went left and Oli Grainger-Williams’s hands who came off his wing into contact where Bournemouth were awarded a penalty. Full back Fitch found touch to his right less than 10 metres out. A knock on in the lineout gave Bracknell a scrum. The No8 broke off the back and moved the ball right before Bracknell kicked. Bournemouth countered left and right before putting in a grubber kick only for referee Daniel Evans to bring play back for an earlier Bracknell infringement. From the Bracknell 10m Hancox kicked a fine goal to reestablish the Bournemouth lead at 8-5.

19m: Bournemouth 8-5 Bracknell

Hancox had another chance to add to his tally when Bournemouth were awarded another penalty. However, he contrived to hit the lefthand post, a remarkable feat from the halfway line and Bracknell had a 22m drop-out instead. Bracknell threatened left and right but when they kicked, a Bracknell player was ‘yellow carded’ for a high tackle on a Bournemouth defender.

26m: Bournemouth 8-5 Bracknell

Bournemouth found touch to their left and, when they attacked right off the line-out, Bracknell were penalized for Fitch to find touch on their 22m. An excellent three-quarter move left saw the ball in Grainger-Williams’s hands and the winger showed great pace to elude the would-be defenders and he was over in the corner. From his ‘wrong’ side, Hancox kicked an equally excellent goal to extend the lead to 15-5.

31m: Bournemouth 15-5 Bracknell

When Bournemouth kicked the restart back, Bracknell countered dangerously but Bournemouth managed to turn the ball over and a grubber kick right gave Bracknell a line-out outside their own 22m. When they kicked from the line-out, Bracknell were penalized for tackling a Bournemouth defender in the air. Fitch found touch to his right outside the Bracknell 22m. Driving off the line-out, Bournemouth released the ball left but a forward pass saw Evans bring play back to an earlier Bracknell infringement. Fitch found touch to his right on he Bracknell 5m. Bournemouth drove off the line-out and lock Ben Goodal ahd scored his first try for the Club. Perversely, despite clearly allowing for a very stiff wind, Hancox’s kick refused to obey the normal rules of aerodynamics and sailed past the far post before, mockingly, turning in as it should have done earlier.

31m: Bournemouth 20-5 Bracknell

Bournemouth had a last hurrah in that first half but were driven into touch by the Bracknell defenders to end proceedings and for them to retire for some well-earned oranges.

40+4m: Bournemouth 20-5 Bracknell

Despite recovering their own restart, a knock-on gave Bracknell a scrum on the Bournemouth 10m. Going left, a kick through saw Bracknell score wide out. An excellent conversion further reduced the deficit.

42m: Bournemouth 20-12 Bracknell

With both sides probing the opposition’s defences, in what was undoubtedly a crucial factor for the remainder of the game, the Bracknell hooker was ‘red-carded’ for a dangerous tackle. Hancox further punished them by kicking a penalty goal into that wind from the Bracknell 10m and, I may add, by some margin to extend Bournemouth’s lead.

56m: Bournemouth 23-12 Bracknell

If Bournemouth had any thoughts ‘game over’ they were soon disabused of such a notion. From a line-out inside the Bournemouth 22m, the Bracknell threes made a big dent in the Bournemouth defence and continuing left were over in the corner. Despite not being converted, the try brought Bracknell within one score of Bournemouth’s lead.

61m: Bournemouth 23-17 Bracknell

As it happened, that ended the scoring for the afternoon, but it didn’t end the tension for us Bournemouth supporters as the 14 Bracknell players defended like demons to keep the home side out. However, on the other side of the coin it was a gutsy performance on Bournemouth’s part not to yield their hard-won advantage and a well-earned valuable four points. There was one promising thing for Bournemouth however, it was the promising debut of Ademuwagun Anjolaoluwa, or Anjol for us linguistically challenged individuals. I would be so bold as to suggest he will prove to be a real asset for Bournemouth.

80+7m: Bournemouth 23-17 Bracknell – Full Time

Bournemouth’s next match is this coming Saturday (January 21) away to Banbury, KO 2.00PM. Be there.

Doug Warren

Bournemouth RFC.