Bromley RFC VS Dartfordians RFC

HARD FOUGHT BONUS POINT FOR BROMLEY

After absolutely no rugby last week, it was back to action this week with the first team entertaining Dartfordians and the selected thirds away at Beccehamians. The second team game away at Sevenoaks was called off late in the week due to a frozen pitch and will be rescheduled for later in the season.

Bromley and Dartfordians are both near the top of the Kent Counties League and with Crowborough playing Beccs who are also in the mix it was a significant match up. Obviously for games like this ideally you would like the whole squad available but this was not the case for Bromley with three or four missing for whatever reasons from selection. Of the team that was posted two more players cried off very late and last minute adjustments had to be made with Pillow moving to scrum half, Pope drafted in on the wing, Milne coming off the original bench to hook and George Scott dropping to the bench after conceding that he was not 100% right. This was not the end of the home team’s woes as they suffered a number of injuries during the game which meant constant changes of personnel, positions and systems. Having said that, despite all these setbacks, the eighteen players fought and scrapped for all they were worth, took the game to the wire and thoroughly deserved a very hard earned bonus point.

The away side started off at pace for the first five minutes and the Bromley defence was on red alert. Six minutes in and Darts looked threatening as they moved wide up the left hand side of the pitch. However, the ever alert Pope, who has performed well when given his chance, intercepted, put on the after burners and he was away to score under the posts and with the conversion by Johnny Griffiths it was 7-0. A little bit against the run of play but you take what you get. It was now a period of ascendancy for Bromley and they dominated the next ten minutes but crucially could not score due to excellent defence and a couple of wrong options taken. Then for the next ten minutes or so it was Dartfordians in control and Bromley were forced into conceding a couple of penalties. The second of which was kicked to the corner, lineout won and a big drive towards the try line. Bromley repulsed the initial surge but the pressure was too great and the try was scored and converted. 7-7.

Game well and truly on now and the exchanges became more intense. On thirty two minutes Bromley manoeuvred themselves into the opposition’s twenty two and extracted a penalty for hands on the floor and number ten Griffiths knocked it over and this took the score to 10-7 at half time. Crucially Johnny Griffiths and Pillow were both injured just before the whistle with Johnny reluctantly having to leave the pitch and Pillow soldiered on despite his movement being obviously handicapped. He was eventually replaced by George Scott in the second half who performed heroics despite not having freedom of movement. To lose both half backs was a bitter blow.

Bromley had to restructure and inevitably Dartfordians took advantage five minutes into the half with another lineout, maul and try combination. No conversion. 10-12. Things looked ominous for the home team and the supporters on the touchline feared the worst. Ansell went off to have a knock assessed and then prop Carroll had to retire with a nasty looking shoulder injury. More reshuffling with Tommy Scott coming on, fresh from modelling his budgie smugglers, and managing to play both in the forwards and the backs. Ansell returned to the fray and a patched up Bromley side were potentially staring down the barrel. However in adversity, they stirred themselves with the scrum which had been under pressure beginning to assert themselves, Ansell and Brown performing heroics in the lineout, Rice orchestrating the backs and The Hawk looking to enter the line at every available opportunity it was suddenly, against the odds that the home side were on the front foot.

On sixty minutes George H made a great break bursting past several defenders before being snagged but Brown drove the ball on and it was rereleased and there was Alex Griffiths steaming up the left wing to score an excellent try. No conversion 15-12. There followed ten minutes of intense rugby as both sides tried to gain ascendancy. Darts were first to strike on sixty three minutes with another lineout and maul which was driven back on several occasions but eventually, they got over near the posts, converted, 15-19.  On seventy minutes Bromley worked their way into Dart’s half and after good forward play the backs were released. There was a fumble during the move, but the ball clearly went backwards and Hawkins with a bit of juggling retrieved the situation and battered his way over. But non, mon dieu the man in the middle says knock on – he can only give what he sees but very frustrating at the time. Bromley now had a head of steam up and were back at it two minutes later and this time there was no stopping Hawkins after clever back play. With the conversion, Bromley were 22-19 ahead.

They had about ten minutes to negotiate. Long time for a team that had given everything. Not surprisingly Darts threw everything at it. Bromley got through the first five minutes but could not retain the ball, mistakes crept in, missed tackles and penalties. From one of these, the ball was knocked into the twenty two. Everybody knew what was coming – catch, drive, maul and big runner released in under the posts. 22-26 and five minutes to go. Amazingly a very tired Bromley fifteen stirred themselves again and it was Darts who had to defend desperately. They gave away a couple of penalties and from the second of these Bromley took a quick tap and go. The ball carrier was tackled within five metres and it was as clear a penalty as you are likely to see but play on. The opportunity to kick into Darts twenty two and exert pressure was gone and so was the game.

This was a terrific contest between two very good sides. Dartfordians just about deserved it as they were more clinical in their execution at key moments. Their pack was well drilled and the two half backs played intelligently. Bromley can take great credit for putting up such a monumental fight and scoring some excellent tries. Churlish to single anybody out as all eighteen gave it everything. A game as good as this is only possible if you have a good referee and although I have highlighted a couple of incidents that in no way detract from his excellent and sympathetic performance.

A decent third team travelled to Beccehamians looking forward to a hotly contested local derby and ran into a more than decent home side who seemed to be playing at a level above and romped home 70-21. Oh well – move on. Next week the ones are away at Canterbury. Twos are at home to Canterbury. So much for cutting down on the travelling!! Threes are at home to Dartfordians.