Folkestone RFC VS Bromley RFC

BROMLEY SURPRISE FOLKESTONE

There is a distinction between fact and fiction. The fact is I was not at the game on Saturday and the fiction is what follows, to a degree. I have relied on people who were at the game to provide details but what they have recalled is sketchy, to say the least. Anyway, Bromley travelled to Folkestone with a whole catalogue of injured and unavailable players and off the back of a chastening defeat to Alleynians. Omens did not look good but obviously work had been put in behind the scenes and words were said as there was a steely resolve about the visitors. There were several changes from last week both positionally and player-wise with Pillow, Holland and Moore coming into the side and ex-captain Freds making a guest appearance on the bench with a late call-up.

Bromley flew out of the blocks and were seven nil up in the first minute with Bender going through after a trademark run and conversion from fly-half Griffiths. They were not done with that score and on the back of a terrific defensive display they began to apply pressure and when the opportunities came they ruthlessly exploited them with two further scores from Wilson and Hawkins. Folkestone fought hard but they were repulsed all over the pitch and their only reward was a penalty from Fell near halftime to leave the score at 21-3 to the away side. This half went on for nearly fifty-five minutes due to a catalogue of injuries to both teams. Moore, the hooker, came off for Bromley and with a reshuffle, again, Freds came on and slotted into the back row and was influential with his experience and words (plenty of those).

The second half continued much in the same vain with the only score of the half coming from the impressive Holland to leave the final score at 26-3 to Bromley and with it a bonus point win. It would be churlish to pick out an individual player of the match as this was a real team and coaching effort built on hard work and no little skill. With so many players missing from the squad this is highly encouraging. Next week the boys travel to Beccehamians for a difficult local derby and hopefully some of the wounded and absent become available but no matter what fifteen Bromley put out will be combative and motivated.

Comments from Heach Coach, Joe Simpson:

“After a disrupted pre-season schedule, 2 tough losses to Dagenham/Alleynians and injuries and unavailability it was extremely important that the selected squad put in a performance to show what we are capable of and importantly build into next week’s Derby. 

We discussed all week about needing to better control games and bar a period of defending in the first half we did. The Boys dominated the early exchanges, defended superbly and overall deserved the bonus point victory. It is vital now that we back it up with a performance next week and cement our standards for this season.

Well done to all involved!”

BACK AT HEADQUARTERS:

The second team took on Beckenham thirds. This is probably one of the largest teams to tread the boards at Barnet Wood Road and the early exchanges did not look good for the home team and they were 21-12 down after twenty minutes. This first quarter was punctuated by any number of handling mistakes for the home side and difficulty in dealing with hard straight running from beefy opponents. Then a couple of light bulb moments and the tackles began to rain in and the handling and passing began to flow. It then became apparent that the younger and fitter Bromley backs had the pace and guile to run through the Beckenham side and in the blink of an eye tries started to flow resulting in Bromley taking their score to over forty points by the break. With captain Ralph and senior Griffiths leading by example in the forwards a steady stream of the ball was cleverly used by the half-backs, centres were wrecking havoc leading to both excellent wingers benefitting and further tries flowed some of which were quite superb. The final score was 69-28 to Bromley and a good start to their Merit Table campaign. The third team opposition cried off.