Vigo RFC VS Bromley ll RFC

BROMLEY SECONDS INTO KENT SHIELD FINAL

Bromley seconds travelled to Vigo to play their seconds in the Kent Shield semi final. Outside of experienced heads in the front row, this was a very young team and just to allay the fears of a couple of cynics on the sidelines this was not Bromley’s first team. There was a contrast in styles between the two sides with the home team being strong and abrasive constantly trying to burst through tackles and force their way across the gain line. Bromley were keener to move the ball at speed and use their talented threequarters to create gaps and overlaps. What evolved was a titanic battle with the home side narrowly ahead for the bulk of the game and only subdued at the death.

Vigo had the use of the wind and the slope in the first half and used this to good effect. They got off to the perfect start. Bromley did not deal with the kick off and just stood and watched as a Vigo player plucked the ball out of the air to set up a number of hard running phases of play from which they eventually scored but the conversion missed. Very good from the home side but a bit shambolic defensively by the away side. No matter as for the next ten minutes Bromley dominated proceedings driving their way upfield with great continuity and slick delivery by Powell at the base. On eleven minutes from a scrum Bromley broke blind and they were in to level the scores. Next ten minutes was a huge physical battle with both sides trying to establish some sort of superiority. On twenty three minutes Bromley missed a kickable penalty. Not surprising as the wind was really swirling around. For the next fifteen Vigo were generally in charge in terms of possession and territory with a couple of booming kicks putting them within striking range of the Bromley line. On thirty two minutes they manufactured a really good try using their backs and with great handling, they were in under the sticks and with the conversion they were 12-5 ahead. The boys now had to dig really deep defensively but a couple of minutes from the break they broke out and managed to engineer a super kick into the Vigo twenty two. They applied pressure and won a penalty and opted for the scrum. They heeled this quickly and again worked the ball blind to the wing and they were in to leave the score at the end of the half was 12-10 to Vigo.

With the wind and the slope, it was hoped that Bromley would kick on but, if anything, the home team upped the tempo with hard direct running which had Bromley at full stretch but they weathered the storm and began to show their teeth with some sweeping backs moves but on a number of occasions poor handling, poor decisions or terrific defence foiled them. Then the Bromley nemesis the penalty showed itself with any number being conceded. This gave Vigo field position and again with hard direct running, they got over the whitewash and stretched out to 17-10. Twenty minutes to go and Bromley had to up their game and they did just that. The defensive line became sharper and quicker denying their opponents any time on the ball, kicks were dispatched into the corners, the scrum started to walk their opposite numbers backwards and the black and ambers began to put the squeeze on. From a scrum on sixty eight minutes Bromley worked the ball left, space created and a jinking run ended up with a score under the posts. With the conversion, the scores were locked at 17-17 and the next score would surely decide who was progressing to the final.

Bromley now began to lay siege to the Vigo line and they stretched and turned their opponents who were fighting for their lives but on seventy six minutes Bromley produced a lovely move ending up with the converted score under the posts and for the first time in the match they were ahead 24-17. They had three minutes to navigate and they did this quite superbly pinning Vigo back and not allowing them out of their twenty two and it ended with a desperate fly hack into touch by Vigo and Bromley had the spoils.

This was everything you would expect from a semi final. Hard, uncompromising and going right down to the wire. A real learning experience for a predominantly young Bromley side who after a hesitant start matched their very physical opponents. Congratulations to Vigo who gave it everything and more to push our twos to the limit and they probably had the player of the match in their number ten who orchestrated and drove his team on with his intelligent kicks and passes and his extremely powerful surges upfield.

So the seconds are into the Kent Shield final which will be held at Canterbury RFC on the 28^th April at 3.30pm I believe. Their opponents will be Dover seconds who beat Dartfordians seconds at Dartford 15-14. That game will be another level up and a real challenge for this young side but they have had a great season and to reach the final is the icing on the cake. Go well on the day. It goes without saying that we need a big turnout of supporters to acknowledge this fine team and the management of it.