CS were at home for the last game of the first half of the season, and CS’s recent home record shows that they often dominate the first half and fall away in the second, whereas Thurrock’s recent away record was to score significant points in the latter stages, it therefore looked like an interesting encounter was about to unfold. With Christmas approaching, a number of fans and supporters were no doubt pre occupied with shopping rather than rugby. However two of Thurrock’s key members survived a two and a quarter hour excursion round a gridlocked M25 to join several of CS’s stalwarts for a convivial lunch. Consequently the lunch started later than intended, and your reporter, having attended the lunch, missed the start of the match. The first action to witness was to see Thurrock kicking off, not however for the start of the match but a restart after two minutes with the scoreboard already showing 7 – 0 resulting from a try from tight head prop Ollie Full James who allegedly ran in from twenty metres, but the distance was increasing at the post-match pre-Christmas celebrations that later took place; full back James Houstoun kicked the conversion. Nobody thought that this match would be easy and so it proved as Thurrock soon received a penalty which was well converted from the half way line 7 – 3. Thurrock soon received another penalty, which they tapped and ran but the move came to nothing. After 15 minutes and much competitive sparring between the two sides, CS received the first of 8 penalties, and opted to kick to the corner for a 5 metre line out which came to nothing following a crooked throw, but the proverbial writing was on the wall. The next penalty was on 23 minutes and to CS, scrum half Adam Nixon tapped and shot off like a rabbit, he found Houstoun, who took play further up field before finding left wing Toby Guyatt who had the speed and guile to make the touch down, Houstoun was unable to convert 12 – 3. Again the home supporters thought that CS had taken a significant step, but just two minutes later the Thurrock fly half made a decisive break and duly offloaded for Thurrock to score their first try, which was converted by their left wing 12 – 10.
After another two minutes, from a set scrum CS forced a penalty, from which loose head prop,[b] James Buncle, fed the ball to right wing Pumulo Banda, who in turn found No 8[/b] Tom Williams who finished off and scored 17 – 10. The next score went to fly half Liam Cleary who expertly finished a backs move, to score the bonus point try, (see photos when uploaded) 22 – 10. As the first half closed it was thought that this would have been the last score of the half, however for the first time this season CS scored five first half tries after flanker Will Scott made a great break and fed Lock Ben Davies who scored, and Houstoun converted, for a half time score of 29 – 10.
The CS supporters have become used to seeing an away team second half fight back and after 2 minutes Thurrock received a penalty which they again tapped and ran, like the earlier one, initially it came to nothing but the pressure was maintained and after 6 minutes they received a further penalty which they also tapped but this time were successful and scored 29 – 15. Thurrock then received yet another penalty and kicked for a line out 14 metres from the CS line but which led to a CS penalty to enable the home side to aim for an attacking line out, but they missed touch. However they did receive another penalty and again went for the corner, which this time resulted in hooker Josh Forrester scoring 34 – 15. Shortly after the restart CS were under pressure but received a penalty which they kicked to clear their lines. Two further penalties came the home side’s way and after the second the offending Thurrock player received a yellow card and ten minutes in the bin. Four minutes into the yellow card period Liam Cleary finished off a good move when he appeared on the right wing to score 39 – 15.
When the first scrum took place during the yellow card period, Thurrock had to restructure and the absence of complete set of front players resulted in uncontested scums and the forfeit of an extra player. With the visitors down to 13 men you would expect CS to score, but scripts are there to be torn up and disregarded and instead Thurrock scored 39 – 20 leaving the visitors to chase a forth and bonus winning try.
Instead CS back row Will Scott received the ball, 25 metres out, pinned back his ears and raced in to score CS’s eighth try of the match, and with Houstoun converting the match finished 46 – 20.
Head coach Mark Jackson said “Overall I am happy with the result and another bonus point secured before half time. We lost focus at times and our work this week will be to eliminate our errors. The squad have managed this busy period of games very well and hopefully will continue the positive results before the Christmas break.”
The first half of the season has therefore finished with CS in second place three points behind Medway, and the second half starts with a tough trip to near neighbours London Cornish, next Saturday. The second team had a friendly against Wimbledon’s strong second team which resulted in defeat but at least was a tough challenge.