Newbury’s away day Blues continue

Oxford Harlequins 18 v 6 Newbury Blues

Newbury’s away day Blues continue

Saturday 21st November South West 1 East

Newbury travelled to Oxford Harlequins on a dry but cold and windy Saturday afternoon and come home pointless

Newbury Blues travelled to Quins knowing this was going to be a hard fought game, Quins coming down from National 3 South West and unbeaten at home so far this season.
Newbury Blues kick off with the advantage of the blustery cross wind, Quins take and run the ball before kicking back into Blues territory, Blues gather and run the ball back at Quins getting hit with some hard and questionably legal tackles, Dan Thorne being floored with a slightly late tackle. Quins manage to get their hands on the ball in their own half and run at the Blues defence but don’t get far into Blues half before a knock on halts their progress, Blues win the scrum then a penalty which is kicked to touch, lineout won Blues run the ball getting well into Quins half winning a penalty just outside Quins 22 which is slotted between the posts by Ryan Trevaskis on 9 mins 0-3

Quins manage to regather from their restart and put the Blues defence under pressure which holds firm and manages to steal the ball, Blues run the ball but Quins manage to rip the ball free letting their backs to break through Blues defence getting up to the try line before a forward pass gives Blues a defensive scrum. The Blues pack holds onto their scrum but possession is lost forwards giving Quins a scrum which they win but knock on, Blues play the advantage and a long kick takes play well into Quins 22, a good chase forces Quins to kick to touch.

Blues win the lineout but are penalised at the ruck, Quins kick safely to touch, win the lineout but cough up possession for crossing, Blues win the scrum and kick upfield, Quins take and run the ball but a knock on gives Blues the ball and they play the advantage running at Quins but again a mistake in the tackle hands the ball back to Quins who get play back into Blues half before Newbury are awarded a penalty scrum. Blues forwards win the scrum allowing the defensive kick to clear the pressure and roll into touch, Quins win the lineout and spread the ball through their quick backs, a well read interception from Dan Thorne halts their progress and takes play back to the halfway mark. Quins attack from the scrum win a penalty which is kicked to touch in Blues 22, lineout won the Quins backs spread the ball quickly across the pitch to score a well worked try wide out on the right, 5-3, 20 min’s

Blues take the restart and agood chase forces Quins to cough up possession, both teams try to add to their scores over the next few minutes put play is littered with mistakes and penalties, Blues just wide with a long penalty kick attempt on 28 mins. The remainder of the half remains scoreless with both teams getting into the others 22 but good defence and mistakes halting their progress and allowing the defending team to kick to safety or run the ball out of defence.
Quins best chance is halted just short of the line with a foot in touch, Blues knock on 2m short of the line ending their best chance, the half ends with Quins in Blues 22 and threatening to add to their score, a mistake brings the half time whistle.

*****

Quins kick off the second half with a long kick and a determined chase forcing Blues to kick out of defence, Quins gather and run back at Blues but spill the ball, Josh Winfield makes a determined run but just gets nudged into touch, Quins lineout is not straight, Blues win their scrum and spin the ball through their backline across the pitch but again they are ushered into touch by the Quins defence. Lineout won Quins attack and get into Blues 22 and up to the try line but a knock on halts their progress, they keep up the pressure at the scrum and force Blues to concede possession with a loose pass, Quins gather and attack winning a penalty in front of the posts, 8-3 44 min’s

Matt Horne on for Dylan Stewart
Blues restart kick is returned by Quins, Blues run the ball Josh Love good ground to Steve Denner who cuts inside away from the touchline and Blues get up to Quins 22, but are penalised for holding on. Quins kick to touch just in Blues half, Blues steal the lineout and again a great phase of running rugby Dan Thorne, Iain Herriott, Josh Bartlett and Toby Thorne takes play well into Quins half before they are stopped, Blues keep possession and win a scrum. Matt Horne off with a cut, blood injury to his right eye Dylan Stewart back on 46 mins.
Blues win the scrum but lose the ball letting Quins run through several phases of play with both forwards and backs running the ball but they don’t make too much ground before Blues win a penalty scrum. Rob Drysdale off with a shoulder injury George Robinson-Slater on 49 min’s
Blues win the scrum on half way and again run at Quins defence but a knock on halts their progress and gives Quins a scrum, the blood injury bandaged Matt Horne comes back on Dylan Stewart off. Quins win the scrum an put a long kick into touch in Newbury’s 22, Toby Thorne takes quickly to Josh Bartlett who runs chips the Quins defence and gathers before being tackled, Blues keep the momentum going through Dan Thorne, Iain Herriot and Josh Love, Quins infringe at the tackle giving Blues a penalty which Ryan Trevaskis kicks 8-6, 55 mins

Quins restart and are immediatley on the attack when Blues knock on, Blues pack win the Quins scrum and Blues try to run out of defence but are penalised giving Quins an easy penalty kick in front of the posts, 11-6 57 min’s

Andy Herriott on Steve Denner off
Blues restart is regathered by Matt Horne and the Blues forwards maul which gathers momentum getting into Quins 22, Quins pull the maul down but are strangely given the scrum, Quins run the ball from the scrum but cough up possession, Blues return the favour. Quins manage to several phases of play together getting well in Blues territory before they are held up giving Blues a scrum. Blues win the scrum but don’t get far before a knock on gives Quins a scrum. Quins do the same and this time Blues manage to make some good yards from the the scrum Matt Horne charging up the pitch before releasing Andy Herriott who in turn pops the ball to Joe Pigott who steps in field away from the touch line and up to Quins 22, Blues keep possession at the tackle and spread the ball wide through the backs but with the try line in sight they lose the ball. Quins run the ball out of defence getting back into Blues half then the 22 forcing Blues to scramble the ball into touch, winning the lineout Quins backs split the Blues defence to score close to the posts on 68 mins 18-6
Toby Thorne off with a knee injury Steve Denner on
Blues restart is again won by Matt Horne and Blues pressure the Quins defence, Quins concede a penalty at the tackle which earns them a long overdue yellow for repeated infringements at the break down. Blues keep up the pressure on the Quins defence but are unable to make the break through and cough up possession with a knock on. Quins win the scrum then a penalty which is kicked out of defence and into touch, Quins lineout is not straight giving Blues a scrum, Blues knock on from the scrum Quins play the advantage but soon lose the ball allowing Blues to mount another attack, a big tackle on George Robinson-Slater holds up play as he is tended to stretchered off the pitch Dylan Stewart on 79 mins. Blues win the scrum but lose the ball allowing Quins to mount one final attack but the mistake comes and the final whistle is blown

Quins keep up their winning streak over the Blues this victory making it 5 in a row, Quins were just a bit more physical and street wise than this young Blues squad.
Newbury have a tough four matches leading up to Christmas beginning this Saturday at Monks Lane against league leaders Towcestrians, then away against Maidenhead and Windsor before a final home match against Swindon completes the first half of the season

SQUAD
Ben Hicks, Rob Drysdale, Graham Stewart, Kyle Doel, Ben O'Shea
Dylan Stewart, Josh Love, Josh Winfield, Joe Pigott, Ryan Trevaskis
Steve Denner, Iain Herriott, Dan Thorne, Toby Thorne, Josh Bartlett
George Robinson-Slater, Matt Horne, Andy Herriott