Blues sign off with a century

NEWBURY BLUES 103 v 00 STRATFORD UPON AVON

Blues sign off with a century
Saturday 13th April 2019, 3pm KO South West 1 East

Newbury Blues score 15 tries against relegated Stratford Upon Avon and keep them scoreless to end the season in style

Blues make 4 changes from last week’s squad due to injury and unavailability, Stratford travel with a much-changed squad after enduring a tough season

Blues kick off the final league game of the 2018/2019 season on a cold but dry afternoon in front of a large Blues crowd, Stratford return the kick allowing Blues to run back getting a penalty at the tackle, Blues tap and go taking play across the pitch, Alex Bancroft darts through the Stratford defence to score Dan Thorne adds the conversion, 7-0 2 mins

Stratford take the restart kick Blues gather and run the ball, again the ball is spread wide through hands Josh Bartlett releases Christian Atkinson who out paces the Stratford defence to score, Dan Thorne adds the conversion, 14-0 4 mins

Stratford kick off and a good chase is rewarded when Blues knock on giving Stratford a scrum on half way, the next 10 mins are spent in midfield both sides making errors and handing over possession, Blues make the breakthrough when after winning a lineout they attack getting into Stratford’s 22 win a penalty which is taken quickly and spread through hands to Josh Bartlett who breaks through the Stratford defence to score a good team try Dan Thorne converts 21-0 14 mins

Blues are well on top is this game and go further ahead when they get a penalty which is kicked to touch in Stratford’s 22 lineout won Blues maul making ground a getting a penalty scrum, from the scrum which Blues are dominating Josh Winfield picks up at the base and bursts over to score the bonus point try, the conversion is strangely charged down 26-0 20 mins

Stratford kick off and a good chase is rewarded when they tackle Blues into touch, lineout won Stratford attack getting a penalty which is kicked to touch in Blues 22, lineout won they take play up to the Blues try line but cannot get over instead they concede a penalty

Christian Atkinson off Kyle Doel on and a reshuffle 23 mins

Blues kick their penalty to touch win the lineout and some good rugby takes play deep into Stratford’s 22 getting a penalty which is kicked to touch, from the lineout Blues attack but cough up possession, Stratford do the same allowing Blues to put through a grubber kick and chase, Stratford get a penalty which is cleared to touch, they run the ball from the lineout but knock on, Blues win the scrum and another good attack results in Toby Thorne breaking through the Stratford defence to score close to the posts Dan Thorne adds the conversion 33-0 32 mins

Toby Thorne off Jamie Futcher on

Blues dominance is soon rewarded when they take play back into Stratford’s 22 and get a penalty which they tap and go allowing Josh Winfield to break through and score Dan Thorne converts 40 -0 35 mins

A few minutes later Blues are further in front when the ball is spread wide and Harvey North breaks through the Stratford tackles to score, Dan Thorne adds the conversion 47-0 37 mins

On the stroke of half time Blues score again, after a couple of minutes camped in Stratford’s 22 Blues take a quick penalty and Duncan Craigen shrugs off the defenders to score Dan Thorne adds the conversion making the half time score 54-0

**************************

Harry Waye-Branch on Rob Drysdale off

Stratford kick off and the Blues machine is soon further in front when a sweeping move is rounded off with Harvey North going over to score his second try, Dan Thorne converts 61-0 42 mins

Stratford kick off and Blues pile further misery on Stratford when some good rugby is rewarded with Rory Jones touching down under the posts Dan Thorne converts 68-0 46 mins

Stratford kick off and get hold of the ball but soon have handed possession back to Blues, both teams make mistakes but Blues are first to put a sweeping move together, from a scrum deep in Stratford’s half Blues spread the ball wide Dan Thorne to Alex Bancroft to Jamie Futcher to Josh Bartlett who is over to score a great team try, Dan Thorne converts, 75-0 52 mins

Blues run straight back at Stratford from their kick off a good run from Harry Waye-Branch takes play well into Stratford’s half, Stratford usher Blues into touch, Blues steal the lineout and soon have a penalty which they take quickly taking play across the pitch and Josh Bartlett is over to score his hatrick try, Dan Thorne converts 82-0 58 mins

Stratford’s kick off rolls into touch, Blues win the lineout and attack, Stratford win a penalty which is kicked to touch, Blues steal the lineout and soon have a penalty which is kicked to touch in Stratford’s 22, Blues keep up the pressure and from a scrum take play across the pitch and back Max Hayman scores, Dan Thorne adds the conversion, 89-0 66 mins

Max Hayman off Rob Drysdale on

Stratford restart and get the ball back from Blues chip kick, they get a scrum just in Blues half which they win, Blues manage to steal the ball at the tackle and Josh Winfield scores Dan Thorne adds the conversion 96-0 72 mins

Blues score one more try when after a couple of phases of play Blues steal a Stratford scrum and play the ball through hands Tom Erskine takes a pass and rounds the defenders to score a great try, Dan Thorne adds the conversion,103-0 75 mins

The remaining few minutes pass without any further points

Good luck to Stratford Upon Avon in your new division next year, and fair play for never giving up at Blues with a very changed squad, a credit to you and your club

MOM Josh Bartlett
DOD Dan Thorne

Newbury Squad
Max Hayman, Rob Drysdale, Ben Hicks, Tom Erskine, Duncan Craigen, Rory Jones,
Joseff Terry-Brown, Josh Winfield,
Tom Hunt, Alex Bancroft, Harvey North, Dan Thorne, Josh Bartlett, Christian Atkinson,
Toby Thorne,
Harry Waye-Branch, Kyle Doel, Jamie Futcher

Thanks to the ref Kalvin Withers

Special thanks to the great Blues support who turned out in numbers for the final game of the season and witnessed the most points scored at Monks Lane for a long time

Here’s the off-season poser when did Blues last score 100 points????

Hope you will all be there supporting the Blues next season in SW Premier