Stags successful at Abbey

The greatest try ever? Questionable but perhaps.... in spite of at least one high tackle and one forward pass. But when Gareth Edwards dived over in the corner of the old Cardiff Arms Park in 1973 to set up a great game of rugby when the Barbarians played New Zealand that passage of play is regarded as one of the best ever. Was it though? That game unlike these days had no world cup hanging on the result, no six nations grand slam hanging on it, no Lions series hanging on it? Was there less pressure because of this? Possibly. However am I being more than a little bit curmudgeonly here? Whatever one might think the level of skills on show that day was superb and whilst I am not suggesting any of the players who played for Stags last Saturday would be anywhere near pushing for a place in a Barbarians team, some of the rugby they played was reminiscent of Barbarian rugby. Tries scored at regular intervals, great running lines, great offloads, great support, great individual skills. A consummate all round performance with all players making a significant contribution. Well done to all eighteen players.
It started very well and Harry Waye Branch continued his scoring form by crashing over within ten minutes of the start. This came after a great period of pressure put on Abbey by Stags. This pressure rarely wavered throughout the game and six minutes later Duncan Craigen went over for the first of his two tries converted by Tom Carlisle. Prior to this there was a fantastic passage of play by Stags with Jack Walsh running out of defence, passing to Harry Stevens who passed on to Oscar Astbury who made a fantastic pass "out of the back door" as they say. Abbey recovered and then produced the only significant period of pressure all afternoon which resulted in their solitary try of the game. With Paul Sayers playing the game of his life in the loose, carrying hard as well as helping secure a constant source of scrummage ball, Stags came back at Abbey and Harry Waye Branch side stepped his way towards his second try of the game. Although having most of the game Stags went into the half time break with only a ten point lead. However the second half saw Stags run in seven further tries. The first a Harry Stevens solo effort followed soon after by the first of debutant and man of the match Oscar Astbury's two tries, the latter made by a chip ahead by Phil Simmons who gathered his kick and fed Oscar to score. Tom Carlisle converted the second of these two tries. Duncan Craigen showing up frequently then scored the second of his two tries and five minutes later Oscar Astbury scored his second try. Both were converted by Tom Carlisle. This made the score 43-7 going into the final quarter of the game. Stags did not ease off the pressure on Abbey and scored another three tries all converted by Tom Carlisle. Harry Stevens and Phil Simmons scored the second of their two tries, sandwiched by a long run effort from Fraser Carr who outstripped the Abbey defence from within Stags half. The final whistle sounded soon after making the final score 64-7 to Stags. The downside of the afternoon was the broken leg suffered by one of the Abbey players after being tackled. Everyone at Newbury wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.
So its a rest week for Stags and then the looming presence of Chinnor III who arrive at Monks Lane as the best team in the league. Stags however will go into this game with the confidence that two consecutive wins give to any team and who knows, some more Barbarian style rugby might be on the cards........hopefully from the home team.