Midlands 5 East (North), Sat 13 Jan 2007

Bakewell 8 - Hamians 15

bakewell the league leaders surrendered their 100% league record to hamians . given the last minute score which allowed them to sneak the spoils in november the result was not so much a shock but a restoration of natures hierarchy

playing at chesterfield as bakewell was unfit could have unsettled the home side

hamins lined up pikey , yorkie , rob b , adonis the greek , eps, lamin , draps , hobbit , ice , jez , dave , cookie , pud , anvil , mozza...bench the fat prop, phil and coops !!

training had been quite intense all week with wet weather tactics outlined given the forecast

wind , wind and yet more rain and wind

the game

lamin kick doesn't make 5 never mind 10

scrum ..bakewell use wind to drive hamians back

little chips ahead used as clear that bakewell midfield uneasy about confrontation

hamians full back copes well under pressure in less than classic style

bakewll press ...defence very physical and strong ...clear bakewell reliant on two players to cross gainline

soft offside at ruck gifts 3 points

known fact bakewell start at 100 miles an hour , get lead and protect it ...clear bakewell backs have pace if given chance to run .

better kick off

hamians press , defending midfield and fringes , bakewell fly half kicking for position

scrummage even steven with draps using eps as blind side strike runner

adonis in the centre calves opening from inside on half ..xmas excesses mean blistering pace of old not quite their and confuses defence and team mates by falling over in front of their full back

tone set , lamin usng boot to gain terriority against wind ..rob in centre looking dangerous with ball in hand

draps kicks penalty

draps probing around the fringes , with mozza , jez and cookie makin the hard yds

lineouts 50/50 with good spoiling to their ball, cookie repeatedly ends up with their ball in hands....

bakewell n 8 hobbles off following clash with Epsy

after constant pressure , several opportunities squandered ,adonis squeezes over in the corner ...not one to take the easy route the 4 man overlap was easier but with the pikey on the overlap it is understood

half time 8-3 playing with the wind in second half

difficult to understand but hamins allow through penalties ground to be lost

with ball in hand lamin dictating the game mixing the majic with hard graft

half breaks evident last passs never quite going to hand

daft penalty followed backchat ...series of lineouts and penalties ...defense immense ..training does count ...scrabble yards speciality of all forwards winning individual and collective efforts

grunting draper forces larger opponent into touch as try line beckons

Replacement bakewell hooker declines to scrummage ref sympathises .....allows illegal hit and ball lost ...defense pinged and 5 yd line out results ...drivin maul repulsed and draps gets under ball

hooker repeats tactics ...bakewell playing on ref.. vocal supporters point out errors , ref obviously embaressed by blunder hides it by asking spectators to stand back from touchline !!!!.using bulky forwrds to roll towards line ...debatable shielding evident but assult reppelled..

5 yd scrummage draps snaffles ball , unluckily ref deems offside ...ball spun wide and man outwide beats cover defence to amazement of spectators

8 all


hamins spectators cpme to the for ..incensed by the in justices un folding in front of them ..their combined voices add energy to tired limbs

clear bakewell in drwing level have expended energy and only one team has the fitness and the will to win

jez has bakewell line out ploy sussed and exposing frailities again and again
time and time gain half breaks not converted as bakewell scrabble defense covers ...

captain marvel leavy misjudges kick through but heroically gathers on floor and receives cheep shot tackle on floor by winger ....groggerly carried from pitch with split lip and face like De Niro from Raggin Bull !

lamin with boot keeping pressure on ...hamins drive through maul at tiring bakewell forwards three phases of pick and drives scatters defense ...options in abundance as lamin scoots over ingnoring 3 man over lap

easy conversion 15 -8

hamins running out of defense opt for touch finder rather than running ...crowd roar approval

game ends with stranglehold continuing on bakewell fowards with turnover of lineout ball meaning hamins can confidently run out clock to record victory ( pud actually bothering to move and lift cookie meant cookie's salmon like leap and catch was even more graceful than usual )

this result opens the door to Boston , and makes the pre christmas farce at East leake even more costly , to hamins promotion hopes .

Simple facts forwards win matches , backs decide by how much ...hamins forward training in the week and tactics paved the way to victory ...if the backs ever chose to follow suit ...

Still next league opponents are Keyworth ( away) a local hostile derby if ever their was one

Cup action is 10th feb away in the 1/4 finals of NLD Vase to rivals Casuals .