RAF take on Oxford
12 February 2010
IT will be a game where some players stand up and some are overrun, but it is a game for all to prove themselves, according to Players' Manager Shaun Hesmondhalgh
And his words proved to be correct as his side of new caps and a smattering of older stagers found the going difficult amidst bursts of inspiration at a chilly but welcoming Ifley Road Oxford University’s rugby ground.
Having fielded an inexperienced team, a real buzz swarmed around the touchline and on the pitch from both management and players, which proved fruitful early on as the team produced some heavy tackles and good support play, but their tactic of kicking into the corners continued to fail as the ball went into touch.
A lively Oxford side went ahead inside seven minutes, which was harsh on the RAF team, but the avenue of joy on the RAF left proved the weak spot throughout the half, with all but one of the five tries coming in that area.
An immediate RAF team huddle showed their togetherness, and with the score 7-0 supportive calls remained. A missed kick before the Oxford try was the closest the RAF could come in a half which saw a further four tries, two converted for a half-time score of 31-0.
Silly mistakes had allowed the score to mount up, snap tries that were turned around on the RAF 22 and a string of missed tackles enabled the hosts’ quick passing game to dominate.
Buoyed by support from the older heads, such as Cpl Jimmy Bardgett, the RAF somehow remained in the game, and despite the score line, they didn’t seemed adrift, despite a few heads dropping.
Half-time subs of Cpl Richie Craig and Cpl Adam Winchester for Sqn Ldr Jack Matthews and SAC Sid Lewis bolstered the side, who started well after the break.
Blood replacement Cpl Stu Catherall produced a try saving tackle as the half started, but the Oxford team pressed and scored with a converted try.
At 38-0 the luck seemed to have ebbed away for the RAF men, but a quick shuffle of his pack from the stands by team coach WO Steve Worrall, with Bardgett, SAC Sam Atwooll and Cpl James Reid for SAC Joel Foster, SAC Mark Sheriton, and Cpl Dave Hankinson.
Then as the coach’s moves began to produce results with Oxford being pressed back after a series of excellent cross-field passes, Sheriton was sin-binned.
The team then capitalised on the hosts’ nervousness, and a great passage of play from the forwards, then released SAC Gareth Hopkins who cut back inside to burst over the line, despite heavy Oxford numbers. The crowd roared its approval, but the charge wasn’t stopping there. Hopkins converted, the team were brought back to full strength and long-serving RAF man Sqn Ldr Howard Parr, replaced SAC Steve Green, all of a sudden the game seemed to be turning in the visitors favour.
Oxford continued to make mistakes or sum up against a solid RAF wall of tackles, then a superb interception by Cpl Scott Garrett on the Oxford 22, saw him feed SAC Paul Gutteridge, who with guts and excellent leg strength stood strong to feed the supporting Hopkins, who broke through a series of flawed tackles for a try.
The conversion was a crowd pleaser to say the least. From the touchline, Hopkins slotted over from only the finest of angles for an excellent fight back score of 38 -14.
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