After the Christmas break, the Bulls returned to GRAF UK Ltd Stadium to face Old Halesonians. With the weather at the forefront of everyone's minds, it was with a brisk chill in the air that the Bulls went back into action against Old Halesonians. With the pitch holding up well due to all the hard work put in during the week it was Old Halesonians who got us underway. It was Old Halesonians who placed the pressure early on drawing many penalties in the opening 5 minutes. From the inevitable pressure, they touched down and missed the conversion [0-5]. A few moments later the Bulls suffered a setback with the referee adjudging Oscar Triggs had not rolled which resulted in a penalty within kicking distance. OH converted the penalty [0-8]. With 14 players the Bulls dug in deep and came up with a moment of brilliance, Dan Hale found an excellent ball from James Miller and he managed to score close to the posts and was converted [7-8]. Restored to 15 players the Bulls were caught in a switch of play with OHs finding their winger out wide who scored in the corner, try was converted [7-15]. A frustrated first half came to an end with the Bulls 7-15 down at the interval.

Half Time - Banbury 7-15 Old Halesonians

Quick out of the blocks the Bulls struck early. Charlie Cranley took advantage of a fantastic 35 metre driving ball which was whipped out the back with Cranley touching down, and the try was converted [14-15]. Cranley was not done there, Triggs with a perfectly weighted cross-field kick found Cranley on the wing all too happy to run in his second of the afternoon to the left of the posts, with the conversion the Bulls took the lead [21-15]. Cranley’s try kick-started a flurry of tries for the Bulls, first was Louis Tooth from a clever lineout move in which Captain Leonardi popped the ball up to an onrushing Tooth who beat his defenders to crash over for a fantastically well-worked converted try [28-15]. Hale was next to go over for his second, a lovely free-flowing piece of play from the backs put him into space to run in close to the posts, and the try was converted [35-10]. Leonardi was not done there, going on a storming run he set the ball and with a quick recycle Quinten Blythe received a looping ball out wide to score for the Bulls. Conversion missed [40-15]. OH were not done there spreading the ball well their winger snuck in the corner to touch down for the visitors with a try short of their bonus point, try converted [40-22]. The Bulls kicked on, through some incredible individual ability Felix Hunt ran hard beating defenders to go over, try converted [47-22]. Next, the creator became the scorer, Captain James Leonardi was on the end from some team brilliance. A well-worked team try started from a break from the backs down the left side. From an inch perfect cross-field kick back over to the right side Hunt gathered and passed inward to Leonardi who dived over in the clubhouse corner, try converted [54-22]. OH did not give up, from a hard-fought set of phases their last try of the afternoon came and secured a losing bonus point to take back to Wassell Grove, try converted [54-29]. In a match of two halves, the Bulls produced a fantastic win to seal their first win of 2024. Bulls travel to Syston next weekend.

Full Time - Banbury 54-29 Old Halesonians

Player of the Match - Presented by Bloxham Mill

Felix Hunt for his excellent display of hard running, precise assists and a superb try.
Thank you to Bloxham Mill who sponsored the match and for presenting the award.

Banbury
Starting XV
15 Quinten Blythe; 14 Owen Wildgoose; 13 Daniel Hale; 12 James Miller; 11 Charlie Cranley; 10 Oscar Triggs; 9 Joseph Mills
1 James Leonardi; 2 Nicholas Agbo; 3 Sean Woollard; 4 William Thurlow; 5 Louis Tooth;
6 James Hibbert; 7 Alexander Nicholls; 8 Felix Hunt;
Replacements
16 Ethan Gudge; 17 James Page; 18 Sam Cox;

Old Halesonians
Starting XV
15 Luke Smith; 14 Oliver Clare; 13 Dawid Jesion; 12 Benjamin King; 11 Joel Keenan; 10 Luke Fenton; 9 Jamie Keen
1 Matthew Young; 2 Alexander Gordon; 3 Scott Rudge; 4 Jack Koshbayan; 5 Samuel Herrington;
6 Jake Humphreys; 7 Adam Shaw; 8 Ryan Wainwright;
Replacements
16 James Roberts; 17 Daniel Smith; 18 Nico Mason;