Pickford Grange Lane, Coventry - Saturday 9th January 2016

Match report by Ed Phillips

The Bulls increased their lead at the top of Midlands 2 West (South) to 3 points this weekend as second placed Earlsdon beat 3rd placed Spartans without gaining a four-try bonus point.

Banbury had secured their bonus point by half time, but not without an early wake up call. Banbury’s Skipper Ed Phillips missed a penalty shot at goal but built on this, and having gone in front through tight head prop Ken Key scoring his first try for the club. The strong scrummager signed from Chipping Norton in the summer, picked up from a ruck a metre out and dived over the ruck to open the scoring. Phillips missed an easy conversion to leave the score 5-0.

Barkers Butts hit back immediately. Banbury failed to gather the ball from the kick off, and Butts scored from first-phase ball with a simple crash through Sam Stoop in the 10 channel from the resulting scrum. A simple conversion was kicked, and despite having the majority of possession and territory the Bulls found themselves 7-5 behind.

At this stage the contest could have been mistaken for a basketball match, with the play going from one end of the field to the other and back again. In keeping with this Banbury were next on the time-line to score the games third try in an action packed first 10 minutes. Again first phase ball from a scrum, the Bulls worked a training ground move that saw Jimmy Manley glide through a hole and drew the full back, putting top try scorer Joe Mills in for an easy score. Phillips finally found the target to put the Bulls 12-7 ahead.

Banbury continued to dominate in all areas in the first 25 minutes of the first half, adding to their tally through a rolling maul dotted down by Simon Brand. Barkers conceded a penalty in centre field and the Bulls turned down an easy three points in a hope to put the game to bed in the first half, Bulls hit their man in the line out and after initially being held the maul gathered pace and Brand steered the maul and dotted down out wide, where Phillips missed the conversion, 17-7.

Banbury’s bonus point came through Carl Daniels wide on the left with a Bulls trade mark flowing move, after some great individual play from “Man of The Match” Joe Mills (pictured above) where he seemed to beat 2 players before committing another 2 as he put Daniels in to cross the line unopposed. Phillips was on target from under the posts to put Banbury 24-7 ahead.

From here Butts, began to put the pressure on Banbury and spent most of the remaining 15 minutes of the first half in the Banbury half. Banbury did not cope well under pressure and had Daniels sent to the sin bin for a high tackle, but it was the cumulative offences which brought the card from the pocket rather than any malice from the winger. Banbury were able to hold out as Butts’s unforced errors allowed Banbury off the hook on more than one occasion. The referee was playing advantage for another Banbury infringement when Barkers second row took the law into his own hands throwing a punch, showing his frustration at Banbury’s continued ill-discipline, this was on the stroke of half time, so a Banbury took their medicine and kicked the ball to touch to end the half 24-7.

The second half went again in the favour of the Bulls, but not before fans favourite Manu Paniagua, saw yellow having just come on at half time, again as a result of the amount of team offences. While both teams were down to 14 man, Banbury were the next to score through Captain Phillips. Banbury tried to execute a set move but scrappy ball meant they had to react off the cuff and substitute Jed Boyle relished in this circumstance by using his quick feet and strength to hold up the ball and picked out the best of the support options which this time was Phillips who slid over in the corner, again missing the conversion from out wide, 31-7.

The game ebbed and flowed, with both side playing a lot of rugby between the 22 metre lines, but with no real end product. Until Jimmy Manley crossed for the visitors with his first league try of the season, Phillips’s off day from the tee continued as missed the conversation, 36-7. Barkers were not ready to throw the towel in, and had a late surge and with 5 minutes left on the clock their fly half ghosted through the Banbury defence and dotted down making the score 36-14.

The spectators stayed to the final whistle of what was an exciting game of rugby and were rewarded with the try of the game in the final stages of the match. The ball was kicked deep to Banbury and Butts put wing Jed Boyle under pressure, he broke past two players and started a superb team move, the ball was moved through Phillips, Goode and Manley’s hands from left to right. Stoop spotted the gap and put his foot down, he then flicked an inside ball to Brand to carried the ball into the Barkers 22, feeding Isham. Banbury were left with a 3 on 1 and Isham reluctantly fed Phillips who didn’t use his support in the form of Jimmy Manley to score next to the posts and convert his own try giving himself a tally of 18 points and completing the 43-12 score line.

The score line didn’t show how well Barkers battled throughout, but Banbury’s class shone through. Banbury continue their pursuit of the title at home to bottom side Bedworth next Saturday (17th January).