Marsden Ferry Road, Oxford – Saturday 29th October 2016

Match report by Ed Phillips, action photos by Simon Grieve.

A grey day in Oxford saw two sides at the lower end of the table meet in the repeat of last season’s Oxfordshire cup semi-final. The game couldn’t have been more different as a spectacle or result. It was a tight arm wrestle of a game where both sides looked to capitalise on each other’s mistakes, on a small pitch that didn’t allow much room for expansive rugby. This may have suited the home side who were deserved winners on the day.

Banbury started the game the brighter with constant possession and territory. The Bulls turned this into a 6-0 lead with two penalties from the boot of Ed Phillips, both straight in front of the posts. Banbury then faltered, they coughed the ball up from the kick off. This was the start of the home side settling into a period in the Bulls 22. Quins did what Banbury couldn’t and crossed the white wash, the conversion was on target and just had the legs to make it over the cross bar, 7-6 Quins.

The remainder of the first half was error stricken from both sides who would have both thought they could and should have taken advantage of some prime opportunities.

The second half wasn’t much more of a spectacle, without either side able to really get into their stride. If they had it could have kick started the opposition and in turn the game, but the arm wrestle continued, and Quins were more effective at it.

Banbury crossed the line first with a well weighted grubber from school teacher Sam Stoop that saw his former pupil Jack Briggs (pictured) collect and score on the left. Phillips added the extras to make the score 13-7 to Banbury.

Simple errors didn’t exactly make it difficult for the home side to regain the lead. Quins were gifted field position with two penalties. From the resulting line out the initial drive was well dealt with by the Bulls forwards, but the ball was secure at the back and one of the quins front rows peeled off to score. Following the successful conversion attempt it was 14-13 and could have the makings of a classic finish in a local derby.

From here Banbury huffed and puffed but were unable to link multiple phases together. From a Banbury scrum in their own 22, the Phillips brothers Chris and Ed combined on the blind side. But younger brother Ed failed to execute his clearance kick and it was charged down, the ball seemed to be rolling dead and the scrum-half failed to react when the ball stayed in play off the corner flag, the Quins back row could have had a discussion about who was going to collect and score. The Conversion was dragged to the left of the posts.

This still gave Banbury a chance with the score at only 19-13. The Bulls needed a converted try to win the game but didn’t really get close and the game ended with the visitors trying their hardest as individuals, but couldn’t get the dynamic team performance going that has come so easily over the past 18 months.

Banbury haven’t got time to dwell on their performance or worry too much about the manner of the defeat, they have important games coming up against opposition around them in the table, that they have shown they are more than capable of winning. The first of which is next week at home vs Reading who are only above Banbury in the league table on points difference.