Banbury Bulls travelled away to Pershore on Saturday looking to bounce back from their heavy home defeat the previous week. With a number of changes made, Banbury were able to boast a squad in which 16 of the 18 players, and 14 of the starting side, played their junior rugby at Banbury. Full credit should go to the Junior section for all the work they have done over the years and continue to do. It is a sign of where Banbury have got to in terms of their role in promoting rugby in the town and the senior team look forward to this production line of talent continuing!

On a perfect, sunny afternoon Banbury kicked off looking to repeat their home victory against Pershore from early in the season, and the game was to follow a similar pattern to that match. Banbury looked to move the ball quickly away from the contact area to unleash their dangerous backline, whilst Pershore preferred to kick for territory and then use their strong running forwards to make inroads close to the breakdown. It proved however to be Banbury’s precision attacking that seemed to be the more effective style as winger Adam Walsh was put into space on the halfway line. His powerful run was brought to an end just yards short of the try line and Pershore were forced to concede a penalty. Skipper Ed Phillips was off target with his kick attempt, but the attacking threat was a sign of things to come.

Banbury broke the deadlock after 10 minutes when they broke from within their own half. Strong running from the centre partnership of James Heywood and Pete Flemming created space wide out on the left, where full-back Sam Allen burst through. With just the covering full-back to beat, he smartly drew the defender and passed out to supporting winger Billy McKenna who showed a clean pair of heels to go over near the sticks for this first try for the first team. Phillips was on target with the extra and Banbury led 7-0. This lead was doubled shortly after when Phillips himself found a gap in the Pershore defence on the 10 metre line. Again, it took a simple draw and pass from the scrum-half to put his half-back partner, Jed Boyle, in to score under the posts. With the conversion easily scored Banbury held a 14-0 lead.

But the visitors started to become a little profligate as several half chances went begging and Phillips was off target with another penalty attempt. Pershore started to gain ground and confidence as they were still very much in the match and it took just one broken tackle from their fly half who set up the inside centre to get them back into the game. The conversion was successfully struck by the impressively large Pershore second-row and the Bulls lead had been halved.

Banbury were to respond well and show what they can do when they retain possession and go through quick phases. With the Pershore defence sucked in to deal with the breakdown, Banbury attacked the blind side where some lovely passing from prop Rory Dymond and Flemming put Boyle clear on the Pershore 22. With no one covering it was a simple run in for the fly-half to score. Phillips was again on target and Banbury led 21-7. With Pershore reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes after a block on Phillips as he chased his own kick, Banbury looked to secure the try-scoring bonus point before half time. However Pershore were far from done and a solid defensive scrum saw them not only repel the threat, but then break clear into Banbury territory. Indeed as the half ended it was with Pershore one man down but on the front foot!

As the match restarted Pershore looked to claw their way back into the game but were met with a solid wall of Banbury defence. Time and again their big running forwards looked to smash their way through the fringes only to be met with some ferocious tackling. Pinned back in their own half, Banbury had seemingly forgotten that keeping possession and phase play had won them the first half. But the threat from the Bulls backline was always present and a strong break by replacement winger Carl Daniels took the visitors up to the Pershore 22. As the home side defence scrambled back to contest the breakdown, Number 8 Simon Brand saw the gap open up on the blind side. Picking the ball up from the back of the ruck, he rounded the only defender and galloped in for the bonus point try. Phillips was again on target and Banbury were now 28-7 to the good.

However it was to be defensive pressure that was to lead to Banbury’s next try as Pershore looked to chase the game. Attacking from their own half the ball was spilled by the home side centres and Heywood fly-hacked the loose ball through and into the try area. One wicked bounce away from the covering defender later and Jacob Mills dived on the ball to score under the posts with his first touch of the match (having just come on out of position in the centres as a blood replacement for Man-of-the-Match Flemming). Again a successful conversion made the score 35-7 to Banbury.

As the half progressed Pershore continued to push forward to be met by stalwart Banbury defence. However they were then forced down to 14 men as flanker Seamus O’Dwyer suffered a bad knee injury and had to leave the field and Banbury had used all their substitutes. Pershore were able to make this extra man count in the final moments of the game when they stole a scrum against the head and used the extra man this created to put their outside centre in to score.

But Banbury were to have the final word. Pershore fielded the kick off and looked to ship the ball wide, but another loose pass went to ground under pressure from the Bulls. Banbury scooped up the free ball and Jed Boyle was again put into space to score his hat-trick try under the posts in the last move of the game. Phillips added the extras and Banbury had run out winners by 42-14.

The Bulls take a break from league action next week and then travel to Berkswell & Balsall on 28th January.